Read The Healing Powers of Honey Online
Authors: Cal Orey
The Healing Powers of Honey (2 page)
Preface
On a cold winter day, I was sipping a cup of chamomile tea laced with orange blossom honey. Nature's finest sweetener with my beverage of choice comforted me. After all, I wasn't working on a book like an author should be to feel in the comfort zone. An unexpected e-mail from my book editor surprised me. He asked me if I was interested in writing another
Healing Powers
book. The words “garlic” and “fruit juices” were put on the tableâbut I had my own superfood choice in mind.
Healing Powers
book. The words “garlic” and “fruit juices” were put on the tableâbut I had my own superfood choice in mind.
During the creation of
The Healing Powers of Chocolate,
I noticed that honey, like chocolate, was noted in the Mediterranean diet. It was the first sign that writing a book on another food of the gods was in the stars for me. And that five-letter wordâ“h-o-n-e-y”âstuck in my mind like a honey bee on a sunflower. Later, when I was a guest on national radio programs to talk about the virtues of chocolate a few hosts asked me the question “What's the topic of your next book?” Without hesitation I darted, “Honey.” What else could follow the class act of decadent chocolate, right? So I put the idea on the back burner.
The Healing Powers of Chocolate,
I noticed that honey, like chocolate, was noted in the Mediterranean diet. It was the first sign that writing a book on another food of the gods was in the stars for me. And that five-letter wordâ“h-o-n-e-y”âstuck in my mind like a honey bee on a sunflower. Later, when I was a guest on national radio programs to talk about the virtues of chocolate a few hosts asked me the question “What's the topic of your next book?” Without hesitation I darted, “Honey.” What else could follow the class act of decadent chocolate, right? So I put the idea on the back burner.
The topic of honey came back to me and I'm glad it did. When I was faced with a new book proposition and providing another healing food, it was a no-brainer. I wrote a message stating: “I was waiting for this day to happen. Honey!” and e-mailed it to my editor, Richard Ember. One week later, the night before honey went to the editors' meeting, I tuned into TV and the film
Fried Green Tomatoes
greeted me. The protagonist (Jessica Tandy) plays an interesting character and a “bee charmer”âyoung and old. To me, it was another cue that my proposed topic was going to be a thumbs-up. Also, that night the America Online stationery available to users, like me, offered a picture of a bee, flower, and honeycomb background with the word “honey” in the bottom right-hand corner. It was another message. And the next day, Saint Patrick's Day, with a bit of luck of the Irish, it was confirmed. I was assigned the new book projectâ
The Healing Powers of Honey
. It was meant to be.
Fried Green Tomatoes
greeted me. The protagonist (Jessica Tandy) plays an interesting character and a “bee charmer”âyoung and old. To me, it was another cue that my proposed topic was going to be a thumbs-up. Also, that night the America Online stationery available to users, like me, offered a picture of a bee, flower, and honeycomb background with the word “honey” in the bottom right-hand corner. It was another message. And the next day, Saint Patrick's Day, with a bit of luck of the Irish, it was confirmed. I was assigned the new book projectâ
The Healing Powers of Honey
. It was meant to be.
By being a California native (a popular home of beekeepers who rely on both sales of honey and the honey bee for pollination of our fruits, vegetables, and nuts) I was given the ticket to enter the land of honey.
Like vinegar, olive oil, and chocolate, honey is derived from nature. The four books tout health benefits from these disease-fighting, antioxidant-rich foods, from ancient folk medicine to modern miracles.
So, like a worker bee, I began my quest. I delved into my work. It was my goal this time around to find out the past and present gifts of honey. The exciting part of my journey is that I discovered that the hardworking, goal-oriented honey bee plays an integral part in our ecosystem and survival of mankind.
Once again, I find myself sitting in my study writing a
Healing Powers
book. This time around, I'm drinking tea infused with tupelo honey, savoring a honey chocolate truffle, and feeling the softness of my fingers from honey soap as I work on the keyboard. Oh, and honeyapple muffins are baking in the oven. In
The Healing Powers of Honey
I'll show you how and why this natural “nectar of the gods” will transcend your awareness of the sacred honey bee and its remarkable gift to you.
