Honey and Lemon for Coughs and Colds

God's creation is amazing; in it He gave us some wonderful remedies that don't cost very much and don't need to be choked down in pill form, and, I might add, without the side effects. The Honey and Lemon remedy  is an oldie and a goodie. My Mom used to give it to me, and I give it to our kids.  We  don't always realize why something works, we just do it because our Mom's did it, or because someone suggested it, but I love to read studies or testimonials about healthy natural things, and I love to know the details of how they help us.  Here is some of the scoop that I learned about Lemons and Honey:

Lemons:
1.      Detoxify
2.      Alkalinize (though outside your body they are acidic, inside your body they restore a    proper PH balance.         
3.      Cleanse the Liver
4.      Aid Digestion
5.      Contain: Citric Acid, Calcium,  Magnesium, Vitamin C, Bioflavonoids, pectin, 
6.      Promote immunity
7.      Fight infection
8.      Provide anti-viral, and anti-bacterial properties
9.      Contains Limonene*

*Studies have shown that limonene has anti- cancer effects. Limonene increase the levels of liver enzymes involved in detoxifying carcinogens.  Animal studies demonstrated that dietary limonene reduced mammary tumor growth. 

Honey:
1.     Helps prevent cancer and heart disease

2.    Is anti-bacterial, anti viral and anti-fungal:

3.    Reduces cough and throat irritation:

4.    Heals wounds and burns and nourishes skin:

5.    Is probiotic:

6.    Promotes digestive health

7.    Is a powerful anti-oxidant

8.    Strengthens the immune system

9.    Eliminates allergies.     

For cold or cough, we add lemon and honey  to tea, or add  a tablespoon to a cup of warm water, or for a bad cough or sore throat  a teaspoon  or tablespoon of both straight from the spoon.   It is wonderful added to Ginger tea which we drink a lot of and even Eddie likes that.  I want to do a post a little later on ginger and will show you how we make ours, but here's a to link you to another blogging friend from Knights and Maidens Gathering who makes a tea of ginger and cinnamon for a good cold remedy.

Cinnamon:
The benfits of cinnamon are all very similar to those listed above, so I won't reprint them, but it is good to know that these common ingredients are ususally right in our cupboards are wonderful remedies right at our fingertips.


Here are a couple of remedies that I put together in jars for when we need them.  I got this particular Honey and Lemon Remedy idea from Pinterest, and couldn't resist trying it; click here for the link I used.  I also, made up a cinnamon and honey mixture, which calls for 1 part cinnamon, and two parts honey... that was a little strong on the cinnamon for me, so I did reduce the cinnamon a little. I say  mix it up in proportions that you can best use it and enjoy it. These are wonderful and tasty cough medicines, sore throat medicines, immune builders and sickness fighters.  

Honey and Cinnamon Cough and Cold and Flu Remedy

Stir together:

1 part Cinnamon

2 parts Honey

These can be adapted to taste; if it seems like too much Cinnamon for you, tone it down.

Wonderful in tea, coffee, on bread or crackers or by the spoonful.

Honey and Lemon Cough Medicine

 I haven't tried this recipe before,today, but it makes sense to me, and now that I have made it up, I look forward to seeing how it develops and can't wait to taste it.  I think I might post an up-date in a week or two.

Cut up 1-2 lemons, put them in a jar and pour raw honey over them until it fills up about 1/3 of the jar (I actually just poured the honey on until it covered the lemons). You will  see the juice from the lemon being drawn out by the honey. Let me quote the blogger whose pin  inspired me; she writes " Let it sit in the fridge, over the next few weeks, the lemon will darken and the mixture will thicken. The peels and pulp will break down as well and leave behind a golden, lumpy marmalade that you can scoop into a cup and pour piping hot water over"  And, I would like to add that, to my thinking, it would be good for the many remedies listed above and delightful in a cup of tea.  She adds ginger to hers, and I think that is an awesome idea too.

When I knew I wanted to make up some Honey and Lemon Cold Remedies,  I starting thinking and looking at "everything honey" ( it is just so beautiful and amazing to me), so  I splurged and bought a honeycomb as well.  I have always enjoyed honey comb, and loved to chew on the wax as if it were gum.  I remember being intrigued with it as a kid, and always thinking it was some sort of wondrous luxury to buy.  I looked up a little info on the honeycomb part of the honey and here is an interesting link you might want to read.  

After taking pictures today of all this honey, I again, could not get over how awesome God is.  He causes a little bee to create such a beautiful, tasty, healthful elixir to be a blessing to us all.  Wow.  

The judgments of the Lord are true; they are righteous altogether.
 They are more desirable than gold, yes, than much fine gold;
Sweeter also than honey and the drippings of the honeycomb.
 Moreover, by them Your servant is warned;
In keeping them there is great reward.

Psalm 19:9-11

Up Date:

Two weeks have gone by, and my remedy is doing fine.  It hasn't actually  broken down the lemon much (as was predicted in the blog link I got it from), but it has broken it down somewhat.  It may take several months for that to happen, and I think it will be all gone by then.  Never the less, it is a wonderful remedy and I use it for cold remedy and with tea to add a pleasant healthful benefit... hope you enjoy it.