Honey

Bears love honey and I'm a Pooh Bear...

When my kids were little they were allowed a treat at the market if they were good throughout the store. Their good behavior was regularly rewarded with a honey stick. The straw honey holder was just enough sweet to encourage the best behavior and it was good for them too.

Local honey helps acclimate the human body tot he flora of the area. Eating the honey made from local pollen and becoming allergy resistant during high pollen days are directly related.

Pooh Bear has it right when it comes to Nature's sweet goodness. Honey is also an ingredient in medicines. It's also significant in many religions.

Honey is the produced by bees as they use the nectar to create and store the food source for the hive. The bees make honeycomb then fill the cell with honey from the pollen/nectar they're gathered from flowers. Beekeepers are masters as retrieving the extra honey from the hive to provide honey for humans and still sustain the bee hive for future production.

Honey as a medicine has been used since the beginning of human medical treatment. As a syrup, honey treats stomach troubles and indigestion. It is also an ingredient is salves and other topical treatments for wounds and burns. There is an antibacterial property that explains why these ancient medicines do work.

Venerated by the Hindus as a one of the five elixirs of immortality. Buddhists tell of the legendary monkey who brought honey for Buddha to eat. Jewish tradition calls the Promised Land, 'the land of milk and honey' and  Jews also include honey in the Rosh Hashanah celebration. Christians include honey in the story of John the Baptist who was sustained in the wilderness on honey. The Prophet Muhammad included honey in the list of healthy foods.

The National Board of Honey http://www.honey.com/nhb/ has an extensive website with a honey locator, a honey blog and recipes!