Nettles (Urtica Dioica) The Forgotten Superfood

Nettle has been used for many years and in history treasured amongst most city dwellers. The entire plant may be used for medicinal purposes and it tastes/cooks much like spinach. Aside from childhood memories to avoid nettles at all costs. Nettle possesses great benefits for skin problems, infections, and even bed wetting, it has been used to treat coughs, assist milk production for pregnant women and as a tonic to promote overall wellbeing.

Nettles remain one of the safest medicinal herbs to use, with fewer side effects then perscription medication and its grows all around London!

Nettles are completely harmless aside from their stinging syringes that inject a histamine-like substance into your skin. These substances are irritating nonetheless great for bee stings, insect bites and treating any poison like substances, it stimulates your natural antihistaminic response increasing white blood cells. 

Despite its piercing defense, the plant is rich in chlorophyll, and a good source of beta-carotene ; vitamins A, C, and E; tannins; iron ; calcium ; phosphates; and various other minerals. Nettle grows in nitrogen and phosphorus-rich soils, it's a great natural fertiliser too! 

FACTS ABOUT NETTLES

1. A gentle body detoxifier, especially for the digestive system and lymphatic system. 
2. Good for pregnant women in labour
3. Good for menstruation and menopause
4. Good blood builder and good for circulation suggested for anemic people
5. A powerful anti-inflammatory
6. Strengthens the immune system
7. Good for bone health
8. Good for respiratory issues
9. Great for kidneys and gallbladder issues
10. Great for skin especially acne, age spots, and blemishes
11. Nettles are a superfood high in vitamins C, Iron, calcium and more protein than soya.
12. The stinging syringes are said to be a cure for baldness and hair loss
13. All natural durietic and pain killer
14. It is said to stimulate hair growth and improve quality of hair 
15. Nettle was used to make fabric before cotton in the UK, German army uniforms were woven from nettle fibers in world war 1.
16. Fresh nettle juice leaves are used to treat asthma 
17. Nettles help keep produce fresh, everything from fruit to meat, it prevents mold from growing and keeps bacteria away from nearby plants 
18. Fresh nettle was placed on the skin, for joint pain, rheumatism, and even gout. 
19. 2.7g of protein per 100grams 

NETTLES HAVE BEEN USED TO TREAT

Alzheimer's,Arthritis,Asthma,Bladder Infections,Bronchitis, Gingivitis, Gout, Hives, Kidney stones, allergies, multiple sclerosis, PMS , sciatica, baldness, internal bleeding, anemia, heavy menstruation, hemorrhoids, rheumatism, skin complaints.

Nettles work very well as a survival food, thanks to their high-quality protein content and high levels of nutrients. Nettles can contain up to 25% protein by dry weight. A complete protein, with a good mix of essential amino acids. Nettle protein is easily digestible.

Dry on a sheet and use in nettle tea, great for allergies especially hay fever, also good for heavy periods.Or make into dumplings, old English nettle soups were popular too. I love to use mine in stir fries or steamed salad toppings/ stock. Much like spinach it boils down so always get a full bag and season well! The Nettle seeds taste much like coffee and are good for an energy boost too! The root can be used as a dye. 

Don't pick nettles that are flowering like the image on the left. Instead, pick the young leaves at the top of younger plants, these are the most tender nettles which appear in spring and can be harvested until the end of July before the leaves start to fill with crystals of calcium carbonate which can be gritty and unpleasant.

The entire plant is so useful! Yet so unappreciated.

This is not evaluated by the food and drug administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease. If you are pregnant, nursing, taking medication or have a medical condition, consult your physician before using this product.

References: Gale Encyclopedia of Alternative Medicine | 2005 | Hanrahan, Clare; Frey, RebeccaCOPYRIGHT 2005 The Gale Group, Inc.

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Start Loving People For Who They Are

Love people for who they are and not what you them to be. Expectations lead to disappointments; the only person you can rely and expect anything from is yourself, being that you can handle it if you let yourself down.

This is the year to leave all your obstacles in the past, forgive yourself, forgive those who have done ill favored things against you, forgive those who did not believe in you, who we're not there for you. Forgive those who let you down, or didn't treat you the way you know you deserved. 

You are complete with, or without them, you don't need anything more then to wholeheartedly believe in yourself. This is how you can know yourself - to know others. Without a solid structure to teach people, growing up in this society can become confusing.

What is being a 'good person'?

You mean no harm to others so you automatically assume you have a good heart, you are a good person. But can you ever be be complete without truly loving other people? 

People you know, or people you don't know, harboring hate for anyone or anything is the same as harboring hatred for yourself. 

