13 Benefits To The Body During Fasting

Every year one billion Muslims around the world fast for the month of Ramadan.

Going without food and water from dawn to sunset for a month brings several physiological changes to the body.

Fasting brings 13 benefits to the body

A May 2015 study by King Saud University in Saudi Arabia found the following 13 benefits to the body during fasting

1. Increases Red Blood Cells (RBCs), which increase energy levels

2. Increases White Blood Cells (WBCs), which prevent illness

3. Increases platelet count, which promotes repair

4. Increases HDL “good” cholesterol in the blood

5. Decreases LDL “bad” cholesterol in the blood

6. Decreases triglyceride fats in the blood

7. Reduces body weight, on average 2kg during the month

8. Reduces waist circumference

9. Reduces body mass index (BMI)

Body Mass Index Chart

10. Reduces blood glucose levels

11. Reduces systolic and diastolic blood pressure

12. Reduces pro-inflammatory cytokines IL-1β, IL-6 which reduces inflammation, body tissue destruction and risk of fever

13. Reduces tumour necrosis factor (TNF) α, which is the cause of many serious diseases in the body

What to eat at the end of a fast

The food and drink consumed by a fasting person at the end of a long fast determines how much benefit the body obtains from fasting.

The liver and digestive system has been resting all day during a fast. Overloading with food and drink high in processed sugar, fat and spices can upset the body and cause indigestion, heart burn and sluggishness.

Nutrition experts recommend a balance of high GI and low GI foods at the end of a fast, with more low Gi foods.

High GI foods (sugar, pastries, biscuits etc.) spike blood glucose levels quicker than low GI foods (vegetables, wholegrain, wholemeal). High GI foods cause what is commonly known as a “sugar rush.”

 

Raw organic honey water is an ideal way to replenish a fasting body for the following three reasons:

1. Raw organic honey water contains natural sugars which do not cause a sugar rush

Raw organic honey has a lower GI than commercial supermarket honey because it contains natural sugars.

The natural sugar in raw honey water provides energy to a fasting body but without the side effect associated with processed sugars as found in sweets, artificial fruit drinks and pastries.

A diet low in GI promotes fat burning in the body.

 

2. Raw organic honey water floods the empty body with vitamins, minerals, living nutrients, enzymes and probiotic “good” bacteria.

These living nutrients enter the digestive system and help to detox it of undigested food matter.

3. Raw organic honey water floods the stomach with a sticky substance that aids in digestion

Flooding the body with raw organic honey water before eating a meal at the end of a long fast primes the body and helps it to digest the food that is about to enter it.

How to make raw organic honey water?

Simply take a teaspoon of raw honey and mix it into a glass of cold or warm water for a refreshing, natural drink.

This is due to their high digestive enzyme content, mild sweetness and pleasant flavour in a drink.

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Five Reasons Why You Should Pack Raw Organic Honey In Your Holiday Bag

Are you going on holiday this summer?

Millions of holidays will be spoiled or cut short this year because of common illnesses that could have been prevented.

Most holidaymakers pack a first aid kit with them containing a number of items. The costs of this kit can add up.

Packing a couple of jars of raw honey in your first aid kit is not only cheaper than medical fees, it can save you a great deal of bother on your holiday.

Five Reasons Why You Should Pack Raw Organic Honey In Your Holiday Bag Latin Honey Shop

Here are five reasons why you should pack a couple of jars of raw organic honey in your holiday bag.

1. Diarrhoea

An upset stomach is one of the most common problems faced by holidaymakers.

When you venture to a new area or country you encounter new types of bacteria that your body is not used to.

People tend to eat out more when on holiday. Differing standards of food hygiene increase the chances of catching a stomach bug.

Five Reasons Why You Should Pack Raw Organic Honey In Your Holiday Bag Latin Honey Shop

Taking a teaspoon of raw organic honey mixed in a glass of warm water first thing in the morning on an empty stomach before breakfast is an easy way of flooding your digestive system with healthy “good” bacteria.

This “good” bacteria multiplies in your gut throughout the day and protects it from any bad bacteria that you might eat that day.

This lessens the chances of you catching a bacterial food bug and if you do catch one, it will be less severe.

Raw organic honey water is also a natural way to get over diarrhoea quickly.

A golden piece of advice when eating out is to avoid the salad and only drink bottled water.

Five Reasons Why You Should Pack Raw Organic Honey In Your Holiday Bag Latin Honey Shop

Freshly cooked food usually destroys any bad bacteria but as salad is uncooked it frequently harbours bad bacteria picked up from busy restaurant kitchens.

Based on our research and feedback from customers, we recommend:

To prevent stomach upsets: one teaspoon a day in warm water (max 37C) on an empty stomach before breakfast

 

To combat bacterial stomach bugs: one teaspoon a day in warm water (max 37C) 30 minutes before breakfast, lunch and dinner

2. Insect bites and stings

During the summer people tend to stay outdoors for much longer, exposing them to higher risks of getting bitten or stung by insects.

