Many years ago, I don't remember when, Frank and I came across some information about the benefits of infusing, for lack of a better word, honey with garlic for medicinal purposes. The benefits of honey and garlic go back as far as man has been keeping records, so there is no surprise there. But as a review, I will include some of the many advantages of including these two items in your diet.
According to Herbal Antibiotics some of the medicinal uses and properties of honey include:
- can be applied directly to a wound
- used internally for immune stimulation
- treatment of colds, flu and respiratory infections
- expectorant
- anti-inflammatory
- anticarcinogenic
- promotes healing of peptic ulcers and bacterial gastroenteritis
- good for gingivitis
- NEVER give honey to babies under one year old due to the chance of botulism
The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Healing Remedies outlines some of the medicinal properties of garlic which include:
- Garlic strengthens the immune system as well as helps to fight chest infections, coughs and congestion. I - See more at: http://www.naturalblaze.com/2013/04/10-amazing-health-benefits-of-garlic.html#sthash.ly8rF1zy.dpufcleanses the blood
- helps bring down fever
- antiseptic
- antibiotic
- antifungal
- tones the heart and circulatory system
- boosts the immune system
- may help to reduce high blood pressure
- may prevent some cancers, in particular stomach cancer
- treats infections of the stomach and respiratory system
- helps prevent heart disease and reduces the risk of atherosclerosis
- antioxidant
- decongestant
When we first started using our garlic honey mixture we mainly used it as a cough/cold medicine. Now the more I read about it, the more I realize how beneficial it would be to consume it everyday. Since I have been having some sinus problems lately I have been taking it everyday, several times a day, which means it is time to fix up another batch.
 |
| The jar on the right is the one we are currently using. |
 |
| Our daily kefir and my new sourdough starter are sitting in the background. |
Fill a quart jar about 3/4 full of honey. We prefer to use local honey, but this time I am using up some store bought honey we stocked up on right after we moved here. We have since been able to locate a source of local honey, but we need to use this up as well.
Put the cloves in the honey.
Stir it up to coat the cloves.
To use this wonderful concoction, just get a spoonful and eat it. The first few times you do this you might gag a little. It depends on how sensitive you are. We have been eating it for so long that we don't really notice it much. Not that it tastes that great, it's just worth it. Now, I would recommend you be strategic in the timing of taking this elixir. If you are going to have company over, you might want to wait until they are gone, unless, of course, you want them to leave quickly. Just be aware of how fragrant you may become after partaking of a dose.
This is just another one of those things that we can do for ourselves instead of relying on others to provide us with something that may have numerous side effects that we may, or may not even know about. We feel the more we can eliminate medications, over the counter or prescription, the better our health will be. This is not always possible, but we can try to the best of our ability. Some day soon, we may not have a choice in the matter.
Until next time - Fern
Garlic
strengthens the immune system as well as helps to fight chest
infections, coughs and congestion. I - See more at:
http://www.naturalblaze.com/2013/04/10-amazing-health-benefits-of-garlic.html#sthash.ly8rF1zy.dpuf
Check up on store bought honey. Most of it has been processed to the point that it has no nutritional value. You are far better off using your raw honey for any kind of medicinal treatments.
ReplyDeleteYou are exactly right. We bought and stored this honey when we first moved here just to have some on hand. We have a good source local honey that we use most of the time. I'm just gradually trying to use up this old stuff as well.
DeleteThank you for the comment. It is a good point to emphasize.
Fern
I have also heard that both raw garlic and honey are supposed to be very good for you. For awhile I was consuming a chopped up clove of garlic per day, but I've dropped the ball there. I do use honey from a local beekeeper in my tea every day but that's a habit that is a little easier to maintain. ;)
ReplyDeleteWhy does your honey look so dark? The stuff I've seen in stores is a light amber color and the farmer's honey is a little darker but not like that. I was so curious I had to comment.
The new garlic honey I was mixing up is from some store bought honey that we have had for five years. It has gradually darkened with age.
DeleteThe other jar of garlic honey (on the right in the pictures) is some of our local honey which is very dark. It has a strong flavor, almost like molasses. It took some getting used to, but it is very good. Some of it is actually made from some of the flowers on our place. That's how local it is.
Thank you for your questions, and thanks for reading.
Fern
Isn't there a botulism risk from the raw garlic?
ReplyDeleteHmm...I had never heard of that. So I had to look it up. Thank you for the opportunity to learn. All of the information I found dealt with raw garlic in oil, not honey. One site also indicated the amount ingested was the main concern. There are small amounts of botulism in many things and most people can deal with it with no ill effects.
DeleteAgain, thank you for the opportunity to learn. And, I appreciate your comment.
Fern
Just discovered your blog and seriously want to be adopted! LOL The above book "Herbal Antibiotics" is worth its weight in gold. Stephen H. Buhner is a wonder in the herbalist/healing realm. Will make the honey/garlic syrup. Thanks! God bless you both and so looking forward to hanging out with you! Thanks for all you do!
ReplyDeleteBooks are invaluable. I find new ones all the time that I want or need. I'm glad you found us and hope you enjoy your stay.
DeleteFern
Great info and it is so nice to meet another OK homesteading couple! Thanks for sharing this with us at the HomeAcre Hop. We'd love to have you back again tomorrow.
ReplyDeleteI have both of Stephen Buhner's books and love them! I also study from Dr. Christopher's School of Natural Healing and his Herbal Syllabus. Outstanding for the home doctor's collection. I have used remedies that work time and time again. Here is his Garlic Syrup that I recently made. It tastes great and is very potent! Enjoy! Nice visitin'!
