20 Home Remedies Using Honey

20 Home Remedies Using Honey

Honey is a delicious and natural sweetener many of us are already familiar with. For those looking to eat fewer processed foods, honey may seem like a good natural choice as a sweetener, but besides being a great choice for a natural sweetener, honey can be used in many home remedies

Types of Honey

There are several types of honey each with their own natural benefits and uses.

Manuka honey is a common natural healing agent that has been used for centuries as a topical antibiotic on wounds and acne. It can also be used for sore throats, colds, and other common ailments due to these properties. Other types of honey with antibacterial properties are eucalyptus and linden honey.

Acacia honey helps cleanse the liver and digestive tract.

Buckwheat honey, usually darker in color than its other counterparts, is full of antioxidants due to that deep color.

Neem honey has been used to treat high blood pressure and diabetes.

If you’re ready to incorporate raw honey into your diet then check out these honey uses.

20 Uses For Honey in Natural Remedies

Improve digestion – Use a tablespoon or two to counteract indigestion since it doesn’t ferment in the stomach.

Relieve nausea – Mix honey with ginger and lemon juice to help counteract nausea.

Acne cure – It can be used as an affordable face cleanser to fight off acne, gentle on sensitive/all skin types. Take half a teaspoon, warm between hands and spread on face gently, leave on for 10 minutes then rinse with warm water and pat dry.

Exfoliator – Honey makes a great exfoliator! Use honey on dry winter skin by adding two cups of honey to a bath, soak for 15 minutes, then add one cup of baking soda for the final 15 minutes.

Improve diabetes – Consumption of raw honey can reduce risk of developing diabetes and help aid medication used to treat diabetes. Raw honey increases insulin and decreases hyperglycemia. Add a little at a time and see how your blood sugar reacts to it.

Lower cholesterol – It can help reduce cholesterol and therefore decrease your risk for coronary artery disease.

Improve circulation – Raw honey makes your brain function optimally by strengthening the heart and improving blood circulation.

Antioxidant support – Consumption of raw honey increases plaque-fighting antioxidants.

Restore Sleep – Raw honey promotes restorative sleep. Add a tablespoon to warm milk to help increase melatonin and help you sleep.

Pre-biotic support – Raw honey is full of natural prebiotics which promote the growth of good bacteria in the intestine.

Improve allergies – If sourced locally, raw honey can help reduce seasonal allergies.

Lose weight – Substituting raw honey for white sugar can help in weight management

Moisturize – A spoonful of raw honey mixed with olive oil and a squeeze of lemon can be used as a hydrating lotion.

Hair mask – Raw honey hair mask can help boost shine, mix 1 tsp of raw honey with 5 cups of warm water, rinse thoroughly, air dry and style as usual.

Eczema relief – Use to treat mild eczema. Use it as a topical mixture of equal parts of honey and cinnamon.

Reduce inflammation – Raw honey has anti-inflammatory agents that can treat respiratory conditions such as asthma.

Heal wounds – Raw honey used topically can help quicken healing time for mild burns, wounds, rashes, and abrasions.

Cure UTI – Honey can help improve urinary tract infections due to its antibacterial properties.

Shampoo – Raw honey can cleanse and restore the health of your hair and scalp.

Relieve sore throat – Honey uses for sore throats is another fantastic remedy.  Simply mix it with lemon essential oil and peppermint oil for fast acting benefits.

As you can see, there are many uses for honey in personal care products, as medicine, and of course, a way to naturally sweeten up your diet without the negative side effects of sugar.  

With so many great benefits, why not try adding a little raw honey to your diet?

NOTE: MEDICAL DISCLAIMER

All pages and contents presented are intended for informational and educational purposes and should not be construed as professional medical diagnoses, advice or instruction, which can only be given by your personal health care provider. Benefits of Honey does not make any claims on the effectiveness of any folk remedies, nor do we officially endorse the use of alternative therapies over conventional medicine. You should never disregard medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read here.

Bee Extinction: The End of Humanity?

Bee Extinction: The End of Humanity?

“Mankind will not survive the disappearance of honeybees for more than five years.”

          -Albert Einstein.

