Foods that you should not put in the fridge

Reference: Lifehack.org

Vital Elements for a Healthy Life

Honey: The Sweetest Cough Medicine

You don’t need a spoonful of sugar to make the medicine go down. A spoonful of honey is already sugar and medicine in one, an easy-to-gulp-down remedy for those with a sweet tooth. Honey has long been a traditional medicine for cough. If only all medicine were as yummy as this, getting sick would have its perks, eh?

If you were part of that generation that got fed honey as a cough medicine, well lucky you; and guess what, your mom was right. Even the World Health Organization and the American Academy of Paediatrics agree that honey is an effective cough suppressant, and a much healthier alternative to over-the-counter medication. Before antibiotics came into the picture, honey was the go-to cough suppressant sleep-deprived parents gave their kids who suffered from night time coughs.

Unfortunately around the start of the antibiotic era, honey simply fell out of favour.

Honey is naturally endowed with antibacterial properties, making this a viable home treatment option. One of these is hydrogen peroxide, a germicidal agent. It is for this reason that honey is recognized to be a potent infection fighter and therefore a good temporary front liner response to coughs and colds.

The Proof is in the Honey Pot

A study in 2012 was conducted on 300 children with nocturnal coughs and upper respiratory infection. Three different types of honey were administered: citrus honey, labiatae honey, and eucalyptus honey. The placebo group was also given a sweet substitute, silan date extract. Although parents reported improvement of cough symptoms and sleep quality with all confections including the placebo, the positive ratings were so much higher among the honey treated group than among those fed the placebos. It is good to note that the type of honey mattered not at all where the results were concerned.

An earlier study by the Penn State College of Medicine lent support to the 2012 study. It was discovered that a small dose of buckwheat honey before bedtime surprisingly proved to be a more effective temporary cough reliever for sick children than dextromethorphan (DM), the antitussive drug ingredient in over-the-counter cough medicines.

Taking Honey as Cough Medicine

Adults should take one tablespoon of raw, organic honey 1-3 times daily to help minimize coughing fits. A spoonful before bedtime will gain you uninterrupted sleep, cough-free. Honey’s thick, sticky consistency coats the throat well and soothes irritated mucous membranes.

If you are not much of a sweet tooth and don’t relish the thought of taking a whole spoon of honey, you can make your own cough suppressant tea with it. You may want to try this aromatic Chai Tea recipe from Honey.com.
For 4 cups or 4-250 ml. servings of tea, you will need:

• 500 ml. water
  
• 2 black tea bags
• 10 ml. vanilla extract
• 2.5 ml. or ½ teaspoon ground ginger
• 2.5 ml. or ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 2.5 ml. or ½ teaspoon ground allspice
• 125 ml. honey
• 500 ml. milk, soy milk, or milk substitute

Mix in water, tea, vanilla extract, cinnamon, ginger, allspice, and honey in a medium saucepan. Bring the mixture to a boil then reduce to a simmer for 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and allow the ingredients to steep for 30 minutes. Remove the tea bags. Transfer to a covered container and refrigerate this Chai tea base. This tea base will store well in the fridge for up to a week.

Should you want to take this hot: Combine one part of the Chai tea base with one part milk. Heat the tea over the stove or in the microwave. To serve cold, combine equal parts of the tea base with milk and pour over ice cubes. As a cough suppressant though, it would be more advisable to take this tea, warm.

For kids, reduce their honey dosages to a teaspoon instead of a tablespoon. Unfortunately, children below the age of two years risk the chance of acquiring botulism; so, it would not be wise to give them the honey medicine.

Honey’s Other Wonders

Honey is not just a one-hit wonder. With 181 naturally occurring beneficial substances in it, honey can be put to other great uses. Honey can double as an:

Anti-fungal fighter

Aside from being a natural antibiotic, honey has proven a better fungicide than over-the-counter preparations. Mixed with beeswax and olive oil, honey diminishes the effects of psoriasis conditions and provides relief from other fungal infections such as ringworm, yeast problems, and athlete’s foot.

Antiseptic and Burn Ointment

The natural hydrogen peroxide in honey helps heal surgical wounds and those that have become infected and failed to heal well. Honey has three conditions which render it a good germ fighter: its natural acidic pH, high sugar content, and low moisture content. These three conditions create a negative environment for bacteria. Manuka honey is best known for fighting infection.
As a salve for burns, honey minimized pain and scarring far better than burn ointments with silver sulfadiazine. Lightly spread honey over the affected area and dust with cornstarch to reduce stickiness. This will work for skin rashes and abrasions as well.

Antioxidant booster

The darker the honey, the more polyphenols or antioxidants it has. According to research by the University of California, four tablespoons of honey a day can increase the number of antioxidants in your bloodstream. Such a boost gives you better chances of protecting your cells from free radical damage, reducing your risks for cancer, cardiovascular diseases, and the like.

Face and Body Moisturizer

Smoothing a thin film of honey over your face and body will add moisture to your skin. Wash it off after a while with cold or slightly warm water and get rewarded with baby smooth skin.

Energy Revitalizer

Honey’s natural sugars can instantly boost endurance and reduce muscle fatigue among athletes. It could help you get the most out of your workouts as well. A spoon of honey before gym time will help you go the extra mile. It is also great picker-upper for lethargic mornings. Just spread it on toast or use honey in your tea instead of sugar for an energy boost.

The Best Kind of Honey

Purchase raw organic honey that has not undergone processes like clarification, pasteurization, and filtration. A jar labelled “100% pure” honey is the best bet. Know that the darker the honey, the richer the flavour. Seal honey in an airtight container which does not permit any moisture to get in. Honey has a long shelf life as long as it is kept in a cool, dry place.