I am an avid believer in the inherent benefits of different types of foods. Be it spices, herbs, or honey. Each of these add more than a flavor and taste, they also heal!

Honey is a yummy sweetener composed of sugars like glucose, fructose and minerals like magnesium, potassium, calcium, sodium chlorine, sulphur, iron and phosphate and vitamins like B1, B2, C, B6, B5 and B3. But your local honey can provide lot more than these benefits.

Locally grown honey is made by bees which are in your environment.  The same bees which have helped spread pollen in your local area, when they make your local honey, they produce a honey which has immunity building properties for the locals! The fresh local honey is not only more tasty, it’s potent and effective for immunity from allergies.

Its best to buy ‘organic’ and ‘Local’ Honey produced within 20 miles of your neighborhood. Best place to buy honey is your local farmers market or your grocery stores which carries locally manufactured honey, with a special sticker which says ‘local’. I buy my local honey from either Whole Foods where I can fill plastic bottles with fresh warm local honey from the large containers of honey produced organically and locally; or ‘The Local’ Texas Wildflower Honey from my H.E.B grocery stores.

Benefits and Healing Remedies of Honey.

(Disclaimer: I am not a doctor, or aurvedic or therapeutic medicine consultant. I am not qualified to prescribe anything or advice anybody. I personally practice a lot of alternative medicine at home, but cannot vouch for cures.)

Internal uses of Honey

• Eating ½ spoon of cinnamon with 1 spoon of local honey every day helps  reduce  seasonal allergies, cold, cough, sinusitis and  laryngitis.
• Similarly eating 1tsp of local honey with 1/2 tsp  black seed oil can help reduce cold and cough.
•  Drinking Honey and Apple Cider Vinegar in warm water is good for curing  sore throat, stomach ailments, detoxification, energy boosting and even arthritic pains.
• Honey is said to have anti microbial qualities which helps cure sore throat when mixed with some lemon juice and eaten on empty stomach.
• 1 tsp of Honey and ½ tsp cinnamon powder with one cup of warm water acts as  mouthwash. Honey cleans teeth and kills germs in the mouth and reduces bad breath.
• Drinking 1 tsp of Honey diluted in 1 cup of water helps with stomach aches, dehydration, diarrhea, gas, acidity, indigestion and stomach ulcers.
• Gulping a mix of  2 spoons of  honey  with half a cup of orange juice and half a cup yogurt helps reduce hangover.
• Drinking warm water with honey and lemon on empty stomach can help reduce cholesterol levels and fat deposits.
• Drinking warm water mixed with honey and cinnamon reduces muscle fatigue, increases vitality helps in blood circulation, and boosts energy.
• Honey and cinnamon with its antioxidant properties supposedly can help cancer patients and also strengthen their  white blood corpuscles.
• Daily intake of honey and cinnamon can strengthen immune system, fights bacterial and viral diseases.

External uses of Honey

• Honey being a natural antiseptic, it can be applied in case of injuries.
• Honey acts as moisturizing face mask if you mix 2 tablespoons of honey with 2 teaspoons of whole milk and  smooth over the face and throat, and leave it for 15 minutes. Rinse with warm water, and splash with cold water.
• Honey is a great conditioner for hair mixed with olive oil. Apparently also helps in reducing hair loss, mixed with olive oil and cinnamon. It can give luster and shine to dull hair too as a rinse by mixing 1 tsp of honey with 4 cups of warm water.
• Honey helps reduce dry skin patches on hands, elbows, chapped lips, heels and eczema. Apply 1 tsp honey with 1 tsp olive oil and 1/2 tsp lemon juice.
• Applying paste of honey mixed with cinnamon overnight on acne and pimples helps reduce pimples because of its antibacterial properties.
• Honey mixed with ground almonds makes an excellent facial cleansing scrub.
• Honey acts as firming mask-1 tbslp honey whisked together with an egg white, 1 teaspoon of glycerin and about 1/4 cup of flour makes an excellent firming mask. Just smooth on the face, leave on 15 minutes, and rinse off with warm water.