NETTLES AREN'T NASTY by Sue

Nettles, urtica dioica, are actually extraordinary. They were christened 'The Heart of the World' by Rudolph Steiner (founder of anthroposophy - holistic healing) because of the healing energy they radiate to humans, animals and plants.
If you suffer from arthritis, cold feet, gout, lumbago, sciatica or rheumatism, to name but a few, drinking nettle juice or tea can help alleviate the symptoms. And here's a surprising fact: nettle stings in the affected areas increase the flow of blood, produce a counter-irritation and reduce inflammation! Why not keep a couple of pots as houseplants to use in the winter. Nettle tea is also good for improving resistance to pollens, molds and environmental pollutants because they stabilize mast cell walls and stop the cycle of mucus membrane hyperactivity.
You can eat nettles as well, in soups or as a substitute for spinach. Sprinkle the dried leaves on salads or use as a herb - they have a mineral rich, slightly bitter, slightly salty flavour. They're full of goodies, even surpassing spinach - protein, vitamins, masses of minerals and more. A word of warning, don't eat them raw as they can cause mouth and lip problems and aren't easily digested. Always use the tips of tender, young plants.
Nettle tea is a great fertilizer in the garden and makes plants more bug resistant. Put them in your compost too, they speed up the breakdown process. Hang a bunch in your kitchen - flies can't stand them!
Animals profit from eating nettles too - they are good for their health and chickens produce more eggs and cows more milk. Mind you, we haven't tried them out on our dogs yet!
There are lots of websites extolling the virtues of urtica dioica and if you want to find out how to prepare them, just Google in 'how to make nettle .....' and bingo.
Startling fact: selling certain nettle preparations for garden use is illegal in France. So guess which companies have been lobbying again!