Diabetes runs on my mother's side of the family. I have 3 people in the family who currently live with diabetes. I was very interested when I saw a non-artificial sweetener that is also low glycemic.
Panela - or dehydrated sugar cane juice - is varied and called by many names such as jaggery, country sugar, molasses sugar, or (as I know it) unrefined cane sugar. I came across it in a round-about way.
A few years ago, I did a rant post about doctors and nurses not focusing enough on nutrition in patient care. In that post, I mentioned panela as one of the many types of sugars that some consumers might not recognize as a sugar when reading ingredient labels. Recently, I heard mention of "jaggery" as a sweetener. Curious, I looked into it and came around to wanting to try panela in place of table sugar or brown sugar. I'm glad now that I did.
Panela (which is similar to jaggery) is lower in calories than most of the sweeteners I've used. I tended to choose brown sugar, raw sugar, and cane sugar. Panela:
Minimally processed
Retains more vitamins/nutrients (iron, calcium, magnesium, potassium, antioxidants)
Has a caramel-like flavor (milder than molasses & less "sharp" than table sugar)
While still high in sugar, has a lower glycemic index. (Note: there might be differences in nutrient content and glycemic factors from brand to brand. Read your labels!)
That last part is what really caught my attention - you know, with diabetes in the family. I bought two different brands of panela (with reasonable prices) and tried them. I really enjoy both and it has changed the way I drink my coffee...
I love that 4 teaspoons of panela is just 15 calories. Because of the interesting flavor, I have replaced my sweetened creamers with panela and evaporated milk or half-and-half. For once, when skipping the high calories creamer, I'm not missing out on flavor. It's been a game-changer for my coffee routine.
In addition to using panela in my coffee, I am using it in rice, hot cereals, and in some of my baking. I have never loved the taste of table sugar and never thought I would like anything better than brown sugar, but here I am.
I don't have diabetes (thank the Lord!), but I am struggling with my weight. I have put on just way too many pounds in the past 6 months without teeth (no excuse!) and I still have 3 more months to go before I have a full set again. Switching to panela and getting rid of the sweetened creamer is going to help as I try to get back to a better clothing size.
I won't vouch for one brand of panela over another because there are so many out there. I can tell you that I am using this one and this one so far and enjoy them both.
By the way, since I gave up my Italian Sweet Cream, I am using the following to make my own coffee creamer:
Half-and-half (or evaporated milk)
Panela
Vanilla extract (and, when available, fresh vanilla bean)
I whip this up really well and store it in a mason jar. I only make about 3 cups at a time. If I am out of panela, I use a little bit of sweetened condensed milk. I know, I know...
use any sweetener you want
I am being completely serious when I say I am shocked that I am doing fine without my store-bought creamer. I've tried to replace it before and that never lasted. I've been using that fatty creamer for years now. It's time. I need to be as healthy as I can, and at least this way doesn't hurt.
Peace
--Free
P.S.: I am still a little down in the mouth (tee hee) about the delay in getting my full dentures. The situation has motivated me to use this next 3 months to lose some weight and do a lot of praying about my general attitude. There are people who can't get their teeth replaced. Thanks to my family, I have been blessed, so I am going to stop grousing.
DISCLAIMER: I am not/will not be compensated in any way for the products mentioned in this post.
**UPDATE** I am in tears right now. I just learned that my appointment on Friday is not to get my teeth. It's to get the pins for my lower teeth. I will have to wait another 3 months for the pins to heal and stabilize.
Listen, when I heard this, I literally slid down the wall and sat there nearly catatonic for at least a full minute. The dentist tried to cheer me up my saying I would have my uppers sooner and that will make my face look more normal. That does not make me feel better. At this point, I'm more ready to eat veggies than I am vain.
I have put on so much weight in this past 6 months. I told my family that I am going to be going on a coffee and soup diet while I wait for my teeth. Maybe being depressed will help me lose weight...
I can't even think about this right now.
After 6 months of waiting for my gums to heal, I will finally be going in on Friday to... hopefully, get the actual dentures. I am hoping only because my dentist wants to put pins in to hold my lower plates steady.
Anyway.
One of my neighbors got her bottom plate from the same dentist because I recommended him. Her teeth look amazing. If I didn't know, I'd think they were her real teeth. That's encouraging.
Because I can sometimes (but not often) be as pessimistic as the annoying Ray Barone, I am anxious about how things will turn out. While I will be happy to have a working set of teeth, I am worried that I will be self-conscious or not able to chew properly or just not be happy...
