---- Original Message ----- From: "Spring" <[email protected]> One of the purest natural substances that you can use as a therapeutic remedy is honey. Because bees die when they are contaminated by toxins, such as chemicals and air pollutants, they act as a biological filter for the honey that they manufacture in their hives. Honey has been used as a sweetener and household remedy as far back as the time of the ancient Hebrews. Honey in Hebrew means "enchant". It is known to relieve indigestion and headaches, boost energy and stamina, and reduce stress by promoting revitalizing sleep. It can even be used to disinfect and help heal minor wounds. Together with other medicinal herbs, honey is effective in the relieving discomforts associated with minor respiratory ailments like colds, bronchitis and whooping cough. The basic therapeutic components of honey are glucose and fructose, which are readily absorbed by the digestive system for its soothing effects. Other therapeutic components include pollen, enzymes, and some proteins. Here are various ways to use honey as a natural remedy: To relieve discomforts from asthma, bronchitis, and minor respiratory ailments: Mix 1 tsp. of honey and 1 tsp. of finely chopped fresh thyme. Take orally as needed to help clear airways and dissolve mucus. To heal minor cuts and abrasions: Spread thinly on wound and cover with a sterile gauze. Honey disinfects because it contains a germ-killer called "inhibine", and it will reduce the swelling by drawing excess water from the skin. To promote relaxation and stress-relief: Mix an ounce of honey with 3 drops of lavender oil in a small container. Pour the mixture into your bath water for a relaxing, sleep-inducing soak. Posted by Eric on another list: Beauty Honey has the natural ability to attract and retain moisture and is an important factor in beauty products because of its ability to maintain softness, suppleness and elasticity. 1. Relax with a honey bath: Add 1/4 cup honey to your bath water for a fragrant, silky bath. 2. Keep your hair healthy with a Hair Shine: Stir 1 tsp. of honey into 4 cups of warm water. (Add lemon if desired.) After shampooing, pour the honey mixture through hair. Do not rinse. Dry as normal. 3. Hair Conditioner: Mix 1/2 cup honey with 1/4 cup olive oil. (For normal to oily hair, use only 2 tablespoons oil.) Using a small amount at a time, work mixture through hair until coated. Cover hair with a shower cap; leave on 30 minutes. Remove shower cap and shampoo well. Rinse. Dry as normal. 4. Honey helps clear up acne without drying your skin! Use Soothing Skin Clarifier to help clear up minor acne: Mix 1/2 cup warm water with 1/4 teaspoon salt. Using a cotton ball, apply the mixture directly to the blemish. Maintain pressure with the cotton ball for several minutes. This softens the blemish. Then, using a cotton swab, dab honey on the blemish and leave it on for 10 minutes. Rinse and pat dry. 5. Keep your skin smooth with Smoothing Skin Lotion-- Mix 1 teaspoon with 1 teaspoon vegetable oil and 1/4 teaspoon lemon juice. Rub into hands, elbows, heels and anywhere that feels dry. Leave on 10 minutes. Rinse off with water. 6. Protect your the skin from sun damage by eating honey and using Smoothing Skin Lotion. 7. Make your own Honey Cleansing Scrub. Mix 1 tablespoon of honey with 2 tablespoons finely ground almonds and 1/2 teaspoon lemon juice. Rub gently onto face. Rinse off with warm water. (For more Honey Beauty Recipes, visit the National Honey Board's web site at http://www.honey.com/recipes/beauty/.) 8. Keep your skin looking young with the Honey Firming Face Mask-Whisk together 1 tablespoon honey, 1 egg white, 1 teaspoon glycerin (available at drug and beauty stores) and enough flour to form a paste (approximately 1/4 cup). Smooth over face and throat. Leave on 10 minutes. Rinse off with warm water. 9. Facial Toner -- In blender, puree 1 tablespoon honey with a peeled, cored apple. Smooth over face; leave on 15 minutes. Rinse with cool water. 10. Moisture Mask-- Mix 2 tablespoons honey with 2 teaspoons milk. Smooth over face and throat. Leave on 10 minutes. Rinse off with warm water. Cooking 11. Reduce the liquid in a recipe by 1/4 cup for each cup of honey you use. 12. Replace sugar with honey: Simply substitute honey, cup for cup, in place of sugar. As a rule reduce the liquid by a quarter cup for every cup of honey used. In baked goods add 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda for every cup of honey used and bake at a temperature of 25 degrees lower than instructions call for. In cookie recipes using eggs and no additional liquid, increase the flour by 2 tablespoons per cup of honey, or enough flour to give the desired consistency. Chill before shaping and baking. 13. For every cup of honey used in a recipe, increase the baking soda by 1/2 teaspoon. 14. Reduce the oven temperature by 25º F to prevent over browning. 15. Use honey when brewing beer for a great tasting, light beer. 16. When baking cookies and scones, use honey to help reduce crumbling. 17. For easy measuring, coat the measuring utensil with vegetable oil or nonstick cooking spray before you measure the honey. 18. To freeze sliced or crushed fruits for the winter, use one part strained honey to 4 or 5 parts fruit. For whole fruits, add one cup of water to every 2 cups of honey. Use just enough of the diluted honey to cover the fruit. 19. Add honey to fresh fruit or fruit salads. Honey's acidic nature prevents fruit from turning brown. Use light-flavored honey so it doesn't mask the fruit flavor. 20. Make your own honey butter spread. Beat together 1/2 cup margarine or butter and 1/3 cup of honey until smooth (about 3 or 4 minutes) and you have honey butter spread. Beelicious! 21. To glaze meat, such as ham or turkey, turn the oven temperature to 225º F and baste with honey every 10 to 15 minutes during the last hour of baking. 22. Add honey, one teaspoon at a time, to foods that are too spicy or too salty, such as chili. Honey will tame down the spices while enhancing the flavor; and you won't notice the sweetness. 