Tips for Choosing a Qualified Honey

The most important part in the consumption of honey is to choose a quality honey. Basically all the honey is genuine, but to determine the quality of honey, should be carried out in laboratory research.

Most people are misguided by myths that circulate in the community about how to choose honey. For example about the ants do not like honey. This myth is false, because there is no sugar ants. Ants will not like the honey when the honey has become sour or fermented.

Here are some tips that right in choosing honey:

1. Thick, not bubbly, and sweet taste.
Viscosity of honey depends on the level of water content in honey. According to FAO (United Nations food organizations), water content in honey is a good maximum of 20%. If the honey is bubbling, it means the honey is too long left in open containers and undergo fermentation. And often it seems to be slightly acidic.

2. No see-through when it spilled onto newsprint
A good honey has high viscosity and water content slightly. So honey will not penetrate the newspaper. But the heated palm sugar also has a consistency like honey.

3. Bubble when heated
Just compare the heated sugar and honey. Sugar solution will froth much like boiling water when heated. While honey produces air bubbles that expand and explode when heated.

4. Honey does not dry out if dried
Apply a little honey on hand, and then drying in the sun. The original honey does not mix the sugar solution will not become dry. While the honey mixture will form a crust layer of sugar that stick in hand

The Difference Honey and Sugar

The major difference between honey and sugar is largely due to how they are formed.

Sugar (composed of 99% sucrose) is a result of a combination between the glucose and fructose molecules that are normally extracted from sugar cane. The making of sugar involves processes such as concentration and denaturalization. These heating processes will destroy valuable nutrients such as protein, organic acid and other enzymes.

Honey, on the other hand, is a natural sweetener composed of 86% glucose-fructose combination, and not a single human touch interfered in the process of making honey. In other words, the making of honey is purely undoctored. Plus, the components of honey influence its healing and antibacterial properties.

In addition to that, honey does not contain any harmful chemicals. Almost all nutrients in honey can be absorbed by the body, except for a very small portion that will be discharged.

As for sugar, since it is produced as a result of various processes, not only will the nutrients be lost along the way, but throughout these processes, harmful elements such as hydrochloric, phosphoric and sulphuric acids will make their way in.

One big difference between honey and sugar is probably in terms of their calorie contents. One tablespoon of honey contains approximately 30% more calories compared to the same amount of sugar. However, since honey is sweeter, you won't feel like eating it too much.

Plys, the components of honey influence its healing and antibacterial properties.

So how exactly does sugar affect your health?

1) Sugar actually depresses your immune system by reducing the amount of white blood cells in the body. The exposure of white blood cells to high levels of sugar in the bloodstream decreases its ability to prevent bacteria and other kinds of infections. In addition, sugar makes the body acidic, which makes it more vulnerable to bacterial and viral infection.

2) Sugar is categorized as high-glycemic food. This means that it causes the blood sugar level to increase and this in turn disturbs the insulin level. The difference between honey and sugar is especially significant for diabetics.

3) Sweetened food and beverages that contain a high amount of sugar can also cause one to gain weight since it contain large amounts of sugar that can be easily absorbed by the body. As for honey, even though it is assimilated into the bloodstream very quickly, it contains minerals and enzymes and therefore does not disturb the body's mineral balance as sugar does.

So as you can see, the difference between honey and sugar is more than just their distinct tastes.

Honey is prized for its great healing quality and properties, and its health benefits are just amazing.

If you've been so accustomed to sugar as a food sweetener in your daily diet, don't be too overwhelmed by all this (although I completely understand why you are).

Remember, the secret to achieving a healthier lifestyle is by making small changes everyday!

Diet For Health

This is about diet for health. There is so much written about diets it can get very confusing. Unfortunately, most of us still associate the word diet in negative terms as most of the material is about losing weight and calorie restriction.

I wish to outline various healthy eating programs that bring about balance and energy and at the same time one will achieve their objective and lose weight. I truly believe the word diet should be changed to eating plan. There are many eating plans that one can easily choose the ideal plan to reach your goals.

Nutritional therapist agree that an eating plan consisting of fresh food which in unrefined and lightly cooked which helps to preserve the maximum amount of nutrients is best for all round health. However on your first consultation you maybe prescribed a Hypoallergenic Diet as a diagnostic tool to be used for the first two weeks of a nutritional therapy regime.

The Hypoallergenic Diet: excludes the four basic food items associated with allergic symptoms (wheat and gluten, dairy produce, eggs and yeast) other dietary food that can cause stress to the digestive system include tea, coffee, chocolate, sugar, salt, alcohol, saturated fats, red meat and artificial food colors and addictives. This diet must, of course, be under professional guidance and in no way mandatory.

Cleansing Diet: These are often based on raw foods, there purpose is to remove excess tissue acidity, often caused by long term consumption of too much protein, to correct the sodium/potassium balance and to promote cell respiration and oxygenation, and to help decongest the liver and discharge toxic waste matter.

Protein when metabolized by the body leaves an acidic residue, which can build up and cause damage to tissue and joints. It may lead to the development of degenerative diseases such as arthritis and cancer; these diseases often exhibit high tissue acidity. As fruits and vegetables leave an alkaline residue after being metabolized, cleansing diets main concentrates on these.

For the first ten days to two weeks this type of diet mainly focuses on raw foods, following this. Some steamed vegetables may be added and some brown rice and pulses. The diet is low in calories since that is designed to break up fatty deposits in the liver. Body fats are broken down to release stored energy. You must take care not to reduce calorie intake too much.

Macrobiotic Diets: Roughly translated the word macrobiotic means 'large' life and the diet was founded on the principle that wholesome food would help to promote good health and longevity. This system in centered on the consumption of whole grains and the basic proportions of each food type eaten in this diet are as follows:

Grains 50-60%
Soup 5-10%
Vegetables 20-30%
Beans and seaweed 5-10%
Fish, seeds, nuts and fruit 5% 3-4 times a week.

At least two grains are used everyday with each meal. A minimum of six types of vegetables with one serving of pulses is taken daily. Fish and fruit restricted to three to four times a week.

