And the opening act is....

!!!Raw Honey!!!

And the crowd goes wild!!!

I grew up on honey; this, and pure maple syrup were the acceptable forms of sweetener in our home. Now, though I started out in marriage following all recipes to their exact proportions and ingredients (afraid of failing as a cook) I have instituted the same comparative structure. I do make exceptions for coconut sugar and occasionally we have raw agave syrup but white sugar does not live here.

Raw honey is pretty amazing, having anti-viral, anti-bacterial, and anti-fungal properties. It promotes body and digestive health, strengthens the immune system, eliminates allergies, and is an excellent remedy for skin wounds and all types of infections. Wait till I get going. The reading on raw honey is extensive so research it. Remember the key words here are “Raw, unpasteurized”.

Raw honey is an alkaline-forming food that contains natural vitamins, enzymes, powerful antioxidants and other important natural nutrients. These are the very nutrients that are destroyed during the heating and pasteurization process, giving you nothing more than another sweetener.

This winter season was a real challenge for our family. Ever since Mason’s eye surgery in October it just seemed like we kept dealing with one trifling cold after the next. (Now Drake goes around blowing his nose all the time)

The kids handle these things fine but mama ends up going weeks and even months with a pathetic amount of broken sleep each night because someone always needs me between the hours of eleven and six. Growing pains, teething, ear ache, stuffy nose, having to pee, wind storm, coughing, just to name a few off a long list of possible sleep interruptions. 

 

The hardest part of this for me is Mason. He already eats little so when he is coughing the probability that he is going to throw up is very high. The kid has this perfectly ridiculous sensitive gag reflex. Because of his long history with acid reflex, if he feels like he is going to throw up, he will just go in the bathroom and make good work of it. Seeing him lose what I just worked so hard to get in him has reduced me to tears on more occasions then I would like to count.

 

So during this trying period I ordered some Manuka Honey which is said to have the highest healing quality of all the honeys.
 

Side Bar: At night (if he has been coughing) I usually use Vick's Vapor  Rub on his feet which works really good to help keep the coughing at a minimum and BT's Cough and Bronchial Syrup which I also love but I am trying to keep things as natural as possible and felt like I was using those too frequently

 

Manuka honey is made by bees that feed on the flowers of the manuka bush, also known as the tea tree, in New Zealand. There is a rating system for this honey, so you want to look for the Unique Manuka Factor of 10 or above (UMF). By the way, this honey is delicious but pricy so I'm not using it to sweeten my coffee or make cookies with.

Interesting: In recent tests conducted at Sydney University's School of Molecular and Microbial Biosciences, manuka honey killed every type of bacteria, including antibiotic-resistant "superbugs". The University of Waikato in New Zealand has formed the Waikato Honey Research Unit to study the composition of honey and its antimicrobial activity

 

 

 I started giving Mason a quarter to a half teaspoon Manuka honey every time he would start coughing. I saw immediate results. Not only did it help with the tickle in his throat but I noticed if I gave him a dosage during one of his spells of acid reflex or even when he has had a whiff of something (like bananas) and he is going to start losing it, it would instantly help him get control. I have started him on a regular intake of it and have been astounding by my additional research.

I also tried this sticky substance as a mask for my face. Mixed a little organic cinnamon in with a teaspoon or more of Manuka honey and stuck it on. Most delicious mask ever, I could not keep from tasting it as I worked on the computer. Had a picture to post of that but decided I couldn't do that to myself. Also, my husband saw the picture I was going to put up and said "you putting that on your blog?". I opted not to after that.

 

I thank God for the promises he has spelled out in his Word regarding our health and wellness and as we walk in faith concerning what he has already paid for we can also take what he has given us on this earth that help bring balance and renewal to the body.

The closer we get to God's nature, the better.

 

Hippocrates said:
"Let your food be your medicine and your medicine be your food."

 

Go Raw honey!