I have long used herbs and spices in place of most over the counter medicines. I feel that there are just too many other things in those pills and liquids. This is not to say that I never take medicines. I do...occasionally...when a doctor tells me I should but that is a rare thing. At least with my home-grown and wildcrafted herbs, I know what I am getting. Granted, sometimes it takes a bit longer to cure things this way, but I feel safer. Then, again, here lately, it seems as if the herbs are doing a far better job than are the "store bought" cure-alls. Just recently, the dreaded flu bug hit the Little Bayou House in full force. Mark was the first to come down sick. For weeks, he stayed ill despite visits to the doctor, lots of prescribed pills, tons of pain killers, over the counter medicines and bed rest. Two days after his first symptoms, Son and I both contracted the mess. He and I used herbs and downed bottles of the Bayou Fire Brew. Our bouts of the mess only lasted three days. Maybe ours was not full fledged flu but neither of us had the lingering cough and congestion that normally comes with this type of illness. In fact, we never were congested at all nor had a cough.
With the first symptoms of headache, fever and body aches, I started my regimen. This included me slipping outside in a slight misty rain to find MY "cure-all"....Lyre-leaf Sage. Since my garden had gone the wayside with the onset of winter, I had to depend on this wild herb to pull me through. Sage is wonderful for most cold/flu symptoms when used as a tisane and gargle. The Lyre-leaf Sage has a bit weaker medicinal properties but it is not nearly as strong tasting as the other sages. When I found the few purplish leaves that had withstood the low temperatures, I snatched them up and added them to my sage blend tisane. Ahhh, relief from all of those nasty symptoms! Laugh if you wish but I figure that a three day bout of illness sure beats two weeks in bed feeling miserable!
Today, Mr. PJ (the old dog) and I found ourselves in the midst of a virtual grove of Lyre-leaf Sage! I plopped myself down among the plants and started to nibble a leaf. (I felt like a rabbit!) When I looked at the old dog, he, too, was munching the plants. Ha! I think this dog is an herbalist! He knows a good thing when he smells it!
Just a bit of sage advice here, folks. If you are sick, stay away from the Little Bayou House or prepare to be medicated with some fine herbal tisanes. It irks me to no end to have noticeably ill people come to the Bayou, claim that they are not sick in the least all the while coughing and sniffling up a storm. That said, I am issuing a fair warning...if you come here sick, you will be treated and some home remedies are not, lets say, too tasty. However, since I am not a doctor that can prescribe any of the helpful medicines of today, I can and will whip up a lovely cup of "tea"....and you will drink it...or I will send you on your merry way!
I have been fighting the onset of a cold for the past four days. It is not bad as I keep it at bay by using said remedies. Today, however, I was exposed, not once but twice, to folks with full blown colds...nasty colds with sneezing, coughing, sniffling, sore throats and even fever. I do not need this! So...a tisane has been by my side all day.
My bit of sage advice? Sage! Sage is an effective herb to use against the onset of a sore throat. It works wonders as either a gargle or to sip as one would a tea. As an added plus with this remedy, it tastes pretty good. Personally, I love the taste and will drink this just as a warming drink after being outside in the cold and with the cold, rainy days we have been having for the past week, it is just the thing!
To make this tisane, heat a cup of water until almost boiling. While the water is heating, fill a tea infuser with about a teaspoon of dried sage leaves. Once the water is hot, place the infuser in the cup and let steep for a good five minutes. Sweeten the tisane with honey and stir. Sip this as you would a cup of tea. Repeat as often as necessary.
So, my advice for when you are feeling sick? Stay home! Make a cup of sage tisane. Curl up with a good book and sip your drink. This way, you will feel better and you will not share the nastiness with everyone else.
