Winter hasn’t officially started yet, but you could’ve fooled me. Just about everyone I know has been fighting off some sort of cold or flu these past few weeks.
We all know the feeling – rummaging through the natural medicine cabinet with nose running and the first cough coming on, while the inner voice cries out “why me?!?!?” After all, once the symptoms start it’s normally at least a few days before they begin to go away.
One of the oldest medical texts in Traditional Chinese Medicine, known as the Nei Ching, states:
“To cure an illness after it arises is like forging weapons after the battle has started, or digging a well after you have become thirsty.”
But is it really too late?
Today I want to share a “super-herb” tea recipe that may be able to turn the tables on your cold or flu, in heroic fashion. It’s also wonderful for sore throats.
The leafy celebrity at the heart of this tasty potion is none other than sage, the sacred plant many of us burn routinely in our homes for its aromatic energy-clearing powers. Did you know that it also packs a serious wallop for colds, viruses and bacterial infections?
Also known as Salvia officianalis, sage is an antibacterial, antiviral, antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, anti… pretty much anti-anything-that-feels-lousy.
All joking aside, this is a highly medicinal herb that is effective for a host of minor ailments like cold and flu, as well as major ones like cancer, Alzheimer’s, and diabetes.
Call me an earth medicine nerd, but I get so much joy working with powerful ancient plants like these. They leave modern medicine in the dust, and feel like teachers in your body when you take them!
Below is a delicious sage tea recipe that master herbalists swear by because of its fast-acting effects:
Sage Tea Recipe
*Important: never use aluminum utensils or containers for your tea extractions. Glass, porcelain, silver, and Pyrex are best!
Ingredients:
1 Quart Water
12 Fresh Sage Leaves (Dry is ok too, but fresh is more potent!)
2 Tablespoons Local Honey
2 Tablespoons Fresh Lemon Juice
A pinch of Cayenne Pepper
Preparation:
1. In a teapot or saucepan, bring water to a boil.
2. Add the sage leaves and remove the teapot or saucepan from heat.
3. Let steep for 15 minutes.
4. Stir in the remaining ingredients.
5. Pour a cup full, breath in the beautiful aroma, say a healing blessing, and enjoy!
Two to three cups of sage tea per day is always part of the winter sickness healing protocol in my house. Sage is generally viewed as being a very safe herb to experiment with, but as always, do your own research and make sure it feels right for you.
Whether you celebrate Saturnalia, Christmas, Kwanzaa, Hanukkah, or abstain completely from all the commotion, one thing is for sure – life is a lot more enjoyable when you’re upright and vibrant. Hopefully this information will help you enjoy the fullness of the upcoming winter solstice!
Many blessings,
Nick Polizzi
Host of Remedy: Ancient Medicine for Modern Illness
& Founder of The Sacred Science
61 Responses
Thank you for this wonderful information off to make this pot of tea.
Having spent a few weeks embracing a cold from hell , the above information is most welcome and I intend to use it when necessary ,
Thank you
Thank you and noted, Nick.
Thank you so much! My teenage daughter just told me this morning that she “thinks she is getting sick”. She (and I!) will definitely try this tea when she comes home.
There are lots of recipes around on the Net but yours, wrapped in enthusiasm, gentle care and love are really sacred! Thank you and blessings in return.
Perfect timing for a perfect remedy.
Thank you for sharing
It’s high time you wrote an article on metaphysics instead of telling people they are bound to get sick this time of year, which is totally false, your next article could tell folks how our bodies can kick the shit out of any bad bacteria or virus that comes it’s way. I know you are already a fan of Louise Hay and Joe Dispenza. Please Nick ???
Delightful article and enticing recipe; can’t wait to try it. Thank you!
Thanks for your newsletter. This is rely helpful.
My throat gargle recipe ,sage,myrrh and golden seal ,mixed in hot water let cool and gargle every couple hours
Nick, I’m delighted to see this marvelous old recipe doing the rounds. I came across it about 20 yrs ago in a book of Healing Teas by Marie Nadine Antol. In my experience it’s staved off colds & flu for me about 80% of the time. Tastes great too!
Thank you Nick,
I am going to add this to my herb to my medicine cabinet.
Michael A. H.
I have promoted the use of Sage for many years, It is one of the Best Healing plants on mother earth.
Thank you Nick for everything
I so appreciate this tea recipe, and the work that you offer.
Thank you, Nick!!
I ordered your beautiful cook book and enjoy that, too.
All Wonderful gifts from your Spirit to ours.
Happy Holy days to you and family.
THis is why I put sage in my chicken soup ALWAYS!!!!