I have been saving up grocery money to go crazy getting meat and vegetables and popcorn. I literally have a list for this weekend's shopping trip. And I am dreaming of all the weight I can lose! I may never eat another pancake or bowl of oatmeal again.
That's all I can say about it for now. Once I have teeth - if I am happy - I might even post a photo (though I don't like putting my pics on the internet these days). We'll see. At any rate, there will be another (and final?) update coming.
People, I have found what I think may be the last skincare cream I will ever need. While I have had several favorite moisturizers in the past, I truly, truly believe I have found my forever favorite.
I found it when looking for a balm to use on my face (which gets more sensitive and dry with every year that I'm mortal). It was the price and ingredients list that made me choose it over other similar products.
At around $15 for a 200ml (6.7oz) tube, it's something I thought I could afford to try at least once. What I find is that it takes so little to treat my face (and sometimes my psoriasis-dry ankles and feet) that it's lasting longer than cheaper products.
Seriously. That's it.
I like that the balm is so effective as both my day and night moisturizer. I generally apply it in the morning before my sunscreen and then at night before bed. I just squeeze a couple of smears of product across my palm, and it's more than enough for my face and neck. That is a good cream, in my book!
Because the balm worked so well for my face, I wanted to see if there was a lotion I could use on the rest of my body. I decided on the Ultra Hydratant.
It's a body milk that is, of course, thinner than the balm. At around $21 for 500ml (16.9oz), it's cheaper per ounce than the balm. I don't find it moisturizing enough for my face during these drier winter days, but it's perfect for my body. Like the balm, the moisture lasts and lasts - though, again, the balm lasts much longer because I need to use more of the lotion, of course. I am now in the habit of palming a small bit of it to run over my hair in the morning.
I won't be able to buy the lotion as often as I will the balm, but if I had to choose only having one of them forever, it would be the balm.
I let my brother try the balm on his hands - which are drier than the Sahara - he was kind of wowed. Of course, being who he is, he isn't as concerned as I (and his wife) are about his dry hands. He likes to joke that his are "working hands". Whatever.... He was impressed with the moisturizing properties of the balm, though.
By the way, my brother described the balm perfectly by saying it just "melted into" his skin. That is exactly what it feels like!
See how the balm is melting/sliding with my body heat?
I can't wait to tell my doctor about this balm. I have tried so many things for my psoriasis dryness. She has recommended the usual suspects: CeraVe Ointment (very good stuff*), CeraVe Moisturizing Cream (also good, and I still have a partial jar), and she even prescribed an ointment (which is good for calming the breakouts).
Now, here is a little bit of a price breakdown for the CeraVe Ointment and the Topicrem products.
I will continue to use the CeraVe Cream when I can't buy the Topicrem lotion. The balm, though, that is a must-have. I really wish my insurance covered things like this.
Peace
--Free
The CeraVe Ointment is a must-have item because there are times when parts of my body will get dry to the point of being itchy. This happens about once every couple of moths it seems when I am not drinking enough water (or, sometimes, I believe, as a reaction to one of my medications). This is when I will supplement any lotion I use with CeraVe ointment. It's oily, so I don't like to use it constantly. The Topicrem balm and lotion do not heal these itchy breakouts but do help keep them from starting. Odd.
Peace
--Free
NOTE 1: The prices I used to compare are what I paid at the time I bought the items. There are fluctuations (esp. on Amazon) due to temporary discounts or depending on the seller. This is the French Topicrem site. Notice the curly/frizzy hair products on this page. French Pharmacy carries the brand, but I don't see the hair product I mentioned.
NOTE 2: For anyone interested, the app that I used (see photos) to compare prices, is Unit Price Calculator from Six By Nine Apps. I want to shout them out because the app is free/donate. It's excellent for dummies like myself! This is not sponsored/requested mention, but you can go and buy the developer a cuppa.
BTW, here is Bill Barr being funny:
DISCLAIMER: I was not and will not be compensated for any of the products mentioned in this post.
These are things I'd like to see happen or become possible in 2025:
It would be nice if citizens could be more confident in accurate and fair voting results. No interference from inside or out. And, while we're at it, let's get back to election campaigns done with civility; sticking to verifiable facts and candidates addressing voter concerns instead of personal attacks on each other.
Civility between citizens in general. People learning to disagree without violence and personal attacks.
Let's reform the way corporations (and the people behind them) contribute to the national coffers. No employee should have to pay more in taxes than the employers. Tax the total income of the top dogs the same way that the workers bees are taxed.