The Hay System: food combining diet: Named after Dr William Hay this diet has been promoted as very popular and effective for weight loss and digestive problems. Based on the principal of not mixing protein and carbohydrates at the same meal.

Protein foods: Meat, fish eggs, fish, dairy products, nuts and Soya may be eaten with:

All vegetables except potatoes and artichokes
Neutral and sub acid fruits e.g. strawberries, raspberries, plums, mango, pineapple, apples, pears, and peaches.

Carbohydrate Foods: All grains and pulses with the exception of Soya with:

All vegetables
Sweet fruits such as bananas, grapes and dried fruit
Neutral foods.

Neutral foods, which may be eaten with either protein or carbohydrates, are:

All vegetables except potatoes and artichokes,
Seeds and nuts,
Herbs and spices, Wheat germ,
Fats, oils and egg yokes,
Honey, maple syrup, molasses and raisins,
Alcoholic spirits.

In health terms the Hay System when followed properly in an extremely nutritious eating plan. White flour, white rice and sugar are not included.

Vegetarianism: The Stone Age man originally ate fruit, berries, seeds and plants. It was not until the population began to increase that man turned to hunting wild animals and fish to supplement his diet. The meat we buy today is usually mass produced, high in fats and cholesterol and contains many chemicals, including antibiotics, pesticides and female hormones. Fish is also a suspect due to increasing pollution of our seas.

However, a vegetarian diet is not always a healthy diet, one of the reasons is that meat is often replaced by dairy products which contain high fat and are acid forming. A VEGAN diet avoids all animal food including the products of animals like milk and dairy and eggs. Studies have revealed that conditions such as arthritis, asthma and psoriasis have improved. The immune system functions better with increased white blood cell activity, saturated fat levels fall. The diet does not contain hormones or antibiotics. One of the dangers of this sort of diet is that protein levels may be inadequate.

The body needs protein to build and repair muscle tissue and to form cells. Enzymes are made from protein and protein is a vital part of hemoglobin. Antibodies, hormones, adrenalin and insulin are partly made my protein.

Low carbohydrate diets: These are very last resort treatments for severely obese and are not recommended. Depriving the body from carbohydrates it will have to turn protein into energy. Low carbohydrates can lead to acidosis, dehydration, loss of lean tissue, impaired kidney function due to the build up of waste products from breakdown of body tissue are just a few of the complications which can occur when following this regime.

If it must me adopted it is considered a once-only diet to be used in very special cases only.

Smoothies For Health

The breakfast smoothie.

The breakfast smoothie is full of nutrition and substantial enough to keep you full until lunchtime. Blueberries and raspberries are packed with antioxidants, apple has beneficial enzymes, oats are great for slow-release energy and the bio yogurt will help to keep your digestive system healthy, yum!

- 1 handful of porridge oats or granola
- 1 cup of natural bio yogurt
- 2 juiced apples or 200ml of apple juice
- half a cup of raspberries
- half a cup of blueberries
- honey to sweeten (if required)

Add your yogurt to the blender first, followed by the apple juice and fruit and blend this mixture, adding honey to taste if you have a sweet tooth. When the smoothie has a good consistency pour it into shallow glasses and sprinkle oats or granola on top. Viola! Breakfast.

The energy-boosting detox smoothie

The energy-boosting detox smoothie harnesses green tea's energising and detoxifying properties and plenty of healthy omega oils and fiber from flaxseed. The natural sugars found in bananas will help prevent low blood sugar slumps that may occur between meals, and the kiwi is full of vitamin C.

- 1 cup of cooled green tea
- 1 tablespoon of flaxseed
- 1 banana
- 2 kiwi fruits
Honey to sweeten (if required)

Peel and chop your banana and kiwi fruits and add along with the other ingredients to your blender. Whizz up until smooth and enjoy!

The immune booster smoothie

Ginger is a natural anti-inflammatory, it increases immunity and is also great for calming nausea and aiding circulation. Oranges and strawberries are full of vitamin C and pineapple is full of beneficial enzymes that aid digestion and help to reduce swelling. This smoothie is a big Models Direct favorite and is very simple to make.

- 2 juiced oranges or 200ml of orange juice
- 1 teaspoon of grated fresh ginger root
- 1 cup of strawberries
- 1 cup of pineapple

Add your fruit and juice to the blender and grate the fresh ginger. Keeping fresh ginger in the freezer is a fab tip here as it will be convenient and makes it far easier to grate! Add your ginger and blend. Sip and smile!

Taste of Honey Varieties

There exist several hundreds of unique honey types from all over the world. Almost every country produces honey, each country has its main and special floral honey varieties and quality standards, but the leading honey-producing countries are the USA, Canada, Australia, Argentina, Mexico and China. Some people judge honey quality by their floral origin, but each floral variety has its own distinct and original taste, texture, and colour. Flavours vary from very mild and blend to strong and pungent and colours range from dark brown to colourless. As a general rule of thumb, light-coloured honey is milder in taste and dark-coloured honey, stronger.

The unique aroma, flavour and colour of each of the honey varieties are determined by the floral source, such as clover, basswood, orange blossom or buckwheat, from which the bee collects the nectar.

Aristotle the Greek philosopher reported in the 3rd century B.C that bees which have gathered from a certain flower choose to return to another flower of the same sort and they communicate to other foreigners in the hive by means of scent and physical movement, the location of the specific nectar source. He observed that on each expedition the bee does not fly from a flower of one kind to a flower of another kind until it has got back to the hive. On reaching the hive, the bees throw off their load and each bee on her return is followed by three or four companions. Bees can select the best yielding nectar source available at a given time, which leads them to concenrate on a single source. Hives that have been moved into blooming fields for purposes of pollination offer bees a great single source to collect from. In order to be labeled as a certain variety, a honey must be 80% from the named source.

Honeys vary not only in color and flavor, but also in their medicinal properties, with some varieties such as the Manuka honeys being more potent than others. After trying out so many different brands of honey, I find that the same floral variety of honey of diffent brands may not taste exactly the same. Climatic conditions of the area can influence the flavour, colour, and quality of honey varieties.

