FitSugar

Just a Spoonful of Honey

FitSugar — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 15:00:28 -0800

It's that time of year when dry coughs begin to interfere with sleep. You lie down and start coughing, and the coughing keeps you up. Never fear, there's a natural fix for the problem: honey.

The amber liquid has been found to ease nighttime coughs. It is believed that honey helps ease coughs for a variety of reasons. Not only does it soothe sore throats because it is a humectant, helping trap moisture where it is needed, but honey is also high in antioxidants and has antimicrobial effects. Try a teaspoon before bed and see if it helps.

Source: Flickr User biskuit

Honey for Your Sinuses?

FitSugar — Fri, 26 Sep 2008 03:00:00 -0700

Having just watched my husband suffer through yet another sinus infection (he has a deviated septum, so he is prone to them), I was excited to see that honey might provide a new cure for his ongoing problem. While the healing properties of this Biblical substance are not new to me, using if for chronic sinusitis, which affects millions of people still seems brilliant.

Canadian researchers found that two types of honey, manuka honey from New Zealand and sidr honey from Yemen, effectively killed antibiotic resistant bacterial strains that cause many sinus infections. Don't be putting honey in your neti pot just yet; the research scientists are hoping to create a medication based on their lab research. I am not sure that it will come cheaply though. Sidr honey is the most expensive honey in the world.

Until a honey remedy hits the market, just make sure to wash your hands regularly. Hand washing is still the most effective way to keep bacteria that lead to these types of infections at bay.

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Eating Local Honey Could Help Seasonal Allergies

FitSugar — Tue, 08 Apr 2008 11:00:00 -0700

Honey is all the buzz. Not only does it taste like Summer, but it has some amazing qualities that help your body. It's antimicrobial because of its high sugar content, so it's great for treating cuts and burns to prevent scarring. You can keep a jar in your medicine cabinet for years - it's slightly acidic, so it never goes bad.

I've also heard that honey can be used to treat seasonal allergy symptoms. In order to understand why, you need to know a bit about how honey is made.

Honey bees (the female worker bees) travel from flower to flower, drinking nectar, and storing it in sacs in their little bee bodies. Then they buzz back to their hive and use their "honey stomachs" to regurgitate and ingest (I know it sounds a little gross, but cool somehow) the nectar a number of times until it's partially digested. They then store the nectar in the honeycombs, fanning it with their wings to evaporate the water, turning it into the thick sweet honey we know and love.

So what does honey have to do with your allergies? To find out read more.

The reason honey may help with seasonal allergies is because honey contains a bit of pollen from plants. So if you eat the sweet treat that is made by bees in the area where you live, the honey will often act as an immune booster, reducing your allergy symptoms to local flowering plants. It's a good idea to take two to three spoonfuls each day for several months prior to pollen season.

Fit's Tip: Eating local honey works for some people, but may not for others. It's a folk remedy with no scientific research to back it up, but it's worth a try if you suffer from seasonal allergies. If it doesn't help with your sniffles and sneezing, well at least you're getting vitamins B6, thiamin, niacin, riboflavin, pantothenic acid and minerals like calcium, copper, iron, magnesium, potassium, and zinc. Honey also contains antioxidants and vitamin C. All that and it tastes good, too!

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Coughing Kid? Try a Spoonful of Honey

FitSugar — Tue, 04 Dec 2007 02:00:00 -0800

Since the FDA released a public health advisory warning parents not to give their children cold medicine, kids sick with colds and associated coughs suffered many sleepless nights. So did their parents. Luckily a new study found that honey is close to nature's own cough syrup. Yep, a spoonful of honey eases nighttime coughing in children better than the cough syrup ingredient dextromethorphan. This is great news for parents and kids alike!

It is believed that honey helps ease coughs for a variety of reasons. It not only soothes sore throats, but honey is also high in antioxidants and has antimicrobial effects. I guess if you are using honey as cough syrup, you really won't need a "spoonful of sugar to help the medicine go down!"