If we want to revert to the past (you know, MAGA), let it be with a return to good manners; people having a general sense of public shame; and socializing in person rather than remotely.
Speaking of manners, let's get back to teaching those to children. Let's teach them to be polite, gracious, and kind to others.
Let's bring back courtship in relationships. Apparently, even the young people are getting tired of "hooking up", "Netflix and chilling", or whatever else you want to call not taking dating and marriage as seriously as we should.
**UPDATE:** Can we calm down with all the cursing? I think that cursing in public is such a rude behavior. You are assuming too much about the people who can hear you - mainly that they are a rude and language-insensitive as you are and that young ears need the audio assault... In some cases, I think that it affects how seriously you may be taken. I watch video compilations of people discussing various topics, and whenever someone can't speak for more than a few seconds without using foul language, I fast-forward past their part. (And can I also mention that I wish everyone would stop saying the following: bruh, bro, and, unless you were born with the accent to make it right, y'all because...🙄)
I have other things I'd like to add, but the list would be ridiculously long. The only other thing I feel I have to have listed is for a specific part of the population. Here it is:
Let's find a way to deal with churches (of all religions) hiding behind God (or whatever object of worship) to fleece congregants. If a pastor (or whatever) can own jets, mansions, and dress like the stars, they should be able to pay taxes. BUT - only of the "tech bros" and other Richie Riches have to pay their fair share of taxes.
Am I wishing for too much? Maybe, but I can dream.
Here is a quick rundown of product favorites. I didn't get around to writing posts reviewing everything on this list (due to sickness), but I will get around to some of them in 2025. By the way, they are in no particular order.
Jamaican Blue Soap - Love that I can use it for machine & handwash laundry; cleaning my floors; and using on my skin. The affordability helps.
Anchor Original Chicken Chippy Salt - The one thing out of Australia that I'm definitely not frightened of! This stuff is weirdly addictive & I can't explain why. I use it on eggs, fish, burgers and, when I get teeth again, probably on every other edible thing.
Peet's Major Dickason's Blend coffee - The coffee is good (though only about #4 of my Top 10 in coffees), but I'm crazy about the smell. It's the most coffee-smelling coffee ever.
Topo Chico sparkling water - IMO, this is better-tasting than even Pellegrino. It has just the right amount of "bubbly" to it. The Tangerine Ginger is my favorite.
Aunt Martha's Flour Sack Towels - I grab these when they go on sale. They come in all kinds of sizes. I use them in the kitchen for everything, and I also use the really large ones for drying my hair and skin. They are often super affordable and are endlessly useful.
NeilMed Nasal Gel - I suffered with dry nasal passages during every cold and allergy this past 2 years. Found this, and it's such a (literal) relief.
Red Cow Full Cream Milk Powder - I switched from another very decent brand to this excellent one and will never be without. It's money-saving, since store-bought milk goes bad too fast the way I use it. It's awesome, with its higher fat level in my baked goods and in cereals. I sure hope the price stays stable!
Topicrem's Ultra Moisturizing Milk and Emollient Balmcompletely replaced every body lotion, face moisturizer, and psoriasis cream in my home. They initially cost more than some of my previous products but work at least 5 to 10 times better. The Milk is my day-to-day lotion and face product, while the Balm is for my extra-dry skin and my night face cream.
French Flour - I use the Francine brand T55 as a bread flour and the T45 for an all-purpose. It's true for me that the flour causes less bloating and other gluten-related issues.
Celtic Sea Salt - I mainly use the fine ground for everything but have tried the coarse also.
So Cozy hair products - I love the gentleness (on my hair and wallet) of the shampoo, conditioner, and detangler.
There are some other products I like, but I did want to highlight the ones that just were above and beyond. I'm having to tighten the budget every week it seems, so I try to find products that are affordable or very worthy of every nickel spent.
Looking toward 2025, I'm buckling up for a rough ride! I wish everyone the best. Should the good Lord be willing to let me live to see the new year, I plan to be every more frugal and content with the basics.
Peace
-- Free
DISCLAIMER: I was not & will not be paid for listing any of the products in this post. All my reviews from 2018 forward are non-sponsored.
Look, I don't want the America of the past with all the slavery and unchecked terror for some of us. I want the America of before Trump and MAGA.
Let's get back to just not liking our politicians, but not being terrified of them. I want to get back to just knowing that a president or politician would dare be less than presidential or at least adult-like.
