Raw Honey at the NYC Greenmarkets

So, where does one get this raw gold? At your local farmer's market, of course. Make sure you ask the tough questions, because even there you may find a dud.

Here in New York, we are lucky to have a fantastic beekeeper. Andrew, of Silvermine Apiary (better known as Andrew's Taste-Bud Bursting Local Honey), comes from a long line of beekeepers. One night, over a bottle of Spanish wine, Andrew told me all about his honey. He understands honey, and he bottles it in the same pristine state in which the bees created it. Look for him at the market ­ along with a wealth of information, you may get a dose of his mischievous sense of humor. In his spare time, Andrew teaches literature at a Connecticut college and travels the world for his non-profit organization, Bees Without Borders.

Andrew's Taste-Bud Bursting Local Honey is at Union Square on Wednesdays; on Sundays, they are at the Grand Street and Tompkins Greenmarkets. Truly, I think Andrew is the go-to guy for honey, bee pollen, royal jelly and propolis. In fact, his is the only honey we use at home.

The Many Benefits Of Raw Honey

I am passionate about honey. Maybe it's because it's in my blood; my grandfather kept bees. I remember playing in the orchard - the lazy warmth of the afternoon sun, the sweet, aromatic scent of ripening fruit and the gentle hum of the bees. I remember the honeycombs dripping with sticky, sweet liquid and my grandfather laughing at my eager anticipation. We used honey for everything - it was our cough syrup, our antiseptic for scratches, the topping for my bread and butter, the sweetener for my evening tea.

The social system of bees is incredibly complex and it all revolves around making honey. The field bees collect nectar from flowers and pass it on to the house bees, who add enzymes and then store it in the hive, where it ripens and becomes honey - food for the bees and for us. A conscientious beekeeper always leaves enough honey for the bees to survive and thrive. The bees are never harmed, though the same cannot always be said for the beekeepers.

Honey is not merely another form of sugar; it contains vitamins, minerals, protein, enzymes and amino acids. The quantities of individual nutrients vary widely and depend on the type of plant and region the honey comes from. As a carbohydrate, it is unique; it¹s an assimilable carbohydrate compound, meaning that it's been pre-digested and is therefore easier for your body to use. However, scientists still do not fully understand all the compounds in honey and why they are so health promoting.

Honey has unique antimicrobial properties and has been used traditionally to disinfect wounds and burns and promote healing. According to Dr. Molan of the University of Waikato, New Zealand, "Honey stimulates the re-growth of tissue involved in healing, making healing faster and reducing scarring."

And according to a study at the University of Memphis Exercise and Sports Nutrition Laboratory, if you eat honey just before a workout, you will increase your energy level, stabilize your blood sugar and improve your post-workout muscle recuperation.

Honey is also great for sore throats and congested bronchi. Researchers at Penn State College of Medicine found that raw buckwheat honey works better than over-the-counter cold medications. Suffering from stomach upset and diarrhea? Honey can rehydrate and remineralize your body and speed up the recovery. Honey has a long history of curing gastric and intestinal ulcers, improving digestion, rebuilding blood, eliminating inhalant allergies, aiding with weight loss and much more. No wonder honey was Hippocrates' medicine of choice.

Before you rush to your local supermarket to treat a sore throat, you should know that not all honey is created (or bottled) equally. Even though honey is widely available at supermarkets across the country, it is not the product I have been describing. You need raw, unheated, organic, unpasteurized and minimally filtered local honey - a rare commodity. Raw honey is full of bee pollen, royal jelly and propolis (for more on these, sign up for my newsletter), all of which are responsible for the healing qualities of honey. With pasteurization, enzymes are denatured and vitamins destroyed, rendering the original product merely a liquid, toxic sugar.

Berries - more than just nature's candy.

There are few things in life that give me as much joy as watching my kids gleefully dive into a bowl of luscious cherries and seeing the sweet, sticky juice run down their chins. And have you ever gone strawberry picking? Then you know how placing that sun-warmed berry in your mouth makes you understand what summer is all about. I've often wondered why nature makes this abundance of such sweet treats available at the beginning of the sun season, and here is my theory: after a long, cold season of rich, hearty meals, followed by a season of cleansing bitter greens and sprouts, we are finally ready for a boost of nutrients. We need energy for the summer - energy for increased activity, energy for the longer days and energy to rebuild our bodies and fortify for the cooler, less nutritionally-rich months.

All berries are loaded with vitamin C. Vitamin C plays an important role in diminishing the harmful effect of free radicals. It is interesting to note that vitamin C is a potent protectant against the damaging effects of ultraviolet light damage, which most of us refer to as sunlight. It not only protects against sun damage, but does a much better job of it than any sunscreen you can find on store shelves. It stays in the cells for approximately 36 hours and protects even if you go swimming or stay out in the sun too long. Got too much sun? It works to repair the damage - it slows down photoaging, helps with the formation of elastin and is crucial to the process of incorporation of proline into collagen. Tyrosinase and vitamin C, both of which are abundant in berries, team up to disrupt the oxidative process involved in the production of melanin, meaning no deep tan and no wrinkles. I am not suggesting you abandon your sunblock altogether, but you should know that there are some other natural options available.

And there's more - less sunscreen means more vitamin D production! Recent studies show that a deficiency in vitamin D greatly increases your risk of cancer. Most of us, especially in the northern climes, are deficient in vitamin D and the sun is the best, most efficient way to get it.

Antioxidants, vitamins, minerals and phytochemicals are all abundant in berries. Different varieties combined together have synergistic qualities, meaning that their benefits multiply exponentially. When traditionally eaten fresh and with cream, the nutrients become even more bio-available.

Time and heat destroy all the precious nutrients, so go to the market early, look for local, unsprayed berries and taste them. Are they sweet, fragrant and flavorful? If they are, chances are they are freshly picked. Ask the farmer if they are sprayed (the berries, not the farmers) - if they were, skip them. Berries rank high on the Dirty Dozen list (don't know what this is? Time to sign up for my newsletter...) and with their thin skins, they absorb the chemicals right in.

So, you love cherries, but hate pitting them for the kids? It took me a while to figure this out (don't ask why), so I am guessing that some of you are in the same boat. Tada! The cherry pitter - this one is fantastic - Oxo Good Grips Cherry Pitter It is so efficient and easy, it made eating cherries in my house a daily event.

On Saturdays, at the Union Square Greenmarket, you will find many farmers who sell unsprayed berries. Walk around, look, taste and ask - you are sure to find plenty of options. On Sundays, I head to the Tompkins Greenmarket where Norwich Meadows Farm displays rows of gleaming berries.

So, my advice: eat your berries, eat them now, eat lots of them, and eat them just-picked, local and unsprayed.