I learned from a honey recipe book some interesting steps and tips on how one can explore and appreciate the taste of the different honey varieties and would like to share with you.

1) Before tasting, notice the aroma of the honey in the jar.

2) Spoon out a dollop of honey, less than an eight of a teaspoon. Put it in your mouth.

3) Allow it to dissolve on the front of your tongue.

4) As the tastebuds respond to the dissolving honey, you may smack your lips to sort out the full range of flavours.

5) The flavors are enhanced when the honey flows to the back and sides of your mouth.

6) Take time to observe the lingering aftertaste.

7) When you taste several honeys in a row, drink hot black tea in between to keep the palate clear. Unsalted crackers can also help restore your tasting apparatus.

8) Give your mouth time to figure the complexities in the honey before moving on to another sample.

8 Honey Beauty Tips

According to the dictionary, honey is a sweet yellowish or brownish fluid produced by various bees from the nectar of flowers. Besides using honey as food, did you know that honey is one of the oldest and most effective beauty aids?

Honey contains waxes, sugars, and traces of minerals. It is a natural moisturizer, as well as an anti-irritant making it suitable for sensitive skin types. Honey can be found in many of the beauty products you find in your local drug store or favorite beauty supply store. Some of these products can be very expensive to purchase and many of these products can be made at home.

Try some of the following honey beauty tips below. Please be sure not to use honey on your skin if you are allergic to it!

1. Honey mask: Apply pure honey to your face and allow it to set until dry. This will take about 15 minutes. Once dry, rinse your face with warm water.

2. Body glow bath: To moisturize, smooth, and get an all over body glow, keep a jar of honey next to your bath. Apply honey on your skin and pat dry using both hands. While patting your skin, the honey will get sticky and gently pull up your skin. Rinse away the honey when you are done. The results will be great circulation and beautiful, glowing skin!

3. Honey bath: For sweet smelling and soft skin, add ¼ to ½ cup of honey to your bath water.

4. Honey scrub: Mix 1 teaspoon of honey with a little almond flour into the palm of your hand. Gently apply on your face for a facial scrub. Rinse your face with warm water to remove honey scrub.

5. Daily facial cleanser: Mix 1 teaspoon of honey with a little milk powder into the palm of your hand. Apply on your face to clean away dirt and makeup and then rinse with warm water.

6. Shiny Hair: To add some shine to your hair, mix 1 teaspoon of honey, a squeeze of fresh lemon, and 1 quart of warm water. Shampoo your hair as usual and then pour the honey mixture on your hair. Allow your hair to dry as normal. You do not have to rinse out the honey mixture.

7. Hair conditioner: For healthy hair and scalp, combine ½ cup of honey and 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Saturate your hair with the honey mixture, put on a shower cap and allow it to remain on hair for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes, shampoo and rinse your hair as you normally do.

8. Skin toner: To firm, smooth, and moisturize your skin, combine 1 peeled, cored apple with 1 tablespoon of honey in a blender. Pulse honey mixture until smooth. Gently apply honey mixture on face and allow it to remain for 15 minutes. Rinse your face with warm water to remove the honey mixture.

With the above beauty tips, you can create affordable spa-like products at home. Honey is a wonderful beauty product because it contains naturally occurring enzymes, vitamins, and minerals. Be sure your honey is all natural by purchasing only 100% pure honey to create your beauty products.

Sure You Don't Have Bad Breath

Caused by bacterial overgrowth on the tongue surface, bad breath, also technically known as halitosis, is perhaps one of the biggest social taboos and the most embarrassing health troubles a person can have even though it is neither contagious nor fatal.

Do a quick breath check...

If you often catch others rubbing their nose while you're talking to them or see that people are eager to offer you peppermints, or notice some people seem to get a bit annoyed or impatient for nothing and start to avoid you, you might want to ascertain if your breath has a problem and is turning others off. As humans easily get accustomed to our own odour, halitosis sufferers cannot judge if their breath stinks even when they exhale against their hands to smell unless somebody revealed it to them. The most accurate way is to visit your dentist who will be able to use a device called a halimeter which measures the amount of VSCs in the breath after you blow into a tube attached to it.

Nevertheless, there are also a few easy tried and tested methods which you can use to check of if your breath is in order.

1. Lick Test: Lick with the tip of your tongue on the wrist and smell it after 5 seconds. Any whiff of foul smell?

2. Scrap Test: Scrap with a small metal spoon or a cotton stick at the back of tongue. Sniff it. How is it?

3. Dental Floss Test: Floss between your back teeth and then smell the floss. How pleasant is it?

The rotten egg like smell we sense in a breath disorder is actually the work of the bacteria which bury themselves in sticky coating build up on the tongue surface and in the bits of food that cling to the back of the tongue or get stuck between teeth. And when the bacteria feed on those debris and break down the proteins in it, noxious volatile sulphur compounds (VSCs) are released into the mouth. Anyone can have an offensive breath at some point, and the most common time is when you wake up in the morning - morning breath. During sleep, the salivary glands function less and the mouth with lesser amount of saliva becomes so dry that it allows bacteria to grow and generate a highly pungent odour. However, usually after brushing your teeth and rinsing your mouth, and everything should return back to normal. If it still lingers and persists, then it could indicate a more serious problem. Also, it's common for people to attribute the cause of breath disorder to consuming bad breath inducing foods such as garlic, raw onions, cabbage, fish, cigarettes, alcohol, and coffee, however, bad breath can occur even if your diet does not include any of those notorious foods. Many a time, the root causes lies in the mouth rather than from our digestive system.