If you are interested in the recommended dosage, just read more

Children ages two to five = 1/2 teaspoon
Children ages six to eleven = 1 teaspoon
Children twelve and older = 2 teaspoons

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Sweet Inspiration: Hives For Lives

FitSugar — Wed, 14 Nov 2007 16:45:00 -0800

Some stories just inspire and motivate, and this is a sweet tale of two young girls, sisters in fact. After losing their grandfather to throat cancer, Molly and Carly Houlahan decided to raise funds to help fight cancer by raising bees and cultivating honey.

The girls, ages 13 and 15, took over their grandfather's hives and created Hives For Lives. The Houlahan girls harvest honey, sell it, and then donate all the profits to the American Cancer Society. They have raised over $22,000 to date and are recruiting Helper Bees from across the country to join them in raising bees and selling honey to donate to cancer research.

You can purchase their honey directly from the Hives for Lives online store or you can find their honey at Whole Foods stores in Princeton, NJ; Devon, PA; and Pittsburgh, PA.

A natural sweetener made by teenage sisters with proceeds going toward cancer research – I'm all in.

At Home Spa Treatment: Papaya Mask

FitSugar — Sun, 09 Sep 2007 02:30:00 -0700

One great way to relax on the weekends is to pamper yourself with an at home spa treatment. Since alpha hydroxy is all the rage in skin care these days, why not use your own fruit to tap into the exfoliating powers of fruit acids? As my aesthetician says, "If you wouldn't want to eat it, don't put it on your face" since you can absorb chemicals through your skin.

Here is a natural facial mask featuring the tropical fruit power house: the papaya. The fruit enzymes found in papayas are know to aid and accelerate healing in skin disorders such as acne. In addition, the fruit enzymes gently exfoliate the skin. That is what I call a win/win situation.

What you need:

1 cup fresh pineapple
Half-a-cup fresh papaya
1 tablespoon honey

To see what you do, just read more

What you do:

Purée the fruit in a blender or food processor.
Add honey and blend until the mixture makes a smooth paste.
Apply mask to clean skin on your face and neck. Gently steaming your pores open before applying the mask will increase the benefits of it.
Leave mask on for 15 to 20 minutes. Recline and relax.
Rinse face and neck with warm water

If you are looking for more possible self spa ideas, check out their at home spa treatments and of course Bella has some great DIY Spa Treatments too!

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A Week In Review: FitSugar Roundup

FitSugar — Sat, 19 May 2007 04:00:00 -0700

Want to accessorize like Fergie-Ferg? Then check out the Terminator FuelBelt. Will you be both hydrated and cool? Well, it depends on how your are using the word "cool."

Worried about sun damaging to your skin? Well, don't let your SPF 30 turn into SPF 20.

Have you heard the term TOFI? The acronym means Thin Outside Fat Inside - read more about this condition here.

Planning a bachelorette party? Well I've got some great alternative ideas you might be interested in: private yoga class, S Factor strip exercise class, a spa or a Mehndi party.

I am so impressed with Tyra Banks' workout these days. She isn't doing crunches; she's boxing!!!

If you are feeling stressed out, you might just need a good cry.

Interested in taking your workout outdoors? Try a Boot Camp.

I want to hear what you have to say about vertical workstations - a desk set above a TreadMill.

Speaking of TreadMills - have you seen this doggie TreadMill.

Interested to know how Hilary Swank stays looking so trim? Interestingly enough, she believes in moderation.

What do you hate most about going to the gyno? Tell me here.

Plagued by seasonal allergies? I got two ideas for you: eat local honey or try hot pepper nasal spray.

Tight hips? You must try the Double Pigeon. It's a great stretch.

Here are some ways to avoid foot pain caused by running.

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Weekend Well-Being: Make Your Own Pizza

FitSugar — Sat, 07 Apr 2007 03:30:00 -0700

Making your own pizza is one of the most satisfying things a person can do. A lot of time, effort, and love goes into a homemade pizza, and it tastes like nothing else.

Now I don't mean buying a ready-made crust like Boboli - I mean making the pizza dough. Once you know how, it's really quite easy, and healthier too. It'll take some time to let the dough rise, so that's why making pizza is great for the weekend.