Studies over the last several years have shown that we may soon see if Einstein’s prophecy will come to pass. A massive decline in bee population has been reported in the US by beekeepers, in some states the decline is severe as 70% of the population. The decline in population is so severe that for the first time in history the honey bee is being classified as an endangered species.

This phenomenon causing the decline in bee population is being call the Bee Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD).

But what does Colony Collapse Disorder really mean?

Colony Collapse Disorder is a disorder defined by worker bees in a bee colony disappearing, which in turn decimated the bee population. The earliest recorded occurrences of CCD were documented as early as 1869 and episodes of CCD have been occurring at least once every decade since then.

CCD is not to be confused with simple bee migration though. There are several key differences between CCD and Bees migrating. In an episode of CCD hives were found to still contain large stores of honey and pollen inside but there were no worker bees to be found, whilst migrating bees will carry their stores of food with them to be used later. Another good indication of CCD versus migration has to do with the Queen. In an episode of CCD, the worker bees will abandon their queen when they disappear, whereas migrating bees with carry their queen to the new location.

What Causes Colony Collapse Disorder?

Scientists have been able to identify several factors they believe to be the cause of CCD in Honeybees. The first and most destructive to the bees in presence of varroa mites invading hives. Varroa mites are a parasite which can only breed inside of bee colonies and carry deadly viruses that they pass to the bees which can cause paralysis in bees and cause deformed wing syndrome. On top of the viruses, bees can get directly from these little pests is the fact that once the viruses have weakened the immunity of their hosting bees they make them susceptible to any number of other ailments.  Varroa mites will also feed on bee larvae, further decimating their numbers.

Besides Varroa mites bees also have to contend with other factors that cause CCD such as fungal infections, invading hive beetles, the use of pesticides, and even weather changes.

Though it is said that pesticides with rarely lead to the death of bees they have been linked to the change in development in bee, especially in pesticides containing thiamethoxam and clothianidin chemicals. Neonicotinoids is a relatively new class of insecticides that are known to affect the central nervous system of insects that results in paralysis and death. When bees are exposed to neonicotinoids, they go into a shock and are no longer able to find their way back to the hive.

As weather patterns change sporadically they can cause the onset of CCD. A sudden rain can wash away pollen which is important to the bee’s health and nutrition or in the longer dry seasons can cause a strained buildup of honey.

So why would this mean the end of humanity?

Some plants are pollinated by wind, but that rate is very slow. Insects are the primary pollinators on the planet. Beetles and butterflies also pollinate, but bees are the most efficient insects for this purpose. Over 60% of all fruits and vegetables consumed by humans are pollinated by bees. They are the primary pollinators if not the only pollinators of many of these fruits and vegetables. Many plants such as almonds, pears, apples, strawberries, and blackberries are only pollinated by bees. Almond trees would be among the first casualties.

Rapeseed, more commonly known for the end product it produces known as Canola oil, is one that is almost completely dependent on honeybees for pollination. Canola oil is grown not only for cooking oil, but it is also used to produce biofuel. If we were to run out of biofuel, we’d have to rely on fossil fuels completely, thus putting further pressure on the environment.

Cotton is also very reliant on pollination from bees. The disappearance of bees will lead to a huge setback in cotton production, as it will significantly reduce your clothing options.

The decline of bee population has become a global problem in farming many fruits and vegetables. The detriment of the decline has had farmers hiring local beekeepers to have hives brought to their farms to assist them in pollinating their plants.

If bees went extinct, there would be a massive decline in the production of crops. Although crops like rice and wheat don’t require insect pollination, ask yourself how long can people survive by eating rice and bread all their life?

So, if bees were to go extinct, here’s a short list of food we would be sure to lose:

1. Apples
2. Almonds
3. Blueberries
4. Cherries
5. Avocados
6. Cucumbers
7. Onions
8. Grapefruits
9. Oranges
10. Pumpkins
11. Watermelons
12. Peaches
13. Blackberries
14. Raspberries
15. Plums
16. Pears
17. Rapeseed

With a declining population of herbivores, we will start to see a declining population of carnivores as well. Though the declining populations might benefit scavengers such as eagles, vultures, and ravens in the short term.

One more worry of losing bees is the topographic changes we will experience.

Imagine a landscape where plants, unable to grow any longer would become barren. Grassland would disappear and large-scale desert will take their place.

This will be a common sight if bees disappear.

