This nutritious cocktail will put you on your feet, cleanse your body from accumulated toxins, and boost your energy levels. Enriched with leaves from young dandelion and stinging nettle this green smoothie will detox your body, add nutrients and help you get rid of spring fatigue fast.
What is spring fatigue and how to fight it?
Everything sprouts, trees are blooming and the sun is shining. While others are cleaning the windows and working in the garden you are feeling sleepy and exhausted. Why’s that? Spring lethargy, also known as spring fatigue is a very common affliction that affects up to 30 -50 % of the population.
It is the protective signal of our organism to the changing of the season and consequently changing the rhythm in our body. During long winter days, our bodies are producing melatonin known as a sleep hormone. With the beginning of spring when days become longer and the weather is warmer, its level starts to decrease and our organisms release more serotonin – the hormone of happiness. This whole change causes tiredness that typically lasts about 2-3- weeks.
If you suffer from spring fatigue here are some tips that can help you:
- spend more time outside in nature to release more serotonin
- regular exercise
- keep hydrated
- healthy diet.
Implement fresh fruits and vegetables, avoid using prepacked food. Nature offers a large apothecary of herbs that has a cleansing effect on our body.
What does the term “cleansing” (detoxifying) of our body mean?
It is a complex action (affects several components in the plant), so these herbs help to boost blood and lymphatic circulation, thereby eliminating toxins and other undesirable components (mainly acidic substances) from our organism. Some of them stimulate immunity and some wash away waste products due to the action of saponins (they say they wash it as a “detergent”). An example of such a substance is yucca shidigera.
Domestic herbs that you can find in your backyard include:
Nettle (Urtica dioica)
is a universal cleaner of our body. Nettles are a great cleansing herb. Instead of buying it find the cleanest place on the edge of the forest, meadow or in your garden. Collect only young, bright green plants until they start blooming. Therefore, the ideal time is from late March to late May. Too mature plants have less active substances because they consume fresh energy for their growth and in addition absorb pollutants from the environment. Nettle is rich mainly in vitamins B2 and C, it also contains a unique combination of minerals (iron and magnesium), antioxidant dyes (carotenoids, flavonoids, chlorophyll) and acids, which help thoroughly cleanse the body while having antiseptic effects. Nettle has also many benefits for skin and hair.
According to this study, nettle leaves contain a significant amount of chlorophyll that accelerates cleansing and detoxification. The nettle leaves cleanse the digestive system and fight bloating and bad breath. In addition, chlorophyll promotes the regeneration of cells and helps heal wounds.
I like to grind the dried nettle leaves into a powder that is a very versatile substance that can also be used for making smoothies.
All parts of the nettle are beneficial, from their root to their stems, leaves and flowers.
Dandelion (Taraxacum Officinalis)
Dandelions are not only interesting for their symbolism and meaning, but they are also packed with benefits.
Dandelions can serve as an excellent natural remedy that can cleanse the body. It is a diuretic, supports digestion and metabolism, cleanses the blood and helps remove harmful substances. It also lowers blood sugar levels and helps people who have problems with their kidneys and urinary tract, or gallbladder and liver disease. Furthermore, it is useful for skin diseases and cough syrup can be made when it comes to colds.
This study revealed the protective effects of dandelion leaves on the liver.
The best way to use these herbs for detoxication is to use them fresh. This means using them in salads, soups, smoothies, tea or pesto. Just recently I add them to this herbal butter that added a specific taste to the steak.
This green cleansing smoothie recipe is easy to make, full of nutrients and very delicious too. Moreover, the main ingredients are easy to find in your backyard, just make sure the places are not treated with chemicals.
Easy to make green smoothie recipe
we selected the following ingredients for our recipe
nettle leaves
dandelion leaves
apple
banana
lime (or lemon)
avocado