Applying a small amount of raw organic honey, neat, onto the affected skin is a quick and natural way of neutralising any poison left by the insect and soothing any inflammation.

Five Reasons Why You Should Pack Raw Organic Honey In Your Holiday Bag Latin Honey Shop

Unlike commercially pasteurised honey, raw organic honey is high in natural enzymes and healthy bacteria which together combat any foreign substances left in the skin after an insect bite or sting.

Based on our research and customer feedback the best honey from our range that we recommend to apply on insect bites and stings

The thick consistency of this honey makes its easy to apply on the skin without running off.

Apply a small amount of honey directly on the skin and leave it until the inflammation goes.

3. Allergic reactions

The body reacts in different ways when exposed to allergens outside your locality. This can lead to allergic reactions such as watery eyes, sneezing and itching.

Five Reasons Why You Should Pack Raw Organic Honey In Your Holiday Bag Latin Honey Shop

Raw organic honey from a tree or plant high in heavy flower pollen is known to be effective in soothing the symptoms of the most common pollen based allergies.

Drinking a glass of Raw Organic honey water first thing in the morning on an empty stomach before breakfast floods the body with heavy flower pollen and has been reported to be very effective on pollen based allergies.

Mix a teaspoon of Raw Organic into a glass of warm water (max 37C) and drink on an empty stomach before breakfast.

If any hay fever flares up later in the day you can take it twice more throughout the day, always in warm water.

4. Common cold

People who lead busy or stressful lives frequently fall ill within the first few days of a holiday.

Stress hormones protect the body against infection while the body is stressed.

Five Reasons Why You Should Pack Raw Organic Honey In Your Holiday Bag Latin Honey Shop

However, once the body relaxes, such as on holiday, the body lowers its guard and there are no longer those stress hormones present to defend the body.

The body then becomes susceptible to infection or illness.

To combat bacterial based common colds one teaspoon a day in warm water (max 37C) 30 minutes before breakfast, lunch and dinner

 

 

5. Constipation

The lack of a balanced diet high in fresh fruit and vegetables and low in water commonly leads to constipation.

Fresh fruit and vegetables contains natural enzymes that the body needs to keep its digestive system healthy.

Five Reasons Why You Should Pack Raw Organic Honey In Your Holiday Bag Latin Honey Shop

But, as described above, eating fresh fruit and vegetables on holiday carries with it the risk of catching stomach bugs. So it becomes a damned-if-you-do, damned-if-you-don’t scenario.

Raw organic honey water first thing in the morning floods the gut with living nutrients, enzymes and prebiotics that keep the digestive system functioning healthily and prevents constipation.

Based on our research and customer feedback, honeys from our range that we recommend to prevent and soothe constipation.

Mix one teaspoon a day in warm water (max 37C) on an empty stomach before breakfast.

And if you are going to visit family or friends don’t forget to take some raw honey jars to gift them. It is natural, tasty and

Safe travels 🙂

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How To Manage Eczema And Dry Skin Naturally

Why do eczema and dry skin flare up during the winter months?

Why do asthma, hay fever and eczema come as a package?

What is the link between eczema and non-organic milk?

Can you really apply raw honey directly onto eczema?

What are three ways to manage eczema and dry skin naturally?

What Is Eczema?

How To Manage Eczema And Dry Skin Naturally - Latin Honey Shop

Eczema, also known as atopic dermatitis, is a long-term chronic skin condition that causes the skin to dry out and become red, itchy and cracked. It is common in babies and children, but many adults also suffer from eczema.

Why Do Eczema And Dry Skin Flare Up During The Winter Months?

How To Manage Eczema And Dry Skin Naturally - Latin Honey Shop

Winter is not a good time for those with eczema and dry skin. Windows are shut, heating is on, clothes are on and the air is dry. All contribute to drying out the skin from its natural moisture and inflaming any patches of eczema.

Why Do Asthma, Hay Fever And Eczema Come As A Package?

Eczema is usually present in people who are sensitive to allergens. Since asthma and hay fever are also atopic – caused by sensitivity to allergens – the three conditions often come together.

Here are three easy things you can do to manage eczema and dry skin naturally:

1. Switch To Organic Milk

 

What is the link between eczema and non-organic milk?

Eczema symptoms are often made worse by triggers. These triggers are not only external, such as soaps and weather conditions, but also internal. Stress and sensitivity to certain foods also tend to cause eczema to flare up.

Cow’s milk and dairy products are often blamed by eczema sufferers as a trigger for flare-ups. Many people claim to be intolerant, or sensitive, to cow’s milk. Whenever they drink cow’s milk, it aggravates their eczema and acne, and causes indigestion, diarrhoea and bloating.

