DIY Nettle Infusions for Natural Energy, Nourishment + Nutrition

Today, I wanted to share one of my very favorite herbal recipes with you: nettle leaf infusions. Not only are they delicious and simple, but they're very nourishing for the body, rejuvenating, nutritious, balancing, strengthening, give a great boost of natural energy, provide a dose of vitamins and minerals (especially calcium, potassium, magnesium, and iron), may assist with seasonal allergies, plus provide all sorts of other herbal medicinal benefits. 

Nettle tea infusions can be enjoyed year round, and they are amazing for fortifying and building up your energy levels when you feel depleted, run down, stressed out, overworked, exhausted, or after sickness. During these times, they are the perfect solution for nourishing, recharging, restoring, and revitalizing the body. It's not a sudden burst of energy like an energy drink, and they won't make you feel jittery like caffeine might. Rather, nettle infusions are deeply nourishing and they give a gentle, uplifting, and natural boost of energy that you can feel throughout your entire body - especially if you consume nettle infusions daily or regularly. Nettles also have a wide range of medicinal herbal benefits, with a long history of use in treating different conditions including seasonal allergies. When I use nettles consistently, I really feel a huge improvement in my energy levels, vitality, and overall mind + body.

My favorite way to use nettles is with a simple herbal infusion. I usually infuse nettles overnight to extract as many of their beneficial properties, vitamins, and minerals as possible, then drink the infusion throughout the next day. There are many recipes available online and in books, but I opt for this simple method which doesn't require any weighing or measuring:

1. Boil water.
2. Place 1-2 handfuls of dried nettle leaf in a quart-sized glass canning jar.
3. Pour the boiling water over the nettles, stir with a metal spoon or chopstick, then cap the jar.
4. Allow the nettles to infuse at room temperature for at least 6 hours, preferably overnight, in order to extract out as many of their benefits as possible.
5. Strain the next morning, and enjoy throughout the day! 

I drink my nettle infusion at room temperature, but you can also place it in the refrigerator or add ice if you prefer. Once refrigerated, you can enjoy it the next day if you don't finish it in one day.

If you'd like, you can add other herbs to your infusion. Some of my favorite additions include green milky oat tops, oat straw, raspberry leaf, lemon balm, and astragalus, but the options are endless!

If you'd like to sweeten your nettle infusion, you can add licorice root or a little stevia to the infusion, or honey (or other natural sweetener of your choice) after straining out the spent nettles.

When purchasing nettle leaf, I personally prefer nettles grown sustainably in the United States, and there are some wonderful organic family-owned farms that I highly recommend. Buying locally grown is best (especially to assist with seasonal allergies), but my very favorite farms that sell high quality organic nettles online are Zack Woods Herb Farm, Foster Farm Botanicals, and Oshala Farm.