Reasons for breath disorder

o Dead and dying bacterial cells from oral cavity release a sulphur compound which gives the breath an unpleasant odour.

o Gum disease caused by food trapped in gum pockets which rot and ferment and releases sulphur products.

o Smoking encouraging gum disease which affects oral hygiene.

o Plaque build up, which causes pockets to develop between the teeth and gums, which then accumulate food particles and allow bacteria to thrive.

o Stress and anxiety could result in drying of the mouth. Hence, offensive breath can occur during airplane trips, when giving a public speech, or taking an examination.

o Dry mouth, or Xerostomia, is a common side effect of some medications, like inhalations for asthma and bronchitis.

o Medical conditions can cause bad breath, including diabetes, infection and respiratory diseases which encourage bacteria growth in clogged airways and diabetes because of lowered resistance to oral infections.

o Halitosis can occur to people who are fasting. Chewing food induces the production of saliva in the mouth. When you are not eating, saliva decreases and bacteria growth increases.

o Dehydrated people can have bad smell in the mouth. When you become dehydrated, you do not produce as much saliva. The reduced cleaning action of the saliva allows bacteria to grow. Bad Breath Defense

Many people believe that mouthwashes can treat halitosis. Unfortunately, most conventional mouthwashes are ineffective and only temporarily mask the bad smell. Also, don't count on mints and gums to save your breath. Although they may make your mouth feel fresh and clean for a while, they do little to fix the root cause of halitosis.

Our grandparents' bad breath home remedies, which often work by reducing the amount of bacteria in the mouth, continue to be popular even till this modern day. One folk remedy: Honey and Cinnamon - Mix 1 Teaspoon Manuka Honey , 1/8 Teaspoon Cinnamon Powder, 1/2 cup hot water and use as a gargle in the morning and evening. Today, propolis, a natural cure from the honey bees is also known to have strong anti-inflammatory effect and powerful local effects for healing the gums and controlling infection. There is now propolis toothpaste in the market that claims to eliminate halitosis by killing the bacteria which resides in the oral cavity, stop bleeding gums, and prevent tooth decay.

Propolis kills harmful bacteria which causes tooth decay. It is an interesting fact that most antibiotics kill all bacteria, whether good or bad, and when used incorrectly produce "antibiotic resistant" bacteria, thus negating the effects of the antibiotic. Propolis has a natural property that does not allow the bacteria to produce antibiotic resistant strains of bacteria. It acts selectively on "bad" or "harmful" bacteria only and leaves the natural flora of "good bacteria" in balance. Maintaining a good oral hygiene of the mouth is the best defence for halitosis. It takes nearly three minutes to completely brush all tooth surfaces, yet most people spend only about half a minute brushing their teeth and miss miss tooth surfaces where bacteria are allowed to proliferate and create VCSs. Flossing helps to remove the plaque formed on the teeth. By using toothpaste that contains fluoride, drinking plenty of water and having your teeth cleaned professionally by a dentist every six months can help to prevent oral health problems. Lifestyle factors such as quitting smoking, cutting down on alcohol, and of course brushing and flossing the teeth are some good breath-care practices. Bad breath doesn't have to be permanent. By religiously following a taking daily oral hygiene routine, you can freshen up your breath and regain your self confidence.

What is Honey

Honey is the one widely consumed delicious food product produced 100% by insects only. The fact is it is also a vital key element literally thousands and thousands of folk remedies, natural health and beauty aids, in numerous recipes along with many other practical uses around the world.

This very thick, very sweet golden liquid is made by one of natures wonder creatures bees. Honey actually contains some of the insects' enzymes, as well as a number of sugars, water and even oil. The process of manufacture is a wonder too. Bees fly from flower to flower. Along the way the bee extract some of the nectar from each of the plants using their very long tongues.

The honey is then stored safely within the bees' bodies. After a bee has visited enough flowers to get its fill, the full bee then returns to it's home known as the hive and regurgitates some of the nectar, this nectar is then consumed by bees that are not involved in the collection process, this ensures that they get fed.

The enzymes within the bodies of these "house bees" evaporate much of the water in the nectar, creating honey. The finished liquid is stored in honeycomb cells within the hives and is used for nourishment by all the bees in the colony.

Fortunately, individual hives produce far more honey than is actually necessary for the colony's survival. The honey ripens within the honeycomb and eventually becomes a tasty and consumable product with a variety of exciting additional uses.

When Can Kids Eat Honey?

By Vincent Iannelli, M.D.,

Q. I seem to remember something about not giving honey to small children. Can you tell me the age? I am inquiring about a 2 year old taking honey for allergies. Susan, Bella Vista, Ar

A. The general warning is that you should not feed honey to infants under twelve months of age. It should be fine for a two year old, and I have heard of using a daily teaspoon of raw honey as a treatment for allergies. It has something to do with the pollen and other substances in the raw honey helping the patient to build up some immunity to whatever they are allergic to, but you would think that it would trigger their allergies and make them worse until that happens. If not, then great, maybe give it a try.

Honey is also being used as a wound dressing in Australia because of its antimicrobial properties, sometimes working better than topical antibiotics against difficult to treat bacteria.

For a child under twelve months of age, there is a risk of botulism from eating honey and it should be avoided. The spores of the Clostridium botulinum bacteria can be found in honey, and when ingested by an infant, the spores can release a toxin that causes botulism.

Infant Botulism

According to the CDC, infants with botulism 'appear lethargic, feed poorly, are constipated, and have a weak cry and poor muscle tone,' which may 'progress to cause paralysis of the arms, legs, trunk and respiratory muscles.'

Although parents often know not to give their infants under twelve months of age plain honey, they often overlook other foods that contain honey in them, such as Honey Graham Crackers, Honey Nut Cheerios, Honey Wheat Bread, etc. Although the honey in these foods may be processed, it may not be pasteurized, and so may still contain botulism spores in them and should be avoided. If you feel strongly about giving these foods to your infant, call the manufacturer to make sure that they are safe.

Honey Tips and Hints

• It's very easy to substitute honey for sugar in your recipes. Honey is up to twice as sweet as table sugar, so you will need to reduce the amount called for in the recipe by one-third to one-half honey for granulated or table sugar. In addition, since honey is composed of up to 18% water, you will need to reduce the liquid called for in baked goods by about one-fifth.

• When baking sweets, you should also lower your oven temperature by 25 degrees F. (15 degrees C.).

• If you are measuring honey by weight, 1 cup will weigh 12 ounces.

