101 Foods That Could Save Your Life

Did you know … that bees travel an average of 55,000 miles and need to tap over two million flowers just to bring you one pound of honey?

Bees have been producing honey for at least 100 million years. Honey is produced as food stores for the long winter months ahead. European honey bees, genus Apis Mellifera, produce more than enough honey for their hive so that humans can harvest the excess. The colour and flavour of honey differ depending on the bees’ nectar source (the blossoms). In fact, there are more than three hundred unique kinds of honey in the United States alone, originating from clover, eucalyptus, orange blossom and buckwheat. Lighter-coloured honeys are milder in flavour, while darker honeys are usually stronger in flavour.

The benefits of honey can be traced as far back as the ancient writings of Sumerians, Babylonians and the sacred Indian Vedas writings. Honey was used to bless buildings and homes—it was poured over thresholds and over bolts that were to be used in sacred buildings. Cleopatra of Egypt regularly took honey-and-milk baths to maintain her youthful appearance. Honey was so highly valued in ancient times that it was common to use it as a form of tribute or payment. In ancient Greece, honey was offered to the gods and to spirits of the dead. One of the first alcoholic beverages known was made with honey and was called mead, considered the “drink of the gods”. European settlers introduced European honey bees to the United States around 1638.

The main producers of honey are Australia, Canada, Argentina and the United States.

Honey is primarily composed of fructose, glucose and water. It also contains trace enzymes, minerals, vitamins and amino acids including niacin, riboflavin, pantothenic acid, calcium, copper, iron, magnesium, manganese, phosphorus, potassium and zinc. Honey contains flavonoids and phenolic acids, and the darker the honey, the higher the level of antioxidants. Honey acts as a prebiotic and aids in the growth of friendly bifidobacteria, thus improving gut health.

Greek and Roman athletes used honey to increase strength and stamina. Honey has been used as an effective antimicrobial agent, for treating minor burns and scrapes, and for aiding the treatment of sore throats and other bacterial infections.

CHOLESTEROL: A human study found that people with hyperlipidemia (elevated fats in the blood) who ate honey had a decrease in their triglycerides as opposed to those fed a sugar solution, which increased triglycerides.

COLITIS: A rat study found that honey conferred the greatest protection against colitis compared with other sugars. It was noted that enzymes that protect cells from being damaged were at their highest level in the honey-fed group.

CANCER: An article in the Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture reported on a group of Croatian researchers who found significantly decreased tumour growth and spreading of cancer (metastasis) in mice when honey was ingested orally or given by injection. Honey was found to be an effective agent for inhibiting the growth of bladder cancer cell lines.

WOUND-HEALING: Honey has long been revered for its antibacterial and wound-healing properties. A special preparation of honey called Medihoney, known for its high antibacterial properties, was used in treating wound care in Children’s Hospital in Bonn, Germany for three years. Researchers observed significant reductions in even the most resistant wound infections as a result of using the honey preparation. Cancer treatment can often lead to side effects such as sores in the inside of the mouth; one study found that honey applied to the sores reduced discomfort.

Honey should not be fed to infants less than one year of age because they lack the ability to kill botulism spores that lie within it.

• Honey comes in basically five different forms: comb honey, cut comb (liquid honey that has chunks of comb in it), liquid honey, crystallized honey, and whipped or “creamed” honey (the honey is the consistency of butter).

• To keep antioxidant content high, don’t keep honey any longer than six months.

• Honey is best stored at room temperature. Do not refrigerate.

• If your honey crystallizes, simply place the honey jar in warm water and stir until the crystals dissolve.

• When substituting honey for granulated sugar, replace sugar with half the amount of honey. If the recipe calls for one tablespoon of sugar, use just one half tablespoon of liquid honey.

• When baking with honey, remember to:

Reduce liquids by 2floz/60ml for each 8floz/250ml of honey used.

Add ½ teaspoon baking soda for every 8floz/250ml of honey.

Reduce oven temperature by 25°F/10°C to prevent over-browning.

• Coat the measuring cup/scales with nonstick cooking spray or vegetable oil before adding the honey. The honey will slide right out.

• Tired of peanut butter and jam? Have a peanut butter and honey sandwich. Or substitute another nut butter, like almond or cashew.

• Replace sugar in tea and coffee with clover honey. Or better yet, use orange blossom or buckwheat for a real taste treat.

• Use honey, soy sauce, pressed garlic and olive oil as a glaze for barbecued anything!

Firefighter’s Honey Muesli

by Dave Grotto

Servings: 1 • Prep time: 5 minutes

This recipe was created as part of a cholesterol-lowering programme for Chicago firefighters. It’s quick, simple and tasty—perfect fuel for putting out whatever kind of “fire” you’re fighting! This recipe contains four powerhouse foods.

INGREDIENTS:

1 teaspoon honey

2oz/50g rolled oats

4floz/125ml skimmed milk or low-fat vanilla soy milk

1oz/25g mixture of almonds, walnuts and pistachios

¾oz/20g dried cherries and cranberries

DIRECTIONS:

Mix all ingredients and eat immediately, or cover, refrigerate overnight and eat the next day.

BREAK IT DOWN …

Calories: 330; Total fat: 8g; Saturated fat: 1g; Cholesterol: 0mg; Sodium: 90mg; Total carbs: 56g; Fibre: 6g; Sugar: 10g; Protein: 11g.