“Cut out cow’s milk,” people advise. “Cut out dairy.” “Only drink soya or other milks.”

However, contrary to popular belief, it is not cow’s milk that is the culprit, but the hormones in non-organic cow’s milk that wreck the body’s internal balances.

How To Manage Eczema And Dry Skin Naturally - Latin Honey Shop

Most regular cow’s milk comes from cows that are fed artificial hormones, antibiotics and steroids in order to increase their milk production in both quantity and frequency.

Consider this. The weight of an average cow is ten times that of an average human. If artificial hormones, antibiotics and steroids have an effect on cows, their effect on the human body will be ten times more than on cows.

Eczema, acne, bloating, gas, asthma… all are conditions thought to be aggravated by non-organic cow’s milk.

Many, many people have found that simply switching from non-organic cow’s milk to organic cow’s milk, a number of their health conditions have simply disappeared, as if by magic.

How To Manage Eczema And Dry Skin Naturally - Latin Honey Shop

Just like honey, for milk to be certified organic there are strict standards that the milk producers must adhere to in relation to their cows. They must not treat their cows with artificial hormones, or if they do, they must wait a number of months between the treatment and milking the cow.

This ensures that the hormones are flushed out of the cow’s body before it is milked.

Organic milk is also more nutritious than non-organic milk, containing more Vitamin E, iron and carotenoids than its non-organic counterpart.

How To Manage Eczema And Dry Skin Naturally - Latin Honey Shop

A study published in the British Journal of Nutrition in 2016 concluded that organic milk contains about 50% more beneficial omega 3 fatty acids than non-organic milk. Omega 3

A decade ago, organic milk would be double the price of non-organic milk. Today, the price difference between non-organic and organic cow’s milk is only 40% in many major supermarkets.

One of the easiest and cheapest changes anyone, not just eczema sufferers, can make to their diet is simply to switch to organic cow’s milk.

2. Apply Raw Organic Honey Directly Onto Eczema Daily

How To Manage Eczema And Dry Skin Naturally - Latin Honey Shop

Eczema damages the layers of the skin. Dry skin, inflammation, itching, all damage the skin and expose it to more inflammation. It’s a vicious circle. The skin itches, you scratch it, this damages it further, so it itches again, you scratch it and so on.

Eczema sufferers spend a lot of money and time on buying and applying aqueous creams onto their inflamed skin.

Applying raw organic honey onto eczema is not only cheaper than aqueous creams, it is also natural and free of artificial chemicals.

How To Manage Eczema And Dry Skin Naturally - Latin Honey Shop

Raw organic honey contains living nutrients, enzymes and bacteria that nourish, heal and repair the skin layers damaged by eczema. Coarsely filtered honey also contains propolis, which is resinous glue-like mixture that bees use to seal open spaces in their hives and protect it from infection.

Artificially produced creams do not contain any living substances so while they do have an effect on damaged skin, their effect is very superficial.

Here are some guidelines on how to apply raw organic honey on eczema;

Face: apply a thin layer of raw organic honey directly onto the eczema, leave on for 20 minutes then wash (or lick!) off.

Arms, legs, other areas: apply a thin layer of raw organic honey directly onto the eczema, cover with clothes to avoid spoiling bedsheets, leave on overnight then wash off in the morning.

Raw organic honey is also safe to apply onto eczema on the skin of babies.

It is also recommended to apply eczema on babies when they are awake, not asleep, and not to leave eczema on babies for too long as the stickiness could upset them.

How To Manage Eczema And Dry Skin Naturally - Latin Honey Shop

 

3. Detox Your Liver By Drinking Raw Organic Honey Water Every Day

Applying substances directly onto eczema can provide relief to the symptoms of eczema and, in the case of raw organic honey, even repair the skin. But they do not get to the root cause of what is causing the eczema in the first place.

A toxic liver caused by a diet high in sugar, processed foods, caffeine, non-organic cow’s milk or alcohol, compromises the ability of the body to manage conditions such as eczema.

How To Manage Eczema And Dry Skin Naturally - Latin Honey Shop

Dermatoxins are released from the liver and try to exit the body via the skin.

Drinking a glass of raw organic honey water once a day first thing in the morning before breakfast can help to detox the liver and make it more efficient.

 

As hay fever is commonly linked to eczema, it is possible that anything that alleviates the symptoms of hay fever would have a similar effect on the symptoms of eczema.

To make raw organic honey water, simply mix a teaspoon of raw organic honey into a glass of warm (not hot) water, maximum 40C, and drink it first thing in the morning before breakfast, and before anything else enters your body. The effects are amplified if you are able to leave at least 30 minutes between drinking the honey water and eating or drinking something else.

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Grandpa’s cough syrup(or not)

I will say give this one a try.  It is soothing, sweet, really does the trick and please for children over 1 year.

