Nice cup of tea

         It is completely natural to eat more during winter, also to eat stronger food. I like to eat and drink something nice to keep me warm and happy when it is cold and depressive outside, like: hot toast with butter, chocolate (always good), hot potatoes, little bit of brandy or wine, nice warm tea and lots of other stuff.

         Nice tea, for me, is one that has good taste, smell and colour. The one you can drink even if you are not ill, like: hip tea, lime tea, camomile and mixture of camomile, yarrow and nettle.

Hip tea

Hip tea needs a little bit of honey (1 teaspoon) and lemon juice (1 slice) to enhances the taste.

To make hip tea pour 1 cup of boiled water on 1 teaspoon of dry hips, cover and strain after 10-15 minutes.

         It is better to add honey and lemon in warm, not hot tea, because they don't stand high temperatures.   

         If you want more aromatic version of hip tea, add clove and cinnamon to it. This is a very nice tea from which the whole house smells like cinnamon cookies.

         There are two ways of preparing this tea.

1.    Pour 1 cup of boiled water over 1 teaspoon of hips, 1-2 cloves and some cinnamon. Cover and strain after 10-15 minutes. Add honey and lemon juice in a warm tea.

2.    Put 1 teaspoon of hips, 1-2 cloves and some cinnamon in 1 cup of cold water. Put it on the fire, as soon as it boiles remove from fire and add half of sliced lemon. Cover and strain after 15 min or more. Sweeten it with honey.

Lime tea

         Lime tea smells like honey and reminds me on the time when lime tree is blooming and that wonderful smell is spreading everywhere.

         Lime tea also likes a little bit of honey (1 teaspoon). To prepare this tea boil 1 cup of water and pour it over 1 teaspoon of lime flowers, cover it. Strain the tea after 10 minutes.

Nettle tincture

Nettle tincture is used for better hair growth. It is said that hair grows ticker, softer, without dandruff and with a nice glow. Tincture is massaged into the skin of the head, everyday or often.

Tincture is made from nettle (Urtica dioica) roots put in a glass jar and covered with alcohol (about 40%). Jar is left in a warm place for 14 place, then strained with a strainer or a cloth. Squeeze the roots a bit when straining.

It is made in the spring or automn when the roots are dug out, cleaned and chopped before puting in alcohol.

Urinary infection and nettle

Drinking nettle tea is a good herbal remedy for urinary infections. From personal experience, I am convinced of its good affect.

As a medicine it is very cheap, you can pick it yourself (if you recognize it) or buy it in a pharmacy, and it is natural. In a way it clears urinary tract and makes you stronger.

If you have a very painful infection, and take pain medicine (pills,etc) it can be good as a first aid, to block the pain. But if you're using only painkillers, you wont feel the pain, so you may damage your urinary tract some more if you are not carful when you urinate (slower), there is no pain to alert you to slow down. This does't mean you should suffer, just be careful if you block the pain.

It is necessary to take some remedy that is a cure. Nettle (Urtica dioica) cures urinary infections, some other herbs are also good, as well as some herbal mixtures that can be bought, or  made.

Antibiotics can be used as a cure, but they also after a while (more times you use it) can make the problem worse, and infections more painful. The bacteria get used to antibiotics, and they don't act the way they should.

To make tea put 1 teaspoon of dry nettle in a cup of boiled water, leave it covered for 2 minutes, then strain it; half a minute if you are using fresh herb. It is best to pick nettle when it blooms, but it can surve it's purpose even when it isn't blooming.

In case of infection drink 2-3 cups of nettle tea a day, or more if you want to. Drink it for a few days to clear the infection, and from time to time as a prevention. Also drink water to purify urinary tract. This tea can be used if you are using antibiotic.

My favourite herbal tea

Herbal mixture made from camomile, nettle and yarrow is my favourite herbal tea by taste and strength. I drink it from time to time just as a prevention, or as a remedy to cure or to relieve a symptom.

It is good for allergies (respiratory, etc), cold, preventing urinary infections (bladder). It relieves PMS symptoms and menstrual cramps if you drink it few days (or a day depending on the problem) before a period.

Can also be used for lots of others symptoms and diseases, for witch this herbs are good for, and the list is long.  Camomile, nettle and yarrow are very strong herbs, used together they make a tea with good taste and you get a part of curative properties from each herb.

To make tea take a bit of each plant (dry), so that you get about one teaspoon of mixture. Put one teaspoon of mixture in a cup of boiled water, leave it covered for 2 minutes, than strain it.

For me this herbal mixture is a good evening tea, especially when it's cold out side.

Camomile (Matricaria chamomilla)

Nettle (Urtica dioica)

Yarrow (Achillea millefolium)