A treeless Earth would make its inhabitants more susceptible to natural disasters like floods and landslides which are mitigated by the presence of tree roots that holds together the soil. Not only does it lessen such dangers, the presence of tree roots retains the nutrients in the soil on which we grow our food.

On a planet without bees, the surface of our home would be barren and the vast richness of Earth’s green cover would disappear. This would, in turn, affect the abundance of wildlife and species that survive in their forest and jungle habitats.

Food webs and food chains would collapse. Not only are bees important for livestock and domesticated animals that rely on bee-pollinated plants, but wild mammals and birds also depend on pollination for the supply of their food. A world devoid of bees would signal the demise of complex food chains and food webs that delicately balances the existence of all living creatures on this planet.

Herbivores, who depend on certain plant species, will be affected first. They would go extinct if plants ceased to exist. For example, many cattle used for milk and meat depend on alfalfa and lupins, both of which depend on insect pollination. If the cow’s food supply declines, then meat and milk production will decrease. This will seriously affect the human diet.

Our blue planet is so far, the only planet that we know of that sustains life; it boasts of a rich biodiversity that makes it a unique place in the universe.

The rich biodiversity of our home planet is in part contributed by the existence of bees and their role in pollination. As these bees fly from flower to flower, plant to plant, they transfer pollen that allows plants to get fertilized and yield crops, fruits and vegetables.

Not only are they of utmost importance to humans and other species, by they also pollinate gardens, wild country sides and add to the beauty of the Earth’s landscape.

Without bees, our planet would be bereft of its beauty and its biodiversity greatly reduced.

In short, we may initially survive the extinction of bees, but what kind of world will we live in without them cultivating our world. And how long would we survive for?

The Science Behind Honey’s Eternal Shelf Life

The Science Behind Honey’s Eternal Shelf Life

While excavating ancient Egyptian tombs, archeologists have often found pots of honey amongst the tombs artifacts. And more surprising still is that these thousands of years old honey is still preserved. Over the years as archeologists have uncovered these ancient honey pots and have discovered that the honey remains unspoiled, a remarkable testament to the eternal shelf-life of honey.

So why does honey seem to never spoil?

Just to quickly name a few factors as to why honey has an eternal shelf life—its acidity, its lack of moisture and the presence of hydrogen peroxide—work in perfect harmony, allowing the sticky treat to last forever.

Other examples of food that also has an eternal shelf life in their raw forms are salt, sugar, dried rice just to name a few. Honey however can remain preserved in a completely edible form which is different from these others. You wouldn’t eat uncooked rice or straight salt, you could however eat the thousand-year-old honey straight from the tomb without any preparation the same as if it had been bottled that same day.

So, let’s talk more about what makes this special food so special.

Just to start we can all agree that honey is a sugar. Sugars are hygroscopic, meaning that contain very little water in their natural state but can suck moisture from the air when left unsealed. Honey in its raw and natural form have very low moisture content. For this reason, honey is a poor environment for most bacteria and microorganisms to live. They would basically just get smothered by all its thick, rich goodness. In order for honey to spoil it would have to have something inside of it that can spoil. With it being such an inhospitable environment for the organisms, they do not live long enough to to have a chance to spoil within the honey.

As I stated above honey is naturally acidic, extremely so. The pH of honey is between a 3 and 4.5 approximately which is getting on the higher end of the pH scale for acidity. Being that it is so acidic means that it will pretty much kill off anything that attempts to grow there, which only adds to its already inhospitable environment for organisms. This also makes honey a great antibiotic for medicinal purposes.

This can also be true for other foods, such as molasses. Molasses is a byproduct of cane sugar however so though it will take a long time it will eventually spoil.

So why is honey different from other sugars in this way?

Must be magic, right?

Not really but pretty close, something more along the line of a special kind of alchemy is used to make honey. As you all may know, Nectar is first gathered by bees to make honey, which naturally has a high-water content, about 60 to 80 percent.

So how does this high moisture content nectar become honey which has a low moisture content?

During the process of making honey the bees play a huge role in removing much of this moisture, it a very surprising way. By flapping their wings when transferring the nectar to the hive and in the process of moving through the hive they dry out the nectar.

