Spring is a time of cleansing and nourishing. We emerge from our winter cocoon ready to shake off the sluggishness, a few fluffy pounds, and greet the sun with enthusiasm.
This spring cleansing tonic is a great way to clear a lingering winter cough, purify the blood, and increase energy levels. It’s so nourishing that it also increases the quality and quantity of a mother’s milk.
Nettle Leaf (Urtica dioica – Urticaceae)
Stinging nettle is one of the most nutritious and cleansing herbs we use in the Western world. It is the perfect way to nourish and cleanse your body from heavy winter foods and inactivity.
Nettle is very high in calcium (2,900 mg per 100 dry grams), magnesium (860 mg per 100 dry grams), and zinc (0.47 mg per 100 dry grams).
It’s also high in protein (25.2% per 100 dry grams), Vitamin A (15,700 IU per 100 dry grams), Vitamin C (83 mg per 100 dry grams), manganese (.78 mg per 100 dry grams), potassium (1,750 mg per 100 dry grams), riboflavin/Vitamin B2 (.43 mg per 100 dry grams), selenium (.22 mg per 100 dry grams), silicon – important for skin elasticity – (1.03 mg per 100 dry grams), and thiamine/Vitamin B1 (.54 mg per 100 dry grams).
Properties
- bitter (blood purifier, dries damp conditions in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), assists digestion)
- diuretic (promotes urine, reduces water retention)
- hemostatic (stops bleeding, good for chronic nosebleeds)
- antitumor (prevents or inhibits tumor formation)
- antiseptic (prevents or arrests infection)
- emmenogogue (stimulates uterine blood flow)
- expectorant (helps expel respiratory mucous and phlegm)
- vermifuge (expels intestinal worms)
- antispasmodic (suppresses muscle spasms)
Rose Hips (Rosa Canina – Rosaceae)
The fruit or rose bushes, rose hips, are an excellent source of antioxidents high in bioflavanoids and tannins which also help to cleanse the body after a long winter. It’s also a nice fruity punch to balance the earthiness of the nettles.
Rose hips are very high in Vitamin C (740 mg per 100 dry grams) and sodium – good for electrolyte balance (4,600 per 100 dry grams).
They are also high in Vitamin A (7,015 IU), riboflavin/Vitamin B2 (0.72 mg per 100 dry grams), niacin/Vitamin B3 (6.8 mg per 100 dry grams), chromium (.18 mg per 100 dry grams), and selenium (.21 mg per 100 dry grams).
Properties
- antiscorbutic (prevent or cure scurvy)
- antimicrobial (prevent or inhibit microbial activity)
- astringent (tissue constriction)
- antiseptic (prevents or arrests infection)
- antispasmodic (suppresses muscle spasms)
Spring Cleansing Tonic: Iced Nettle and Rose Hips Tea
Ingredients
- 2 teaspoons* nettle leaf, dried
- 2 teaspoons* rose hips, dried
- 2 cups boiling water
- honey to taste
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- *double the amount when using fresh ingredients
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Note: Once you have noted how your body responds to the ingredients, you can vary the amounts. During the spring, I add 2 heaping handfuls of the nettles to 6 cups of water. My body craves a strong cleansing brew.
Instructions
- Heat water on high in non-reactive saucepan.
- When water reaches a rolling boil, turn heat off and move pot to a cool burner.
- Add nettle and rose hips.
- Cover and let steep for 20 minutes.
- Strain and add honey to taste if desired.
- Pour over ice to drink immediately or keep cool in fridge.
3.1
https://healingredefined.org/spring-healing-tonic-iced-nettle-rose-hips-tea/
Sources
Nutritional Herbology: A Reference Guide to Herbs by Mark Pederson, ND
The Herbal Medicinal Maker’s Handbook: A Home Manual by James Green, Herbalist
Wise Woman Herbal: Healing Wise by Susun S. Weed
Disclaimer
DETOXIFICATION
IMMUNE SUPPORT
IMMUNE SUPPORT
THYROID SUPPORT
ADRENAL SUPPORT
HEALING RESPONSES
19 Responses
Thank you! This is something I would really like to try. Where do you buy your dried nettle leaves and rose hips?
Thanks!
Candice
Hey! Hope you don’t mind me chipping in here! 🙂 I buy nettle as well as a whole bunch of other herbs for tea (red raspberry leaf, alfalfa, peppermint, etc) from The Bulk Herb Store. Just google them to find their website. The have very informative pages on each herb and lots of good articles and recipes. And if you sign up for their email list they send out coupons each month on certain items. (I don’t get paid to say this! Just found their store through word of mouth and love it!)
Thanks for the insight Chloe! I forgot about them and will check it out too.
I got my current batch from Mountain Rose Herbs, but any company that sources high-quality ingredients (preferably wild-harvested or organic) would be a good choice.
Thanks for the tip. I’m sipping some as I write this. How much is recommended as a cleanse and is it safe to drink daily? Thanks.
Hey Ellen! I’m just about to start a batch, so I’ll be joining you soon.
I wouldn’t think of it as the type of ‘cleanse’ that is so popular in the commercial market. Because it is a cleansing and nourishing food, it can easily be a daily part of your diet. I recommend drinking 2-4 cups a day as long as your body craves it and the ingredients aren’t contraindicated with medications you may be taking.
I have had great results with some products that has a liquid herb mixture, that is already made up. It feels like taking a shower on the inside, nice and clean and more energy, plus as a side effect I released 30 pounds!
Any chance of allergic reactions to these herbs? Nettles sounds like something that would make me itch 😉 If the smell of roses bothers me, should I be concerned about rose hips? I have so many strange reactions to things (reacted to the rice protein drink I was given during an elimination diet.) Allergic reaction to stevia (which I later found out is related to sunflower and I’m allergic to sunflower seeds.) Anyways, a cleansing tonic sounds like a great idea, I just want to make sure it doesn’t have the opposite effect. (And, of course, I realize that everyone is different… my reactions aren’t life-threatening, just annoying, so even your best guesses would be welcome:) )
There’s a chance of adverse reactions to any substance, as you are unfortunately learning. You are likely to have a reaction to nettles because it helps to clear liver congestion. Allergens build up in the liver, and are released with detoxifying agents. As to the roses, you might be allergic to the scent molecules. It sounds like you might have Multiple Chemical Sensitivity (MCS) and that would cause you to react to aromas. Rose hips wouldn’t be related to that and could be safe for consumption. Vitamin C can cause healing reactions. It would be best to test yourself with both of them using this test: http://www.20somethingallergies.com/are-you-allergic-to-insert-food-here-test-yourself-for-free/.
With an elimination diet, you shouldn’t be eating processed foods. You need nutrient-dense whole foods to fuel and repair your body. I would suggest trying the Autoimmune Paleo foods list (http://www.20somethingallergies.com/are-you-allergic-to-insert-food-here-test-yourself-for-free/) and rotating your foods when you feel like you can tackle it (http://www.20somethingallergies.com/rotation-diet-menu-plans/).
If you would like more information on nutritional therapy and get some help, I would love to work together. Please contact me here: http://www.20somethingallergies.com/contact/.
Would the antispasmodic benefits include muscle cramps? I get them in my feet at night. I take magnesium and drink a lot of water which helps, but sometimes they still plague me. Also, I have hibiscus flowers. Would those be a tasty option?
Yes and yes! Hibiscus gives a fruity flavor similar to rose hips. A colleague of mine calls it herbal kool-aid for her kids.