Honey - super food in small doses

Half the quantity, twice the quality. That is an adage repeated throughout the chapters on food in Grow Youthful. Small quantities of high quality nutrient-dense food will extend your life, provide excellent health, and provide a feeling of satiation (feeling full). Of course, such foods are also the most yummy

When I was living in a shared house in India a decade ago, some of the previous residents had left half-empty jars of honey in the 'fridge. I had a sweet tooth, and found it hard to resist a dessertspoon of honey when I was in the kitchen. These jars had probably been sitting in the refrigerator for months, and had mostly crystallised

I was eating quite sensibly whilst in India - a mostly vegetarian diet, lots of fresh vegetables, little sugar or flour, some fruit, and occasional fish or chicken. The weather was hot and steamy, just before the monsoon. It was at that time that I got my worst fungal infection on my feet ever. I remember sitting in my room, peeling off the blisters of skin around my toes, with other large sheets of skin pulled off the sides and bottom of my feet. After leaving India, fungal nail infections developed. My toenails went brow and thick and distorted

To grow and proliferate, foot fungi need to be fed. And their favourite food is sugar

Every body needs a variety of different types of sugars in balance and moderation. But I had a craving for honey and overindulged. There was something about honey, in large quantities, that specially seemed to feed my fungal infection. Of course, other sugar sources can also be the cause of a fungal infection - sugars used in so many foods, sugars from refined grains and starches, sweet drinks and foods, fruit juices, and too much fruit

The other thing I did that promoted the fungal infection and established it deeply in my feet was picking the skin. Tearing away the loose skin is the perfect way of spreading and establishing the infection. As with any kind of infection (bacterial, fungal) don't pick it

Honey as a super food

In small quantities, perhaps one quarter to a teaspoon per day, honey is a super food. Get the best possible honey, and ensure that it is raw. Most cheap honey is heated or pasteurised, which makes it easier to remove from the hives, process and filter. Heating destroys all the beautiful, health-giving enzymes in it. Honey provides some types of sugars that your body only needs in very small quantities, along with enzymes and other nutrients. It has anti-bacterial and anti-fungal properties, and helps your body fight fungal infections. But above a certain dose, it changes completely