Now we both known it can’t just come down to drying out the nectar and you would be right. The bee’s stomach also plays a big role in honey’s resilience. Bees have an enzyme in their stomachs call glucose oxidase and when bees regurgitate the nectar from their mouths into the combs to make the honey, this enzyme mixes with the nectar, which in turn breaks down the nectar into two different by products, gluconic acid and hydrogen peroxide. Now we all know what hydrogen peroxide is, it is an antiseptic used to prevent infection of cuts, scraps, or burns. So, if you didn’t think microorganism and bacteria had a chance before, they most certainly do not now as the hydrogen peroxide works against them the insure that nothing bad could possibly grow within the honey.

This is just another great reason why people have been using honey for centuries to treat injuries. Seeing as it is so thick, kills bacteria and microorganism, and contains hydrogen peroxide, honey creates the perfect barrier against wounds so that they don’t become infected.

Honey being used for medicinal purposes was records earliest in Sumerian tablets in the city of Summer. Based on their ancient records we have learned that they used honey in almost half of their medicines, making all sorts of ointments to treat anything from skin to eye diseases. They would simply cover the wound or diseased area with honey to act as a bandage to keep out infection and help the healing process.

As I stated earlier, if honey isn’t in a seal container, it will start to suck moisture out of it surroundings. Moisture can lead to infection, so by sucking the moisture out of the wound it helps to stave off infection. Pair this with the minute amount of hydrogen peroxide within the honey you have a very useful natural band-aide to keep away infection and promote healing. But don’t just take my word for it. Many would write off honey being used in such a way as folk medicine, an old wife’s tale. However, in the last decade a medical device company known as Derma Sciences has been researching and marketing MEDIHONEY, a bandage used in hospitals around the world that is covered in honey.

Many of the honey you can buy from big supermarkets has likely been heated, strained, and processed. Which means that it no longer contains the particulates from raw honey, such as pollen and enzymes. For this reason, the honey does not really crystallize because it there are no longer any molecules for the liquid to crystallize around. However, if you make sure to check the labels and buy raw, unprocessed honey from the supermarket or a local vendor then the particulates with have not been strained out or destroyed by overheating the honey. The honey will have a higher rate for how quickly it will crystallize. This is nothing to worry about, however, your honey has not gone bad or spoiled. Crystallization is completely normal occurrence in raw honey.

You can check out this article here about how to safely decrystallize your honey: http://health-benefits-of-raw-honey.blogspot.com/2017/07/how-to-decrystallize-honey-its-mid.html?spref=fb

The final factor that is key to Honey having a long shelf life is in fact the way in which honey is stored. A jar of honey being sealed properly is key to its survival. If left open in a humid environment, it will spoil. Because honey can such moisture from the environment it leaves itself vulnerable to bacteria. So as long as honey is sealed up with no added water to it, it will have a very long and useful shelf life.

So, if you’re interested in keeping honey for hundreds of years, do what the bees do and keep it sealed, which may prove a hard thing to do with such a delicious and versatile treat.

17 Things You Probably Didn’t Know About Honey, But Should!

17 Things You Probably Didn’t Know About Honey, But Should!

Not all honey is created equal. Or, more accurately, not all honey on the grocery store shelves is equal. Some international honey has been treated and no longer has the health benefits discussed here.

If you can possibly buy from a local farmer, farmer’s market, or a reputable local company, it really is the healthiest choice.

Honey and Baking

1. You should never refrigerate honey. Tis will make the honey crystallize faster.

2. Slightly warmed honey is easier to measure out and mix.

3. One 12-ounce honey bear is equal to one cup.

4. Honey never spoils. While excavating Egypt’s famous pyramids, archaeologists have found pots of honey in an ancient tomb. The honey, dating back approximately 3,000 years, is the world’s oldest sample and was still perfectly edible. If it crystallizes or becomes granular, place the open container in a bowl of hot water until it liquifies again. You can get more information on how to decrystalize honey here: http://health-benefits-of-raw-honey.blogspot.com/2017/07/how-to-decrystallize-honey-its-mid.html?spref=fb.

