I wanted to ask about sage. I have lots of fresh sage in my garden. What is the most effective way to use it fresh? Also, what is the average amount of time that hot flushes last, if there is such a thing? They are driving me crazy!

It's really tricky to get a therapeutic dose of sage by using it in this way.

The medicinal products are made with extracts of sage, whereby the fresh sage has been macerated in medicinal alcohol and water for a prescribed amount of time to extract all the active ingredients.

However, you may find that drinking a few cups of freshly picked sage tea daily will help. If the tea doesn't help then you may need to move on to a tincture or tablet of sage.

There is no way of knowing how long the hot flushes will last for any particular woman, I'm afraid - every one is individual. They are quite debilitating though, so getting them under control is quite important! 

Eileen Durward