The Benefits of Honey
Sadhguru: Honey is a substance whose chemical composition is very close to that of human blood, and it has a different impact on the system depending on whether you consume it raw, with cold water, or in warm water.
Keep in Mind
Honey should never be cooked or put in boiling water. The water should be warm, not boiling hot. Honey should also not be given to children under the age of one.
How is honey good for you?
#1 Honey combats anemia
Anemia is caused by iron deficiency in the blood. When there isn’t enough iron in the blood, a person will feel exhausted because the ability to carry oxygen through the body is reduced. If you do not have enough oxygen, your heart, your brain, everything in your body will function on a lower level. So building up oxygen in the blood is extremely important. How healthy the body is and how easily it rejuvenates itself depends on the level of oxygen in the blood. Women in particular have to be careful. They tend to become anemic much more easily than men.
Honey is good against anemia. If you consume a little bit of honey in warm water on a daily basis, you will see, the red blood cell count will gradually go up. Once there is more oxygen in the blood, you will feel a burst of energy. Suddenly, everything will be more active – rejuvenation and cell renewal will go up, and the level of inertia in your body and mind will go down. One of the reasons why women tend to get more easily depressed than men is, they have a lower level of oxygen in the blood stream. If the oxygen level is too low, depression can set in easily.
#2 Honey balances blood pressure
If you are among those who tend to get dizzy when you stand up quickly, you may have low blood pressure. Low blood pressure means not enough blood, but most importantly, not enough oxygen reaches the brain. If you feel dizzy when you put your head down, it could be because you have high blood pressure. Either because of high blood pressure or due to lack of oxygen you feel dizzy.
Consuming honey evens out these imbalances. Blood pressure builds up depending upon the requirement of the body. People think hypertension is a disease. It is not. It is an adjustment that the body makes. If for some reason the body needs more oxygen and other nutrients than it normally does, or the blood is not of the quality that it should be, quicker circulation or more frequent servicing of the organs is required. So the system pumps harder and pressure builds up.
For low blood pressure, the system has adjusted itself to pump low. Or it could be congenital – the system is not strong enough to pump as it is needed. Or there may be some other issue with the circulatory process or the chemistry of the blood. Often, a combination of factors contributes to this condition. Similarly with hypertension – it creates a secondary layer of consequences, but the first layer of consequence is hypertension itself – it is a consequence, not a cause.
#3 Is honey good for you and your yoga too?!
For people who are doing yogic practices, it is especially good to consume honey. For a yoga practitioner, who is pushing the body in certain ways, keeping the circulatory system and the blood chemistry in balance is essential. Regular consumption of honey brings that balance and makes you more vibrant. We want to consume it in warm water because we want the system to open up.
Yoga is about becoming conscious of all these wonderful nuances of the body. The more nuances you become aware of, the finer your life will become. Otherwise, it is a gross existence – simply eat, sleep, die.
This article is based on an excerpt from the March 2014 issue of Forest Flower, available as “pay what you want.” (set ‘0’ in price field for free). Print subscriptions are also available.
No. One common dictum for diabetes is 'no sweet edible items.'
Irony of life. Be it Milk, honey or even vegetables...we use them for our nourishment and sustenance by taking another living thing's life or stealing their hard work or produce.
1 - 2 teaspoons a day should be enough. More than that please consult your physician.
Am *very* glad to finally see a moderator on here!
Good
Can we mix honey with milk instead of water
The water should be tepid/lukewarm, which means at body temperature. Take care that you do not consume honey with hot water.
I don't think he is speaking from a purely chemical analysis point of view. Enzymes are added to nectar by bees in the honey making process. So honey contains monosaccharides, fructose and glucose which are directly absorbed by the human body without any processing.
how much we need to take
Isha Moderator,
Thanks for your replies. Also, where can we buy pure organic honey in Bangalore?
woww. you find the difference! this year Novel prize will be sure for you.
Too bad about the cruelty involved in cultivating honey. I'd love to find out that I'm wrong though.
Sorry, we don't have a list of places in Bangalore. But you can order it online at Isha Shoppe. Delivery is available within India. This is the link to the 500g bottle. 250g is also available.
http://www.ishashoppe.com/in/food-items/honey-500g-558
Does mixing luke warm water,1-2 tsp honey and lemon having empty stomach in morning help for weight loss ?
Beautifully written and very informational in simple words.
How can Honey have the same Chemical composition as Our Blood? Major Composition of Honey :
82% Carbohydrates - monosaccharides fructose (38.2%) and glucose (31%); and disaccharides (~9%) sucrose, maltose, isomaltose, maltulose, turanose and kojibiose. & oligosaccharides present (4.2%), including erlose, theanderose and panose, formed from incomplete breakdown of the higher saccharides present in
Proteins and Amino Acids
Blood Composition:
Blood consist of cellular material (99% red blood cells, with white
blood cells and platelets making up the remainder), water, amino acids,
proteins, carbohydrates, lipids, hormones, vitamins, electrolytes,
dissolved gases, and cellular wastes. Each red blood cell is about 1/3
hemoglobin, by volume. Plasma is about 92% water, with plasma proteins
as the most abundant solutes. The main plasma protein groups are
albumins, globulins, and fibrinogens. The primary blood gases are
oxygen, carbon dioxide, and nitrogen.
Do we have to warm the water? Can we take use honey with the normal water? - Just mixing it up. Also what is difference in effect of using warm vs normal vs cold water.
I read somewhere that hot/warm honey causes more aam/ama (i.e. lethargy).
So, is there a limit how warm the water should be?
Is it OK for diabetics too to consume honey?
Can I have honey with warm water in the morning before surya kriya and other practices or only after doing them?
Can honey be consumed raw without mixing with water
What is the Best Time to consume honey, all by itself ?
is honey good for diabetics??
Virtualbartek: cruelty involved in honey can be much reduced or eliminated if you avoid commercial cheap honey. Try to get local and, if possible, organic in your area. It also tastes better then.
Can we take in honey by mixing it with warm milk
Is raw honey good for diabetics?
i love guru ji.....baba ji ki Jai...
Yes. You can take 1-3 tsp of honey with warm milk at night time, before you sleep. Doing this helps to gain nourishment and induces.
Having bees work for you their entire life, so that you can steal their produce should not be a yogic way of life. We need to preserve bees, they are all disappearing too fast. Please don't support this type of business.
Yes, you can.
Generally morning in empty stomach, 1-3 tsp mixed with warm water. Can
do the same in evening also in empty stomach. It is generally not advisable to consume honey when sun is at its peak.
I wanted to ask permission to use your image of a honey spoon for a school project. It will not be used in any other way commercially based or anything.
1 - 2 teaspoons a day should be enough. More than that you can consult your physician.