Ahh, Honey Honey....

About a year ago I became obsessed with all things honey. I love the taste of honey, I think honey bees are cute as can be (I've never been stung before, might have something to do with it) so when I learned all the amazing properties of honey, I was hooked.

There are way too many uses for honey for me to be able to list them here, but they are well covered in a quick google search. Here's one site I came up with just to get you started: http://www.themanyusesofhoney.com/The-Uses-Of-Honey.html

Some of the claims seem a bit outlandish, like the cancer curing (or maybe it was preventing) capabilities of honey, but what do I know? I have put it to the test in the wound healing and skin improving department and it has come through in spades. So hey, why doubt its ability to combat deadly diseases? I shouldn't jump to conclusions.

My favorite use for honey, along with slathering a good dose of it on a well buttered slice of sourdough toast (YUM) is as a cleanser. I keep a jar of it in the bathroom and use it just like soap in the shower, and as a face cleanser at night. When I started using it, my skin got so soft! I never had a huge problem with blemishes, but did suffer the occasional breakout. This became a thing of the past. If I think something might be about to pop up, I dab on a tiny blob of honey and don't even think about it again. I have rough skin on my thighs and upper arms, and after a few showers with honey, this goes away as well.

A lot of the sites recommending honey urge the use of natural and raw honey, but I have to say I haven't noticed any difference between the cheap honey bear and the local raw fancy stuff I've purchased at the farmer's market. I'm sure the good stuff has less chemical gunk in there and its always good to buy locally though, so I try to stick to that standard. If your just wanting to try it out and be convinced, however, I think the supermarket deal is a fine way to see how it works for you.

Another thing I've used honey for is wound care. No major gaping wounds for me yet, but I have read and seen pictures of a really nasty wound that honey healed right up on one of my parenting forums. The child's mother was reluctant to use the prescribed antibiotics on a gash her son suffered in a bicycling accident so she gave honey a try. The results were really impressive, and his pediatrician never knew she didn't follow his directions. As for me, its mainly been small cuts and scrapes, and has worked a treat. Just a reminder - not for use on kiddos under 1 year old!!

So that's my recommendation, put aside the triple antibiotic, do your bit to slow the evolution of resistant bacteria by trying out honey next time your family member gets a boo boo. Or try it out on your problem skin - its inexpensive and feels quite decadent - what a win win! Even the mess you might imagine is no big deal - dissolves completely with a bit of warm water, so if you use it in the shower it'll be gone before you turn off the water.

Isn't it great that something so yummy actually CAN be good for you?