Tuesday 21 January 2014

Honey uses

1. Soothe sore throats and coughs: Honey’s antibiotic and antiviral properties make it great for treating sore throats and coughs. It coats the throat and helps reduce irritation. Add a spoonful into a warm cup of lemon tea, or just eat it right off the spoon!
2. Treat cuts, burns and scrapes: Smooth a thick layer of honey over minor cuts and burns, and it acts as an antibiotic ointment to help kill any bacteria, reduce inflammation, and protect the exposed skin from dirt and debris.
3. Replace the processed sugar: Instead of granulated sugar, use raw honey to sweeten things like yogurt, smoothies, and almond milk, or stir a spoonful into your morning cup of coffee or tea. If replacing the sugar called for in a baked recipe, it’s better to use just regular, pasteurized (organic, if possible) honey, since it will be heated during baking anyways.
4. Wash your face: Raw honey, softened between your palms, and massaged all over your face, first thing in the morning, on a dry face – try it and you’ll love your sparkling, soft skin. It can even help with acne – just apply a small amount to blemishes every night, and you should notice results within a week.
5. Treat allergies: Raw, local honey taken a couple times a day, starting a few month before allergy season has been found to relieve seasonal allergies. It must be local honey, however, since it will contain tiny amounts of pollen from local plants, which will act as a sort of vaccine against the allergens found in that plant.
6. Improve your sleep: Add some honey to a lukewarm glass of milk or tea (or on it’s own!) right before bedtime for a better night’s rest. Honey helps your body release melatonin into the brain, which promotes a deeper, more restorative sleep.
7. Support good bacteria: Honey contains probiotics that help support the growth and activity of good bacteria in our gut, making it very efficient for digestion. Since it doesn’t ferment in the stomach, it’s easily absorbed and be used to treat indigestion.
8. Relieve constipation: Make a lukewarm tea by mixing a spoonful of raw honey and a couple spoons of raw apple cider vinegar into warm water, to help naturally relieve constipation.

A word of caution: Since honey contains natural botulism spores, make sure not to give honey to children under the age of 1 year, as their intestinal tract is not mature enough to inhibit the growth of botulism.

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