I don't to live in an America where members of the president's cabinet are weaponized against those they don't agree with.
I want to go back to an America where at least the president and all his men and women were ashamed of lying. I want the politicians of old who knew that they should not (and could not) do certain things - because most of us as children were taught that certain things are wrong, hurtful, impolite, not gracious, not wholesome, or not good for everyone else.
I don't want this America where the president is literally a felon. Where his henchmen are just as bad as he is. I want an America where the president was surrounded with people who kept him somewhat in check.
I don't want the mean, churlish and big-headed kid for president. I want the Sheriff of Mayberry kind of president: calm, collected, and understanding of the people he serves. I don't want a villain in charge, and certainly not one who has Tony Stark whispering in his ear and slipping money to him.
I recently posted on a platform about how I miss waking up to a calm America. We had our problems, God know, but we were not waking up in astonishment of how easily someone could put cracks in the walls of Democracy.
The last president I was most irritated with was Reagan. I felt he was more showmen than anything. I thought that he reminisced about the days when people of certain classes and races "knew their place". But I respected the office he held. Any dirt he did, he knew to do it in the dark. Because, back then, there was shame and accountability (to a degree).
I will never tell the lie that America was always "great" in her morals and justice, but I can say that America was growing and maturing. We had just hit the stage of young adulthood of knowing how to mediate and govern for more than one class or race. Then entered Trump.
Actually, I think this started with the Tea Party people. It continued, quietly and seething like underground lava. Now, all hell has erupted, and we have a man-child about to hold the seat of power. And he's got a cast of strange and ominous characters around him. And a rich and dangerous hype man ready to play his part to the fullest.
As a Christian, I am not afraid. I'm anxious and always a little bit angry. I'm just not ready for another 4 years of chaos, discord, and storms of every kind.
I want to get back to the America where I voted for someone, you voted for someone else and, when a person was elected, you and I just kept living our lives. I don't like this time of friendships shattering, and even marriages being stressed...
Last of all, I want to say something to my Christian brothers and sisters. If you ever wondered, as I have, how someone could come on the world stage and have the power to delude and seduce people against their own good, now you know.
Peace
--Free
P.S. I am not calling anyone the Antichrist. I am not trying to incite anything other than discussions and deep thinking. Like some of you, I know that no matter who sits in high offices, we serve a King.
I guess this can be my end-of-year health update. It's been a couple of years since I lost my favorite Iowa doctor, and I think I have battled every cold and roaming virus known in all that time. Mercy!
Anyway, by mid-January, should the good Lord be willing that I am around, I will have teeth again. People, I cannot wait to be able to chew! My family teases me because every time I talk to one of them, I have something new to add to the list of what I want to eat. The most recent entry is a nicely cooked thin pork chop with just the right amount of fat around the edge...
Anyway.
As I mentioned recently, I am winning the battle against this latest infection that has me alternating between coughing up mucus (sorry bout that!) or coughing from a dry throat. Basically, there has been a lot of coughing and for the time being I sound like Marge Simpson. But I want to do a shout-out for my favorite remedies. I think they are the reason I am finally getting better.
First, there is the Manuka honey, of course. I have a small jar of the UMF 20+. I am steeping unsweetened green tea in cold water overnight, then adding some to my water throughout the day. I'm actually coming to like the unsweetened green tea - as long as it's room temp or chilled.
When the dry throat cough acts up - which is mainly at night - I am using the NeilMed NasoGel. As soon as I apply some in my nostrils, my throat feels better. And, of course, I am running a humidifier and staying hydrated with water.
Since I am on the mend and getting closer to the day I will have teeth, my mood has lifted. I was really having to battle nagging bouts of depression when the coughing and fatigue was at the worst.
By the way, it's true what they say about the tongue being an indicator of your general health. During the worst of whatever I was fighting off, my tongue was (warning: this might be TMI and gross) this icky shade of yellow-brown. The only time it changed colors was when I was sucking on peppermints, which added a bit of red - and I should definitely mention that peppermints were so much better for my cough than any cough drops! I will be reaching for peppermints first when I get another cold...
After drinking the green tea every day, my tongue regained it's healthier shade of, well, tongue, although my tongue is never the uber healthy pink shade it was before sarcoidosis.
I'm really looking forward to being at least a bit healthier in 2025 - again, if the Lord is willing. I will be able to lose some of this pancake weight once I can eat meat and raw veggies again. I'm planning to keep up the habit of drinking green tea. Since I'm not a fan of strong-tasting green tea, I find that I am happy with this brand for the mild flavor, the organic certification, and especially the price.
