JEDSpeak: Tupelo Honey

I'm on a journey to find health and happiness through a more holistic and green lifestyle.

I find the world to be abrasive. =) That is to say, I feel the need to armor myself, physically and emotionally, in order to face life. Don't we all? Maybe. For whatever reason, it has become a priority in my life to rid my immediate environment of irritating things. And I'm sensitive! So there is much work to be done. But. I have thought for a long time that the things I come in contact with every day, and the stuff used to clean and maintain these things, need to be gentle and non-toxic. I have had eczema my entire life. For a long time I just dealt with it, and accepted that sometimes it's bad, and sometimes it's not, and that it will fluctuate a lot. Gradually over time I have come to find that certain things, fabrics, cleansers, materials, are more irritating to my skin than others. Stress can exacerbate it. In more recent times, I have realized that every aspect of my life improves when I improve conditions for my skin. Hah! What a concept! Thus my (long time) interest in going green, and my more recent desire to live a more holistic lifestyle. (I think I've felt a desire for a long time to live in a harmonious way with myself, my surroundings, and nature, but didn't have a name for it.) Anyhow, this blog is a journal of my trials and errors, and basic crooked path to find a balanced and peaceful existence for myself and my family. Thanks for your interest! I would love to hear your thoughts and ideas!

Monday, July 5, 2010

Tupelo Honey

For a while, I was a client at the Natural Health Improvement Center in Glens Falls, New York. While I decided at the time that it was not for me (I didn't feel that detoxing while I was raising two little ones, including one who is still nursing was the best plan for me!) I did take some information with me that I have found to be at least somewhat valuable. One thing that was suggested was reducing the amount of sugar in our diets. Never bad advice, I thought about when I consume sugar during my day. The first and most obvious place was first thing in the morning, in my daily cuppa joe. Though I didn't think for a second that I would really replace sugar with honey in my coffee. For one thing, I don't especially like honey! And for another, no one messes with Mama's coffee! But I bought it anyway...what the hell! I bought it while visiting in NJ, and left it there by accident. Or maybe because I really didn't want it? Who knows. But no kidding, I visited another time and forgot it again. Just recently I was there again, and this time I managed to get the stuff home. So this morning, I gave it a try. And it wasn't bad. Not at all! In fact, I rather like it. I didn't use much, and it gives my coffee a sweetness, but not a yucky sweetness, that sugar can sometimes do. Hm. So, trial one, the most important, and it's a hit! Now I have to do some research to convince myself that it's actually better sugar. But in the meantime, here's some info. on Tupelo honey: LINK

Here is the first website I checked out regarding honey vs. sugar in our diets. It does make for some interesting reading: LINK

Here's another one. This one is obviously pro-honey: LINK

Ok, I have to update here. It has been six days since I started to put honey in my coffee instead of sugar. I have not gone back. Not once. Ok once, but it was by accident and I was annoyed at myself! I much prefer the honey in my coffee. There are two reasons. One, the honey has a slightly less sweet flavor, which I prefer. The other, and even more important to me, is that the honey mixes evenly into the coffee. I have always hated when the last sip of my coffee is gooey with undissolved sugar. Regardless of how much I stirred it, it seemed to be sickeningly sweet at the bottom. And I like drinking it all! But yuk. So I love that the last sip of coffee with honey tastes like the first sip. =) And, I've converted my husband!! =)