Want to see my recipe for Homemade Pizza? Then read more

Homemade Pizza

Let's start with the pizza dough. You first need to make the "sponge," when you feed the yeast to make it grow (this is what makes the bread rise). You'll need:

2 pkg (2 Tbs) active dry yeast
1 1/2 cups lukewarm water (NOT hot or cold! - this will kill the yeast)
1 tsp honey (this is what the yeast eats)

In a glass bowl, dissolve the yeast and honey in the water. Let it stand for 5 minutes or until you see the mixture start to bubble.

Now it's time to make the dough. Want to know how? Then

You'll need:

4 cups whole wheat flour
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 Tbsp salt
1 Tbsp fresh chopped oregano
1 Tbsp fresh chopped basil
1 Tbsp fresh chopped rosemary

Add the oil, salt, and herbs to the dough and mix it well.
Gradually mix in 3 1/2 cups of the flour.
Place dough on a lightly floured wooden board and knead the dough (with your hands) for about 10 minutes or until it's smooth and elastic. The extra 1/2 a cup of flour can be sprinkled in as needed to prevent it from sticking to your hands and the bowl.
Wash the bowl, lightly oil it, place the dough back in it and cover the top with a wet dish towel. Set it aside in a warm place to rise for 1 hour or until doubled in size. If it's cold in your home, turn the oven on "warm" and place the bowl ON TOP of the stove (that's why you use a glass bowl).

Now is the fun part. While the dough is rising, you can get your toppings ready.

You can lightly sauté your veggies first, or keep them raw.

After the dough has risen...

Preheat the oven to 450°F.
Knead the dough another 3 minutes.
Grease a 14-inch round pizza pan with olive oil. If you don't have one, you can also use cookie sheet.
Spread the dough out evenly on the pan.
If you like your pizza crust thin, allow it to rise for only 15-30 minutes and then bake it. If you like a thicker crust, allow the dough to rise for 30-60 minutes before baking. Cook the crust for about 10-20 minutes or until it's slightly hard and golden. Then pull it out of the oven.
Top your pizza anyway you like with tomato sauce, veggies, and cheese. You can get creative and make designs if you want.
Bake for 10-20 minutes or until the cheese is melted and bubbling.
Allow to cool for 5 or so minutes before cutting.
Enjoy!

Fit's Tips: You can also make the pizza crust, bake it, and then freeze it for later.

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Lite'n it Up Recipe Feature - Yogurt + Apples = Yum!

FitSugar — Tue, 03 Apr 2007 12:30:00 -0700

Looking for a tasty dessert or snack that is healthy as well? User celebrity_soup posted this great recipe that is made from ingredients most of us have anyway:

Ok guys, so just now I was craving something sweet and healthy.
My mom suggested an apple, but nahh!
So I wipped up something yummy, sweet and healthy with the apple!
What you ask?
A yogurt and apple sweet treat. Enjoy!

What you need:

- 1 grany smith apple
- 1 cup of plain yogurt
- 1 teaspoon of vanilla essence
- 2 tablespoons of honey

How to make:

Its all very easy. Just cut the apple into bite size pieces (like you see above) and toss in all the ingredients above!

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Have you joined Lite'n it Up, the healthy recipe group, yet? There are tons of fabulous ideas such as these recipes for banana bread and chicken with shallots, as well as a handy way to skim the fat off liquids:

All this and more can be found in the group! Share your recipes and tips too! By the way, if they are not your own creations, please be sure to source where it came from and I just may feature your idea right here on FitSugar.

Home Spa Treatment: Brown Sugar Body Scrub

FitSugar — Thu, 08 Feb 2007 17:00:00 -0800

I have written about the joys of sugar scrubs before, but here is a recipe to make your own.

Mix in a plastic bowl:
½ cup of raw turbinado sugar (or brown sugar)
¼ cup of honey
Add 3-4 drops of essential oil if you have some around.

Use scrub all over your body once you are in the shower. If you have bath gloves or a loofah use those for scrubbing. Focus a little extra on areas that tend to get dry like elbows and heels.

Wash the scrub away with water and then enjoy your sweet smelling, soft skin.