Healing Powers
book. This time around, I'm drinking tea infused with tupelo honey, savoring a honey chocolate truffle, and feeling the softness of my fingers from honey soap as I work on the keyboard. Oh, and honeyapple muffins are baking in the oven. In
The Healing Powers of Honey
I'll show you how and why this natural “nectar of the gods” will transcend your awareness of the sacred honey bee and its remarkable gift to you.
Acknowledgments
Like a forager honey bee, during the 1970s I hitchhiked across America in search of Shangri-la and a home. Today, in the 21st century as a hardworking author I would like to express my heartfelt thanks to the contributions of the National Honey Board, The Honey Association, my publisher at Kensington, and my editor, Richard Ember, who has guided me through the
Healing Powers
series.
Healing Powers
series.
Thanks also go to the honey companies, beekeepers, scientists, and health researchers in the United States and around the globe that helped me understand how important the sacred honey bee is to mankind.
PART 1
A T
IME
FOR
H
ONEY
IME
FOR
H
ONEY
CHAPTER 1
The Power of Honey
Honey comes out of the air . . . At early dawn the
leaves, of trees are found bedewed with honey . . .
It is always of the best quality when it is stored in
the best flowers.
leaves, of trees are found bedewed with honey . . .
It is always of the best quality when it is stored in
the best flowers.
âPliny (A.D. 23â79)
1
1
Â
Â
Â
Â
Â
As a child, in my dreams I lived in a cottage with my father, a dedicated beekeeper, and mom, who did all cooking, canning, and baking with honey. In our garden I'd watch my father experiment with hives and establish an apiary on 10 acres. He shipped Italian queen bees across the United States and around the world. But my home was normal, because in reality I grew up in a middle-class suburb of south San Jose, California, a place once touted for its nectar sourcesâa honey bee's dreamworld.
My first encounter with honey was when I was five years old. In kindergarten I remember drawing a giant honey bee on a wildflower. (It didn't hold a beeswax candle to beekeeper Prince Cesi's microscopic drawing of the insect.) After art time, Mrs. Berry dished out graham crackers (sweetened with honey and developed by Sylvester Graham in 1829), milk cartons, and Mr. Bee-Good notes (little square papers with special kudos to three good students once a week). When I wasn't one of the chosen few, my mind wandered;
What would life be like as a bee?
My imagination soared with images of me morphing into an insect and flying from flower to flower to fill up on sweet nectar.
What would life be like as a bee?
My imagination soared with images of me morphing into an insect and flying from flower to flower to fill up on sweet nectar.
That was decades ago, and today I can look back at my life experiences and see how the honey bee and honey played a role in my real world. I wasn't raised by a beekeeper and his wife, nor as a kid did I put on a bee veil and visit bees. But I got a taste of honey and its healing powers throughout the years of growing up and traveling like a wayward bee.
Today, I sit here in my hive-like wood-paneled study and I feel the spirit of the honey bee as I work on
The Healing Powers of Honey.
My file cabinet behind me is full of material on everything from honeycomb to honey candies. In my kitchen pantry, honeysâdozens of healthful dark and light varietiesâsit. The best part is, I have discovered the healing magic of honey, and a world I've called Honeyland that I want to share with you.
The Healing Powers of Honey.
My file cabinet behind me is full of material on everything from honeycomb to honey candies. In my kitchen pantry, honeysâdozens of healthful dark and light varietiesâsit. The best part is, I have discovered the healing magic of honey, and a world I've called Honeyland that I want to share with you.
HONEY 101: NATURE'S GIFT
Honey, one of the oldest sweeteners, comes from flower nectar that has been consumed by the honey bee (
Apis mellifera
), which was originally found in Europe. (The Entomological Society of America uses two words, “honey bee,” and the British use one word, “honeybee.”) Known as “nectar of the gods,” as far back as 5,000 years ago it was used for medicinal purposes, in cooking and as a preservative, as a medicinal agent, in cosmetics, and in soaps, and even the beeswax has been used for candles.
