November is a
month of gatherings. When we gather
together this month, we are asked to think about things we are thankful for (at
least that’s always been my family’s tradition). Even though the origin of Thanksgiving may
not have happened the way we have all been taught in school, it has
come to represent a time of family and friends, of thankfulness and of
blessings. What the holiday has become
is a wonderful tradition for families and a great celebration of the things in
life that we may take for granted throughout the year.
As we do gather
together over a bountiful table, certain aromas tend to be present. The smell of the turkey and dressing are, of
course, the most prominent. Now, each
family has their own recipes. Being from
the South, I don’t believe oysters have any business in my dressing (supposedly
this is common in certain areas, and is even supposed to be an ingredient in
the first Thanksgiving dressing recipe).
However there are certain spices that make themselves into every
dressing recipe I have ever encountered.
One of these is sage.
Sage Salvia officinalis is one of the many,
many cooking herbs that are also amazingly beneficial to our health. It’s in the Lamiaceae family, which is commonly referred to as the Mint
family. Plants in this family are
characterized by a square stem and distinctive flowers that have petals fused
into an “upper lip” and “lower lip,” which is why this family was originally
referred to as the Labiatae (labia is Latin for lip). The Lamiaceae
family is also where you find Basil, Mint, Lavender, Thyme, Rosemary, and
Savory, so this is a family known for its culinary delights. When it comes to culinary herbs, I have a pet
theory that they were originally added to food because most of them help aid
digestion in some way. However, it may
be a “chicken and egg” situation. Do we know that they help with
digestion because they were added to food? Or were they added to food to aid
with digestion? Hmm…
Sage has been
used in most cultures as a medicinal and culinary favorite (I use it in my
Pumpkin Sage bread). The ancient Romans
actually revered this herb so much that they created a special ceremony just
for the gathering of sage. The Greeks
and Romans both used this herb to help preserve meat (science believes that
this is due to its high level of antioxidants).
Arab physicians in the 10th century believed that sage
promoted immortality. 14th
century Europeans used sage to protect themselves from witchcraft. It was also prized in 17th century
China for the flavorful tea it makes. Today,
sage has become one of the most commonly burnt herbs for smudging,
which is a practice that comes from the Native American use of burning herbs to
cleanse one’s self and space, as well as to connect to nature and spirits. The actual herbs used in this way by Native
Americans varied among the tribes (some of them are very secretive about what
herbs the used) and were typically not burnt in a bundle, but instead in a bowl
or shell. But the current practice is beneficial
(even for you healthy skeptics), as sage smoke helps us to de-stress and fights
the bacteria in the very air we breathe.
I have used a
strong sage tea as a mouthwash and gargle to fight gingivitis and heal a sore
throat. Sage tea can also be used to
fight fevers, to calm nervous anxiety, to stimulate digestion, improve liver
and kidney function, as a wash for the skin (makes a great toner and helps
fight acne), as a hair rinse (makes hair super shiny and helps to darken hair
if left on for an extended time), helps reduce excessive sweating, is a natural
deodorizer (great for body and home), helps relieve hot flashes in menopausal
women, helps deal with feelings of grief and depression, helps protect against
cardiovascular diseases, and can help improve brain function and memory. You can also use sage as a steam inhalation
to help with asthma. Sage poultices can
also be beneficial in first-aid situations where antibacterial action is
needed. There are many more benefits of
sage and I could probably write a small book on the subject!
For all of you
new moms, and mom-to-be’s out there, you should avoid taking this herb in
medicinal doses, or even at all. It
stimulates menstrual flow which could cause complications in the early stages
of pregnancy. It also dries up milk flow,
so breastfeeding moms should avoid this herb until it’s time to wean your baby
(at which point it could be very helpful).
It could also cause a minor allergic reaction in people who are allergic
to other plants in the Lamiaceae
family. You should also use caution with
this herb if you are prone to epileptic seizures.
Medicinal Actions: Analgesic, Antibacterial, Anticancer,
Antifungal, Antihydrotic (refrigerant), Anti-inflammatory, Antimicrobial,
Antiseptic, Antispasmodic, Antiviral, Aromatic, Astringent, Carminative, Depurative,
Emmenagogue, Estrogenic, Nervine, Vermifuge
Thank you all for
reading this. I hope you enjoy sage as
much as I do and if you have any questions or comments, please leave them down
in the comments below!
Resources:
Annie’s Remedy – Sage: http://www.anniesremedy.com/herb_detail52.php
Botanical.com/A Modern Herbal – Sages: http://www.botanical.com/botanical/mgmh/s/sages-05.html
Health Beckon – 20 Amazing Benefits of Sage Herb for Skin, Hair, and Health:
http://www.healthbeckon.com/sage-herb-benefits/
Herbalpedia – Sage, Not Just for Thanksgiving: http://www.herbalpedia.com/blog/?p=156
Herb Wisdom – Sage Herb: http://www.herbwisdom.com/herb-sage.html
History – The History of Thanksgiving: http://www.history.com/topics/thanksgiving/history-of-thanksgiving
Manataka American Indian Council – The Real Story of Thanksgiving: https://www.manataka.org/page269.html
Organic Facts – Health Benefits of Sage: https://www.organicfacts.net/health-benefits/herbs-and-spices/sage.html
Spirituality and Health – The Ancient Art of Smudging: http://spiritualityhealth.com/articles/ancient-art-smudging
World’s Healthiest Foods – Sage: http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=76
No comments:
Post a Comment