My mother is a wonderful person both inside and outside. This is a person despite my age who still finds time to remind me good parenting to my children.

Two weeks ago my son fell very ill with flu, but by the time I went to pick him from home to take him to the hospital- I found out that my mother had already nursed him with traditional way of boosting the immunity of children by giving him a tea spoonful of honey mixed with some lemon to treat his cold.

To my surprise, I found out that the boy was responding well to my mother’s recipe of treating the cold without taking him to the hospital to be given twelve bottles of cough syrup which at times, only accelerates the cough.

Again I was reminded, how important it is to always keep a jar of honey at home, even though most of us dot com mothers take for granted buying things like honey and opt to buy things like jam and peanut butter instead. The benefits of honey are very many, my mother informed me for the umpteenth time.

This time around I told her that I have to inform my readers some of whom do not know some of these benefits, so I went on a research spree and this is what I found out.

The benefits of honey go beyond its great taste. A great natural source of carbohydrates which provide strength and energy to our bodies, honey is known for its effectiveness in instantly boosting the performance, endurance and reduce muscle fatigue of athletes. Its natural fruit sugars play an important role in preventing fatigue during exercise.

The glucose in honey is absorbed by the body quickly and gives an immediate energy boost, while the fructose is absorbed more slowly providing sustained energy. It is known that honey has also been found to keep levels of blood sugar fairly constant compared to other types of sugar.

Amongst the many health benefits of honey, what is most impressive to me – is that it can be a powerful immune system booster. Honey’s antioxidant and anti-bacterial properties can help improve digestive system and help you stay healthy and fight disease. Start your children off with a tea spoonful of honey everyday in the morning before they have their breakfast for at least two weeks in a month, or an adult can start every brand new day with the cleansing tonic of honey and lemon juice. It is also documented that as much as honey does not cure cancer it possesses carcinogen-preventing anti-tumour properties!

Honey has been recognized as one of the most natural home remedies to treat a wide range of ailments and complaints including yeast infection, athlete foot  and arthritis. Its antiseptic properties inhibit the growth of certain bacteria and helps keep external wounds clean and free from infection.

Honey has been used as a natural cure in first aid treatment for wounds, burns and cuts as it is able to absorb moisture from the air and promote healing. Its antibacterial properties prevent infection and functions as an anti-inflammatory agent, reducing both swelling and pain, and even scarring.

Now this is where my mother’s home remedy worked for my son. Thanks to its antimicrobial properties, honey not only soothes throats but can also kill certain bacteria that cause the infection and cold attacks. Professional singers commonly use honey to soothe their throats before performances I read. The Chinese believe that excess heat in the body causes sore throat and taking honey drink can be helpful as well.

When you get a hangover from drinking too much alcohol, combat its effects by applying honey remedy. Honey is gentle on the stomach and contains a mix of natural sugars such as fructose which is known to speed up the oxidation of alcohol by the liver, acting as a 'sobering' agent. I have been having problems with my sleeping for many years, and through my research I read that honey also helps people with sleeping problems, so from now onwards honey will be my companion.

To mothers with small children especially, a teaspoonful of honey can help your children stay healthy and keep away from the doctors for months, next time you go for shopping make sure to include a jar of honey on top of your list.

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