Apis mellifera
), which was originally found in Europe. (The Entomological Society of America uses two words, “honey bee,” and the British use one word, “honeybee.”) Known as “nectar of the gods,” as far back as 5,000 years ago it was used for medicinal purposes, in cooking and as a preservative, as a medicinal agent, in cosmetics, and in soaps, and even the beeswax has been used for candles.
Honey: a sweet viscid material elaborated out of the nectar of flowers in the honey sac of various bees.
âMerriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary, 11th edition
The Honey Makers:
So, how exactly do honey bees make honey, anyhow? They diligently collect nectar from flowers and other plants and carry it to the hive. It's those honey bees that are responsible for transforming the floral nectar that they gather into honey by adding enzymes to the nectar and reducing moisture.
So, how exactly do honey bees make honey, anyhow? They diligently collect nectar from flowers and other plants and carry it to the hive. It's those honey bees that are responsible for transforming the floral nectar that they gather into honey by adding enzymes to the nectar and reducing moisture.
The honey bee full of nectar comes back to the hive and goes to work. Honey is stored in hexagonal chambers. The honeycomb structure of the hive also has rooms for the queen bee to lay her eggs. Before honey is available to put in your tea or on top of a muffin, the honey-covered walls of the hive are removed and placed in a spinner. Rotated fast, the spinner separates the liquid from the comb.
Once extracted straight from the hive, honey is a combination of fructose, glucose, and water. This sweet gift also contains other sugars, enzymes, minerals, vitamins, amino acids, and, most important, many types of honeys boast antioxidantsâthe good-for-you compounds that can help keep your body inside and outside healthy and boost your life span.
Â
. . . And Key Pollinators:
Beekeepers know that honey bees provide another service; as second-shift workers they pollinate one-third of the food we eat. As a bee travels in search of nectar, it brushes against pollen-bearing parts of a flower and picks up pollen. When the honey bee goes to another flower for more food, some of the pollen from the first flower sticks to the second flowerâand the flower is pollinated.
Beekeepers know that honey bees provide another service; as second-shift workers they pollinate one-third of the food we eat. As a bee travels in search of nectar, it brushes against pollen-bearing parts of a flower and picks up pollen. When the honey bee goes to another flower for more food, some of the pollen from the first flower sticks to the second flowerâand the flower is pollinated.
The honey bee pollinates more than 90 crops, including apples, blueberries, citrus fruit, and nutsâapproximately four-fifths of the fresh fruits and vegetables we eat. Indeed, hardworking honey bee colonies (50,000 to 60,000 bees per hive, including workers, drones, and one queen) who work double duty (like hardworking humans) are man's best friends because they are vital to our planet.
“Honey bees are woven into our food chain. Without honey bees the whole food chain would be diminished in diversity and quantity for us,” explains Hidden Valley Honey's beekeeper Chris Foster of Reno, Nevada, who lives 50 miles away from meâand showed me his colonies in action and their products, from buzzing bees to fresh honey in jars.
HONEY FORMS TO TASTE
Like more than 50 percent of American households, you may have liquid honey in your kitchen cupboard, but there are a variety of forms of honey available for both your health and enjoyment, too.
| Form | Description of Honey | Taste and Texture |
|---|---|---|
| Comb Honey | Attached to the comb from the hive | Fresh bits of wax, chewy |
| Crystallized Honey | Liquid honey that has crystallized due to sugar content of the honey having separated from the liquid | Not a preferred texture |
| Cut Comb or Liquid Honey | Contains chunks of honeycomb | Combination of of liquid and wax, chewy and syrupy |
| Liquid Honey | The most popular type of honey, clear without crystals, often used in baking or drizzled on food | Syrupy |
| Whipped or Creamed Honey | Crystallized during manufacturing, preferred in many countries | Thick, spreadable, creamy |
(
Source:
National Honey Board.)
Source:
National Honey Board.)
FROM SWEET NECTAR TO SUPER HONEY
Not only are there different forms of honey to eat, but there are a variety of honeys, touted by peopleâfrom foodies to health nutsâas one of Mother Nature's superfoods (like antioxidant-rich chocolates and olive oils). And now healing honeys in a variety of flavors are making the news around the world and are popular in restaurants, beauty spas, and our homes.