Life is about trying to achieve balance, there would be no such thing as  good without bad. A certain amount of bad, or darkness has to be present within you and everyone else for goodness and light to exist. You want to be disciplined in, 'innerstanding' that the same works for other people. Judge people the same way you would judge yourself. You acknowledge the things you don't like about them; you dislike those things, they are not good for you. But you can still love that person, knowing those things and knowing that, this is how they are or will be. Don't change them, or allow them to change you.

You don't hate a person, you hate the bad things that they do. You hate the darkness within them. Some people carry more darkness then light; so more bad then good, you love the good side and you hate the bad side. At some point you must acknowledge unless they are the definition of evil (which is unlikely) the bad side is not them. It is how they are dealing with their emotions and daily life, they do not know better, or do not currently care for better, but that is not your lesson to teach them.  

 SETTING THE STANDARD

Learn how much of something you can tolerate with out it disturbing your harmony. Look at them like a family member, some you are naturally closer to then others, some make you feel uneasy, some you don't really feel you have much in common with at all, its just the way it is. This will help you avoid bad relationships with anyone because you are objectively deciding what is good for you and how much of it your willing to deal with.

Acknowledge that no one wants to be hated everyone born into this existence wants and needs to be loved, every living thing needs love, it is simply how we are born and the nature of our existence. 

Start loving people for who they are and not what you want them to be

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It's Your Sacred Time Of The Month, Protect Yourself

WOMB WELLNESS

The womb is where all life begins; the imbalanced womb means for an imbalanced woman. In some cultures, women would gather together at their sacred time of menstruation, away from men and children. Your menstrual cycle is an elimination cycle, where your body cleanses itself of everything it no longer needs; mentally, physically and spiritually. This is why we get so moody and grumpy, with cramps and cravings. Your monthly cycle is really a time for you to clear your mind, gather your thoughts and reflect. Giving birth to improvements in your life, new creations and ideas for all things new. 

The womb is the centre of womanhood

I believe protecting your womb is so important while menstruating because you are at your most vulnerable. 'A Toxic Time Of The Month' is a knowledge boosting information pack launched by Nearer Nature to encourage women who want to the avoid the harmful chemicals in our sanitary products and try out better alternatives. The pack includes organic sanitary products and natural pain relief too.

Before recieving mine I really couldn't imagine the extent of damage I had been doing to my body by using coventional tampons/towels

My initial thoughts were, how bad could it really be, if it's so widely available in shops and supermarkets across London. I didn't know what to expect when I first received the pack, it was small and I was wondering how much I could really learn from such petite package. Yet what I found was groundbreaking. I always knew that there were synthetic chemicals in women's toiletries, tampons, and towels but I really didn't realise how bad it legitimately was. I had been unknowingly poisoning myself for years, due to lack of knowledge. I don't use tampons or discreet pads which also come in the pack, it would have been nice to try different thicknesses for women who bleed more heavily. But overall the
information provided, with the products made up for that. 

The pads are super absorbent and comfortable, you can really feel the difference, making you feel much better within yourself, it's much more pleasant to use compared to the shop bought pads with plastic texture.

BECOMING CHEMICAL FREE 

I had no idea how likely it was, that I could contract TSS (Toxic Shock Syndrome) just through using ordinary shop bought sanitary protection. TSS is a rare but fatal disease. Yet the pack explains so much more, revealing so many hidden dangers in sanitary protection. It even reveals the lack of government regulation on what big companies are allowed to add to our products, they could sell us a chemical cocktail of products that look appealing but can do serious damage, with no authority to stop them.

So it's more then just chemicals and toxins 

It's about the new generation coming before us, this is all they will use and all they will know, their likelihood of becoming infertile or contracting thrush, fibroids or ovarian cancer will be ridiculously high if we all don't educate each other about it. I was really stumped at infertility, how on earth are we encouraging teenage girls to use pads and tampons when they're likely to cause bacteria growth leading toxic shock which could lead to death, why are we increasing the likelihood of adult infertility 

Why on earth are companies selling us products that are not really protecting us, but actually putting us in more danger?

MY REVIEW

I would highly recommend 'A Toxic Time Of The Month' to young women new to their cycle; and mature women who haven't tried any natural alternatives.

For me, the toxic time of the month pack, really allowed me to protect myself, holistically. The information I read in the pack was shocking and not only made me want to change my protection but help other women too. It really does a good job at encouraging you to change your monthly habits and become more aware of all the products available to such a sensitive part of your body. Conventional sanitary products are a no, no. When you can try out all natural alternatives in the 'A Toxic Time Of The Month' information pack instead.

I'm more conscious of the products I'm using with higher awareness to what's out there. Plus after trying out the products included I was really impressed with it.

'A Toxic Time Of The Month' Information Pack 

can be ordered from Nearer Nature's Online Boutique, which also stocks only natural and organic body care products.

