In Ayurvedic or TCM (Traditional Chinese Medicine) honey is neither a hot nor cold food and therefore is beneficial for both the yin and the yang body types as well as possessing the proper temperature balance for mixing with other foods. It is a natural tonic which slows down acute symptoms and neutralizes toxic effects on the body, eradicating those effects, a cough for example. On the other hand, the pear is a yin or cool food, and so with its medicinal value and yin temperature controling balance, it is appropriate for those having a fever as the pear cools the body and helps restore the body's natural temperature balance. The 배 'pear' is round and firm and not to be confused with the soft, juicy (some say 'mushy') 양배 or 'western pear' with is slender neck and bulging rear. Unlike the western pear, the 배 'pear' is widely known for its medicinal efficacy for phlegm, sputum, the alleviation of fever and stimulating regular bowel movements. And according to a recent study, the pear is "a fruit having a sovereign remedy in preventing cancer, expelling carcinogens from the body". So next time you have a fever and are looking for a natural healer, consider the restorative temperature healing properties of the 배 'pear' and its complement, the toxin-purging honey.
