Drinking Stinging Nettles, Dandelion and Oat Straw, For Energy and Stamina

“Your adrenals are fatigued,” the doctor said. Those words became part of  my world, after childbirth. For some of us, nursing, chasing toddlers, raising children and just ordinary living never allows us that “recovery” period our bodies need to regroup. Because it’s our “adrenals.”  Then, just when you think the kids are old enough that your body can start healing, pre-menopause comes in and rocks your world completely flat.

So, I did some research and I’m drinking this healing tea again. This tea, actually, it’s technically an infusion, came into my life when I  needed energy, and a way to build my immune system back up after childbirth and after nursing. This worked!. And it was cheap and easy. This tea has been a trusted friend. It also soothes my nerves, as it is loaded with minerals.

Now, as I head into all of these mid-life changes, I’m turning back to this tea… this trusted friend that always heals me, deeply. The nice thing about being older is that I have acquired a taste for this tea. I actually like it now. (Maybe it’s because I know it works? So, it’s a good thing?) The taste? It’s definitely outdoorsy and fresh. I would say, it’s very much like standing in a field on a hot summer day, just after the farmers have mowed the hay. That smell — that’s exactly what it tastes like. Fresh and green.

How do I make it? I make it while I’m cleaning the kitchen at night — I hardly know I’m doing it — it’s so simple and easy to make while I’m already in the kitchen. Simply pour boiling water over about a cup of the herbs (mixed all together) in a mason jar. I let it steep overnight and drink it in the morning, straining out the herbs. Sometimes, I save the herbs and make another batch to drink in the afternoon… there’s a lot left in those leaves for the second round.

None of this is backed by FDA research — primarily because no one has the money to fund the studies. These are just simple remedies used for centuries by healers, herbalist and grandmothers who know what works. If you want to learn more, I suggest these books:
Herbal Medicine, Healing Wise (Wise Woman Herbal Series),
The Herbal Medicine-Maker’s Handbook: A Home Manual

Here are the earthy-crunchy ingredients to make this amazing, healing tea:

First the leaves:

Stinging Nettle: This is the number one, mother-lode for energy. This is nutrient dense with vitamins and minerals and will not only give you energy, but builds stamina. It’s anti-inflammatory, and helps with arthritis. Natural antihistamine.

Lady’s Mantle: Stops heavy bleeding, water retention. To quote Matthew Wood in The Book of Herbal Wisdom: Using Plants as Medicines, “Lady’s Mantle must possess the ability to refine and distill fluids into their most subtle expression or ‘essence.’”

Chickweed: Good source of vitamin C, A, D and B. Iron, calcium and potassium can also be found in chickweed. It helps curbs appetite and acts as a diuretic. Susun Weed even says it helps to eliminate fat cells, and shrink benign tumors and cysts..


Motherwort: Stress reliever. Calms the nerves.

Oat Straw: A cup of oat straw infusion contains more than 300 milligrams of calcium. Soothes the nerves, and makes your hair and nails strong.

Yellowdock: Heavy periods and fibroids. Strengthens the liver and helps metabolize estrogen. Reduces mucus, and helpful during cold season. Strong source of usable iron, and metabolize strong estrogens into weak ones, reducing fibroids.

Red Raspberry Leaf: This one is great for pregnancy… but during menopause, it also works as an astringent to eliminate fibroids and cysts.

Roots and Berries:
Chaste Berry or Vitex: Reduces excess estrogen, balances hormones, and reduces inflammation and helps shrink fibroids, over a long period of time.

Dandelion Root: Helps treat anemia, blood builder and nourishes the liver, and helps lower cholesterol. Awesome diuretic. And like, yellow dock, is great to recover from anemia, and helps estrogen levels.

Milk Thistle: Liver cleanser and nourishes the spleen and the nerves.

Burdock Root: Helps shrink fibroids and cysts, and nourishes the liver.