• To help that honey slide smoothly from your measuring utensils, simply lightly coat the utensil with a vegetable spray before measuring the honey.

• Unless the recipe calls for sour milk or cream, some cooks add the merest pinch of baking soda to the recipes of baked goods to counteract the slight acidity of the honey which may cause overbrowning.

• Since it has the ability to absorb and retain moisture, honey is used in the industry to keep baked goods moist and fresh. Use honey in baked goods you plan to mail to keep them bakery-fresh.

• Honey is also an excellent choice to use in salad dressings, since its emusifying qualities make it a perfect stabilizer.

How to Use Honey to Treat Asthma

Honey is one of the most commonly used ingredients in home remedies. Tonics, pastes and inhalants can be made by mixing honey with other common cooking ingredients to treat breathing difficulties, sore throats or symptoms of asthma.

Instructions

* Gourd root
* Cinnamon
* Fenugreek seeds
* Ginger juice
* Indian gooseberry
* Horseradish
* Garlic
* Butter


Treat Asthma With Honey and Gourd Root

Step1
Mash the bitter root of a gourd plant into a thick paste.

Step2
Mix 1 tsp. of the paste with 1 tsp. of honey.

Step3
Swallow the mixture each night before going to sleep. Try the remedy for up to a month to get an idea of how well it works for you.

Make a Cinnamon Honey Remedy

Step1
Combine 1 tbsp. of honey with half a tbsp. of ground cinnamon powder.

Step2
Drink the mixture just before going to sleep at night and first thing in the morning.

Use Honey With Water

Step1
Heat a mug of water, either by microwave or on the stove. It should be hot but not boiling.

Step2
Mix in 1 tsp. of honey. Stir well.

Step3
Drink the mixture at night. Take small, slow sips to increase its effectiveness.

Use Fenugreek Seeds With Honey

Step1
Pour 1 tsp. of fenugreek seeds into a cup of water. Allow it to soak overnight

Step2
Add 1 tsp. of honey.

Step3
Add 1 tsp. of ginger juice.

Step4
Drink the mixture. For best results, you should drink this mixture twice in the morning and once at night.

Use Honey With Indian Gooseberry

Step1
Mash 5 grams of Indian gooseberry into a paste.

Step2
Combine with 1 tbsp. of honey.

Step3
Drink the mixture to relieve a cough or to help clear the lungs and throat of mucus.

Use Garlic and Horseradish With Honey

Step1
Mix 7 tbsp. of crushed garlic with 7 tbsp. of horseradish sauce.

Step2
Add 10 tbsp. of butter.

Step3
Add 2 1/2 cups of honey and mix well.

Step4
Heat the mixture until the honey has dissolved.

Step5
Cover tightly and store in a cool, dark place.

Step6
Swallow 1 tbsp. of the mixture an hour before eating a meal.

Step7
Use this remedy for up to 2 months at a time.

Step8
Stop taking the remedy for 1 month to gauge its effectiveness.

Tips & Warnings

It's possible to relieve asthma symptoms without ingesting honey. Fill a cup or jar with honey and hold it under your nose. By slowly inhaling the scent of honey, you can loosen some of the phlegm in your throat and lungs for up to an hour.

Honey Home Remedies

Honey has been used as home remedies for numerous ailments among all group of age. Honey is used by the Ayurvedic physicians over 3000 years as the best vehicle for almost all medicines. Honey has a fabulous history for its wide application as food and medicines among all ethnical groups all over the world. Here are some common home remedies which gives instant relief from ailments and prevents costly medical intervention and much pain.

For respiratory problems

# Adding two teaspoons of honey and juice of half a lemon in a glass of hot water can make a drink of sore throats. 1/2 tsp. of Black pepper powder, 1/4 tsp. of long pepper powder and 1 tsp. of honey mixture is useful to overcome sore throat.

# Dried ginger powder 1/2 tsp, 2-3 black pepper cones, 2-3 cloves, 2-3 cardamom, 1/2 tsp. Cummins seeds should be boiled and add little tea leaves and honey and can be had hot. It gives good relief of the throat pain, cold, and cough. It can be taken two to three times in a day.

# Honey is free of unnecessary herbicides, pesticides, fertilizers, bee antibiotics and other substances that can harm your health.

# Honey is used to remove phlegm. Take 8- 10 tulsi leaves, 1-2 cloves of garlic, 1/2 inch piece ginger crushed and 3-4 black pepper cones, boil it in 1 cup of water. Add 1 tsp. of honey to this and drink it warm. This is good for cold and cough with phlegm.

# Honey mixed with weak tea is useful for gargles in irritant cough.
Mix equal parts of ginger juice and honey and have it 2-3 times in a day which is good for cough. Ginger powder, black pepper powder and honey is also good for dry cough and can be had 3-4 times in a day. Pepper powder, dry ginger powder, liquorice root powder and honey mixture is good for dry cough 1 tsp. turmeric, 2-3 tsp. ginger juice, 2-3 tsp. lime juice and 3 tsp. honey can be mixed and taken 3 times for cough in a day.

# Asafoetida is useful in the treatment of respiratory disorders like whooping cough, asthma and bronchitis.1 tsp. of asafoetida mixed with honey will help to keep away these disorders.

# A pinch of turmeric and one teaspoon of honey in warm milk can be taken daily for children and adults who get frequent colds.

For gastrointestinal problems :

# Honey 50 ml per liter is recommended instead of sugar in the oral rehydration fluid.

# Honey and ginger helps in proper digestion and prevents stomach diseases. Ginger juice is made with a teaspoon of freshly squeezed juice of ginger and lime and a teaspoon of honey in hot water.

# The nutmeg should be powdered and mixed with honey and can be taken during diarrhoea. It can be given to small children also. 1 teaspoon twice or thrice can be taken.

# One spoon of fresh honey mixed with the juice of half a lemon in a glass of lukewarm water taken first thing in the morning is very effective for constipation, hyperacidity, and obesity.

Antiseptic properties and beauty care

Honey is useful for the skin diseases. It can be applied externally for wounds, sores, and burns. It is also believed to minimize disfiguring scar.