ReplyDeleteGarlic Syrup
Peel 1 pound of fresh garlic, then chop or mince. Put into a wide mouthed jar and add equal parts of vinegar and distilled water to just cover the garlic. Close tightly, shake well, then let stand in a cool place for four days, thoroughly shaking once or twice a day. Now, add one pint of glycerine, shake well, and let stand another day. Strain with pressure, then filter liquid through a muslin or linen cloth. Add three pounds of pure honey, and stir till thoroughly blended. Put into jars, seal tightly, and store in a cool place.
In order to cover the pungent odor of the garlic, in case it is objectionable, do the following:
In place of macerating the garlic in equal parts of vinegar and distilled water, as directed above, use 1 quart of vinegar in which 3 ounces of powdered caraway seed and 3 ounces of sweet fennel seed have been slowly boiled for 15 minutes, while closely covered. Strain and when cold, add 1 pint of glycerine. Use this in the above formula instead of the vinegar and distilled water mixture.
This is much more acceptable to those who have an antipathy to the smell and taste of garlic. Of course, the 3 pounds of honey are also added after the filtering process. The deviation in no way affects the curative properties of the garlic, while it helps materially to disperse gas and flatus. We use aromatic vinegar in our own preparation of this formula, which is one of the most meritorious and useful remedies to have on hand. It is harmless, and very effective in the above mentioned cases, and will please and astonish both you and the patient.
Dose: For asthma and coughs: 1 teaspoonful with or without water every 15 minutes until spasm is controlled; then 1 teaspoonful every 2 or 3 hours for the rest of the day. After that, 1 teaspoonful 3 or 4 times a day is usually sufficient.
Thank you for your recipe. I'll look into it. And thank you for the comment.
DeleteFrank
You're very welcome neighbor! It really does taste good and an excellent means of storing two amazing antibiotics in the same bottle. I wouldn't recommend taking the syrup on a completely empty stomach though. Perhaps a cracker or two. Garlic can be quite upsetting on empty tummies. FYI: I learned this the hard way by eating raw garlic one day on an empty stomach. I was doubled over for an hour in pain like I'd never experienced and never want to again.
DeleteI've felt impressed/inspired/dreamed of late to tincture blood purifier herbs. So I'm doing it. Yarrow, Chapparal, Burdock Root.
One book I could never be without hands down in my medical library is The 10 Most Essential Herbs by Lalitha Thomas. She knows her stuff, writes very well, profiles the herb, gives personal experience healing story, then tells you how to best use it for children/adults. That's so essential to me.
Some books just talk about all the benefits but never get down to telling you EXACTLY how to prepare it, store it, and use it! She does!
Her People Paste recipe is worth its weight in gold. Equal amounts of Slippery Elm Powder, Myrrh Gum Powder, Golden Seal (I use Barberry, just as good). This is an extraordinary combination that can be moistened with honey or water and used to pack wounds so bad as from a chainsaw for example. It will heal it from the inside out and even close it up keeping it free from infection.
Again, this book truly is worth its weight in gold. I'd be devastated to lose my copy and try to commit as much to memory as I can from it.
Also, I learned how amazing 1 part Lobeila and 3 parts Mullein Tea can be for a lifesaver in a healing crisis. A Mullein salve should be kept on hand as well. It can be put onto swollen glands of any kind and will cure them just about overnight! Mullein steeped in hot milk for a tea will stop internal intestinal bleeding in its tracks. Lobelia is such a gift from the Lord, an angelic messenger told Priddy Meeks to go back and give the patient more or he would die.
This can be learned in Dr. Christopher's Herb Syllabus. The profiles on the herbs and the stories of their uses are astounding. I just tinctured the Lobeila the way he highly recommended, which is in raw apple cider vinegar, not alcohol. For some reason it works better this way. It's been touted the "thinking herb" for its ability to choose the best course of action in a health crisis which is only when it should be used and used with great care and skill. It is an emetic herb.
Again, books I wouldn't want to be without. The knowledge contained therein is priceless.
I have not been able to obtain Velvet Leaf which grows profusely in Florida. According to Stephen Buhner, it is specific against all four strains of Dengue Fever which is now here in the U.S. from the influx of the border children. It is transmitted via mosquitoes and can be a fatal disease, especially to children if it become hemorrhagic fever.
Sorry this is such a long comment but sometimes it's important to share knowledge that could save others lives and help them prepare accordingly for that which is to come. Which leads to this blog I just found about 10 minutes ago. It contains visions of the Last Days from inspired folks. May be worth a look to anyone interested. God bless all and keep clean hands and pure hearts at all times. The Lord blesses those who stay humble and delight in His Highness and Glory. Amen!
http://visionsandtribulation.blogspot.com/p/the-vision-and-warnings-of-iohani.html
Thanks again for the information.
DeleteFern
Undergoing my 3rd c-section almost 30 years ago now, I had a terrible time healing. My sutures kept bursting open and the drainage was more disgusting than anyone wants to know. My dr hemhawed around about it and at the advice of a friend, I went to an old dr. nearing retirement. This dr. had spent many weeks each summer on missions in Africa. This was when I first learned of genital mutilation. The dr. explained that the poor girls that have this done to them often die from infection, are more often sterile from the ensuing infection and the suffering is indescribable. His tried honey and said it was amazing. Any wound unable to get air gets honey, he said; honey refuses to let bacteria multiply. I began washing out my gaping abdomen daily with hy. peroxide, pouring in the honey and butterflying it shut. (He had removed the sutures) but daily, the gape decreased by almost half and within a week, no more funny tummy smell, swelling, gaping or drainage. It was amazing! Started me believing in using what our good Lord provides! It healed up so nicely, the scar was only vaguely visible! Only thing I ask, is that if you use this method, say a prayer each time for the deliverance of those pitiful little Islamic girls!!!
ReplyDelete