23. Preserve fruit with honey http://www.honey.com/recipes/canning/pfruit.html 24. Pickle and preserving vegetables with honey http://www.honey.com/recipes/canning/pveggie.html 25. Honey contains a wide array of vitamins, such as vitamin B6, thiamin, niacin, riboflavin and pantothenic acid. 26. Use honey as a topping on ice cream, pureed fruit or on meat. 27. For a sweet, shiny glaze on your desert, mix honey with melted butter and drizzle over angel food cake or pound cake. 28. Need a topping for cupcakes or a carrot cake? Soften an 8 oz. package of cream cheese and mix with 1/4 cup of honey and a pinch of salt. Cream until smooth. 29. Brush honey on warm baked goods for a sweet shiny glaze. 30. Combine equal parts Dijon-style mustard and honey. Spread on sandwiches, use as a dip for vegetables and pretzels, or brush on grilled meat and sausages. 31. Drizzle honey over pancakes or cornbread. 32. Sweeten your barbecue sauce by adding 2 tbsp honey into prepared sauce. Add more to suit your taste. 33. Granulation does not affect the taste or purity of honey. Honey never spoils. It may be used granulated or restored to a liquid. To re-liquefy honey place the open glass or can container (never plastic) in a pan of hot water until all crystals melt. Medicine 34. When eaten daily, pure honey will reduce your body's susceptibility to infections. 35. Many doctors recommend equal parts of honey, lemon and whiskey as an extremely effective cough syrup. 36. Because of honey's fructose content, many claim it is a cure for a hangover. 37. Sore throats-- Swallowing a teaspoon of honey may soothe a sore throat or cough. 38. Boost your daily supply of antioxidants by eating honey. 39. If you're feeling tired and need a boost of energy, stir a spoonful of honey into a glass of water or add honey and fresh fruit to yogurt for a power-packed snack! 40. Honey is a great source of vitamins and minerals, such as vitamin B6, thiamin, niacin, riboflavin and pantothenic acid. Energy Boost Honey is a great source of energy. For a quick boost of energy: 41. Stir a spoonful of honey into your morning juice or afternoon yogurt. 42. Sweeten your coffee or tea with honey. 43. Drizzle honey on your favorite cereal or look for home-sweetened cereals in the grocery store. 44. Make a peanut butter and honey sandwich. 45. Dip apple slices and other fresh fruit in honey. 46. Eat a spoonful of honey before your morning jog or exercise routine. 47. To replenish energy and fluids, stir a spoonful of honey into a glass of water. 48. Spread honey on toasted bread, bagels or English muffins. Household 49. Make beeswax candles. 50. You can make Peanut Butter Playdough out of regular kitchen ingredients. Take 1-cup smooth peanut butter, 1/2 cup honey and 2 cups Nonfat Dry Milk. Mix together the peanut butter and honey first. Add half of the dry milk and mix; then continue to add a little at a time until it feels soft & playful! Use less than 2 cups of dry milk if the clay seems to be getting dry. And, YES, YOU CAN EAT IT! Another Article: Nutritional and healing benefits of honey Throughout the centuries, honey has held a place in popular culture. Besides the many legends found in the Native American culture and the stories of that beloved bear Pooh, always pursuing the ever elusive honey pot, Greek mythology tells of a tale in which the life of Zeus is saved by bees feeding him honey. Though it is technically not much different than table sugar, there seem to be healing properties hidden in its gooey goodness. Doctors have been using honey in healing for centuries. There are three ingredients in honey that make it ideal as a healing compound. Many types of honey are found to be high in hydrogen peroxide, which you probably use at home to disinfect scrapes and cuts. In addition to this disinfecting power, the high sugar content in honey is great for absorbing moisture inside wounds. This makes it difficult for bacteria to survive. The final blow is propolis, a compound found in the nectar of some honey, which can actually kill bacteria. Dr. Peter Molan has been researching honey at the Honey Research Unit at the University of Waikato in Hamilton, New Zealand for 15 years. In his research he has discovered that honey effectively kills all seven types of bacteria that can cause wound infection. Not only has it been found to stop infection outside your body, but certain types of honey have been found to stop infections inside your body as well. A study conducted at the Honey Research Unit discovered that a certain type of honey, indigenous to New Zealand, has been found to kill the bacteria that forms ulcers in the stomach. Ulcer sufferers were given 4 tablespoons of honey a day and 100% of those involved in the experiment found relief from their ulcer symptoms. Traditionally, children suffering from diarrhea have been given a sugar solution to help rehydrate and replace essential minerals. Researchers in South Africa have discovered that honey can be more beneficial than sugar in these instances, because the bacteria-killing compounds in the honey can actually kill the bacteria found in the intestine that can be causing the diarrhea. On the opposite side of the problem, honey can also be used as a cure for constipation. The high amounts of fructose in honey cause it to arrive in the large intestine undigested, which begins a fermentation process. This process allows fluid to be drawn into the bowel which acts as a laxative. When shopping for honey, however, there are two things you must be aware of. Always buy raw honey. Once honey has gone through the high heat processing procedure, it loses a great deal of its healing power. When choosing raw honey , be sure to choose Manuka honey. This honey is produced in New Zealand, where the bees feed on a particular type of flowering shrub. Manuka honey has the highest anti-bacterial compound composition. It can usually be found in health food stores. Be sure to read the label and look for the words "active Manuka honey" This will be the most effective honey in your fight against bacteria and is especially effective against stomach ulcers. Written by Lisa Carattini