How about a homemade, honey weight loss drink?  A cruise of the Internet  turned up several interesting recipes from a variety of places.  Please note that I am not prescribing these, or even recommending them, necessarily.  I’m just sharing with you some interesting findings that won’t harm you, though they may not help.

A traditional Indian (not Native American) folk medicine system recommends honey to cure obesity.   This method involves starting the day with a glass of warm water mixed with a tablespoon of honey and fresh lemon or lime juice.  According to the site I found, you can take this several times a day, up to a half-hour before meals.  According to tradition, it cleanses and gives energy while it sidelines hunger.  Since honey does provide energy and the acidic nature of citrus juice helps bring down blood sugar levels, this one sounds particularly interesting.

Cinnamon is also known to lower blood sugar levels.  Unani, a healing system which originated in ancient Greece, suggested a drink made by boiling  cinnamon and honey for weight loss.  Since boiling destroys some of honey’s important enzymes, try adding a half-cup of boiling water to a half teaspoon of cinnamon. After it cools slightly, stir in a teaspoon or so of honey.

Many herbal teas, sweetened with honey, are also often recommended by several sites to assist in weight loss.  Mint and ginger teas are traditionally known to encourage weight loss. Green tea is said to raise the metabolic rate, nettle tea to reduce appetite, and chickweed tea to diminish cravings.  No clinical studies are available on any of these that I could find, but if they replace sodas or other high sugar drinks, they are bound to help in some way.

Other sites recommended using honey to flavor healthy green smoothies to make them more palatable.

As we keep saying — it is all about balance. If you scarf down the honey in addition to a too-hefty eating plan, you will not likely see any difference. If you are on the path to a healthier lifestyle with low to moderate glycemic food choices and reasonable daily exercise, you may find these honey drinks just what you need to get you over some bad habits and establish good ones, for life!

Eating to live and living for Christ,

Susan Jordan Brown

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