Tuesday, August 14, 2012

Foods that Heal: Honey

     Honey is one of the most amazing foods that the Creator gave to us.  I have known about a lot of its healing properties, but just in the past few months I have been doing more research and finding out much more!  It is amazing to realize that honey is the only food that we consume from insects.  When God promised the Israelites a "land flowing with milk and honey", they probably knew what amazing things could be done with honey.  It is also interesting to me to see that the Word is compared to honey. What an appropriate analogy as you will see soon!  Not only does it sweeten life, but also brings healing and restores life!


     Now, when I speak of honey, I mean a particular kind.  The honey that you reach for off the grocery store shelf has been processed and heated to kill any bacteria. In the processing and heating, vital nutrients are destroyed along with the good bacteria.  When you search for real honey, purchase it from a  bee keeper or health food store making sure that it is unprocessed, raw honey.
     Honey is such an amazing food.  It contains its own bacteria fighting powers so that the worst infections are kept at bay.  At one time, a bacteriologist set out to prove that honey was fertile ground for growing bacteria and in the process, discovered the opposite!  He placed actual typhoid and dysentery bacteria in honey and within 48 hours all the bacteria were dead!  Amazing!  Those of you in countries that suffer with these ailments should find a local bee keeper or invest in some bee keeping equipment yourself!  What a valuable and simple way to kill off germs!  The amazing thing is that honey is so pleasant to the tongue, it would be no trouble to get your children to take it. 
     The antiseptic properties of honey extend far beyond internal healing.  Any external wound or skin ailment would heal much more quickly if covered in honey.  Before the invention of penicillin, honey was used extensively in both world wars to effectively heal battle wounds and was even used to treat gangrene.  The emollient properties of honey  would also reduce scarring and keep a wound moisturized.  I read testimonials over and over again of individuals who had some type of skin ailment or wound that would not heal with modern medicinal tactics, and after hearing of honey's healing abilities, had the problem cleared up in just days.
     Honey is also an amazing food that never spoils.  I remember hearing about explorers opening up an ancient Egyptian tomb and finding vats of honey that were still usable.  Honey does have its own way of preserving itself by crystallizing, but add a little heat, and it is as good as new.
     Because honey is a by product of the bee, then it has already been digested.  So, it is very easy on the stomach.  Its smoothness eases stomach upset and soothes the intestines.  Little tummies would benefit from a spoonful of honey now and then.
     I have been amazed to see that modern doctors are now telling parents to give their children honey in the place of cough suppressants.  The moisturizing ability and its smooth stickiness allows honey to coat the throat, keeping coughs at a minimum and effectively soothing a sore throat. 
     Honey is a lower sugar, so the body is not overwhelmed with a sugar high, like it would be with regular sugar.  Honey is a very effective energy booster, yet also helps to relieve anxiety.  Anyone who suffers with allergies would benefit greatly by eating honey that is from their local area.  The bees collect the pollen from the local plants, giving the eater an immunization of some sorts from the plants that they are allergic to. High cholesterol, skin problems, diabetes, weight loss, infection: the list could go on and on.  I read so much on this topic, I was overwhelmed with the information. If you have a particular ailment that you are interested in reading about, I suggest researching that ailment to see if honey can be used to heal it.  I also read a ton of amazing information at  www.whfoods.com which gave a wealth of information on the healing powers of honey.
     One word of caution, doctors warn mothers of young children not to give honey to an infant younger than one year of age.  Unprocessed honey can carry bacteria that may be too strong for an infant to handle.  Honestly, with compromised immunity from being bottle fed instead of breast fed, more infants would be affected by these bacteria.
     So, support your local bee keeper today and add honey to your natural medicine cabinet.  Your children will be happy you did!