Thursday, January 19, 2017

Honey: Sweetness in Bitter Times?

Honey is on my mind this week. Partly because I received the jacket cover draft for a book on honey I wrote that will be published this spring. It’s part of the “Global History of…” edible series by Reaktion Books, fairly short and concise books packed full of information as well as recipes. I, of course, hope the book is favorably received and finds its way onto many bookshelves and coffee tables (it makes a great gift.).

I found the research on honey both fun and fascinating. I had no idea it has had so many different meanings and uses throughout history and around the world. One of those uses brings me to the other reason honey is on my mind. It has frequently been used as a medicine and a tonic, with different varieties thought to have different properties. One variety, manuka honey, comes from New Zealand from the flowers of tea trees. Tea tree oil has recently become popular for skin ailments, and the honey has been reported to have healing affects also—especially for individuals dealing with cancer.

My oldest son was diagnosed three years ago with stage four colon cancer. There is no history of such cancer in our family background, and he has always been very fit and healthy—and a vegetarian and vegan for much of his life. His profile does not fit the usual colon cancer patient. Needless to say, the diagnosis was traumatic for all of us.

So, when I came across the reports on manuka honey, I started searching for it. I also bought him buckwheat honey—more expensive than the lighter-colored blended honeys usually popular in the US, but available in ethnic groceries and some supermarkets. (I bought a jar in a Ukrainian store in the Cleveland, Ohio area.) The manuka honey, though, was not easily available, and when I did find it—usually in health food stores—it was very expensive. I ended up buying a small jar (about 4 ounces) for $26.  He stirs it into his tea. Does it work? We don’t know yet. He has just had his 3rd major surgery to remove yet more of his colon. Furthermore, considering that this is the week leading up to a an inauguration, along with the pain and exhaustion that accompanies recuperating from any major surgery, he now has to worry about health care. Certain Republican politicians are hell-bent on getting rid of “Obamacare,” even though the Affordable Care Act was built upon a foundation earlier Republicans had developed, and even though many Americans will now suffer physically, emotionally, and economically. The concepts of compassion and community have been trampled on by self-righteous assumptions of being the only ones who really know Truth. Rather than talk politics here, though, we need to listen to each other’s stories. Here is Ian’s: https://www.facebook.com/lucy.long.528. 

In the meantime, I will continue to search for ways to help him heal, and the honey will at least add some sweetness to his day. (Note--Do your own research on honey as medicine. I am not an expert on this. In this instance, I'm just a mother. )