Honey, turmeric, and gram flour is very good face pack. It can be applied for 15 - 20 minutes and washed off with water.

Miscellaneous uses

# Honey act as a mild sedative. Take one teaspoon of honey in warm milk before going to bed.

# Asafoetida fried in ghee and mixed with a tablespoon of honey to be taken thrice daily for excessive flow and pain full menstruation and leucorrhoea.

# Honey is an excellent home remedy for obesity. It mobilizes the extra deposited fat in the body allowing it to be utilized as energy for normal functions. One should start with small quantity of about 10 grams or a tablespoon, taken with hot water early in the morning. A teaspoonful of fresh lemon juice may also be added.

# Fever: Take 1 teaspoon of juice of tulsi leaves and bel flowers with honey twice a day.

# Hair: Soak shredded ginger in honey. Eat a spoonful every morning for healthy hair.

# Constipation : Take a hot glass of water with 1 teaspoon honey & juice of half a lemon first thing in the morning.

# Arthritis: Two teaspoons of lemon juice and a teaspoon of honey mixed in a cup of warm water taken twice a day proves.

# Acidity: Have triphala powder with honey thrice a day. Drink coconut water 3 - 4 times a day.

# Local Burns: Wash affected area with running tap water and apply a thin layer of honey or Aloe vera gel.

# For General Good Health: Amla fruits (gooseberry) and keep in honey for a month. Eat daily when you can not have fresh amla. 

Raw Honey, Quercetin and Allergies

The conventional wisdom about allergies is that eating locally produced honey, especially in the winter, prevents hay fever. A study at the University of Connecticut Health Center in Farmington tested this notion with a clinical trial. Scientists enlisted three groups of hay fever sufferers.

One group was given locally collected, unfiltered, unpasteurized raw honey. The second was given a national brand of honey. The third was given corn syrup with synthetic honey flavoring. The problem with the results was that all three groups got better. This lone clinical trial in the medical literature did not prove that honey helps allergies.

Chances are the researchers are right. It is probably the case that honey does not prevent allergies, but the good results generations of hay fever sufferers have obtained by eating unfiltered, raw honey are due to the pollen in the honey rather than the honey itself. Pollen is an exceptionally rich source of quercetin.

If this as yet unproven assumption is true, any unfiltered honey will do, even if it is not locally produced. Just be sure to eat 1 tablespoon of honey several times a week, preferably with other quercetin-rich foods.

And what are those quercetin-rich foods? How do you get enough quercetin in your diet to relieve allergies? The simplest thing you can do is to eat an apple a day. Apples are inexpensive. They're available all year round. They are delicious.

Pack an apple with your lunch or for a snack. Your body absorbs quercetin from the apple about 2-1/2 hours after you eat it and your bloodstream maintains a low dose of quercetin for the next two days. Some studies of allergy sufferers in the United Kingdom have found that eating just one apple a week has a beneficial effect in allergic asthma.

For a faster boost of quercetin, eat onions. The small intestine absorbs the quercetin in onions about 20 minutes after you eat them, and quercetin levels in your bloodstream are elevated for about a day longer than if you eat apples. Onions also contain more quercetin than apples. Even better sources of quercetin are hot peppers, Anaheim and ancho peppers among the best. Not to be overlooked are the "three B's," blackberries, blueberries, and buckwheat. 

Beach Ready Beauty with Honey

Whether you'll be bronzing at the beach, pool-side or in the back yard, it's time to make sure your skin is ready for ultimate summer exposure.

Before putting on those summer tanks and sandals, take a moment to slough away winter's effect on your skin and rejuvenate with one of nature's favorite beauty secrets - honey.

For centuries, pure honey has been used as part of a healthy skincare regimen. From Cleopatra to Jennifer Lopez, well-known beauties have used honey as part of their regular beauty treatments. Pure honey acts as a natural humectant, anti-irritant and exfoliator to give skin a sweet, youthful glow.

Christopher Watt, owner of Christopher Watt Esthetics in West Hollywood, Calif. and skin care expert to celebrity A-listers, including Halle Berry and Ricky Martin, uses pure honey in most of his skin and beauty treatments.

"I recommend using 100 percent pure honey as part of your regular beauty routine," said Watt. "With summer rapidly approaching, now is a great time to experience honey's natural moisturizing properties. Honey is an inexpensive way to get spa-like results."

Watt teamed up with the National Honey Board to create easy honey-based skin treatments you can make at home. He recommends using honey at least twice a week to soften and exfoliate the skin.

Not only will honey keep your skin smooth, but it is also a great way to keep your lips healthy. Honey's naturally occurring enzymes, vitamins and nutrients are absorbed by your lips leaving them kissable and soft.

From the Sweethearts' Chocolate Honey Scrub to the Aloha Honey Hawaiian Delight facial, these homemade skin treatments will leave you wanting to shed those winter sweaters and show some skin! For additional beauty tips and recipes using pure honey, visit www.honey.com.

RECIPES:

Sweethearts' Chocolate Honey Scrub, courtesy of Christopher Watt
Makes 2 treatments

Ingredients:
2 cups honey
1/2 cup grapeseed oil
6 tablespoons unsweetened chocolate, grated
2 cups kosher salt

Directions:
In rubber mixing bowl, combine honey and grapeseed oil. Stir in chocolate and salt mixing completely. Consistency should be grainy and thick. Apply scrub to skin and gently massage all over the body. Remove with warm damp towels or rinse in shower.

Beauty Benefits: Increases circulation and helps rid body of toxins. Honey provides a moisturizing effect as well as fights damaging free radicals.

Aloha Honey Hawaiian Delight, courtesy of Christopher Watt
Makes 2 treatments
Ingredients:
2 tablespoons green tea
1/2 ripe papaya
1/2 cup fresh pineapple, diced
2 tablespoons honey

Directions:
Steep green tea in boiling water. Set aside to cool. Peel papaya wedge and remove seeds. In blender or food processor, blend papaya and pineapple until pureed. Pour into glass bowl and combine honey and green tea. Mix well. Apply to face with fan brush or finger tips. Recline and rest for 10 - 15 minutes. Remove completely with tepid water and soft facial cloth. Store in covered container in refrigerator for up to one week.

