RAW HONEY: A PANTRY STAPLE

A couple of weeks ago my family took a short vacation to the North Carolina Mountains. As things typically go for us, my son woke up with the sniffles and a cough on the day we were scheduled to leave. Naturally, I packed the cough medicine (all-natural, honey-based) and children’s pain reliever/fever reducer (dye-free) in the medicine bag. He was in no way “sick” or in need of a visit to the pediatrician, and he fully enjoyed the trip; however, we used the cough medicine and fever reducer ‘round the clock (as directed) in order to combat the cough and sniffles turning into anything more while we were away from home. Thankfully, it never got worse, and in fact, only lasted about 2 days. Here’s the catch, though, were it not for seeing/hearing the occasional cough or the incessant need for tissues, you would have never guessed he was under the weather at all. Quite oppositely, most people around us probably thought my little one was a completely misbehaved, unruly, disobedient, wild child, as if he were on a sugar high. Now, he’s a typical 4-year old, so don’t get me wrong – he has his moments. But the behavior was completely out of the ordinary, to the point of complete exhaustion and frustration on us as parents. And then the light bulb went off. I looked at the ingredient list on the bottle of medicine. The pain reliever/fever reducer is full of sugar. Sugar? No, the list didn’t actually say sugar, but it used code words which are essentially sugar, like sucrose. Tricky.

You might be asking yourself why this is important. Here’s the deal… many of us read food labels nowadays, but this was surprising to me coming from a medicine. Medicine is supposed to make us feel better, keep our fevers down, free us from pain, and get us back to our daily routines. Medicine should not be responsible for a sugar high. Am I right? So it has me thinking and searching. While we do plenty of things in our household to keep us all healthy throughout the year (diet, juicing, elderberry syrup, humidifiers, etc.), there has to be something better than loading my child with sugar medicine for a little cold. I am still searching, but I am often reminded and practice the benefits of raw honey. Are you familiar with it? It’s ahh-mazing! Seriously, go get some right now. I’ll wait.

Did you know that the average American consumes roughly 130 pounds of refined sugar every year? Let’s review that again. One Hundred and Thirty POUNDS. Per year. This number is astonishing to me. I like sweet treats just as much as the next person, but WOW! Can we lower that number, please? I am not a health expert by any means, but there is nothing positive that comes from refined sugar. If I’m wrong, please tell me. Does this mean that you can no longer have that piece of birthday cake, that after-dinner cookie, or those delicious breakfast muffins? Absolutely not! You would be surprised at what you can make (or buy, for that matter) that is much more wholesome and natural, and still perfectly sweet. How, you ask? Substitute honey for that refined sugar. You heard me – use honey instead of sugar. No, not the processed honey at your nearest supermarket. Raw honey. Interpretation: honey that has not been heated, pasteurized, or processed.

It’s really easy. According to Cooks.com, the appropriate way to convert is to substitute equal parts of honey for sugar up to one cup (some experimentation may be necessary). If your recipe calls for more than one cup of sugar, replace each cup of sugar with 2/3 to 3/4 cup of honey, depending on desired sweetness (honey is actually sweeter than sugar). Additionally, it is recommended to reduce baking temperatures by 25 degrees, lessen any liquid in the recipe by 1/4 cup for each cup of honey used, and finally, add about 1/2 teaspoon baking soda for each cup of honey used (if baking soda is not already used).

We all know honey tastes delicious, but there’s more. Honey has been referred to as a “functional food;” it is a natural food with health benefits. Raw honey contains natural antioxidants, enzymes, minerals, and vitamins. So, you are probably sitting there asking yourself, “well this is great, but what can honey do for me?” Here’s just a sampling of benefits:

– Promotes body and digestive health
– Strengthens the immune system
– Treat seasonal allergies
– Natural remedy for skin wounds/rashes/infections/acne
– Stabilize blood pressure
– Balance sugar levels
– Treat respiratory conditions/colds/sore throats

Have you gone out and bought your raw honey yet? What are you waiting for? If it’s too cold outside, or if you are lucky enough to be in a place where it’s snowing, order your honey online here. Tin Roof Teas has an ever-growing selection of raw honey, as well as other types (creamed, flavored, etc.) that are equally delicious. And while you’re there, go ahead and buy some tea so you stay warm through the winter. There is also a great selection of herbals which, combined with their own benefits, will give your honey health benefits a boost!

Keep Healthy and Buzzzz On!

*The information contained in this post should not be considered professional medical advice. You are encouraged to review all information regarding any medical condition or treatment with your physician.

*Honey should not be consumed by children under one year of age.

Sources:
www.honey.com
www.draxe.com/the-many-health-benefits-of-raw-honey
www.naturalnews.com/035493_raw_honey_health_benefits_antibacterial.html
www.forbes.com/sites/alicegwalton/2012/08/30/how-much-sugar-are-americans-eating-infographic
www.cooks.com/recipe/4516i4d5/substituting-honey-for-sugar.html