Honey is not just a liquid sweetener that you put in your tea or on your toast. It's an ancient medicine that has been used to treat heart disease, respiratory ailments, skin ulcers, wounds, stomach problems, insomnia, and even “superbugs.” Honey is also known to help curb sweet cravings and boost energy, which can help stave off type 2 diabetes, unwanted pounds, and body fat.
Top scientists, nutritionists, and medical doctors know stacks and stacks of research show some honeys contain the same disease-fighting antioxidant compounds that are found in fruits and vegetables, which fight heart disease, cancers, diabetes, and obesityâfour problems in the United States and around the world.
SuperFoods HealthStyle
co-author Steven G. Pratt, M.D., worldrenowned authority on nutrition, points out that certain superfoods keep you healthy and stave off diseases: “Perhaps honey's most important health-promoting benefit is its antioxidant ability. We know that daily consumption of honey raises blood levels of protective antioxidants.”
2
co-author Steven G. Pratt, M.D., worldrenowned authority on nutrition, points out that certain superfoods keep you healthy and stave off diseases: “Perhaps honey's most important health-promoting benefit is its antioxidant ability. We know that daily consumption of honey raises blood levels of protective antioxidants.”
2
Jonny Bowden, Ph.D., author of
The 150 Healthiest Foods on Earth: The Surprising, Unbiased Truth About What You Should Eat and Why,
also praises raw, unfiltered honey: “Honey is pure alchemy. And it's precious stuff.” It's common consensus among beekeepers that the real, raw, unprocessed, unheated, unfiltered kind of honey that you get you get straight from the hiveâhoneycombâis the real deal with good-for-you antioxidants. Think pure apple cider vinegar, unadulterated olive oil, and quality dark cocoa: raw honey, like these antioxidant-rich superfoods, is the healthy stuff.
3
The 150 Healthiest Foods on Earth: The Surprising, Unbiased Truth About What You Should Eat and Why,
also praises raw, unfiltered honey: “Honey is pure alchemy. And it's precious stuff.” It's common consensus among beekeepers that the real, raw, unprocessed, unheated, unfiltered kind of honey that you get you get straight from the hiveâhoneycombâis the real deal with good-for-you antioxidants. Think pure apple cider vinegar, unadulterated olive oil, and quality dark cocoa: raw honey, like these antioxidant-rich superfoods, is the healthy stuff.
3
Most medical doctors and nutritionists I spoke with during my trek through Honeyland agreed that while honey is a sugar, it does contain disease-fighting antioxidants and other health virtues that make it the standout sweetener of choice.
Health-Boosting Nutrients in Honey
Medical researchers around the world continue to find new health-promoting nutrients in honeys. Most important, like red wine, green tea, and certain fruits and vegetables, honey contains antioxidantsâdisease-fighting enzymes that protect your body by trapping free-radical molecules. (Imagine video gameâlike bright yellow Pac-Man heads, with mouths that open and close like a shark, chasing big bad bugs and gobbling them up before any damage occurs to a human body.)
Research also shows that eating antioxidant-rich superfoodsâlike honeyâmay lower the risk of developing diseases and even stall the aging process. Researchers continue to find new health-promoting nutrients in certain superfoods, and here are some of the super ones in honey that you should know about:
Â
Alpha-tocopherol:
an essential antioxidant, known as vitamin E.
an essential antioxidant, known as vitamin E.
Enzymes:
chemical substances your body produces to help boast chemical reactions in your body.
chemical substances your body produces to help boast chemical reactions in your body.
Flavanols and Flavonols:
a group of plant compounds (from flavonoids, a large group of phytonutrients) found in honey that have shown antioxidant effects that may help lower the risk of developing heart disease, some forms of cancer, and diabetes. Both flavanols and flavonols can be found in honey.
a group of plant compounds (from flavonoids, a large group of phytonutrients) found in honey that have shown antioxidant effects that may help lower the risk of developing heart disease, some forms of cancer, and diabetes. Both flavanols and flavonols can be found in honey.
Oligosaccharides:
aids to heart health, by lowering blood pressure and cholesterol, and regularity, by boosting good bacteria in the colon.
aids to heart health, by lowering blood pressure and cholesterol, and regularity, by boosting good bacteria in the colon.
