Your health: The miracle of honey

A sweet treat

We all know that honey is delicious. It's perfect for sweetening tea, pouring over Greek yogurt and combining with peanut butter for an easy sandwich.

For thousands of years, honey has been used all over the world and in just about every culture. Nutritionist and naturopathic physician Dr. Lindsey Duncan is a huge proponent of honey's many benefits, according to website FabFitFun.

“Few realize that honey is a powerful food, beauty aid, and a topical antibiotic. Honey naturally contains 18 amino acids, plus small amounts of many vitamins and minerals,” he said.

Here is Dr. Duncan's breakdown on the miracles of honey:

Moisturizing skin: Honey helps absorb water and retain it in hair and skin. Combine it with milk for a facial, add it to your bath to soften skin, or mix it with olive oil as a natural hair conditioner. Add sea salt or crushed oats to honey and rub it on your skin for a fabulous exfoliator.

Leveling blood sugar: Dr. Duncan says, “Instead of consuming refined sugars and high fructose corn syrup … opt for an all-natural boost of honey.”

Improving sleep and relaxation: The natural sugar found in honey raises our insulin slightly and allows tryptophan to enter our brains more easily. Dr. Duncan suggests taking a spoonful of honey before bed to sleep better.

Sleep naturally

With several popular hypnotic sleep aids now linked to an increased risk of death, the July 2012 issue of the Harvard Women's Health Watch offers eight tips for getting a better night's sleep without medicine.

If a sleep aid is needed, there's no reason to avoid using one, according to Harvard Medical School. But before turning to pills, here are eight tips for getting a better night's sleep:

• Exercise at some point during the day.

• Reserve your bed for sleep and sex — not work or TV.

• Keep the bedroom comfortable.

• Start a sleep ritual.

• Have a bedtime snack — but not too much.

• Avoid alcohol and chocolate before bed.

• Wind down before going to bed.

• See your doctor about what's keeping you up at night.