Honey

Did you know that honey never goes bad? It might get a little sugary or crystallize in the jar, but mildly warming it brings it back to a nice liquid consistency. And on top of that, it does LOTS more than just replace your sugar.

To start with, honey is filled with B vitamins (no pun intended). B vitamins provide energy, adrenal support, nerve health support and influence your immune function. Consider what you see bees doing on a regularly basis- working, right? They go from sunrise to sunset with hardly a break. And when they come home at night, instead of falling into a recliner in front of the TV set, they sit outside the hive door and fan it to help themselves and others cool down for the night. Even when resting, bees are working! If honey provides THAT well for bees, it stands to reason that it has good things to offer us as well.

Aside from being a delicious food source, honey has health-boosting factors to offer. Many people use it for allergies while others like it to soothe a sore throat. These are just 2 things honey has been used for. There are SO SO SO many more uses! Some we've experienced are:

• Acne
• Bee stings
• Energy/Stamina
• Allergies
• Wounds (cuts)
• Burns
• Laxative (mild)
• Improved digestion

Honey is often included in other remedies, such as The Master Cleanse program (also known as the Lemonade Diet) and facial recipes. It's powerful microbial properties are beneficial when mixing it with lemon for sore throat recipes. Of course, it improves the rich flavor of foods a little differently than common table sugar does. Perhaps this is due to the enzymes contained in honey that help the foods it comes in contact with to open up and release their flavors. Or perhaps it is just our body recognizing "natures perfect food" and accepting it more readily that causes our taste buds to awaken when we consume honey.

What's the difference in honey you get at the store and honey you get from a beekeeper? Beekeepers don't generally pasteurize their honey. Pasteurization means heating, and heat kills enzymes. Enzymes help your body systems function, so raw honey is preferable. Bees collect pollen and nectar from within a 50 mile radius of their hive. If you wish your honey to be an aid for pollen allergies, then the honey you consume needs to come from bees local to your area. That's not to say that honey made 100 miles from your home won't help you. Chances are that there are at least SOME plants in the bee territory that are the same as what you regularly are exposed to at home. Getting honey closer to home assures more likelihood that the bees will roam through plants that coincide with your allergies. This helps to build a resistance to the problematic pollens.

You've probably heard that babies and children under the age of 18 months shouldn't be given honey. This is true, because without pasteurization, tiny problematic spores can potentially give your little one some negative bacteria that is potentially dangerous. Once a child reaches 2 years old, his digestive system has matured more and is able to deal with such things better. So heed that warning and don't take chances.