Fingers in the Honeypot...?

Honey is one of the sugars that is advertised as being healthy and nutritious... and yes, it is!
it has the properties of a slight antibiotic, antimicrobial and antioxidant.
The best honey is of course the one that is harvested straight from the beehive, still has some of the resins contained in propolis- bee-glue- sticking to it and has not yet been subjected to artificial heat and centrifuges.
Propolis is a substance bees use to protect the hive from bacteria, fungi and other organisms. Partly  it is made from plants and part of it are secretions from the bees itselves.The medicinal properties of propolis are antiviral, antifungal and antibacterial also for humans. Some research state that propolis has anti-cancer / anti-tumor properties.
The quality of honey depends also on the pollen from which it originated. If the bees collected the pollen from Thyme or Eucalyptus flowers the honey will have some of the medicinal properties of those plants integrated in it.
If the honey is heated those properties are lost!
For irritating dry cough at night, try buckwheat (cosemet) honey; it will give almost instant relief and sleep will be not far behind.
Tests are conducted and found safe for children at the age of two and of course for older individuals.
Infants below the age of two should not be given honey since the risk of infantile botulism (caused by Clostridium botulinum) is a great concern at this age (until further notice!).
How to improve your honey and make it tasty as well as medicinal.
Here are a few tips:
Cover completely with honey:
Thyme sprigs  or/and
Rosemary sprigs or/and
Eucalyptus leaves- young ones- or/and
Lemon grass leaves or/and
Lavender flowers and leaves or/and
Rose petals or/and
any other leave or plant you fancy.
Leave the plant/s covered in honey for a couple of weeks in a shady place until the honey has the taste and smell of the individual plants you have infused in it. Have a teaspoon of this honey 1-3 x daily in a tea or simply lick it from the spoon. Yummi!

Thyme strengthens the immune system and helps digestion too
Rosemary is a great antioxidant (see article about Rosemary)
Eucalyptus is a great plant for respiratory complaints
Lemon grass is a good  aid against the common cold and pneumonia as tea, helps digestion and can reduce fever
Lavender calms and has antimcrobial properties, is anti-inflammatory and good for wounds.
Rose petals are used for cosmetic, are also good for female complaints and taste good!

There are may more plants and spices that can enrich the flavor of honey, i.e. cinnamon, ginger, radish, onion.

Cover an onion or radish in honey, leave in a jar overnight; the next day take a teaspoon of the juice 3x daily as a great cough medicine.
Doesn't sound like much but it is tasty!
A great Aryuvedic recipe for any upper respiratory complaint including asthma prevention is the following:
Mix
1/2 glass of hot water and
1 teapsoon/ or more of freshly grated ginger infused in it.
Add
1/2 glass of fresh lemon or lime juice
1 tablesoon of honey

Drink this mixture hot or cold first thing in the morning!

Pomegranate properties

Pomegranate:

Pomegranate seed oil Punica Granatum

The oil is untested and scientific data is hard to find. part of the following information is extracted from :
http://www.uni-graz.at/~katzer/engl/Puni_gra.html, which is an excellent site for information about spices and herbs


History: Pomegranate is a very popular fruit all over the Middle East.
Though it can’t be proven definitely, the fruit of the Tree of Knowledge (ets ha-daat [עֵץ הַדַּעַת]) mentioned in the biblical history of creation most probably was meant to be a pomegranate — though most Westerners would hardly believe it, it’s nowhere said to be an apple! Rather, the Hebrew text uses pəri [פְּרִי], an unspecific term meaning just fruit.


Remarkably, in Hebrew the word rimon [רימון] may mean both pomegranate fruit and shell. The underlying Semitic root, RMM, means "high", "exalted" and does not refer to graininess.


There is also a parallel in Greek mythology, where the earth goddess Demeter [Δημήτηρ] lost her daughter Persephone [Περσεφόνη] to the underworld god Hades [ᾍδης] because of one single pomegranate grain the daughter had accepted.
The name pomegranate is of ancient origin.
In classical Latin, the fruit was known either as malum punicum or malum granatum. In these names, malum means apple, granatum derives from granum grain and means (multi)grained
Precautions are : Not suitable for children

Pomegranate seed oil is high in lipids including the rare punicic acid, which helps heal inflammation and reduces swelling.

When taken internally:
Cold pressed seed oil (pcpso) showed strong antioxidant activity when ingested.

Dermal effect:
It has been found to nourish and moisturize the skin, improving elasticity, reducing wrinkles and preventing aging.
It has also been shown to help sunburned and ultraviolet damaged skin

Ingredients of the oils vary but in general contain the following:

1. Punicic acid PUFA(more than 76 %)

2. Conjugated linolenic acid (CLNA) C18.3

3. Tocopherols : Tocopherols (or TCP) are a class of chemical compounds of which many have vitamin E activity.

4. Sterols: Within the past decade, interest in plant sterols as a dietary supplement has increased, due to studies showing that they can contribute to lower cholesterol levels.

5. Squalene (small amount): Squalene is a natural organic compound and the biochemical precursor to the whole family of steroids

To fully benefit from the pomegranate oil, it has to be ingested, which would then complement its action as carrier oil. Tinctures or extracts of pomegranate can also be added to the oil.
Pomegranate oil is non-toxic and has no hormonal influence.

Collagen stimulation:
The peel (pericarp) is well regarded for its astringent properties; the seeds for conferring invulnerability in combat and stimulating beauty and fertility (ethnic).

Experiments suggest that pomegranate fractions facilitate skin repair:
1. aqueous extracts (especially of pomegranate peel) promoting regeneration of dermis,
2. pomegranate seed oil promoting regeneration of epidermis.