THANK YOU for this awesome recipe!! Send this to several good friends, so hopefully they check out other things on your website. 🙂
Thank you for this information
May abundance and prosperity fill your heart
Thank you so much for sharing your wisdom. I love working with herbs. Even before the cold symptom starts. Organo oil is very good. You have to ingest it. 3 to 4 times s day with dropper ful of oil. I just put it right st the back of the throat. It will kick your immune system. And also the Silver water. Put it under your tongue keep it for 5 minutes and drink it. I been doing that for years. It’s very helpful also. Thank you.
Blessings.
Thanks!!! Blessings.
I love this, but I am wondering if it is any kind of sage?
Thank you for sharing! I was reading about some “dark” things going on in the world last night and this morning reading your sharing came to realize there was just as much good, if not more. There are loving wise light-bearers who are sharing what is sacred.
Thank you so much 🙂 I know that turmeric helps me and dandelion tea, as well as ginger ! I will certainly try this to help with my issues .
Warm Wishes !
Thank you so much, Nick! I am sick and am sure this is just what I need!!!
Thank you for this information, I have heard if this, and will put it on my must keep file! Thank you again!
I love this herb It is in a cooking blend I use and I even named my horse after it born in the herbal year of Sage
We swear by echinacea but will give this a try. Thank You
Thank you for the lovely recipe and also for the article.
Thank you for this marvellous recipe , sounds like the ourrrrfect magic potion . I need !
As a child in Switzerland I suffered from many sore throats. My mother made me sage tea with honey and lemon to gargle with. Now I give this recipe to my friends and tell them that it also taste delicious.
One bit of confusion. Salvia officianalis is NOT the same kind of sage that is commonly burned for smudging or purifying in one’s home, as is done in Native American traditions. That is salvia apiana or white sage. This is very different than officianalis which is the common cooking spice.
Exactly! Also, sage tea will dry up your milk supply if you are breastfeeding, so be aware…
Does anyone know if I can use sage essential oil in place of fresh or dried sage leaves? Thank you!
Thank you for the article on sage. I learned about sage and will partake in the sage tea.
Hi Nick
“sage advice” thanks –always enjoy haring from you Happy Holidays Blessings Jane
Thank you! I love and appreciate all of your information
diploid
Thank you for this!
Very useful. A good plan in case I get sickly due to rapid weather changes and the fact that I work outside all year round!
From one Nick to another Nick….
Thank you.
So glad I read your blog. Always looking for natural ways to heal myself. Western doctors are so frustrating with what they have to offer and all the side effects. Makes me crazy.
Thank you. I am definitely going to use this recipe….
Thank you Nick! Definitely going to use this tea. I think pure Sage Essential Oil would benefit as well, if it is of high quality and provided by a reputable company.
Yes SAGE is one of these very special herbs which is a CURE-ALL. The Wise Arabian Physicians/Herbalists discovered the power within the sage herb in that it can give a Individual who diligently drinks SAGE a VERY LONG HEALTHY LIFE.
After all … the word SAGE means WISDOM … ALSO …HE/SHE IS A WISE HUMAN!
Countess
Thank you This tea sounds lovely.
Great article and just what people need and are looking for. How ever what type of sage is to be used as there are a few other varieties of sage.
Thanks for the good advice.
Thank you so much. I love tea and look forward to making some Sacred Sage tea.
PERFECT TIMING!!!!
Sage advice from a Sage!!! Beautiful
Peace and Healing love and light glo x:)x
Thank you ever so much for your vast and useful information. Another keeper!
Thanks for your additional info. On tea herbal drinks..
Forgive me as someone might have already asked this, but I thought the sage used by Native Americans for space clearing and shamanic hygiene is a different sage than the kind one would used for flavor to cook with. The article above seems to misconstrue this. They look different as plants to me. What one do I use?
Thank you very much for the information. I have been having tea from sage for years, because I have it in my garden, without realising that it was the famous salvia that I have heard the herlbalist expert from Spain talk about it.
Thank you
Thanks a lot I have cold now and really need this
i have a really big bushy yummie sage bush, thankyou for this, i also use soaked sage in the garden to help things grow.
Thank you so much for this info. I totally believe I natural holistic ways to treat anything/everything possible.
Can this tea be used as a preventative ? Thanks so much for the article.
type your comment here..I have been using sage for many years, and the ones I like are the wild ones that are growing practically anywhere. I particularly like fringed sage, Artemisia frigida, but there are many others in the Artemisia genus.
I also like to use it and most other herbs as tinctures rather than teas. You can concentrate and extract their medicinal properties better in alcohol in many cases. They also keep as tinctures for many years.
Which variety of sage is best to use. Collected wild or grown as a kitchen herb?
Thank you for sharing, very informative, where can I purchase fresh sage.i see dried sage everywhere