I wish all of you good health, blessings, and peace in the coming year.
Peace
--Free
DISCLAIMER: I am not a medical professional of any type. I was not and will not be compensated for products mentioned in this post.
In all the turmoil and talk after this year's election, some things got lost in the sauce. Friendship, understanding, and real communication. That's what we all need. I realized that today. Nothing is going to be solved with all the #FAFO stories. I will not stop saying that not all of us FA'd, but we might all have to FO.
I have a neighbor I consider to be a friend. She is one of the kindest, sweetest people I know. I don't talk politics with anyone outside my family (except online) so I had no idea that "Linda" was a Trump voter. I wouldn't have thought it. Not only that, but I never thought of her as being Red or Blue, to be honest.
Today, during her visit to my apartment, during casual talk, it came up that she voted for Trump. I was surprised. As we talked, I explained why I am not a Trump supporter (in spite of my many moral issues with Democrats). One thing that came up was his talk of Tariffs and cutting various modes of aid to citizens.
Linda was trying to correct me about the tariffs. I told her that I worked for an import/export broker, then explained how tariffs actually work. I actually pulled up the online U. S. Tariff Schedule and explained using an example.
People, this woman was heartbroken. And I think she wanted to believe I was mistaken. Then she took a call from her doctor. When they finished whatever he called for, she asked why nobody told her that Trump's tariffs could raise prices. (Yeah, she was sneak-checking me!) He told her that we could only hope he never gets that done. (My information was confirmed!)
Anyway, because we are friendly and love each other as Christian sisters, we continued the conversation.
What Linda couldn't understand is why, if tariffs are not good for us (you know, po' folk), why would Trump want to impose them. As delicately as I could, I explained that I'm not sure Trump understands how tariffs work. Seriously, not being mean. I reminded her that Trump, Elon, and Biden don't have to shop at Walmart and Aldi's...
Before Linda left, I showed her some online news sources - that are not MSNBC or Fox or CNN. She said that she doesn't have cable or a internet access. She was very interested after I showed her some content from Ground News, Newsweek, and a few other sites. BTW, I also showed her this:
What struck me was how hurt Linda was. Or rather, why she was so hurt. She wasn't acting as if she'd found out Trump, as a politician, lied or misled her. She was acting as if a favorite child has betrayed her. It was very personal.
So, while a lot of non-MAGA folk see all MAGA-ites as pitchfork-toting, evil idiots, there are probably a lot of Lindas out there as well. She is ill-informed, gullible, and a little blinded by culture, but she is not a MAGA-ite type woman.
The problem is, though, how to reach people like Linda? She only listened to me because of our Christian-ship, but she still needed to hear another source. This is a tricky situation we are in.
What I would like to see change about elections and politicians running:
Stop with the rallies where the candidate gets to stand and talk at the crowd. Instead, do more Q & A sessions.
Have the candidates (from both parties) sit down to talk about specifics. In a session about the economy, invite economists from across the political spectrum to ask the questions and moderate the session. When discussing civil rights, invite moderators with experience in civil rights law and activism. Invite qualified medical doctors and other healthcare professionals in for discussions on that spectrum.
The whole point of these directed and focused sessions would be to hold every candidate accountable for being clear and knowledgeable about the issues and for actually having a plan.
Have public news stations do nightly takes on each currently hot issue. Have journalists from across the political spectrum represented. Highlight currently relevant topics that the candidates are featuring in their platforms. Invite in experts in whatever field of topic and have civil discussions that are informative, truthful, and useful to viewers.
This will be an alternative to the news put out based on political bias. If at no other time than during the election cycles, we need an alternative to the liberal (MSNBC-type) and conservative (FoxNews-type) noise that outshouts common, clear, and understandable information about the candidates and parties and their plans for the citizens.
Start doing more educational outreach. When candidates are talking about healthcare reform, put out unbiased information about the basics. There is no excuse that there were people not understanding that Obamacare is the ACA. There is no excuse, with all the news being broadcast around the clock, that some of us didn't understand how tariffs affect the consumer.
We can't backtrack and re-educate multiple generations of citizens in civic, history, and government studies. We can (at least during election cycles) clarify what candidates are saying and proposing.
Now, all of those are things I am suggesting for politicians, parties, and news providers. As for citizens, we need to start holding ourselves accountable for being familiar (or getting familiar) with current issues. (And, by the way, as I point fingers, one is pointing right back at me!)
