When I think of honey, my mind travels directly to the thick treat being put in my tea. Never fully grasping the concept of this versatile substance, I had the wonderful opportunity of attending an event put on by the National Honey Board in Austin, Texas. This quickly opened my eyes to the many diverse ways honey can be incorporated into everyday life.

The ambiance of the location, mixed with the knowledge of those who demonstrated and informed us of the usage of the sweet concoction, made for a most pleasant and enjoyable experience.

At first arrival, I got the opportunity to meet with the Honey Bear.  This gave me a wonderful sense of welcome and warmth.

The Honey Bear and me!

Making my way over to the bar, I got the chance to try the yummy array of cocktails and honey cider offered.  Did I mention how yummy they were?   Beverage Recipe for the Backyard NOLA Swingers

So what are a few Benefits of honey?

Honey makes food taste great.
There are so many ways honey can be incorporated into recipes.  So many chemicals are added to food these days that it’s hard to know exactly what something consists of. But honey has just one ingredient – and that’s HONEY! It’s produced by the bees from the nectar of plants and flowers and goes basically from the hive to the bottle. Want to sweeten some oatmeal? Add a bit of honey. How about that wonderful square of dark chocolate you crave? Add a dollop of buckwheat honey to it and you’ve got a delectable dessert. One of my favorite tries was goat cheese on a piece of bread with some alfalfa flavored honey. And did you know that there are over 300 varieties of honey? Using it as an added ingredient in breakfast, lunch, snack or dinner, the options are vast for this savory treat.

Honey can help as a cough suppressant.

Nurse Barb Dehn, spokesperson for the National Honey Board, spoke with me about how honey has been used for centuries to help sooth coughs. Just a small dose of honey given before bed can provide a great improvement of the nighttime cough.

Honey can boost your energy.

Consuming honey before exercising can help muscles stay nourished longer and can delay fatigue.  So, grab a bottle of water and add some honey along with it.  It can help refuel and delay onset muscle soreness.

Honey can be a beauty moisturizer.

Honey attracts and holds moisture which can help skin keep hydrated and glowing.  Adding a small amount of honey to your lotion, moisturizer, soap or shampoo can help retain even more of the moisture.  I was able to make my own salt body scrub which helped my skin feel soft and smooth.  Check out some recipes for your own DIY skin care.

Learning more about honey has opened my eyes to the versatility that it offers.  No longer is honey just a sweetener for my tea, it has become a staple in my life.  What are some of the ways you have used honey?  Leave a comment below, we’d love to hear from you!

Honey Bear selfie!

Disclaimer – This post was sponsored by the National Honey Board and the Motherhood.  All views, opinions and photos are from Keeping Up With The Rheinlanders.