OH HI HONEY!
I’ve not only been meaning to write a post for a while (I added absolutely nothing in December- oops!), but I’ve also been meaning to write about honey for a while too. I am someone who has it at least once a day (usually in a hot drink), and so are the other two in my family. It’s fair to say then that we end up spending quite a lot on the stuff. It needn’t be super-fancy super-expensive manuka honey, but should be raw, organic, contain absolutely nothing else, and even better should be local. This way you get all the anti-allergen effects.
Surprisingly, honey is Kapha-reducing. This seems pretty odd when we know that usually in Ayurveda, we balance a dosha by using its opposite qualities. As Kapha has the sweet quality, it seems strange then, that we can balance it by using honey- literally the first sweetener known to humankind! However, honey has a mildly pungent, hot quality as well as being slightly astringent (drying). It has a scraping action which famously helps to clear mucous from the nose and throat area, but is also useful for clearing plaque from arteries and ensuring that the bowels are scraped clean (sorry for that image!). Some Ayurvedic doctors would even argue that honey can ‘scrape’ sleeplessness away, ensuring a good night’s sleep when taken with warm milk an hour before bed a few nights in a row. I agree with this, but only when lots of other sleep routine factors are taken into consideration, for example limiting screen time before bed and so on.
Honey really does have so many uses- and not just as a food. We can use it to treat spots, add moisture to the skin, and add lustre to the hair if applied topically. However, this energy-giving golden tonic needs to be treated with care if you are pre- or diabetic, and if you have a little one under the age of a year old.
If you’ve given up caffeine for the new year, or are trying to lose weight, then consider adding honey to your morning warm drink. Similarly, if you have added to your exercise regime as part of a new year’s resolution, then honey may be something you use to give you that bit of pep to go for that run, or indeed to nourish you after your exertions.
The biggest thing to remember is that cooked honey is considered poison in Ayurveda, so don’t bake with it, and make sure your drinks aren’t boiling hot when you add your teaspoon. Oh, and consume it in moderation. That may have to be my new year’s resolution, actually! Honey in moderation.