It’s designed for bloggers who want to make something tangible from their blog posts. I’d love feedback from anyone who has some thoughts on how I could make the information more interesting or if there are gaps in the material provided on how to structure a book.
I’m offering the eBook for free for the next few days, so be sure to get your copy from Amazon.
I’d also like to remind everyone that the eBook version of Exploring Traditional Herbal Remedies in Mexico is now available for download for those of you that purchased it as a pre-order. I had to wait until the Ultimate Bundles Herbs & Essential Oils bundle was finished before I could offer it on Amazon. The eBook version is a fraction of the price of the paperback version, so you’re getting quite a deal!
I’m working on a three-book series about self-publishing this month, so look for that announcement in the (hopefully) near future. Meanwhile, gardening is going well, those quarantine projects are slowly coming along, and we have our fingers crossed the rains will begin soon!
Hopefully, in the days to come, the world will be less interested in hoarding toilet paper and more focused on creating a healthier lifestyle that can withstand the viruses that plague us. One often overlooked source of important vitamins and minerals is the mushroom.
Mushrooms have the same quantity of B-12 as meat. They contain linoleic acid, one of the two essential fatty acids that humans must get through their diet. They are a source of ergothioneine which has a powerful antioxidant. Mushrooms support your body’s healthy immune and inflammatory responses by improving the formation of the adaptive immunity system which eliminates or prevents the growth of pathogens. They also enhance the functionality of immune cells.
You can find more information about mushrooms and immunity here.
Would you like to learn more about mushrooms? Well, since you’re most likely in quarantine, why not consider an online class that explores the health benefits of mushrooms while you practice your social distancing skills?
The Herbal Academy has just opened The Mushroom Course for pre-registration. By registering now, you can save $50 on the regular course price and receive some great bonus offers as well. An optional upgrade will get you the Mushroom Foraging Kit so that you can set out and explore the wonderful world of mushrooms in your own area.
The Mushroom Course will help you discover 20 common wild mushrooms that you can begin to include in your diet to boost your immune system. You’ll have the chance to explore the ecological relationship mushrooms have with the world and how that means a healthier place to live for everyone.
This is an introductory to intermediate level course, so don’t worry if you haven’t studied much about these fascinating fungi before. It’s designed to allow you to become more familiar with their identification and biology and incorporate mushrooms into your healthy diet.
Why not use this time you have been given to learn more about immunity and your diet?
As if you needed another reason to consume honey regularly, here’s a little bit of information about the sacred Melipona honey.
The Maya used the honey from the native stingless bee Melipona beecheii extensively in their traditional remedies. They believed that illnesses that could be cured with this honey had supernatural origins. It was used to treat both “hot” and “cold” infirmities including respiratory and digestive ailments, cataracts, pterygium eye and conjunctivitis, as well as wounds, burns, fevers and poisonous stings and bites.
The reason supernatural illnesses could be treated with this honey was because they believed it was a sacred gift from the gods, specifically the bee god Ah Muzen Cab. The Maya communities continue to use this sacred honey to treat cancer, sinusitis, typhoid, laryngitis, bronchitis, cough, bacterial infections and postpartum issues. It has and continues to be used as a sweetener, an antibiotic and the main ingredient in the fermented drinks balché and Xtabentun.
When Francisco Hernandez de Cordoba first arrived in the Yucatan in 1517, he encountered enough bee yards producing honey that was traded throughout Mesoamerica. The importance of this activity is evidenced in the Madrid Codex, one of the four surviving Maya codices, which was devoted entirely to beekeeping.
Honey contains iron, calcium, potassium, magnesium and vitamins B1 to B8. It is antimicrobial, antiseptic and anti-inflammatory, making it ideal for pain alleviaion in the throat, and as a result of burns and ulcers. Applied topically, it will moisturize the skin and is beneficial in wound healing. Honey can help ameliorate thyroid disturbances and reduce the risk of developing diabetes as well as fight cancerous cells.
The amount of nutrients that honey contains varies according to the local plant source.To determine whether a particular batch of honey is pure, drop a spoonful into a glass of water. Adulterated honey dissolves, while pure honey remains in a ball. Honey can be stored at room temperature. If it crystallizes, setting it in a pan of hot water will liquidize it again.
Melipona honey is slightly different than honey made from other types of bees. It is more watery, less prone to crystallization and contains more fructose than glucose giving it a distinct taste. The honey from these stingless bees has more antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties than honey produced by stinging bees.
The Melipona bees are in danger of extinction. The ecosystem which they have co-existed for centuries is being destroyed. They are also facing increasing competition with the Apis mellifera bees since commercial beekeepers prefer their more abundant honey production to the native species. If you are in the Yucatan, be sure to take advantage of the local sacred Melipona honey available to you.
Precaution: Honey should never be given to children under one year of age because it may cause botulism.
![gailhampshire from Cradley, Malvern, U.K [CC BY (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0)]](https://survivingmexico.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/bee-picture.png?w=1024)
Surviving Mexico 