With spring’s official arrival, it’s the perfect time to do a gentle spring cleaning, not only of your home and space, but your body and organs too! Below are some of my favorite herbs to include in a spring detox tea :) If you want to kick this cleanse up a notch, check out the 3 different cleansing levels below, and pick the one that feels most attainable to you, right now. We’re all at different stages in life, with different capacities for taking on new endeavors, so make sure you meet yourself where you’re at. Just being honest with yourself makes it so you can reach your goal, whatever level you choose. 

Onto my favorite gently detoxifying herbs: 

Stinging Nettles (Urtica dioica) 

Oh nettles, how amazing you are! Traditionally used for spring cleansing, this plant is a perfect addition to any spring cleansing or detox tea.  Nettles are FULL of nutrients. In fact, 1 cup of nettle tea can provide you with 100-300mg of calcium. It also has iron and appreciable levels of other important trace minerals. As a diuretic, it’ll help eliminate toxins through the kidneys and can help take down swelling around inflamed joints.  

In spring, the fresh green leaves can be cooked and eaten like spinach, made into a soup or pesto. So delicious. 

Pro Tip #1: Once cooked, the stinging quality disappears entirely, but make sure if you’re picking them fresh you wear thick gloves, because they do sting (and live up to their "stinging nettle" name very well).

Dandelion Leaf & Root (Taraxacum officinalis) 

Dandelion is one of the most effective detoxifying herbs out there! The root is most well-known for supporting the liver and gallbladder in removing toxins. Dandelion leaf is a nutritive potassium-rich diuretic, so will stimulate the kidneys to remove toxins through the urinary system, and can reduce edema or fluid retention associated with the menstrual cycle. Both the root and leaves can help support skin health as well as inflamed joints.

Calendula (Calendula officinalis) 

The beautifully vibrant, summery orange color of calendula flowers is medicine in and of itself! But even more than that, these beauties have long been used for their detoxifying effects. They gently cleanse the liver and gallbladder, as well as move the lymph to get rid of toxins that have built up in the system. They heal damaged tissue in the gut and bring down inflammation. 

Cleavers (Galium aparine) 

Cleavers are particularly detoxifying and supportive for the lymphatic system by keeping toxins moving out of the cells and directing them to their proper elimination pathways. They’re also a mild diuretic and very gentle laxative, which supports elimination through the kidneys and bowels. 

Milk Thistle (Silybum marianum) 

A classic and well-known liver herb, milk thistle earns its reputation well! It’s also been used for thousands of years as a spring tonic- people used to boil the milk thistle plant flower heads like artichokes and eat it in the spring after a long winter of very few fresh vegetables. Milk thistle seeds protect the liver by providing antioxidants, which help to minimize the impacts of damaging toxins on the liver. It’s so powerful as a liver herb that it’s known as a “hepatotrophorestorative”, which is a fancy herbal term that means it will restore liver function and renew liver cells! 

Pro Tip #2: Remember, you always want to add herbs that will taste good, so you actually want to drink your tea ;) 

Tasty herbs with medicinal benefits: 

• Ginger (promotes circulation, decreases inflammation)
• Turmeric (support the liver, digestive system, decreases inflammation, decreases harmful cholesterol, support circulation and the cardiovascular system) 
• Licorice Root (supports the adrenals, soothing to inflamed tissues and digestive system, gentle laxative)
• Spearmint/Peppermint (promotes digestion, decreases bloating & gas)  
• Cinnamon (Balances blood sugar, promotes circulation, supports digestion)  

"Spring In Your Step" Herbal Tea Recipe 

25g Nettles, dried 

25g Dandelion leaf, dried

50g Dandelion root (powdered or very small chunks, if possible, to increase surface area- otherwise, you should boil this separately for 15-20 minutes and then add it to the rest of the tea to get the most medicinal benefit)

25g Cleavers, dried 

20g Calendula flowers, dried 

50g Milk thistle seeds (freshly ground or crushed) 

25g Turmeric (powder, or fresh root sliced very thin)

15g Ginger powder (or fresh root, sliced very thin)

20g Licorice root, dried (small chunks)

25g Cinnamon chunks (if using powder, use less)

260g

Mix all of your herbs together and store in an airtight container, away from direct sunlight. 

Important Note: When using fresh herbs, just add them in when you’re actually making your tea and steeping the other herbs. Obviously, you don’t want to mix fresh herbs in with dried to just sit in a container, because they’ll mold!  

To prepare your cup of tea: 

Mix all the herbs in the bag or container again (some will settle to the bottom and you want to make sure you get a good ratio of all the herbs in your freshly brewed tea!) 

1 Tbsp of mixture per cup of boiling water. Pour the boiling water over top, and let steep for 10-15 minutes with the lid on. The lid on will keep all of the yummy smelling essential oils IN your cup of tea, so you can get the medicinal benefits of them! 

Once steeped, strain out the herbs and add a squeeze of fresh lemon. The licorice will make the blend nice and sweet, but if you’d like, you can add a little bit of honey or maple syrup. 

Pro Tip #3: I like to steep 3 tbsp at a time in a 3 cup french press (dedicated to tea making, so it doesn’t taste like coffee), so that I don’t have to boil individual cups of tea all day long. Plus, the french press has a lid on it, so it keeps the essential oils inside the tea, which is what we want. You can buy really affordable french presses online or at your favorite local “houseware” store. I wrote TEA on mine with nail polish, so I would always know which press was for coffee and which was for tea. 

Kick Your Spring Cleanse Up a Notch 

If you want to take this spring cleanse to the next level, here are some options for you based on where you’re at and how much gusto you have to dedicate to your cleanse this year. Pick one that suits you best and feels the most attainable: 

Level 1- Easy Peazy, Lemon Squeezy  

• Drink the spring cleanse tea for 7 days, consistently
• Increase your water intake to 8 cups per day & add fresh-squeezed lemon juice to it (Bonus- the tea counts towards your water intake!) 

Level 2- The Middle Road 

• Drink the spring cleanse tea for 14 days, consistently 
• Increase your water intake to 8 cups per day & add fresh-squeezed lemon juice to it (Bonus- the tea counts towards your water intake!) 
• Remove refined foods from your diet (flours, baked goods, refined sugars, crackers, chips, you get the picture)
• Increase your fruit & veggie intake to 8-10 servings per day 

Level 3- Go Big or Go Home 

• Drink the spring cleanse tea for 14 days, consistently
• Increase your water intake to 8 cups per day & add fresh-squeezed lemon juice to it (Bonus- the tea counts towards your water intake!) 
• Remove refined foods from your diet (flours, baked goods, refined sugars, crackers, chips, you get the picture)
• Remove dairy from your diet for 14 days
• Remove gluten from your diet for 14 days 
• Increase your fruit & veggie intake to 8-10 servings per day 
• If possible, buy organic meat & produce (to detox your body from harmful toxins, hormones and antibiotics present in non-organic foods) 

Happy Spring Cleansing, my beauties! 

Stay wild out there, 

Bree xo