Pod Coffee Makers 411

Author Archive

Sage is one of those herbs that is easy to take for granted. Many people are familiar with sage from making stuffing a couple of times per year. Herbalists make heavy use of sage, though, for a variety of conditions.

Sage comes from the Mediterranean. There’s a different variety of sage than the one we use for cooking, that comes from Central America. That version is pretty unusual – it can cause hallucinations! The people of Central America from the area where this sage grows use it for religious purposes.

Ancient Romans considered sage to be sacred. They believed this so strongly that they required a ritual be performed before sage was harvested. A food sacrifice had to be given by the person who would do the harvesting, and this person had to be wearing clean clothing.

Further, the person’s feet had to be clean. The harvesting itself required that the person use a special non-iron knife. Iron reacts with sage, which explains the choice of different materials.

Sage has a history in China as well. The Chinese discovered sage tea, right around when the Dutch discovered Chinese tea. This resulted in a lucrative trade system being set up. The Dutch would trade one part of sage for four parts Chinese tea. Clearly, the trade was in the Dutch traders’ favor. They could then sell the tea for a huge profit.

We herbalists are also big fans of sage. For instance, I’ll use sage to help someone who is having a flare up of irritable bowel syndrome. To serve up the sage, I’ll simmer the leaves in beef broth for maybe twenty minutes. Chicken broth works just as well, the broth isn’t therapeutic but is used for flavor because many people don’t enjoy sage tea straight.

Sage is great for helping to wean a child. If a nursing mother is given sage tea, it will help dry up her milk – sage has a natural drying effect. This helps wean the child without harming them. You can also use the drying properties of sage to combat sweating issues, or night sweats from menopause.

You should talk with your doctor before using any herb therapeutically (food amount usage, like as a ‘spice,’ doesn’t require a doctor’s advice). Your doctor can advise you on what is best for your own personal circumstances and medical history.

Aside from herbal remedies, the author additionally frequently pens articles regarding catnip cat toys and the da bird cat toy.