Application of the oil:
1. anti-atherosclerosis
2. anti-hypertension
3. anti-obesity
4. hypolipidemic
5. anti-tumor

In cosmetic products it can be used for:
1. skin regeneration
2. wound healing
3. skin elasticity
4. wrinkles
5. skin aging (prevention)

Therapeutic properties: it is calming and healing for
1. Irritated skin
2. Dry skin
3. Sensitive skin
4. Allergic skin
5. Pruritus
6. Psoriasis (??)
7. Eczema (??)

Swine flu - here I come.

How can we stop the swine flu??

Can we do something?
What can we do?
Viruses change and mutate all the time and we cannot invent a vaccine fast enough to address these mutations. What will happen next year when the swine flu virus mutates into a different design.
Will we have time to invent still another vaccine? Who will win the race against time? Us or the virus??
I leave this question open for you to answer.
There are a few options to fight the flu, and are easy to follow.
Instead of attacking the virus we may want to strengthen our immune system to prevent the virus from finding a ready breeding ground.
As seen in most articles, the virus is hazardous among others to the elderly and to the very young,

The very young still have to develop the immune system so it can function properly and fight the various viruses and bacteria around and inside us, and as we get older the immune system weakens again, similar to muscles that are not exercised and strengthened.
The virus is also declaring war against individuals who are compromised by a weak immune system because of an underlying chronic disease, pregnancy (the immune response changes during pregnancy) or even emotional stress, which too will weaken the immune system tremendously.
Overweight is a great burden on the body systems, and since it is  usually accompanied by a number of different disorders must be counted as another factor that suppresses the immune system.

Instead of fighting the flu let's prevent it!
We all have heard that a healthy life style can prevent diseases and, yes, may help fight viruses like the ones for common cold and flu.We have heard and often not done anything about it until it is too late....

Ever heard of vitamin C?
If you take a dose of only 1 tablet containing 1000 mgr Vitamin C per day with  2 glasses of water you will help your immune system respond better.
A 1/2 a glass of lemon or lime juice will ensure that the vitamin C will work properly, be flushed out of the kidneys and give you some additional vitamin C as well.
If you want to be even more conscientious add some anti-oxidants which will prevent cells from becoming sick (that's a simplified explanation) and add to the strengthening of you immune and other body systems.
Zinc is also known as a good immune booster and can be taken as zinc pecolinate for better absorption.

If you don't like to take pills and supplements of any form make sure you eat a healthy diet and exercise daily.
Healthy eating habits start with eating a balanced diet that include plenty of fresh vegetables (which are carbohydrates and contain fibers), less fat (especially saturated fats) and some protein (milk products, eggs, fish, meat).
Eat 3 meals a day (or less), get up from the table satiated -not bursting out of your seams-, drink plenty of water (2-3 liters), exercise every day for 20-40 minutes, get plenty of rest and enjoy your weekends (days of freedom).
Keep your mind busy and have an optimistic view on life in general.
Optimism changes the immune system for the better, as does happiness in general (get a lover).

There are interesting herbal remedies for the prevention of  flu and epidemics of viral origin in general.
For airborne viruses we can light a burner/ diffuser that heat a few drops of aromatic oils dispersed in water.
Some oils may help prevent the virus from entering via the respiratory system and others will boost the immune system because of their beneficial influence on the mind.
A great formula is the following:
2 drops of lime (aromatic oil)
1 drop of clove (aromatic oil)
1 drops of cajuput (aromatic oil)
2 drops of  lavender (aromatic oil).
Note: Ventilate the room and keep the burner/diffuser well away from children. The oil formula is not intended for small children! Keep all oils away from the eyes!
A herbal concoction of  locally wild growing  herbs and some garden herbs is also quite beneficial for the prevention of the flu.
Try the following:
In 1 liter water boil a few sprigs of thyme, rosemary, peppermint,  melissa, sage, 1cinnamon stick, and 1-2 cloves.
Leave this concoction simmering on the stove on a very low fire (or other heat source) so the vapours can disperse into the well ventilated room.

Rosemary

Rosemary means: "Dew of the Sea"
In ancient Greece Rosemary sprigs were wound around the heads of students to make them mentally alert and increase awareness in the classroom.
You can preserve food better when cooking it with a few Rosemary sprigs.
the herb will add taste and work as an anti-oxidant at the same time.
Very good olive oil:
Steep quite a number of Rosemary sprigs in a container of olive oil (Laurel and Thyme can be added too)leave for 24 hours, then remove and add an additional batch of rosemary (and herbs); again leave for a day and so on, until the olive oil smells of your herbs.
If you like a spicey oil, add dry chili peppers and leave them in the oil.
finally drain the oil through a sieve or cloth and use when cooking or in a salad.
The Rosemary will keep the oil from oxidizing, so you can make quite a large batch of savory olive oil.

A Rosemary sachet placed in a closets will keep away moths and other insects and give your closet a fresh camphorous garden fragrance.

Rosemary(aromatic)oil can be tried as a stimulant for hyperactive children who have difficulty concentrating. Add 2-4 drops of rosemary oil into burner with coarse salt and light the candle underneath (a room diffuser will do too).Ventilate the room while the vapors of the oil diffuse into the air.
A few drops of Rosemary oil added to a conventional shampoo will make your hair healthy and grow stronger, in addition it will keep away lice (sometimes)!and increase your brain activity.
Something for the winter:
Add a few drops of rosemary oil to the bathwater; this will help relieve symptoms of flu and colds and relieve coughing.
If you are into sport, you can massage your muscles before exercising (also after, of course) for a great warm-up. Add a few drops of Rosemary oil to almond oil and massage the muscles of legs and arms.