Springing Forward: Nettles, Omega-3s, and the Power of Consistency

Well: we made it through March. The clocks went forward this morning, which means you're reading this in British Summer Time, with an hour of evening light reclaimed and the lightest morning of the year still a few weeks ahead. I always find the last Sunday of March a happy moment: winter is genuinely behind us now.

This is the final newsletter of the month, and I want to use it to reflect on something I think matters more than any single habit, supplement, or recipe - how consistency - imperfect, human, ordinary consistency, is where real change actually lives.

The Nettle Moment: Spring's Most Underrated Superfood

Late March in the Kent countryside is, to my mind, one of the most spectacular moments in the natural calendar. The wild garlic is at its peak: the woodland floor beneath the oaks is an almost impossible green, and the white flowers are just beginning to open at the tips of the tallest stems.

But the real foraging discovery of late March, and one that signals the true arrival of spring more reliably than anything else: is the nettle. Urtica dioica, the common stinging nettle, is at its very best right now: young, bright green, and extraordinarily nutritious.

The tips of nettles picked before they flower are rich in iron, calcium, magnesium, vitamin C, vitamin K, and chlorophyll. They taste somewhere between spinach and green tea: earthy, mineral-rich, and deeply satisfying. And before you worry about the sting: the formic acid in those tiny hollow hairs is deactivated immediately by heat or by crushing. Once cooked, blanched, or dried, nettles are entirely safe and utterly delicious.

Using Nettles Safely and Deliciously

Always wear gloves to pick. Pick only the top four to six leaves from each stem for the most tender flavour. Here's how I use them:

- Nettle soup : Simmer with potato, leek, and good stock, then blend. One of the finest soups of the British year, and genuinely nourishing.

- Wilt into pasta with butter, garlic, and Parmesan: treat them exactly as you would spinach.

- Nettle tea: Steep a handful of fresh leaves in boiling water for five minutes. Rich in minerals and deeply grounding.

- Add to a green smoothie for a genuinely spring-forward nutrition hit.

Spring Iron Status: Why This Matters Now

Late winter and early spring is the time of year when iron status is most likely to be suboptimal: particularly for women, those who menstruate, and anyone who's been eating a lower-protein diet through the winter months. Fatigue, difficulty concentrating, feeling cold, and low mood are all common symptoms of borderline iron deficiency, and they're frequently attributed to 'post-winter tiredness' rather than investigated nutritionally.

Nettles, wild garlic, and the spring greens now coming into season are all meaningful contributors to dietary iron. Here's the key: pairing plant-based iron sources with vitamin C significantly enhances non-haem iron absorption. A squeeze of lemon over your nettle soup, a glass of blood orange juice alongside your greens : these aren't just flavour choices, they're strategic nutritional pairings.

If you suspect your iron may be low, it's worth asking your GP for a full blood count and ferritin level. Ferritin (stored iron) is a more sensitive marker than haemoglobin alone and isn't always included in a standard blood test unless specifically requested. This is important information to have, particularly as we move into the more energetically demanding months of the year.

Omega-3: The Long-Game Investment

Omega-3 fatty acids : specifically EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid) and DHA (docosahexaenoic acid) : are among the most extensively researched nutrients in human health science, with a body of evidence spanning decades and thousands of studies. They're essential fats, meaning the body cannot synthesise them and must obtain them from diet or supplementation. Yet intake across the UK population is consistently below recommended levels, particularly among those who don't eat oily fish regularly.

The mechanisms by which omega-3s support health are broad and well-established. EPA has potent anti-inflammatory effects : it competes directly with the inflammatory omega-6 pathways that are overactivated in most modern diets : and is the form most associated with mood regulation and reduced risk of depression. DHA is structurally essential for brain cell membranes, supporting cognitive function, memory, and nerve transmission. It's also the primary structural fat in the retina.

For gut health, our theme throughout March: omega-3s support the integrity of the gut lining, reduce intestinal inflammation, and positively influence the microbiome composition. The gut-brain benefits, combined with the cardiovascular, cognitive, and anti-inflammatory effects, make omega-3 supplementation one of the most meaningful long-term investments in health I'm aware of.

Quality Matters

The key quality consideration with fish oil is oxidation. Omega-3 fatty acids are highly susceptible to oxidation, which not only reduces efficacy but produces compounds that are themselves inflammatory: the opposite of the intended effect. A high-quality, third-party tested product with robust purity standards is worth paying for.

I'd also note that plant-based omega-3 sources (flaxseed, chia, walnuts) provide ALA, which the body converts to EPA and DHA at very low efficiency, for most people, marine-sourced omega-3 is significantly more effective.

Adapt Naturals Bio-Avail Omega+ meets the quality standards I look for. Use my link for 30% off.

Becoming Someone Who Moves

I want to share something about movement that I think is more useful than any specific exercise recommendation: the identity piece. James Clear, in Atomic Habits, makes the point that the most durable behaviour change happens not when we focus on what we want to achieve, but when we focus on who we're becoming.

The goal isn't to run a 5K; it's to become someone who runs. The goal isn't to eat more vegetables; it's to become someone who nourishes themselves well.

This shift in framing isn't semantic. It's deeply practical. When your identity is invested in the behaviour, the behaviour stops requiring willpower. A person who sees themselves as someone who walks every day doesn't negotiate with themselves about whether to walk: they just walk. The negotiation happens earlier, at the identity level, and it only needs to happen once.

March has given you four weeks of longer days and more inviting conditions. If you've moved more this month than you did in February: even slightly, even inconsistently, something real has shifted. That's worth acknowledging.

Building on What March Started

- Habit stack your movement onto something that already happens reliably: morning coffee, school run, lunch break. Attach the new to the established.

- Reduce friction by one step: trainers by the door, walking route already planned, kit laid out the night before. Friction is the enemy of consistency; removing it is a legitimate strategy, not laziness.

- Track something small: not to judge yourself, but to give your brain the satisfying click of visible progress. A simple tick on a calendar works as well as any app.

- Celebrate tiny wins genuinely. BJ Fogg's research shows that an authentic positive emotion immediately following a habit is one of the most powerful forces for habit formation available. Tell yourself 'done' and mean it.

Five Ideas to Carry Into April

Rather than a long list, here are five evidence-grounded practices that have emerged as the most relevant threads across this month's newsletters. Choose one. One is genuinely enough.

1. One genuine conversation daily: not logistical, but real. Ask someone how they actually are and listen properly. Connection is one of the most consistently evidenced contributors to wellbeing and longevity.

2. Savour something small each day: pause for 20 seconds when something pleasant happens and let it register fully. Rick Hanson's 'taking in the good' in practice. Simple, free, and genuinely effective.

3. Move your body in a way you enjoy, consistently. Ten minutes counts. Walking counts. The identity you're building is more important than the duration.

4. Support your gut daily: a serving of fermented food, a variety of plant foods, adequate hydration. The microbiome responds to consistency over intensity.

5. Put your phone down 45 minutes before bed and go to sleep at roughly the same time each night. Of all the sleep interventions available, consistency of timing has the strongest evidence behind it.

Thank you for being here throughout March.

Chloe x

I am an affiliate for Adapt Naturals, but I only ever recommend brands I personally love, trust and use.