The Health Coach, Contributing Writer
Waking Times

Truly, honey is a superfood, a nectarian delight and an effective healing agent all in one. It is packed with vitamins and minerals, enzymes and antioxidants, lots of carbohydrates in the form of sugars and even some amino acids. So sweet is it that, taken together, its unique combination of fructose and glucose makes it sweeter than table sugar.

When you have a moment, hold up a clear jar of honey up in the sunlight and see the golden nectar for what it is. Its amber color reflects much of the sun’s energy which was utilized in its process of creation.

In Ayurveda honey is considered one of the most effective natural delivery systems for the therapeutic administration of herbal preparations and other remedies.

As in all healing systems throughout the world, there is much subtlety and nuance associated with every healing agent “under the sun”. By that we mean that a single food or herb or spice has different healing qualities associated with it depending on it’s source, its specific type, ripeness, exact time of being picked or harvested, what kind of ground it is grown in, among several other determinants.

SOURCE: Magpie Paperworks

In the case of honey there are additional differences which are even more subtle, but no less important in distinguishing one healing application from another. By way of illustration, here is a list of the eight different types of honey identified within Ayurveda which can be found at the website linked below:

Types of Honey:

Eight types of honey are described in ayurveda depending on the type of bee which collects it. They are Pouttika, Bhramara, Kshoudra, Makshika, Chatra, Arghya, Oudalaka, Dala.

Pouttika – This honey is collected by very large bees from the nectar of poisonous flowers. It increases vata, causes gout and burning sensation in chest. It is also sedative and reduces fat.

Bhramara – This honey is collected by large bees and sticky in nature.

Kshoudra – (Honey collected by medium sized honey bees) light and cold in nature. Dissolves Kapha.

Makshika – (Honey collected by small honey bees) very light and dry natured. Useful in VataKapha diseases and kapha diseases.

Chatra – Heavy and cold in nature useful in gout, Leucoderma (Shwitra).

Arghya – Good for eyes but causes arthritis.

Oudalaka – Useful in skin diseases, and helps in modulation of voice.

Dala – Dry and reduces vomiting.

Amongst all the above “Makshika” is considered as the best type with immense medicinal properties.
{SOURCE: “Therapeutic uses of Honey in Ayurveda” by Dr. Krishna.R.S at Pioneer Thinking}

Without delving into the ayurvedic nomenclature we can quickly see just how important this expanded understanding may be for those using honey medicinally on a regular basis, as well as for those who eat a lot in their regular diet like The Health Coach.

According to Ayurveda, honey possesses many useful medicinal properties which are not well unknown, except among the many practitioners of this ancient system of health and wellness. What follows is just a short list of some of honey’s more common usages which can be found at the same website:

Some Health Benefits of Honey:
a. Honey is very good for eyes and eye sight.

b. It quenches thirst.

c. Dissolves kapha.

d. Reduces effects of poison.

e. Stops hiccups.

f. It is very useful in urinary tract disorders, worm infestations, bronchial asthma, cough, diarrhea and nausea, vomiting.

g. Cleanse the wounds.

h. It heals wounds.

i. Helps in quick healing of deep wounds.

j. Initiates growth of healthy granulation tissue.

k. Honey which is newly collected from bee hive increases body weight and is a mild laxative.

l. Honey which is stored and is old helps in metabolism of fat and scrapes Kapha.
{SOURCE: “Therapeutic uses of Honey in Ayurveda” by Dr. Krishna.R.S at Pioneer Thinking}

Source: everythingandroid

One of the most significant aspects of this superfood is its identification as Yogavahi. This very special quality makes it such a great delivery system as previously stated. The highly valued therapeutic medicinal qualities of those herbs and spices, with which honey is combined, have much more efficacy in producing the desired result. The Ayurvedic texts also tell us that:
“The substance which has a quality of penetrating the deepest tissue is called asYogavahi. When honey is used with other herbal preparations it enhances the medicinal qualities of those preparations and also helps them to reach the deeper tissues.”[1]

Now we come too a critical topic which very few in Western society are aware of. There are several precautions which have been issued by those who profoundly understand the nature of honey and how it must be taken. For instance The Health Coach has always been careful never to heat honey because it turns it toxic. In fact significant peroxides are produced when honey is cooked. Also, other toxic byproducts, which serve to increase the total body burden (toxic load) for those who consume cooked honey on a regular basis, are created. See the research study below:

Here are 5 important precautions which should always be observed in your own kitchen:
a. Honey should not be mixed with hot foods.
b. Honey should not be heated.
c. Honey should not be consumed when you are working in hot environment where you are exposed to more heat.
d. Honey should never be mixed with rain water, hot and spicy foods, and fermented beverages like whisky, rum, brandy etc, ghee and mustard.
e. Honey includes nectar of various flowers of which some may be poisonous. Poison has hot or Ushna qualities. When honey is mixed with hot and spicy foods the poisonous properties get enhanced and cause imbalance of doshas.
{SOURCE: “Therapeutic uses of Honey in Ayurveda” by Dr. Krishna.R.S at Pioneer Thinking}

The Health Coach, being a lifelong sweetaholic, always noticed a definite set of symptoms whenever he ate cooked, baked or heated honey, which is every honey brand you will find at the local supermarket as well as most of the brands found at health food stores. After consumption of even a little amount over a period of time, he quickly realized that something was very wrong and then he came upon the heated honey precaution with his study of Ayurveda. Everything changed immediately when he started eating truly raw honey.

Be aware, however, that some apiaries claim to be raw but are not. Only a call to the local beekeeper will verify that no heating is used anywhere in the process from hive to the store shelf.

Let’s again refer to our great website reference to see how honey can be used for making quick and easy home remedies:

A Few Home Remedies with Honey

a. Mix 2 teaspoons of honey with carrot juice and consume regularly. This helps to improve eyesight and is very helpful for those who sit in front of computers for long hours.

b. In cold, cough and congested chest, mix 2 teaspoons of honey with equal quantity of ginger juice which should be consumed frequently.

c. A mixture of black pepper powder, honey and ginger juice in equal quantities, when consumed thrice daily helps to relieve the symptoms of asthma.

d. Regular use of one teaspoon of garlic juice mixed with two teaspoons of honey will help to control blood pressure.

e. One glass of warm water taken with two teaspoons of honey and 1 teaspoon of lemon juice in early morning reduces fat and purifies blood.

Consuming one spoon of honey daily help us to lead a healthy long life.

{SOURCE: “Therapeutic uses of Honey in Ayurveda” by Dr. Krishna.R.S at Pioneer Thinking}

Very Helpful To Those Who Suffer From Seasonal Allergies:
Especially for those who suffer from seasonal pollen allergies, wildflower honey can serve as a GREAT long term remedy. By consuming even very small amounts of locally harvested honey, the human body becomes ‘inoculated’ against the very pollen allergens which trigger the allergic response. This form of ‘self-immunization’ is very similar to the homeopathic concept of “like heals like”. According to this Law of Similars, “by using drugs to induce symptoms, the artificial symptoms would stimulate the vital force, causing it to neutralise and expel the original disease and that this artificial disturbance would naturally subside when the dosing ceased.”[2}

In conclusion:
The best honey which is fit for healthy consumption is honey that is raw, organic, locally harvested and never heated in the process of transfering from honeycomb to glass jar (not plastic). Using it medicinally for those who do not have sugar or weight problems is really the best, since there is nothing else quite like it as an efficacious delivery system. The honey bees works very hard to create such a nectarean substance; perhaps we can now acknowledge their contribution to global wellness.

May you enjoy great health!
The Health Coach

Personal Testimony:
The Health Coach has suffered from debilitating allergies for decades. We’re talking the most intractable set of allergy symptoms you’ve ever seen! Actually, it’s one of the main reasons he was forced into becoming his own health coach. Not until he consistently consumed the local raw honey did this terrible affliction begin to subside. And it has only gotten better with each passing year. Thank you, Honey Bees!

SOURCE: EMF Safety Network

Necessary Local Activism:
The Health Coach was compelled to spearhead a statewide effort to terminate the highly destructive practice of systematic, indiscriminate, wide-area spraying of insecticides conducted throughout residential subdivisions to control mosquito populations. These county mosquito control programs actually do the opposite, in addition to wiping out whole bee colonies as well as dragonflies, the most avaricious predator of the mosquito.

Endnotes:
[1] “Therapeutic uses of Honey in Ayurveda” by Dr. Krishna.R.S — Pioneer Thinking

[2] “Samuel Hahnemann: Founder of Homeopathy” —http://altmed.creighton.edu/Homeopathy/history.htm

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