The Healing Powers of Honey Read Online Free

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    3. Honey bees communicate by dancing. The waggle dance alerts other bees to where the nectar and pollen are.
    4. A honey bee must tap about 2 million flowers to make 1 pound of honey.
    5. On average, each person in the United States consumes about 1.31 pounds of honey each year.
    6. The U.S. Department of Agriculture estimates that there are approximately 3 million honey-producing colonies in the United States.
    7. It would take about 2 tablespoons of honey to fuel a bee’s flight around the world.
    8. A worker bee visits about 50 to 100 flowers during each trip.
    9. A honey bee flies about 15 miles per hour.
    10. A hive of bees flies more than 55,000 miles to bring you one pound of honey.
    ( Source: National Honey Board.)
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    As you can see, the remarkable honey bee flies the extra mile so it can produce honey—a superfood (a food that has super health benefits) for people, like you and me—that can be enjoyed solo or in a cup of tea or both ways. Here is a perfect recipe to whip up and savor with a cup of tea and honey as you fly away with me on a journey into Honeyland.

    Honey Tea Bread
    8 ounces raisins
3 ounces set honey
½ pint freshly made strong tea
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
10 ounces whole-wheat flour
½ teaspoon ground mixed spice
1 tablespoon baking powder
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    Place the raisins in a bowl. Stir the honey into the tea and pour this over raisins. Leave to soak for 2 hours. Stir the eggs into the raisin mixture.
    Preheat oven to 350°F. Mix the flour with the spice and baking powder, then mix these dry ingredients into the raisin mixture. Transfer to a greased 2-pound loaf tin and bake for about 1 hour 10 minutes.
    Cook on a wire rack and serve sliced and buttered. Makes one 2-pound loaf.
    ( Courtesy: The Honey Association.)
    UN-BEE-LIEVABLE HEALING HINTS TO CATCH
    Research, especially in the past decade, shows that quality dark honeys, which are derived from a variety of flowers, trees, and other plants, produce the nectar for the honey around the globe—and may help you to:
    lower your risk of heart disease.
    enhance your immune system.
    stave off diabetes.
    treat respiratory diseases.
    heal wounds.
    slow the aging process.
    add years to your life.
    In this book, I will show you how using honey (paired with other superfoods) is one of the best things you can do for yourself—and your health. But note, many people will not want to reap the benefits of honey by indulging in the dark stuff by teaspoons (like dark chocolate, it’s an acquired taste). But you can get your daily honey dose from a flavorful cup of tea and honey and in cooking and baking. I’ve included dozens of recipes to pamper your palate and to help heal your body, mind, and spirit. And versatile honey in foods, cosmetics, soaps, and lotions, medicinal dressings, candles, and furniture polish can do so much more for both the inside and outside of your body and your household.
    But first, let’s go way, way back into the past. Take a honey bee’s–eye view of why and how honey is one of the ancient world’s first—and most remarkable—natural medicines.

CHAPTER 2
    An Ancient Essential Elixir
    The secret of my health is applying honey inside and oil outside.
    â€”Democritus, contemporary of Hippocrates 1
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    My second encounter with honey was when I was a budding tomboy who favored insects and furry creatures, big and small, rather than toys and dolls. My kindergarten fantasy of having a backyard with flowers, plants, trees, and weeds with butterflies and honey bees was no longer a dream. My dad landscaped both our front and backyard—complete with a large hour glass–shaped patio. In the spring and summer the backyard was my refuge. I was mesmerized by the long row of tall bright red bottlebrush plants—an attraction to active honey bees. Listening to the sound of daily buzzing was like watching The Sound of Music —an escape