Health Benefits of Honey - the Miracle Whole Food

Are there any benefits of honey for your health? There certainly are! Honey aids fertility, contains vitamins and minerals and can be used in diets, and has been used an old-aged remedy to cure sore throats for years. Some people swear that taking 2 spoons of honey in a glass of water everyday reduces their blood pressure. Others also say that it reduces their cholesterol levels. However, finding good honey that is pure and hasn't been tampered with is possible, but always very expensive. Whether you are homesteading, or living in the suburbs you can learn to keep bees which will give you a good supply of pure honey.  Beekeeping for Beginners gives you all you need to start your bee hives and for those of you in the suburbs or even in the cities, urban beekeeping is not unheard of. In fact, it is becoming very popular.

With the decline of the honey bee, we should all be doing our bit to reduce our use of pesticides in the garden, making sure that the organic and natural pesticides we use are safe for our bees, and keep bees where possible.

Health Benefits of Honey and Vitamin Content

Honey was used as a natural sweetener long before refined sugar ever hit the shelves. Because it is a whole food, honey is a lot healthier for us, and is easier for the body to use as a source of energy, rather than processed sugar.

Today chemists and scientists have identified chemicals and vitamins in honey that have been able to explain why it is so beneficial. The Vitamin C in honey helps with the coughs, colds and sore throats.

The Vitamin B content in honey is need to aid in maintaining good eyesight. Honey is also beneficial in curing skin disorders and metabolizes fats, proteins and carbohydrates.

The Benefits of Honey and Your Digestion

Honey is also good for your digestion because it neutralizes the acid in the system. Its ability to absorb moisture enables it to kill bacteria and clear up infections. Honey also contains minerals that are essential for good health, and for this reason, is often recommended as a daily tonic.

The Benefits of Honey for Losing Weight

How many people have been on this food diet and that crash diet to lose weight. Honey is used by those trying to lose weight as it is assimilated more quickly than other sugars. Mix a little honey with cider vinegar and taken regularly many swear that they lose 2-3 kilos a week with this concoction.

Health Benefits of Honey and Coughs

An old homemade remedy has been taking 1 tablespoon each of honey, lemon juice and glycerine for sore throats and coughs. Another is making a hot toddy of whiskey and a tablespoon of honey for colds, as well as to relax the mind and body after a stressful day.

The Benefits of Honey as Instant Energy

Athletes know that taking honey while training or during strenuous exercise actually gives one instant energy. Therefore this is a great food to pack if you are going climbing or hiking for a quick snack and an energy booster.

However, don't just use honey for special occasions.  A teaspoon of honey a day is excellent for those who are feeling constantly tired with low levels of energy.

The Benefits of Honey for Fertility

It is said that honey aids with fertility as well as overcomes impotency.

The Benefits of Honey for Burns

Honey is a wonderful first aid treatment for burns and cuts as it is a natural antiseptic. If you cover burns with honey the skin will not blister as badly, and cuts will heal with little pain or swelling.

The Benefits of Honey as a Natural Beauty Treatment for your Skin

Honey has long been included in the making of soaps and other natural homemade beauty products. The vitamins and minerals in the honey nourish and moisturize the skin. Mix honey with oatmeal or bran, and your skin will be more elastic than usual. Mix some honey with olive oil after your shower. Leave it on for 10 minutes, and then remove. Your skin will feel lovely and soft.

Mix honey and egg whites together to soothe tired eyes. Mix honey with lemon juice or apple cider and use it as an astringent for oily skin.

Another benefit of honey is for those using it for rosacea.  Mix the honey with a little rain water or spring water to loosen it. The spread it over the affected area. Leave for 3 hours, and then rinse off. Within 2 weeks you should notice the difference.

Honey as a Substitute for Sugar in Baking

You can not only substitute sugar for honey in your tea, coffee and on your cereal, but you can also substitute sugar for honey in baking. Use the same amount of honey as you would for sugar, but reduce the liquid content by a quarter. For example, if a recipe calls for 1/2 cup sugar and 1 cup milk, use 1/2 cup honey, but only 3/4 cup milk.

Note, that food baked with honey will brown faster, and therefore should be baked at a lower temperature - at 20�C less than the recipe says. When making jams, use half sugar, half honey because if you use all honey in the recipe the taste of the fruit will spoil and your jam making will not be successful.

Health Benefits of Honey and the Different Types of Honey

However, all honey is not equal. The percentage of minerals and vitamins vary in different types of honey. Therefore, the benefits of honey would differ too. The flavor of the honey will also depend on the nectar that the bees have been collecting to make their honey.

In Provence, France the honey, miel de lavande, is flavored by the surrounding lavender fields which can be found in great swathes throughout the area. In Scotland, the honey there is made from nectar from the heather-clad hills and mountains. In Greece, the honey there is different once again as it has been collected from thyme nectar. In Florida it comes from the abundant citrus orchards, in Australia from the yellow box and red box flowers.

The type of nectar collected will also result in different colors of honey. Therefore the honey that has come from heather is golden brown, while clover honey is pale yellow.

What Do you use Honey For? Can you Tell us about the Benefits of Honey for you?

If you have any comments, recipes of your own, or ways in which you use honey  please add them by using this submission page below. We would love to have your contributions!

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