Oh, Honey Honey

My poor little body has been sick for the last 24 hours.  Yesterday, I woke up at 5:30AM with symptoms of both a stomach virus AND a head cold.  Needless to say, I spent most of yesterday trying to lay very still as not to disturb my sick tummy or start a coughing fit.  I barely ate or drank anything all day.

One thing I did consume from my "no-no" list was honey.  Honey is an ancient remedy for many illnesses, including both stomach maladies and the common cold.  To maximize the benefit of my honey, I am taking it mixed into Lemon Ginger tea...lemon and ginger are also common folk remedies.  I feel dreadful and will continue taking honey until I feel better.  At this time, I am confident that I am not abusing sugar.  I am USING honey for it's healing power and will stop using it when I am healthy again. 

Here is a link to Whole Foods page on honey http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=96

Full disclosure, the mainstream medical community insists that there is not enough research to support all of the claims of honey's healing properties. (Though,  I have had my children "prescribed" honey as a cough suppressant by a young doctor.)  Natural healers swear by it.  Personally, I have experienced relief from hay fever and acute seasonal allergies by using honey.  When I start getting all sniffly, I buy a small jar of local honey and eat it by the spoonful for a few days until it's gone. It works, though by the end I am sick of the taste of honey.  I only have to do it two or three times a year, but it is more effective than taking OTC allergy meds for months on end. 

As far as mental health is concerned, I have never experienced adverse effects of medicinally consuming honey.  Likely, my body knows that I need the remedy and doesn't get freaked out by the extra sugar.  Who knows?