Specialising in organic and all natural body care

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Avocado Choco Mousse With Cashew Bits

                               Prep time: 15 minutes      Serves: 2

Ingredients:

2 Avocado's

1/2 or 1 Small Banana

Chocolate or Cacao Powder

1/2 tsp vanilla essence

5 Tbsps Honey or 2 Cane Sugar

1 Handful Cashews

Optional: Cashew Butter

Please note: I used raw chocolate powder and a mixture of honey and cane sugar.

Creamy, decadent pudding with a crunchy twist... 

1. Peal and deseed your avocado and slice half a banana.
2. Using a hand blender or a high powered food processor (better for larger quantities) add all the ingredients EXCEPT cashews and blend until smooth.
3. Once blended using a food processor or the end of a large wooden spoon. Crumble your cashews in a bowl by mashing them until they are crumbs.
4. Stir your cashew bits into your mousse and chill for 5 minutes in the fridge.
5. Done!

Explore more plant based recipes with these ingredients:

 Banana       Cashews      Avocado

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Delilah's Simple Toothpaste Recipe

                         Prep time: 10 minutes      Lasts: 3 Months

Ingredients:

5 tbsps Bicarbonate Soda (food grade)/or baking soda
5 heaped tbsps Extra Virgin Coconut Oil
20 drops Peppermint  Oil
5 drops of Eucalyptus oil
2 tbsp vanilla essence or honey

Please note: You can substitute baking soda for Bentonite Clay, Activated Charcoal.

Cleanyour teeth without fluoride using household ingredients!

1. Put 5 heaped spoonfuls of coconut oil into a dish, you will need to melt the coconut oil if it is hard.
2. Once liquefied, add the soda, sweetener (vanilla or honey) and peppermint/eucalyptus oil and stir until combined. 
3. Prepare your glass container, glass has a better preservative quality to store your toothpaste.

Please note: You may suffer acute gum and teeth sensitivity. If this persists for more than a week, substitute soda for something else.

This recipe is not evaluated by the food and drug administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease. If you are pregnant, nursing, taking medication or have a medical condition, consult your physician before using this product.

Works just as well as normal toothpaste & with no harsh chemical or perservatives!

Explore more homemade DIY recipes with these ingredients:

 Coconut Oil    Peppermint Oil   Baking Soda

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Your Period - A Toxic Time Of The Month

Are you aware that you're exposing yourself to harmful chemicals every month?

Are you aware of how likely you are to contract Toxic Shock Syndrome (TSS) just through using seemingly ordinary tampons and sanitary towels?

Did you know that using ordinary store bought sanitary products can cause thrush, fibroids, endometriosis, infertility and ovarian cancer?

Do you know it takes 30 seconds for substances to be absorbed into your bloodstream, through your skin?

Research conducted in Argentina has found traces of cancer-causing herbicides in 85% of personal and feminine hygiene products that contained cotton.

YOUR PERIOD

CHEMICALS & TOXICITY

The menstrual cycle is an important part of every woman's life. We need to be more vigilant about the products we use and the chemicals we are absorbing through using sanitary protection. Recognising and reducing your contact with harmful chemicals are essential, since 90% of conventional sanitary products are unregulated and laden with bleachers, synthetic chemicals, and cancer causing carcinogens.

TOXIC SHOCK SYNDROME (TSS)

TSS is a rare but fatal disease caused by a particular type of bacteria that can produce toxins in the body. The symptoms of TSS  come on fast and are often severe. 

SO WHAT SHOULD I BE CONCERNED ABOUT?

CHLORINE

A chemical used to bleach your period pads.

SYNTHETIC FRAGRANCE

Responsible for various allergic reactions and frequent skin irritation.

PHTHALATES

Disturbs hormone levels.

DMDM HYDANTOIN

Simply put a substance capable of causing cancer in living tissue.

BPA

An endocrine disruptor with widespread exposure and multiple effects BPA has also been associated with infertility. 

IT'S TIME TO RAISE AWARENESS ABOUT HARMFUL CHEMICALS IN OUR PADS & TAMPONS

Women who want to reduce their exposure to harmful chemicals now have a new resource to enlighten them following the launch of Nearer Nature's Information Pack called 'A Toxic Time Of The Month'

Specifically created to highlight and raise awareness of the hidden harmful chemicals in the products we use. Along with organic sanitary products and natural pain relief included.

'A Toxic Time Of The Month' Information Pack can be ordered from Nearer Nature's Online Boutique, which also stocks only natural and organic body care products.

Help your periods along with 100% cotton pads and tampons and no chemically laden feminine hygiene products. For a safer and more comfortable period, I recommend buying 'A Toxic Time Of The Month' information pack.

Brought to you by the online boutique Nearer Nature, specialising in organic and all natural body care

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