Honey - the "Come-Back Kid" - Honey as Medicine - Honey as Food

The Honey Bee and her products have amazing health benefits.  Honey's antibacterial properties were known and used by ancient civilizations such as the Chinese, Egyptians, and the Greeks.  Apitheropy, the medical use of honeybees and their products, was practiced regularly until World War II.  With the discovery of modern antibiotics honey was taken out of the medicine cabinet and relegated to the the kitchen pantry.  Today however, honey has made a medical come back and is in the gleaming high-tech spotlight.  It has even been awarded  the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's seal of approval!  You can't get more respectable than that!


Medical supply labs are actually packaging honey soaked bandages for wound and burn application. For details see:  MSNBC Report 

Now that viruses have adapted to many of our twentieth century antibiotics  science is looking back to some of the old tried and true remedies that have enjoyed historical success.   Recent research has shown that components of honey even diluted 50 times kills the newly antibiotic resistant  "Golden Staph (staphylococcus aureus) bacteria".   


Some astounding healing properties of honey when consumed or applied topically are : 

• Effective antibacterial-producing hydrogen peroxide on wounds
• Anti-inflammatory
• Speeds healing by promoting new tissue growth
• Minimizes scaring and keloid formation
• Moisturizes
• Draws lymph and dirt out of a wound
• Replenishes energy
• Enhances stamina
• Aids in absorption of nutrients
• Improves the immune system
• Promotes sleep
• Coats and sooths sore throats

Apitherapy - is the term for the medical use of product made by honeybees which includes bee venom, honey, propolis ,royal jelly, bee's wax etc.  It includes treating infectious wounds, replenishing energy, chronic pain relief, tissue rejuvenation, and alleviating symptoms of major diseases among other things.


Honey was the base or was included as an ingredient in many natural remedies. Have you heard of the old time cure for sore throats, colds and the flu -  the "Hottie-Tottie"?  It is fresh squeezed lemon juice, mixed with a teaspoon of honey and a shot of whiskey.  Stir it up, drink it down, then straight to bed under a quilt with socks on and a warm hot water bottle.  Owwee!  Sounds like natural Ny-quil.


I have heard some people say they have tried honey cures and they didn't work.  Yep, that is right - honey cures don't work now-a-days.  The reason is that most honey that you buy in the grocery store is cooked, processed and imported from overseas - mostly Chile.  High temperature along with UV light and microwaves kill the enzyme activity in honey.  Light and heat particularly effect the Glucose Oxidase (GOX) enzyme as well as honey's Gluconic Acid  which produce the antibacterial properties of honey.  


So when you try to do it Grandma's tried and true way - do it her way - with real unpasteurized, raw local honey.


Now you can throw out that Neosporine and Nyquil and eat or smear on that raw organic local honey instead.  Now if these go out of date in your medicine cabinet you don't have to waste money and throw them out.  Just eat them instead.  Right honey?

What Exactly is Organic?

Organic food is food grown or produced without the use of chemical fertilizers or artificial pesticides. The USDA has developed a seal of approval that certifies food with it's mark is "organic" according to this standard. It can be a good seal to look for because not everything that claims to be organic actually is.

On the flip side, this is a pricey endorsement, especially for small companies to earn. Some products are naturally organic so when comparing labels you may think you are choosing a better organic product but in reality they are both organic. For instance, coconut oil (except for industrial grade) is all organic. Coconut trees are not sprayed with pesticides nor are artificial fertilizers used. Therefore, advertising that coconut oil is organic may be smart, but it does not mean that it is necessarily a better product than the next. Other products that are usually organic are blueberries and agave nectar.

Why I Always Buy Organic Milk and Dairy Products

My main concern in buying organic is first in the dairy department. As any pregnant mother can tell you, there are strong warnings issued about taking any drug or consuming alcohol while nursing or pregnant. Drugs permeate into breast milk quite freely. This is also what happens with cows and the milk we drink from them. All drugs, antibiotics or growth hormones that the cow consumes can be found in the milk. I try to buy organic milk, cheese, cream, sour cream, and butter. Even though it is quite a bit more expensive I believe it is important that our children get hormone and drug free milk.