Sage Advice

for Flu Season

Did you Know? SAGE is an important and economical medicine chest (or first aid kit) item to have in high incidence spider, scorpion and jellyfish areas. To calm these painful interactions quickly, chew and wet a wad of leaves with your saliva, then press directly onto the bite or sting irritation.

The aromatic smell of sage in the kitchen always reminds me of Thanksgiving. The sage in the stuffing and even ground sage in the gravy. Turns out it was good timing for the increasing cold weather.

An essential oil well documented for its anti-microbial properties, Recently the link between Sage and mental health has been getting some modern scientific support. Researchers have shown that the essential oil of common sage may improve mood and mental performance in young adults and boost memory and attention span in older adults.

One small study showed that an extract of sage was helpful to people with mild to moderate Alzheimer’s disease. Modern herbal practitioners typically recommend Sage for treating coughs, colds, and bronchitis, for easing sore throat pain and tonsillitis, calming indigestion, and relieving excessive sweating, including night sweats associated with menopause.

The chemical compounds in sage work to reduce sweating, along with antiseptic, detoxifying properties, to strengthen the kidneys and expel water from the system.

It can help reduce secretions such as sweat, watery eyes, and runny nose. Making it a general ‘dehydrator’ of sorts. If you’re feeling wet, try some sage tea. Whether you feel wet in the lungs or the head, sip some sage.

Noting that sage means, “to save” in Latin, one reference calls it a panacea herb, purporting it useful for health purposes including:

• Sleeping Aid • Sore Throat Gargles • Breath Cleansing • Breaking Fevers • Mildly Diuretic • Easing Sprains • Softening Rough Skin • Stopping Flow When Weaning • Cleansing the Smells of a Sickroom • Helps Heal (Diabetic) Leg Ulcers • General Antiseptic • Depression Lifter • Stomach Settler • Anti Flu Properties • Organ Detoxifier • Bug Bites & Stings

An excellent gargle to avoid a cold is made pretty simply by combining one cup of sage tea (recipe below) with two teaspoons honey, two tablespoons each of salt and apple cider vinegar with one tablespoon of cayenne pepper. That will fire up your metabolic rate!

As for insect pests, many don’t particularly like the smell of sage. This may be a very practical varmint-ridding side benefit of the indigenous practice of sage (or cedar) smudging, a way of cleansing the spirit and the body when entering the lodge. Disinfect and deodorize for close quarters. Harkening back to our last spicy spotlight,

combining leaves of dry grass, rosemary and sage along with crumbled candle wax makes an outdoor insect repellent that “old wives” claim will keep mosquitos away. Even just bundles of sage swags (tied, dried branches) can be hung around the house, porch, terraces or outdoor spaces to keep those spots bug free, naturally.

Sage Tea “Recipe” Variations on a simple sage tea are recommended for a huge number of afflictions; sore throat, flu, toxicity, upset tummy (cold tea), opening nasal passages, somber mood, hair growth, dental pain, bad breath, insomnia and a whole host of others.

The fragrant adaptations on sage tea are enough for an article on that subject alone, suffice to say, it’s hard to mess it up. Freshly boiled water over fresh or dried sage leaves is all it takes. Additions include lemon, lemon rind, and for coughs or a scratchy throat in particular, try eucalyptus, thyme, apple cider vinegar or bee balm. Honey, of course, always great for throats –but only if you’re over a year old!

Additional Sage Advice: Use sage sparingly for acute conditions over a short time period only. Some species contain a chemical, thujone, that can affect the nervous system leading to all kinds of nasty side effects. This makes large amounts or extended use of sage preparations inadvisable.

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