Red Clover

Over the last couple weeks immunity in my upper respiratory cavities compromised. Illness lingers because I thought I was not sick enough to rest more - and after I stayed out late swing dancing, I came home with the beginnings of bronchitis. The whole illness has been confused, swinging from throat irritation to congestion in the nasal cavities, to slow, heavy lung activity. I was not sure whether I was experiencing allergies or a cold. Today I called in sick to work, so I may rest, walk in the sun, and drink fluids.

In case I am dealing with mild allergies from onset of early spring (camellias flowering two months early) I am drinking tea with red clover, red sage and stinging nettles. Red clover, Trilfoilium pratense, is used for cancer prevention, indigestion, high cholesterol, whooping cough, cough, asthma, bronchitis, and sexually transmitted diseases (STDs). Red clover is also a source of nutrients including calcium, chromium, magnesium, niacin, phosphorus, potassium, thiamine, and vitamin C (a nutritive). It appears to be a common ingredient in many herbal flu blends described on the internet. Red sage, Salvia officinalis is carminative, anti-spasmodic, anti-microbial, astringent, and anti-inflammatory. This may help tonify upper respiratory cellular function, while fighting any viruses present and soothing inflamed tissue. With phenolic acids and flavonoids, red sage is mildly antibacterial and antioxidant as well. 

Stinging nettle is an astringent, diuretic, tonic, antispasmodic/anodyne (pain killing), rubefacient, styptic (stops bleeding), anthelmintic (expelling worms), nutritive, alterative, anti-rheumatic, anti-lithic/lithotriptic, haemostatic, stimulant, expectorant/decongestant, febrifuge (reducing fever), kidney depurative/nephritic, galactagogue, hypoglycemic, and anti-histamine. A lot of stuff! Since it is also a diuretic - and I have been taking more of these lately - I need to be mindful to consume extra water. Too much drying action has been interfering with my ability to move congestion out of my system, and I have felt a simple need to drink water constantly. I always know an infection is present when I feel dehydrated despite drinking a normal amount of water. As an astringent,tonic, alterative,expectorant, and febrifuge - as well as being nutritive - perhaps I should just avoid food and drink stinging nettle tea all day.

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Lunar new year is in a couple days and to honor that I started a new tincture with herbs a friend mailed me from Colorado. He sent red clover, goldenrod and hops. All plants I can harvest in my home town but somehow they sound more delicious from another state, handpicked by a friend. 

Tinctured together the plants are anti-inflammatory and diuretic. Goldenrod and red clover are good for upper respiratory ailments like allergies, asthma, cold and flu, bronchitis and cough. Combined with hops, humulus lupulus, which is tonic, nervine, diuretic and an anodyne --  the anxiety of being sick may be reduced as well as general aches and pains, and flushing illness out of the system. At least I will have the tincture prepared for next time.