Beauty Benefits: Exfoliates, hydrates and rejuvenates.

Honey-Kissed Lip Balm, courtesy of the National Honey Board
Makes 1-1/2 cups

Ingredients:
1 cup sweet almond oil (Found at natural food stores)
1/2 cup beeswax (Can be purchased at craft and beekeeping stores)
2 Tablespoons honey

Directions:
Place almond oil and beeswax in a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave on high for 1 minute or until mixture melts. Whisk honey into beeswax mixture; stir well. Set aside to cool completely. When cool, pour into small containers with lids. Apply to lips as a moisturizer or on top of lipstick for extra shine. Makes about 1-1/2 cups.

Honey Bee (Apis mellifera)

What do bees look like? All bees have a head, a thorax (middle section), and an abdomen (end section). The head has their eyes, feelers, and tongue. The thorax has six legs and two wings. The abdomen has the breathing sacs, scent gland, wax gland, poison gland, and the stinger on the very end. Honey bees are hairy. They are yellow and black in color. The back legs of the worker females have little sacs to carry pollen.

We made this picture really big so it would be easier see. A real honey bee is only 1/2 inch long!

What are workers, drones, queens, and larvae? There is only one queen per hive, and all she does is lay eggs. There may be 40,000 worker bees. The workers are all female, but they can’t have babies. There may be as many as 2000 males or drones. Drones don’t do any work. Only a few drones gets to be fathers of the babies. All the rest just hang around. The queen is the biggest, and the workers are the smallest. The queen lays her eggs in a cell of the honeycomb (hive). Each egg hatches, and a little worm-like larva crawls out. The worker bees feed pollen and honey to the baby larva. Soon, it spins a little web blanket inside the cell and becomes a pupa. After 16 to 24 days, a full grown bee climbs out of the cell. Worker bees do different things depending on how old they are. They take care of the babies, make wax, build the honeycomb, clean up the hive, store pollen, make honey, guard the hive, and collect pollen or nectar. When someone says "busy as a bee," they are definitely talking about the workers. If a worker (sterile female) is born in the spring, she probably only lives 4 or 5 weeks. If she’s born in the fall when there’s less work to do, she may survive the winter. Drones (males) are kicked out of the hive when the weather gets cold. Queens can live for several years.

What do bees eat? Bees eat nectar (sugary water) and pollen (yellow protein powder) which are made by flowers. Babies are fed lots of pollen, because they need the protein to grow. Since there are lots of flowers in the spring (and lots of pollen), most bee babies are born in the spring. Nectar is what the a worker bee uses to make honey. When she gets to a flower, she drinks as much nectar as she can hold. Then she passes the nectar to another worker bee (who holds the nectar on her tongue) so the water in it can evaporate. When most of the water has evaporated, the sweet nectar becomes honey, which is stored in the hive. During winter, when there aren’t many flowers, bees use this stored honey for food. In the spring and summer, when there are plenty of flowers, bees tell each other where to find nectar and pollen. If a worker finds a grape vine with lots of flowers, she marks it with a pheromone (scent). Then she flies back and dances in the hive. This dance tells other workers what direction to fly in and how far to go. Then they fly off to find her scent, the grape flowers, and the food.

What is pollination? Flowering plants need to get pollen (the powder in the flowers) from one plant to another one. Once the pollen is on the new plant, that new flower can make seeds (baby plants). This is called pollination. When a bee visits a flower to get nectar or pollen, it has to get really deep in the flower to reach these foods. If she is collecting nectar, the bee slurps it up with her long tongue. If she is collecting pollen, she stuffs the powdery pollen into little sacks on the back of her legs. While she’s doing this, she gets the dusty pollen all over her body. When she flies to the next flower, some of the pollen falls off. Presto, the new flower is pollinated. Because of this, flowers try to attract bees by having brightly colored petals, pretty smells, and very sweet nectar. Bees and flowers help each other. This kind of relationship in nature is called symbiosis.

How do bees see? Bees cannot see the color red. But they do see a color we can’t: ultraviolet (UV). UV is what gives us a sunburn. But to a bee, it’s a whole different color. Since bees can’t see red, red flowers are pollinated in other ways, by bats, butterflies, birds, or the wind. Flowers that want to attract bees have colors that bees can see. Often, white flowers, which look plain to us, actually reflect UV light, so they look very pretty to the bees.

What is a hive? A hive is the bees’ home. It is made mostly of wax. Worker bees can make wax from the bottom of their abdomens. They use their legs to shape this wax into the cells of their honeycomb or hive. Each cell is hexagonal or six-sided. The hive usually has several layers of cells. Some cells are just for baby bees. Near the baby bee section, there are cells for storing pollen. In other parts of the hive, there are cells just for storing honey. The queen stays in the hive for her whole life except when she flies off to mate. All the bees stay inside the hive at night to sleep. Hives are often inside hollow logs.

How does a bee sting? A bee has a poison gland in her abdomen. When she stings another insect (like a wasp), she can pull the stinger out of the wasp’s body and get away. So if a bee is fighting another insect, she can sting many times. But if a bee stings a person or a large animal (frog, raccoon, etc.) the stinger sticks in the animal’s tough skin and keeps pumping poison. The bee flies away, but she gets torn in half and dies. Bees only sting if they think they or their hive are in danger. If one bee is buzzing around you, she may smell perfume, soap, or hair spray and think the smell is nectar (food). She will check you out to see if she can find the nectar, but if you stand very still, she will realize there is no nectar and go away.

What are some dangers to bees? Right now, almost all of Florida’s honey bees live on honey farms called apiaries (ape- ee- air- ees). There aren’t many wild bee hives left because a tiny pest, called a Varroa Mite, is killing them. Bee farmers can use special chemicals to stop the varroa mite on their farm, but no one can help the bees hiding in the wild. If a new queen leaves a bee farm with her swarm of workers, the varroa mite will destroy her new hive. When a bee farmer takes honey from a hive, he always leaves enough for the bees to eat over the winter. It is important to take care of Florida’s bees. Orange trees need bees to pollinate them so they can make fruits and seeds. Without bees, many of the oranges won’t be able to grow.

