I've been planning to do this for years and when I say years, I mean like 25 or so years.  Nine months ago I wrote about it in this blog -> [Old School Tea Time](https://steemit.com/naturalmedicine/@erikah/old-school-tea-time). I'm not going to detail the whole story, let me tell you just a few words about it for those who are not going to click the link to read my initial post. 

I got the recipe from an old man, a teacher and a nature lover who used to make his own tea mix. I had the pleasure to taste it in his home and was delicious. He gave me the recipe but I've never had the time or willingness to put together the ingredients that are very common, nothing special, you can pick them yourself if you have a place where pollution is minimal. 

The reason of the delay or procrastination was because I was a coffee drinker and hardly ever had tea. Last year in September I gave up drinking coffee and switched to tea for pleasure and partly for medical reasons. You can call it another addiction however comparing hot water with some herbs is not the same as drinking strong coffee all day. 

![IMG_20191104_120137a.jpg](https://ipfs.busy.org/ipfs/QmXafrM1hC5w6DPSSbKBCxBy7avBKevNgey5TRVpvC9peg)

At first I was buying teabags as it's easier then filtering your tea every time, especially if you're away from home and don't have the necessary things. Then not long ago I came across an article about [Microplastics: Premium teabags leak billions of particles](https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-49845940) and this made me thinking. You can call me hypochondriac or anything you want but when it comes to my health, I'm responsible and have to do everything in my power to stay healthy.  

After reading the article I decided to use tea that it's not in bags (bulk maybe, I don't know how you call that in English). Then one day I was standing in front of my tea collection trying to figure out what kind of tea I would want to drink. That's when it came the idea of making a tea mix. Knowing nothing about how to mix tea gives you the freedom to experiment and that's what I did. I took a pinch of lemongrass, a pinch of lavender and some black tea and made it into a wonderful flavored tea. 

![IMG_20191104_120700a.jpg](https://ipfs.busy.org/ipfs/QmNxeaRx6k3tiQDHkUtCU9QetmDq7M2P2fmdFkaXTvVR9Q)

Then I thought I should make this tea mix based on the recipe I got from the old man and here I am, proud to have my own tea mix.

You can check the recipe clicking the link I posted at the beginning of this post but I'm telling you, I did not respect the recipe entirely. I bought a few ingredients and those are the following:

![IMG_20191104_114024a.jpg](https://ipfs.busy.org/ipfs/QmZpdKnPHCPLV7833SoDpPvp87pxrsHYxUviTaVAPdBFKX)

- nettle, 
- acacia, 
- hawthorn, 
- chamomile, 
- black currant, 
- linden flowers, 
- cherry stalks, 
- peppermint, 
- elder flower. 

The last two, mint and elder flower is from the garden. Elder is just growing wildly, we planted mint this year so we can have during the winter. There are only nine ingredients but I can tell you  it's very good. I'm drinking the tea while writing this post and I'm very satisfied with it. 

![IMG_20191104_114824a.jpg](https://ipfs.busy.org/ipfs/QmWE5BUNby8PXztgLtCdc3HaB22rTEGoWpGvr5TMHQ7P4N)

I took a large porcelain bowl and cut the mint and elder flowers as those were not cut and started adding the ingredients slowly.

![IMG_20191104_115156a.jpg](https://ipfs.busy.org/ipfs/QmcMY8GiMS5eMhZKtKmMJ2czBtJRT3bKdCXRShwsL3VBJW)

All the ingredients are in the bowl so now all you have to do is mix it well. 

![IMG_20191104_115441a.jpg](https://ipfs.busy.org/ipfs/QmX7AVJkx8hrFFesp4D4suCsFEnqoJtaKc7mvxj26qzVQ2)

The mix is ready. 

![IMG_20191104_120137a.jpg](https://ipfs.busy.org/ipfs/QmXafrM1hC5w6DPSSbKBCxBy7avBKevNgey5TRVpvC9peg)

Finally let's see what these herbs are good for. Nettle is responsible for your urinary tract health, can flush harmful bacteria from your urinary tract and it's also good to treat allergies. 
Acacia relieves pain and irritation, health wounds, great source of fiber, reduces body fat, treats cough and sore throat.
Hawthorn is used to treat diseases of the heart and blood vessels. After a certain age you need to pay attention to your heart and vessels. 
Chamomile we all know, it's very common and useful too. Helps reduce inflammation, helps with sleep and relaxation, treats  cold symptoms, prevents osteoporosis, lowers blood sugar etc. 
Black currant is very important here. It's high in vitamin C, that's why it's used during winter to help with the vitamin C intake. It's also antioxidant, has antiviral and antibacterial properties as well, which is also good during winter. Reduces inflammation throughout the body and improves cardiovascular health. 
Linden flowers are usually used to induce sweating for feverish colds and infections. I used to drink this tea when having a cold and it helps a lot because reduces nasal congestion and relieves throat irritation and cough. I'd say it's perfect if you're ill with a cold or flue. 
Cherry stalks are excellent for kidney disease and also for rheumatism. They also lower cholesterol. 
Peppermint is peppermint, we all know how good it is. 
Elder flower is excellent for swollen sinuses, colds and influenza, also for bronchitis. In other words perfect during winter.  

![IMG_20191104_120619a.jpg](https://ipfs.busy.org/ipfs/QmQPoUzzi9D7ahipbZgKQ8nSTvYe8ArRfaPCohQVXPPTna)

As you can see, I have my tea for the whole winter. It's good for staying healthy.