Spring Forward: Move Over Vinegar, Lower BP with Sweet Honey

By Cal Orey, The Writing Gourmet

As a veteran health author,  and one who pens the Healing Powers series including The Healing Powers of Honey (Kensington) I get emails weekly with the question, "Can vinegar help me lower my blood pressure?"  It can--but so can bee healthy honey...
It's the total heart-healthy diet and healthy lifestyle package that may help keep blood pressure numbers normal--not just vinegar or honey. But sweet honey (which is less acidic and easier on the tummy) can be a good thing for your heart and BP numbers. And teaming the two superfoods can be great!
How Honey Works: It's time you say, Please pass the honey," rather than pass on the natural sweet stuff, because its good-for-you antioxidants--may help reduce blood pressure. But that's not all...
The Honey Revolution author Ron Fessenden links sleep depreivation and elevated blood pressure. If you're not gettting  adequate zzz's it can lead to hypertension, since you're not allowing your body to get needed R&R. That's why consuming honey before bedtime is heart-healthy, because it reduces the release of adrenaline-- that raises blood pressure and heart rate.  Do the math: More sleep, less high BP numbers.
What You Can Do:  Try eating 1 teaspoon of honey before bedtime. Pairing it with a cup of milk or herbal tea will increase the odds of you getting seven to eight hours of sleep and keeping those BP numbers at 120/80--and ideally lower.
A Bonus: Plus, it's been proven that honey provides an instant energy boost, so you are more apt to get a move on and burn more calories the way athletes do. Translation: This spring if you shed unwanted pounds and body fat, it may also help you to keep your blood pressure in check. (Check out Tahoe Daily Tribune's "What's Cookin' at Callie's Cabin: Spring Forward with Sunny Food")
Fave Honey to Order Online: Savannah Bee Company