Next time you reach for a teaspoon or two of sugar to sweeten your cup of tea, skip it – you may want to drizzle in some of the sweet and sticky stuff instead – that’s right, we’re talking Honey. And it not only goes well in your tea, but you can also try to spoon it over your cereals in the morning, in smoothies, in lemonades, over your pancakes, on toast… or simply whenever you crave something sweet.
Not only is lower in calories than sugar, but it’s a lot more beneficial. Rich in antioxidants, and able to provide your body with cell-protective phenols, (something the plain old sugar won’t deliver), honey is full of precious nutrients which give a helping hand in the struggle against the damaging processes that happen at a cellular level in our bodies. These are all reasons for using it in diet and fitness products and as a regular food supplement in diabetes diet guides.
But unlike tanning, the darker the better. The darkest kind of honey proved in recent studies to have the highest antioxidant activity by far, so choose that kind every time you can.
Although is mainly seen as a substitute for sugar, honey has other uses as well:
- does wonders as a face mask (applied on its own or mixed with a fruit pulp of your liking, spread it on the face, leave for 20minutes, then rinse)
- here’s another sweet idea: use it to soften rough hands: mix 1tbs honey with a few drops of oil (any will do), rub on your hands and wait for a few minutes before rinsing with lukewarm water – give it a try, your lady will thank you
- speeds up the healing of minor cuts, burns and bruises (apply a bit as is on the wound)
- heals chapped lips (apply on your lips and leave it as long as you can last without giving in and licking your lips)
- soothing effect for a sore throat (eat a tablespoon then avoid drinking or eating for at least 10 minutes) etc.
But when it comes to its benefits and uses, the list doesn’t stop here. What else makes the honey a so much better option than sugar and the perfect natural food supplement?
- it’s an excellent natural energizer
- is rich in vitamins (most important are bees – uh, sorry ….Bs, but also C,A,D, K), minerals (calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium etc.) and all sort of helpful enzymes; all of these are present in a form that makes them easily absorbed in the system.
- also important to be mentioned, the royal jelly is rich in natural hormones and is very beneficial to the cellular regeneration process.
- honey acts as a natural anti-bacterial, fighting infections of all kinds, from the skin level to the digestive system.
Considering honey’s countless benefits, there would be no exaggeration to call it a pharmacy in a jar. So without excesses, use it more often and benefit more. And next time you enter the door, right after you call out “Honey, I’m home!”, go straight in and reach for the jar. Natural food supplements have never been so sweet before.
Extra tip: here’s how to test if the honey you just bought is natural, the good stuff the bees are manufacturing, or fake (man-made sugary honey-like product, but mainly a jar of sugar without all of the above-listed benefits): mix a tablespoon of honey with alcohol, in a clean glass. If the honey falls on the bottom of the glass and resembles particles of dust, it’s not the stuff you want.
Tags: honey, natural remedy, natural supplement