American Honey Story

50 States, 50 Flavors, 50 Extraordinary Uses 

By now, everyone knows the extraordinary health benefits of local honey.  But did you know that honey is produced in all 50 states (yes, all 50 states), yet more than two thirds of the honey consumed in this country is foreign, highly processed and ultra-filtered?   That means ALL the health benefits have been removed and we are consuming watered down syrup (falsely labeled honey) imported from China and India. 

I am intrigued by the studies that show the scientific superpowers of honey (raw, local honey that is).  When you compare the benefits of honey to the dangers of refined sugar and artificial sweeteners, the difference could have a huge impact on our health. 

Some experts have labeled refined sugar and artificial sweeteners as poison!  All the while, honey has been shown to prevent infection, kill bacteria and treat colds, coughs and many, many other irritations (plus, it makes a wonderful beauty mask and hair conditioner).  

Each state produces different flavors depending on the type of floral source common to the region.  This blog will explain the different flavors of honey produced in each state, health benefits of each flavor and encourage Americans to support this very local industry.   

Just as an example:

Georgia produces Tupelo honey while Massachusetts produces Apple Blossom honey. 

Florida produces Brazillian Pepper honey and New Mexico produces Mesquite honey.

I can go on and on, but you get the point. 

This information could open the door to Americans "rediscovering" this very ancient product.  Yes, it's even a biblical product. Honey has widely been used as a natural remedy and documented in the world’s oldest medical literature as well as the bible.  

Local honey has blown up in popularity recently and there is more demand than supply.  This information will hopefully appeal to the foodie for cooking purposes, the mother who is looking for a more natural ingredient for her children and the everyday citizen who just wants to support our local economy rather than foreign products. 

My Honey Challenge

There is more to honey than meets the eye (and taste buds). 

Somehow honey has fallen victim to a grave misconception – that honey is “just honey.” 

This blog will serve as my personal honey laboratory.  It is both an experiment and a challenge: to replace refined sugar and incorporate honey into my diet and skincare routine to see if there are any improvements to my overall health and appearance.     

“50 Shades of Honey” will serve as a fun way to hold myself accountable to the challenge, to explore the many dimensions of honey, and track my success (or failure) from processed sugar to natural honey.  Along the way, I will be posting recipes, skincare treatments and medical applications that work and don’t work. 

I will be using ONLY raw, local honey that is purchased in bulk (much cheaper that way) for all my recipes and treatments.  What an easy and healthy way to support a local crop.