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Sage

This month’s herb is sage. Sage is more than just a culinary herb to flavor your stuffing! Of course that is an excellent use. For me, sage is used mostly as an herb for ceremonies, rituals, and other types of energy clearings; however, I like it in my stuffing too!
From the book, Nature’s Pharmacy by the American Association of Naturopathic Physicians, “Why should anyone die who has sage in their garden?” sums up the various ways in which sage can be used. Its botanical name Salvia comes from the Latin word “to save or to heal”. Dating back thousands of years, it has been used as a digestive aid, appetite stimulant (like you need that at Thanksgiving!), to relieve gas, cramps and bloating. Sage contains thujone, a volatile oil that can trigger seizures in people with epilepsy. However, using it as a cooking spice is considered safe. Medicinally, it should be avoided in large amounts during pregnancy. But after pregnancy, it can be used to help dry up milk due its estrogenic cooling action; also, for hot flashes, diarrhea, colds, flu, and excessive perspiration. Use for coughs, throat infections and to dry up phlegm by taking it as a tea preparation. Now if you would like to color the gray or white hair, use it as a rinse or for dandruff, oily hair or scalp infections. Its thujone oil has anti bacterial properties that kill all types of bacterial infections. Sage is also an antioxidant and an antimicrobial agent. If you have high blood sugar, it may help to lower it by drinking it as a tea on a regular basis. Sage’s other active ingredients include terpenes, tannins, phenolic acids and flavonoids.
Use the leaves dried in teas (1 tablespoon per cup of water) or infused. Many people like to mix it with mint, lemongrass or chamomile or other herbs to cut its pungent flavor.  Gargling with sage tea or taking small sips throughout the day is good for throat and upper respiratory congestion. To dry up breast milk or reduce perspiration, drink several cups a day for a few of weeks as needed. As a tincture take 1/8 to ½ teaspoon in a sip of water once or twice a day. From the book, The Woman’s Book of Healing Herbs by Sari Harrar and Sara Altshul O’Donnell, as an infusion, put 4 heaping tablespoons of dried sage in a cup of hot water. Cover tightly and steep for 4 or more hours. Susan S. Weed, an herbalist and herbal educator from Woodstock, New York, and author of the  Wise Woman series of herbal health books, including Menopausal Years: The Woman’s Wise Way, cautions against taking too much in large quantities because it “…can provoke irritability.” As of this writing, I haven’t found any contrary interactions with pharmaceutical drugs form my resources; however, as with anything, consult a professional health care provider with concerns or questions. I am not a professional, just a person who likes to use herbs along with other tools to improve my health and my family’s health and well being.
Sage is also used outside the kitchen and medicine cabinet for a different type of healing. It is used to cleanse the auric field. Kenneth Meadows from the book Shamanic Experience gives a good explanation. “As we go about our daily lives, dust and grime from the atmosphere adheres to our physical bodies, and for our own health and comfort we need to wash it off. Our auras are similarly affected by our location and by the energy fields of other humans, but it is ‘psychic’ substance which attaches to the aura, in the same way that cigarette smoke penetrates a fabric and ‘sticks’ to it.
American Indians had a special way of cleansing the aura. They used smoke from burning herbs to penetrate the aura and gently and effectively dilute and disperse psychic ‘dirt’. This method was called ‘smudging’.
The herb they used was sage, which Indian tribes regarded as a sacred plant whose special qualities set it apart for cleansing. The smoke from burning sage banishes negative energies from the surrounding atmosphere that cling to the aura.” I like to use sage for smudging when I have had a rough day or week, or when I feel like I am getting sick. I sometimes will smudge before I give a Reiki or other energy treatment, as long as the person doesn’t have respiratory problems. I use a ‘smudge bowl’ or sea shell and loose leaves most of the time. I can control the amount of smoke alittle better than with a smudge stick. To smudge, hold the receptacle or stick in your left hand, light the herb or blend (you can also use sweet grass and lavender to add a blessing, or cedar to attract positive energies) and then fan the smoke with a cardboard or feather fan first towards your chest and up towards your throat and face and then over your head. Continue fanning the smoke down to your lower body and towards your feet. I like to smudge the back, too. If fanning another person, they should ‘collect’ the smoke by drawing it toward their face with their hands. Anything can be smudged: rooms, houses, objects, crystals, jewelry. I definitely saged my sons’ cars after they bought new used cars and after they had their first fender benders. I also offered a blessing. To me, sage is a sacred sensational herb and I haven’t even tried it for gray hair yet!

Many blessings to your health.   ~Kim Anderson

It's almost spring...

Is anybody planning their spring cleaning yet?? Have you thought about making sure you are not making your house dirtier by bombarding it with toxic chemicals??

Did you know that the air inside a typical home is up to 10 times more polluted than the air outside??

Your spring cleaning efforts to rid your living space of dirt, dust, mildew or grme might make it a more dangerous environment for you and your family. And that's not all - many of the ingredients in household cleaners contaminate the air and water as well as thousands of organisms, from algae to wildlife, when they are washed down the drain and make their way out into the ecosystem.

The EPA has found that the immediate health risks associated with the use of conventional household cleaning products include asthma attackes, headaches, dizziness, visual disorders and memory impairment. Long term studies have not been tested, since a lot of these chemicals have only been around since World War II.

These toxic chemicals include the following:

Formaldehyde - a volatile organic compound, found in liquid cleaners and floor polishes, that is suspected of causing cancer.

Chlorine Bleach - a toxic compound tht irritates the respiratory system and emits poisonous vapors when combined with ammonia or vinegar.

Petroleum distillates (napthtas) - non-renewable, oil-based resources found in furniture and floor polishes that can affect the central nervous system and lead to cognitive and behavioral problems.

Pesticides and fungicides - such as chlorine and alkyl ammonium chlorides, found in most conventional antibacterial cleaners and mildew removers. They can cuase skin irritation and nervous system damage.

There are 2 ways to switch over to eco-friendly products - you can gradually replace them as you use them up (just ensure you always wear gloves, and make sure you ventilate the area you are working in) or toss them out once and for all.

If your home contains young children, or anyone who is pregnant, sick or sensitive to chemicals, you should purge them immediately, by contacting your local recycling center about how to dispose of them properly.

There are many fabulous non-toxic cleaners on the market today, or you can use regular old supplies like vinegar and baking soda, if you can't afford to replace all your products immediately.

All that is important is that you DO it. Your family is counting on you!

For more info on natural cleaning, visit our Green House forums for tips and hints!