What about killer bees? These are Africanized Honey Bees or AHB’s. These bees are a mix of European bees and African bees. We have European bees here. They make a lot of honey and don’t sting much, but they don’t live well in really hot areas. African bees were brought over to South America because they do like to live in the heat. When these two kinds of bees mated, the new bees (AHB’s) were smaller and very defensive. AHB’s act like normal bees while they are foraging for food, but if they feel their hive is in danger, they will defend it, attacking the people and animals for at least 100 feet around the hive. The AHB’s traveled up into Texas, but stopped and went up the Rio Grande River. It will be a few years before they get here. We already have yellow jackets, small wasps that are just as defensive as the AHB’s. So, killer bees are not so scary. Just stay away from bee hives, and tell a grown-up when you see one.

Woes in Pregnancy and Honey Remedies

Did you just search for "pregnancy and honey" in hope that there would be some easy ways to get out of pains such as heartburn, colds and morning sickness during pregnancy? You might want to read on...

Heartburn During Pregnancy

Heartburn during pregnancy is one of the most common side effects of pregnancy. Hormones released during pregnancy allow the softening of the sphincter between the esophagus and stomach. When this happens, stomach acids back up into the esophagus, causing a burning sensation. This may also occur in the latter months of pregnancy as your baby pushes all of your organs upward. You may experience heartburn as a burning sensation in your throat or chest. Other women experience heartburn as a large lump like feeling in their throat or upper chest. Fortunately there are ways to minimize your heartburn woes during pregnancy and honey with milk recipe is one of them. Mixing some honey with your milk is very good for helping neutralize the excess of stomach acid. Drink a glass of milk every night before going to bed.

Colds During Pregnancy

Colds are quite common during pregnancy. Pregnant women tend to be more susceptible as their immune systems are lowered and their mucous membranes tend to swell during pregnancy. This can make it more difficult to get rid of coughs and colds, and can make breathing easy a challenge. If you do catch a cold you can increase your consumption of vitamin C rich foods including fruits and fruit juices. Many women find sipping teas including lemon and honey tea can help alleviate a sore and uncomfortable throat.

Morning Sickness

Morning sickness is a common experience with about 70 percent of all women experiencing nausea and /or vomiting during or especially their first trimester of pregnancy. In more severe cases, morning sickness can also lead to weight loss, malnutrition or other more serious health complications for the mother and developing child. Traditional remedies for expectant mothers trying to treat the nausea and vomiting of early pregnancy include soda and crackers which are only marginally helpful. Ginger is effective against ailments of the reproductive and digestive systems because it stimulates circulation and supports a good blood supply to these organs. Modest amounts of ginger tea with honey are a great remedy for nausea and vomiting. In the early weeks of pregnancy, the further stimulation of blood flow into the abdomen is not recommended, so go easy on ginger at this time.

Caution

While there are many natural remedies during pregnancy and honey remedies are known to be quite safe in helping to relieve some of the common side effects or complaints of pregnancy (honey is not allowed for new-born and young children under 1-yr old, though) , bear in mind that something is natural does not always mean it is safe, for instance there are many herbs that are best avoided during pregnancy. As with anything, during pregnancy always check in with your medical doctor when you are in doubt. 

Natural Honey Benefits

The Predigested Natural Food Since ancient times, humans have used honey as a natural food, as a sweetener, for medical use, for beautification and for many other purposes.

Benefits of Honey

* Eyesight

Regular use of honey mixed with the carrot juice helps to improve the eyesight. It should be taken one hour before meals in the morning.

* Cough

Mixture of equal quantities of honey and ginger juice is a good expectorant. It gives immediate relief in symptoms like cold, cough, sore throat, congestion of chest and runny nose.

* Asthma

Mix half a gram of black pepper powder with honey and ginger juice mixture (equal quantity). Take this mixture at least three times a day. It helps to cure asthma.

* Blood Pressure

Take one teaspoonful of garlic juice mixed with two teaspoonful of honey. It can be taken twice a day in the morning and evening. Regular use of this mixture is beneficial for high blood pressure.

* Blood Purification and Fat Reduction

Take one glass of warm water and mix 1-2 teaspoonful of honey and one teaspoonful of lemon juice. Take this preparation daily before evacuation. It helps to purify the blood. It also helps to reduce fat and to clean the bowels.

* Heart Tonic

One teaspoonful of anise powder mixed with one or two teaspoonful of honey acts a very nice tonic for the heart. It strengthens the heart muscles and improves its functions.

Bee Products

1. Pollination

Species of Apis are generalist floral visitors, and will pollinate a large variety of plants, but by no means all plants. Of all the honeybee species, only Apis mellifera has been used extensively for commercial pollination of crops and other plants. The value of these pollination services is commonly measured in the billions of dollars.

2. Honey

Honey is the complex substance made when the nectar and sweet deposits from plants and trees are gathered, modified and stored in the honeycomb by honey bees. All living species of Apis have had their honey gathered by indigenous peoples for consumption, though for commercial purposes only A. mellifera and A. cerana have been exploited to any degree. Honey is sometimes also gathered by humans from the nests of various Stingless bees.

3. Beeswax

Worker bees of a certain age will secrete beeswax from a series of glands on their abdomens. They use the wax to form the walls and caps of the comb. As with honey, most indigenous peoples will gather beeswax for various purposes.

4. Pollen

Bees collect pollen in the pollen basket and carry it back to the hive. In the hive, pollen is used as a protein source necessary during brood-rearing. In certain environments, excess pollen can be collected from the hives of A. mellifera and A. cerana. It is often eaten as a health supplement.

5. Propolis

Propolis (or bee glue) is created from resins, balsams and tree saps. Those species of honey bees which nest in tree cavities use propolis to seal cracks in the hive. Propolis is also used in some cosmetics.