5. To replace sugar with honey in a recipe, substitute 1/2 to 2/3 cup of honey per cup of sugar, and decrease the amount of liquids by 1/4 cup per cup of honey used.  Stir the mixture very thoroughly. Lower the baking temperature by 25 degrees. Watch the baking time carefully since foods brown more quickly when honey is used. You can get more information on using honey in your baking here: http://health-benefits-of-raw-honey.blogspot.com/2017/07/4-rules-for-swapping-out-sugar-in-favor.html?spref=fb

Health Benefits of Honey

6. Honey contains antioxidants, which help protect against cellular damage.

7. Use honey on wounds, including burns, to help them heal faster. Honey is a natural antibiotic.

8. Manuka honey is the preferred variety for first aid treatment.

9. It can be used as a treatment for chapped lips!

10. A good rehydration beverage combines 1/2 c. honey, 1/2 t. salt, 2 c. orange juice, and 5 1/2 c. water. Use lukewarm water to help the honey dissolve faster, then cool.

11. Adding a little local honey (produced within 50 miles) to your diet may help prevent some allergies. The bees have been collecting pollen from plants in your specific area, the same pollen that is the culprit behind many allergies. Tiny doses of this pollen has the same effect as allergy shots, helping the body build immunity against pollen. (Note: filtered honey has had the pollen removed, so do not expect the same benefits from filtered honey.) You can get more information on how honey can help prevent allergies: http://health-benefits-of-raw-honey.blogspot.com/2017/07/honey-for-allergies.html?spref=fb

Odd Bits and Pieces

12. Bees have been known to produce blue and green honey. This is usually a result of bees feeding on sugars that have been dyed. This most commonly has been known to happen in hives located close to M&M factories.

13. It can be purchased in a crystal form. When rehydrated, it can be used as liquid honey.

14. Honey should be stored in closed containers because it absorbs moisture from the air, which can cause it to ferment.

15. An African bird called the Honeyguide locates and feeds on wild honey. The Honeyguide becomes very chatty when it finds a beehive, making it possible for people to retrieve honey themselves.

16. Ancient Egyptians used honey as a form of money and fed it to their sacred animals.

17. Honeybees are the only insect that actually produce food for humans! Just one reason to learn about beekeeping and becoming a beekeeper, or just make your backyard or garden bee-friendly. Pay back the favor!

Honey Isn't Just Sugar!

Honey Isn't Just Sugar!

Not All Sugars are Equal

"Honey is water super-saturated with sugar.”

“Honey is not healthier than any other concentrated sugar product.”

“Sugar is sugar.”

These are some of the many common misconceptions we may know in regards to honey. Especially when talking about honey as a sugar substitute. But the truth is that not all sugars are equal. We’ve all heard phrases such as “there are good calories and bad calories” of course, or “not all fats are equal.” And yet the idea that “all sugars are not created equal” sometimes seems to not hold the same weight to those who have never taken the time to see the differences. People need to know that there is good sugar, bad sugar and even some dangerous sugars. There are so many fake sweeteners, some of which have names that you can even pronounce.

Bees' Sugar is Unique

Think about that for a moment. Which other sugars can claim that they are anabolic, medicinal, antiseptic, gentle on blood sugar, friendliest to our liver, the most ideal fuel for burning body fats, and has many healing effects? None, except honey. Taste aside many believe bee's sugar is the best, nature-given sugar for our body, yet probably most forgotten and neglected sweetener.

The doctors never fail to tell us that our body is unable to utilize refined sugars. This is because they are void of all nutrients and our body tissues in fact must relinquish precious vitamins and minerals to detoxify and eliminate them from our system. This can often lead to nutrient deficiencies and the gradual deterioration of our cells and organs. You may also know that our bodies need some sugars too, and good sugar, honey ideally, can provide a positive supply of liver glycogen for healthy effects of brain metabolism.

Fast Facts about Honey

Bees use the nectar they collect from flowers to create honey. This thick substance is typically consumed in liquid form and can range in color from pale yellow to dark brown.

Honey is composed primarily of water and two sugars: fructose and glucose. It also contains trace amounts of:

• enzymes
• amino acids
• B vitamins
• vitamin C
• minerals
• antioxidants

Many of the antioxidants found in honey are classified as flavonoids. Flavonoids have anti-inflammatory properties, which may provide some health benefits.

The exact nutritional makeup of honey varies based on its origin. There are more than 300 varieties of honey. Each variety of honey has a distinct color and flavor.