Peptides:
molecules made up of two or more linked amino acids that may help lower risk of heart disease, too, as well as enhance the immune system and digestion.
molecules made up of two or more linked amino acids that may help lower risk of heart disease, too, as well as enhance the immune system and digestion.
Polyphenols:
natural compounds that act as powerful antioxidants to protect your body by trapping the free-radical molecules and getting rid of them before damage occurs.
natural compounds that act as powerful antioxidants to protect your body by trapping the free-radical molecules and getting rid of them before damage occurs.
Salicylates:
naturally produced acid that acts as a protective compound against stress and disease.
naturally produced acid that acts as a protective compound against stress and disease.
(
Sources:
The
Healing Powers
series,
SuperFoods HealthStyle
, and
The 150 Healthiest Foods on Earth
.)
Sources:
The
Healing Powers
series,
SuperFoods HealthStyle
, and
The 150 Healthiest Foods on Earth
.)
HONEY VARIETALS
Honey is made from a wide variety of flowers, trees, and other plants. There are hundreds of varieties found around the world. It's the darkest honeys that are the ones to write home about, because these are the superstars with medicinal value that deserve kudos in the human world.
The following 10 flavors of honeysâsome of the top antioxidant-rich and medicinal onesâare listed alphabetically. These honeys are sitting side by side in jars (hex shaped to bear shaped) in my pantry. One by one, I encountered each flavor, and today I use each one of them for its unique healing benefits. I dish out more details for you about the honey varietals in my up close and personal experiences with you in chapter 7.
THE HEALING HONEY PARADE
| Type | Characteristics | Nectar Source |
|---|---|---|
| Acacia | Light, white-yellowish; medicinal | Black locust tree |
| Blueberry | Golden in color; rich in antioxidants | A flowering shrub with pale flowers |
| Buckwheat | Dark and rich; high in antioxidants | Annual herb |
| Goldenrod | Amber, golden; medicinal | A perennial with branches of golden flowers |
| Hawaiian Christmas Berry | Rich golden; high in antioxidants | Christmas berry bush |
| Manuka | Dark amber-orange; medicinal | Manuka bush |
| Sidr | Superdark amber; medicinal | Ancient sidr tree |
| Raspberry | Pale yellow; medicinal | American red raspberry shrub |
| Sunflower | Yellow; medicinal | An annual herb with daisy-like flowers |
| Wildflower | Light golden; medicinal | Variety of wild-flowers |
HEALING PRODUCTS FROM THE HIVE
Honey is healing, but its bee products straight from the hive also have healing powers, the practice of which is known as “apitherapy.” While honey types and forms do come with health perks, four by-products straight from the hive are also creating a buzz. I learned that these gifts for both bees and mankind can be and are used for health and healing and in the home. Thanks to the human honey producers, my pantry is chock-full of not only honey varietals, but also other bee foods that are making news around the globe.
Â
Pollen:
A protein-rich, powder-like substance. Honey bees gather pollen as food for themselves and their young. Bee pollen is packed with vitamins, minerals, enzymes, and amino acids. It has more amino acids and vitamins that any other amino acidâcontaining product, like beef, eggs, or cheese, claim nutritionists. People in the honey world recommend starting slowly and building up to 1 to 2 teaspoons of pollen each day. Some people will use pollen in cereal, smoothies, and yogurt, and a few chocolatiers include it in their chocolates. Find pollen at health-food stores and specialty honey shops.
A protein-rich, powder-like substance. Honey bees gather pollen as food for themselves and their young. Bee pollen is packed with vitamins, minerals, enzymes, and amino acids. It has more amino acids and vitamins that any other amino acidâcontaining product, like beef, eggs, or cheese, claim nutritionists. People in the honey world recommend starting slowly and building up to 1 to 2 teaspoons of pollen each day. Some people will use pollen in cereal, smoothies, and yogurt, and a few chocolatiers include it in their chocolates. Find pollen at health-food stores and specialty honey shops.
