Sage Home Remedies

Herb: SAGE Salvia officinalis

Healthy sage plant

Ah, sage! Sage is one of my favorites herbs. In fact, I'm trying to create the new Antique Remedies logo with sage in mind.  I use it a lot, not for cooking, but for tea. Sage can be used for all sorts of home remedies. As soon as I hit my late twenties (yeah, I know, I'm not saying it's old!), my memory started fizzling out. Maybe it's all the hard work I do during the week, but maybe my brain is just on overload! I started drinking my morning green tea with a pinch of sage leaf in it. I don't know if it's just a mind trick or if sage really helped, but I definitely feel more alert and feel like I can recall details when I'm on a conference call at work! Plus, it gives me green tea a bit of a kick, which is nice in the mornings.

Sage plant after your dog has eaten it

Sage is an aromatic herb with a strong taste. Its Latin name contains the word 'Salvia' which comes to mean 'to heal' or 'savior'. Sage is an antiseptic and an immune stimulant. It's really great for stimulating the apetite and is a great digestive remedy, soothing the stomach.

What else can sage be used for?

• Sage Bath: Native Americans used sage in hot baths to soothe shaky, cramped or weak feeling legs. You can also make a poultice and apply it directly to those weary legs. 
• Headache Ease: Try a cup of sage tea to help ease a throbbing head.  Drinking this regularly can also help ward off colds and boost your memory. Bonus!
• Ghostbuster: Do you believe in ghosts? Have some lurking around? Sage was used to prevent nightmares - either burned as an incense or leaves were thrown around on the floor or on the bed to ward off lost spirits. (I actually own a sage 'smudge stick' and burned it in my (100+ year) house when I first moved in - happy to report, no ghost problems) It's not only said to help with ghosts but any kind of bad, negative energy that may be weighting down the atmosphere around you. 
• Throat Gargle: Just like rosemary, sage can be used to treat a sore throat. Brew some sage like you would a tea, let it cool and use it as a gargle in the morning and again at night. It's wise to swallow it when you're finished because of its antiseptic and analgesic qualities. 
• Menopause Sweats: Have the pleasure of going through menopause? Having night sweats? Pour boiling water over 10 large fresh sage leaves or 1.5 teaspoons of dried leaves. Steep for 5 minutes. Let it cool! Do not drink it hot! Drink this three nights in a row, then go to every other night, then three times a week. 
• Teeth Whitener: Rub a sage leaf on your teeth to help get rid of unsightly stains. A warning though, sage leaves have been known to trigger epileptic seizures. Please do not try this remedy if you have a history of seizures. 
• Brunette Hair Color: Like oregano, you can use sage to help color your hair a shade of brown. It happens to also add lift and decrease dandruff. Use 4 tablespoons of sage and use 2 cups of boiled water, steep for 2 hours. If you want it to be stronger add 2 cups of rum or 2 tablespoons of black tea and steep for 4 hours. 

According to some of the books I used to research sage, pregnant women should avoid high quantities of sage. 

References: 

- http://www.herbworld.com/learningherbs/sage.pdf

- Traditional Home Remedies: The Old Farmers Home Library Almanac, Martha White, ISBN 078354868-0

- Herbs (Eyewitness handbook), Lesley Bremness ISBN 1-56458-497-6

Rosemary Home Remedies

Herb: ROSEMARY Rosmarinus officinalis

The first time I fell in love with rosemary is when my college roommate used it to season some fresh, aquaponic tilapia. You’re thinking, college? Really? Well, I have never been much of a cook and I was just lucky enough to have a roomie who loved it, er, well, was at least good at it. Many recipes and meals later, I have had my fair share of rosemary but just recently I found a way to use rosemary in a different way – as a home remedy.

Rosemary has been used for more than just cooking for years.  Rosemary has tremendous home remedy powers. Not only has it often been thought of as an herb to improve the memory but it has an old reputation as a symbol of remembrance. It has been used for its symbolism in both weddings and funerals – either a sprig thrown into the grave for memory of the loved one or a crown of rosemary on a bride’s head as a love charm.  The use of rosemary in weddings dates back all the way to the Middle Ages!

This savory herb is antiseptic, which helps fight infections, and is full of antioxidants, which helps both, preserve food and aids in the digestion of fats.  It’s high in iron, calcium and B6.  Studies show rosemary leaves increase circulation, reduce headaches and fight bacterial and fungal infections.  Rosemary is rejuvenating and aids in clear thinking by increasing the flow of blood to the head.  It also helps with colds that come with a nasty fever and headaches by clearing mucus and relieving air passages and lungs.

I’m sure you have some rosemary in your kitchen cabinet or spice rack, so now what can you do with it besides cooking?

•  Cellulite Remover:  If you’re feeling adventurous and have some time on your hands – rosemary stimulates circulation and drains impurities and it’s said it can help with that unsightly cellulite (that none of us have….). Take 1 TB of crushed dried rosemary with 2 TB extra virgin olive oil – smooth over thighs, wrap in plastic wrap and leave on for 10 min – rinse off – repeat once a week
•  Eye Wash:  Ever have tired, stressed eyes? 1tsp of rosemary in boiling water, steep for 10 min, saturate cotton pads with tea and put on eyes for 15 min, rosemary should help draw out that tired eye feeling. Try doing this while taking a relaxing bath!
•  Throat Gargle: Suffering from a sore throat? Steep rosemary in boiling water for 30 minutes (preferably longer if you can) and keep the cup or bowl covered. Let cool and gargle with what we call an ‘infusion.’ Do this a few times throughout the day.
•  Fixture Cleaner: Need a cleanser for your fixtures in a pinch? Boil a handful of rosemary in 2 cups of water for 10 minutes to make an antiseptic solution for washing bathroom fixtures.
•  Headache Ease: If you have a headache, rub some rosemary essential oil on your temples and at the nape of your neck. No essential oil on hand? Boil some water, pour it over some dried rosemary leave but don’t let them soak! Put the wet leaves in cheesecloth or even a paper towel or thin cloth. This will be a compress – put this on your head or where ever your headache is coming from.

      

     *Books I used during research advised - avoid consuming large quantities if pregnant or breast feeding; don’t use during first trimester – could cause miscarriage*

      References:
      www.herbworld.com/learningherbs
      Herbs (Eyewitness Handbook), Lesley Bremness ISBN 1-56458-497-6
      Healing Remedies, Joan Wilen and Lydia Wilen, ISBN 978-0-345-52150-7
      Traditional Home RemediesSearch Amazon.com for herbs, Martha White, ISBN 078354868-0