Honey can help kill germs and promote healing of minor cuts and burns.

What are the benefits of honey?

Honey is higher in fructose than glucose. Fructose is sweeter than glucose, so you may be able to use a smaller amount of honey in your food or drink without sacrificing sweetness. The trace amounts of vitamins and minerals found in honey may also have added health benefits.

Raw, unpasteurized honey contains trace amounts of local pollen, which may help desensitize allergic reactions.

Honey also provides additional health benefits:

•        It may help kill off germs because it has antimicrobial properties.

•        When used as a salve in gel form, it may help promote healing in wounds and minor burns.

•        It may also help ease coughing and sore throats.

Start Discovering Honey's Capabilities

Bees play a critical role as pollinators for many agricultural crops in maintaining a balanced eco-system, but they also have the ability to create the sticky sweet substance we know as honey that if consumed can provide many health benefits. The healthful substances in honey may be minute in quantity, but overtime, when consumed daily will provide a powerful accumulative effect in our health and body immunity.

If you have never quite known honey or couldn't think of the golden liquid as more than just sugar and calories, then just remember these powerful truths related to sugar and open up a whole new perspective that could bring a huge impact on your daily dieting habits.

Honey Isn't Just Sugar!

4 Rules for Swapping out Sugar in favor of Honey in Baked Goods

4 Rules for Swapping out Sugar in favor of Honey in Baked Goods

Do you love baking but want to cut down on your sugar intake? Why not try replacing the sugar in your baked goods with honey? There are several benefits to eating honey verses eating sugar.

One of these benefits is that honey consists primarily of Fructose and glucose. Glucose is absorbed quickly by the body, giving the body an immediate boost of energy. Meanwhile, the Fructose is absorbed more slowly, providing energy over a longer period. Therefore, because honey contains high levels of both glucose and fructose, it may provide both an immediate and sustained energy.

Honey contains some vitamins, whereas white sugar contains no vitamins at all. 

Honey also contains quality protein while sugar on the other hand, gets a miserable zero!

Lastly is that Honey contains a much higher rate of minerals than sugar does including calcium, potassium, manganese, and iron.

So, it would seem that honey is the more nutritious option to granulated sugar but I also just love the earthy sweetness honey imparts on baked goods. And the coolest part about baking with honey is that each varietal lends a different flavor to the end product. Orange blossom adds a citrusy, floral note; wild raspberry is reminiscent of the berry itself; and buckwheat is almost molasses-like.

But when it comes to swapping in honey for sugar in a recipe, it's not simply an even trade. So here are 4 simple rules to swapping sugar out for honey.

1. Use Less Honey than you would Sugar.

Rule: For every 1 cup of sugar, substitute 1/2 to 2/3 Cup of honey.

You will want to reduce the amount of overall sweetener you use when switching out sugar for honey. The reason for this is that honey can be twice as sweet at time depending on the type of honey you are using.

You will need to use your own judgement to determine the exact amount to use depending on the honey. Some honey’s like Acacia is extra sweet while on the opposite end of the spectrum you might have something like chestnut that is much less sweet.

2. Reduce the amount of other liquids used.

Rule: For every 1 cup of honey you use, subtract 1/4 of other liquids you would normal use in the recipe.

Unlike with Sugar Honey is in a liquid form and is made up of about 20 % Water. For this reason, you will want to reduce the total amount of liquids you are using in the recipe to make up for the extra liquid in honey.

Again, you might need to use your best judgement when first trying out honey in place of sugar in a recipe but generally you will want to reduce by 1/4 to possibly as much as 1/3 of the liquids in your recipe.

3. You will want to add Baking Soda.

Rule: Add 1/4 teaspoon baking soda for every cup of honey used.

For this particular rule, you only want to add baking soda in a recipe that does not already call for baking soda. Because Honey is naturally acidic you will need the baking soda to help balance out the acidity so that the baked goods will still rise properly.

4. You will need to lower the temperature of the oven.

Rule: Reduce the temperature of the over by 25 Degrees F.

The higher sugar content in honey means it caramelizes and therefore burns faster than granulated sugar. To ensure that whatever you're baking doesn't brown too quickly, lower the heat and keep a watchful eye. You will want to check on it periodically to avoid burning or over-baking.