Propolis:
A sticky, dark-colored, waxy sap collected by honey bees from the buds of trees. Used by honey bees to close up cracks. People use it as a disinfectant as well as to treat a number of health ailments, including an oncoming cold. It is found in different forms, including chews, a spray, tincture, raw chunks, and capsules. Chews and propolis are available at health-food stores and honey specialty shops. When I opened a jar of bee propolis raw honey product from Dutchman's Gold Inc. and Annie's Apitherapy I was greeted with a thin layer of dark stuff on top. At first, I thought,
A bee gift of sorts.
I assumed it was propolis but wanted to know before I took a nibble. The mystery black layer was bee propolis. (Nutritional consultant Angela Ysseldyk,
www.beepollenbuzz.com
, recommends mixing it in. Simply heat the honey [do not microwave it] by placing the jar in a pot on the stove until it begins to melt. Do this slowly and be careful not to overheat and accidentally pasteurize your honey.)
A sticky, dark-colored, waxy sap collected by honey bees from the buds of trees. Used by honey bees to close up cracks. People use it as a disinfectant as well as to treat a number of health ailments, including an oncoming cold. It is found in different forms, including chews, a spray, tincture, raw chunks, and capsules. Chews and propolis are available at health-food stores and honey specialty shops. When I opened a jar of bee propolis raw honey product from Dutchman's Gold Inc. and Annie's Apitherapy I was greeted with a thin layer of dark stuff on top. At first, I thought,
A bee gift of sorts.
I assumed it was propolis but wanted to know before I took a nibble. The mystery black layer was bee propolis. (Nutritional consultant Angela Ysseldyk,
www.beepollenbuzz.com
, recommends mixing it in. Simply heat the honey [do not microwave it] by placing the jar in a pot on the stove until it begins to melt. Do this slowly and be careful not to overheat and accidentally pasteurize your honey.)
Royal Jelly:
A creamy liquid made and secreted by nurse bees to feed the queen. This is a nutrient-rich natural jelly with proteins, amino acids, fatty acids, minerals, sugars, and vitamins. It's touted as a skin product and dietary supplement. Honey lovers and health enthusiasts believe it has many health benefits. I'm told some folks (not me yet) can handle eating royal jelly solo; others (humans, not bees) will mix it with honey to make it easier to swallow. Royal jelly is available fresh in little jars, like honey types, and capsules. (Check out chapter 5: “Honey, You're Amazing!” and chapter 11: “Home Remedies from Your Kitchen” to find its potential healing powers.)
A creamy liquid made and secreted by nurse bees to feed the queen. This is a nutrient-rich natural jelly with proteins, amino acids, fatty acids, minerals, sugars, and vitamins. It's touted as a skin product and dietary supplement. Honey lovers and health enthusiasts believe it has many health benefits. I'm told some folks (not me yet) can handle eating royal jelly solo; others (humans, not bees) will mix it with honey to make it easier to swallow. Royal jelly is available fresh in little jars, like honey types, and capsules. (Check out chapter 5: “Honey, You're Amazing!” and chapter 11: “Home Remedies from Your Kitchen” to find its potential healing powers.)
Beeswax:
The wax that is processed from the glands of the female honey bee's abdomen. Sure, this isn't for eating, but it is molded to make honeycomb. It can be used for all-natural cosmetics, candles, and furniture polish. (Refer to chapter 12: “Honeymania: Honey for the Household” to find out about these honey products for you and your home.)
The wax that is processed from the glands of the female honey bee's abdomen. Sure, this isn't for eating, but it is molded to make honeycomb. It can be used for all-natural cosmetics, candles, and furniture polish. (Refer to chapter 12: “Honeymania: Honey for the Household” to find out about these honey products for you and your home.)
Other books
Madison Avenue Shoot by Jessica Fletcher
Werewolves of New York by Faleena Hopkins
KILLER INSTINCT (A Mafia Bad Boy Romance Novel) by Gardener, Julia
The Source: Book III of the Holding Kate Series by Cole, LaDonna
Starfields by Carolyn Marsden
On the Meldon Plain (The Fourline Trilogy Book 2) by Brondos, Pam
Devil's Workday (Devil Aster Days Book 1) by Olson, Mitchell
Insignia by S. J. Kincaid
Grave Consequences by Dana Cameron