We (citizens) need to stop getting our news from biased sources. We know for a fact that we will hear one version of a talking point on one channel while another channel is going in the opposite direction with their opinions.
We need to stop letting news celebrities/news personalities, podcasters, influencers, etc; direct our opinions. Those people don't live your life, they don't live like "regular" folk, and they don't understand the day to day concerns of anyone not in their orbit. If I don't let my neighbor influence my important decisions, why would I let some of those other people do so. Remember how your parents would ask if you would ~insert activity here~ just because all your friends did?
We need to start asking more questions and listening to responses from more than one source. Voting is not like religion. I can follow more than one news source even though I follow only one God.
We need to start thinking more about our day to day life before we start choosing sides in a political forum. When that candidate said what they would do for us as far as the economy, jobs, infrastructure, etc., we need to be able to access how well those promises stood up.
Last of all, we need to stop being so selfish. If I don't have problems with housing costs - or jobs, or healthcare or whatever it is - that doesn't mean I should not be concerned for my fellow citizens.
I have come to the conclusion that we cannot count on our politicians to get it together until we push for that. So let's start pushing. Let's start being Americans - not Democrat, Liberal, Republican, MAGA, and so on. We all have to breathe clean air, have good food and water, and live. There are no dividing lines when it comes to just living our lives.
Peace
--Free
P.S: Forgive me for any grammatical errors or lack of clarification. I have an illness that affects my cognition at times. However, I am sure most people can understand what I have said.
**UPDATE** (Added a postscript with links at the end of the post)
Let me repeat that with some emphasis: Manuka honey is the cha-ruth!
I have been hit with this whatever-the-recent-crud-is that's gone around Iowa. I had a new cough (after finally recovering from the other never-ending one earlier this year) that is still hanging on. Apparently, I have something called a mucus plug (which I thought was only for pregnant women!) and a viral situation. So...
With all the coughing and spitting out disgusting mucus, I was absolutely worn out - rung out, is more like it. There were days I could only get up long enough to say my prayers, take my meds with a bit of food and have some coffee. The coughing kept me awake most of time so I was mostly napping instead of getting any stretch of time asleep.
I'm whining but a couple of my neighbors were dealing with the same thing.
Anyway.
I still have the cough but it seems to be dying down. For the last few weeks, I have been on a steady rotation of Mucinex DM and Dayquil/Nyquil. Finally, I remembered that I had a little bit of Manuka honey left. There was maybe a teaspoon and a half to be scraped from the 15+ jar and a tablespoon from the 10+ jar.
Now, here is where I prove what I've said about Manuka being expensive but worth it. I got the 15+ in May 2021. It is a $36 7.9oz jar. The 10+, which I got in April 2018 was $25 (I'm sure it was a lightening deal).
The honey is so old that, I swear, it was a job just to get the lids off!
I have used both jars to fill up little lip tubes like these...
I add in a little stingless bee honey
...to have in my purse. I use the honey to stop a cold sore from starting (applied at the first itch, I will never have to deal with the blister) and to treat minor cuts and burns. I sometimes add the honey to tea when I feel beat up by my weekly injection. And you see how much I have left. It does not take much to deal with most things.
So when I remembered I had a bit of honey left, I raided the pantry. I put a dollop of both types in my mouth and let it melt down with some lukewarm tea. You might want to think I am lying when I say that my throat felt a little better (from all the coughing) within an hour. I am still coughing but, still.
In light of the recent election and the talk of raising tariffs (which I don't think will be restricted to China), I checked Amazon for the current price of Steen's. I saw that it's currently almost $50 for a 7.9oz jar of 20+. And that is with a deal...
The nieces and nephews had already started asking what I'd want for Christmas. I told one niece that I had the Steen's in my cart and she got it for me.
You can bet I will be taking a little bit of Manuka every day as soon as I get it. As I said, the first doses made my throat feel better and so much less irritated. I might be delusional, but I swear the coughing is better.
I never even think about giving medical advice (and you'd be stupid to take any from me!), but I love being able to use a honey for some things. There is proven (and documented) evidence of Manuka being a "medicinal honey" This is a nice write-up to peruse.
Anyway, this is the first time in a long minute that I've had the energy to write a new post instead of digging up one from my stash! Hopefully, I will be back to post more soon.
Peace
--Free
P.S.: I forgot to add links to other posts I've made about Manuka and healing honeys:
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