INGREDIENTS

zest of 2 lemons (approx. 1 1/2 T)

1/4 cup ginger peeled, sliced, or 1/2 tsp. of ground ginger

1 cup water

1 cup honey

1/2 cup lemon juice

DIRECTIONS

In a small saucepan, combine lemon zest, sliced ginger and 1 cup of water. Bring mixture to a boil, simmer for 5 minutes, then strain through into a heat-proof measuring cup.

Rinse the saucepan out and pour in 1 cup of honey. On low heat, warm the honey, but do not allow it to boil. Add the strained lemon ginger water and the lemon juice. Stir the mixture until it combines to form a thick syrup.

Pour into a clean jar with a lid.

Note: This can be refrigerated for up to 2 months.

For children ages 1 to 5, use 1/2 to 1 tsp. every 2 hours. For children ages 5 to 12, use 1 to 2 tsp. every 2 hours. For children 12 and older and adults, use 1 to 2 T every 4 hours.*

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Energy Balls

In need of a quick snack, on the go? Honey, peanut butter, and chocolate…I am a sucker for sweets, but this truly is a healthy, easy and tasty treat for the whole family to enjoy.

INGREDIENTS

1/2 cup- peanuts finely chopped

1 1/2 cup old fashioned Quaker oats

1/3 cup flax meal

1/2 cup almond flour

3 T unsweetened cocoa

2/3 cup mini chocolate chips

1/2 cup peanut butter

1/3 cup + 1 T honey

2 T almond or soy milk

DIRECTIONS

Line a sheet pan with parchment or wax paper.

Place peanuts in a small bowl, set aside.

In large bowl combine 1 cup of the oats, flax meal, almond flour, cocoa.

Add the peanut butter, honey and almond milk to the oat mixture and mix until the mixture comes together.

Add in the chocolate chips

Roll into 1″ balls.  Then dip the bites in the finely chopped peanuts.  Place each ball on the sheet pan and chill in the refrigerator.

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Holiday Delight

Are you looking for the perfect cocktail/ mocktail to enjoy during all of the holiday festivities?  This delicious beverage is fresh, bright, sweet, refreshing and the perfect sip to enjoy.

.75 oz Lemon Juice (1/2 lemon)

club soda

pomegranate seeds

2 tsp. fresh sage

2 oz choice of spirits (I prefer vodka)

Raw California Sage Honey

Start with lemon juice, honey and alcohol. Shake well until honey is dissolved and then add ice, club soda. fresh pomegranate seeds.  Garnish with fresh sage and enjoy!

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Mustard BBQ sauce

Throughout my life I have had a huge affection not only for great honey, but I love BBQ.  I have honed my skills over the smoker through many hours and long nights. If I learned anything, you can’t spend the time and have the patience cooking to then use bottled sauce.  There are many people that think this serves the meat well.

Ingredients 

1 cup yellow mustard

1/2 cup Honey

3/4 cup cider vinegar

2 Tbsp water

2 Tbsp Chili Powder

2 tsp Black Pepper

1/4 tsp cayanne

1/2 tsp salt

2 Tbsp butter

1 Tbsp liquid smoke

Directions

Add mustard, honey, vinegar, water, chili power, black pepper, cayenne and salt to a medium sauce pan and heat on med high, stirring occastionally.

Once the sauce begins to simmer, turn heat down to med low and let continue to cook for about 10 minutes, or the sauce begins to thicken.

Stir in the butter and liquid smoke.

Allow to cool before serving.

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Honey for Coughs

Honey has a tradition of being an effective, natural soother for throats and coughs. A study by a Penn State College of Medicine research team found that honey may offer parents an effective and safe alternative to over-the-counter cough medicine. The study found that a small dose of buckwheat honey given before bedtime provided better relief of nighttime cough and sleep difficulty in children than no treatment or dextromethorphan (DM), a cough suppressant found in many over-the-counter cold medications.

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What is crystallization?

What is crystallization?
Crystallization or granulation is a natural process that occurs in honey which aids its preservation.  It does not indicate spoilage.  Honey is a supersaturated sugar solution out of which the glucose tends to crystallize. Some honeys crystallize quicker than others, depending on the nectar source.

Can I prevent the crystallization of my honey?
1. Store honey at room temperature to deter crystallization. Crystallization occurs most rapidly at cool temperatures (40º – 57ºF) therefore honey should never be stored in the refrigerator.
2. Prevent absorption of moisture in the air by tightly closing containers during storage.
3. Do not contaminate the honey with toast crumbs etc.
4. Use more honey! As honey ages, it will start to crystallize.

My honey has crystallized. Do I need to throw it away?
No. Crystallization can be reversed by heating. Place the honey container in a warm water bath for a period of time to return the crystals to liquid.

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