Health Benefits Of Local Raw Honey

BENEFITS OF LOCAL RAW HONEY! 

(naturalnews) When we look at the word "raw", we associated it with the preservation of important vitamins, minerals and enzymes. Just as raw vegetables are preferable because of their nutritional content, the same is true of honey. Raw honey is honey that has not been heated, pasteurized or processed in any way. The differences between raw and pasteurized honey are substantial. Raw honey is an alkaline-forming food that contains natural vitamins, enzymes, powerful antioxidants and other important natural nutrients. These are the very nutrients that are destroyed during the heating and pasteurization process. In fact, pasteurized honey is equivalent to and just as unhealthy as eating refined sugar.

Raw honey has anti-viral, anti-bacterial, and anti-fungal properties. It promotes body and digestive health, is a powerful antioxidant, strengthens the immune system, eliminates allergies, and is an excellent remedy for skin wounds and all types of infections. Raw honey's benefits don't stop there. Raw honey can also stabilize blood pressure, balance sugar levels, relieve pain, calm nerves, and it has been used to treat ulcers. Raw honey is also an expectorant and anti-inflammatory and has been known to effectively treat respiratory conditions such as bronchitis and asthma.

Raw honey purchased from a local source is an excellent way of treating seasonal allergies. Local honey is preferred for treating allergies because the likelihood is great that it will contain small amounts of the specific pollens an individual may be allergic to.

Raw Honey is an effective natural remedy for a variety of conditions:

For centuries, honey has been used to treat all sorts of ailments. It can be applied topically to heal wounds and rashes, or it can be taken internally to treat infections and address other health concerns. Although there are numerous remedies, the following are popular remedies for common everyday conditions.

For skin burns, rashes, and abrasions, place a honey poultice over the affected area.

Raw honey is also an effective treatment for acne. A small amount placed on blemishes and acne nightly will often clear the skin in a short period of time. Washing your face with honey will also leave you with sparkling, clean, soft skin.

Raw honey's antibiotic properties are effective in treating colds and sore throats. Raw honey coats the throat and reduces irritation. For blocked sinuses, mix a teaspoon of honey in a pot of hot water, put a towel over your head, and just inhale the steam.

To treat allergies, take a teaspoon of raw honey a couple of times a day starting a few months prior to allergy season.

The many varieties of honey:
There are many varieties of honey, some of which are used to treat specific health conditions. Manuka honey has strong anti-bacterial properties and is used to treat a variety of conditions which include colds, sore throats, indigestion, stomach ulcers, and acne.

Acacia honey cleanses the liver, promotes intestinal health, and reduces inflammation in the respiratory tract.

Buckwheat honey, a strong tasting and dark honey, has strong antioxidant properties. Unfortunately, Buckwheat Honey is very scarce, especially in the United States. An alternative would be Red Gum Honey that also has strong antioxidant properties.

Eucalyptus honey can be used to prevent colds and headaches.

Heather honey has been used since ancient times for its medicinal properties. This honey contains a high level of protein.

Linden honey is known for its sedative and antiseptic properties. It is used to treat anxiety, insomnia, colds, coughs, and bronchitis.

Neem honey is highly esteemed in Ayurveda for its medicinal properties. Neem Honey is used to treat high blood pressure, diabetes, skin conditions, periodontal infections, throat infections and allergies.

When looking to buy raw honey, look for a product from a local producer, preferably one you know or know of. Local honey offers particularly great protection from seasonal allergies.

Please note that pediatricians caution against feeding honey to children under one year old.


It is important to note that not all honey sold is real honey. 
Read the following, "Honey warning''

The mystery product sold as “honey” BUT ISN'T! Not all honey is created equal. In fact, not all “honey” is real honey. Honey is one of the most commonly mis-labeled foods. Last year, Food Safety News found that 75% of store-bought honey was ultra-filtered and did not contain pollen. Without pollen, it is impossible to identify the honey’s source. The US FDA states that any “honey” that no longer contains pollen cannot technically be considered honey.

Even more concerning, a third or more of all “honey” in the US was found to have been smuggled in from China or India, and tainted with illegal antibiotics and heavy metals. According to Food Safety News, millions of pounds of honey deemed unsafe and banned from dozens of foreign countries is being imported and sold in the US.

Additionally, a number of ingredients are added to “honey”, and even sometimes constitute the main ingredient. These include sucrose syrup, sugar syrup, partial invert cane syrup, corn syrup, glucose syrup, beet sugar and high-fructose corn syrup, as well as artificial sweeteners. Any “honey” that contains these ingredients is therefore not real honey, but a blend. Furthermore, some of these ingredients, such as high fructose corn syrup and artificial sweeteners, pose a particular threat to the health of consumers. On my trip to the grocery store, I picked up this little honey bear whose main ingredient was high fructose corn syrup. It was the cheapest honey available, and though I hate to waste, I threw this little guy in the trash after photographing him (I see right past that cute little face of yours, honey bear…).

Sources:
http://www.benefits-of-honey.com/raw-honey.html
http://www.carlislehoney.com/allergies.htm
http://www.drgrotte.com/honey-medicine.shtml

About the author:
Luella May is a natural health advocate helping people to heal naturally.
Source: NaturalNews.com
Article Source: www.tinyurl.com/buw8wgp
Dave Sommers
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The Top 30 Flowers For Bees

Bees are vital. Without them, pollination of crops doesn't occur. Bees work tirelessly to provide us with our food, but are struggling in the wild. In recent years it has become apparent that bees, not just the honeybee, are under threat and some have already gone extinct. Find out on this lens which flowers to grow for pollen and nectar that will feed them and help them to increase their numbers. Insects and plants must now be taken care of by gardeners if they are to survive.The private garden is now a better place than the countryside for wildlife, since much agricultural land is now devoid of the diversity of flowers insects need to give them their 'five a day'. It is now thought by scientists in the field that insects need as much variety in their food as we do to get all the trace minerals and vitamins to keep them healthy, so go on, plant flowers for the bees!


HA= Hardy annual   HHA =Half hardy annual   P = Perennial   HB= Hardy biennial   HS= Hardy shrub


·  1
Cosmos (HHA) is an annual flower easily raised from seed. It’s also one of the very best for the bee. Grow it in groups, making the collection of pollen easier for the bees, who won’t have to fly as far to find their food. Cosmos grows 2-5ft tall, the majority reaching about 2ft. It’s from Mexico, so a half hardy annual. Plant out after all danger of frost has passed, and deadhead to keep them flowering continuously through the summer. These open, flat flowers will delight you as well as giving the bees a feast.
·  2
Aster (HHA) ‘Compostion’ or Michaelmass Daisies. Many modern hybrids have little or no pollen. easy to grow, colorful and late summer to autumn flowering, they provide food late in the season. Important if honeybees are to be well fed to get through the winter months.
·  3
Sunflowers (HA) are a great choice, available in many heights and colours to suit your garden space. Choose yellow or orange over red, which bees don’t like. Varieties exist now for the allergic gardener, containing no pollen. Obviously avoid these when wishing to attract bees.
·  4
Calendulas or marigolds (HA) are great for bees, especially the original single flowered pot marigold. Dead head regularly for a longer flowering period.
·  5
Primulas. (HP) The native primrose, (primula vulgaris), primulas of all kinds, even the drumstick ones are great early food for bees. Cowslips (primula veris) are also good members of this extensive family of perennial plants.
·  6
Rudbekia (HHA) are an extensive group of cone flowers from the aster family. A wide variety of heights, mostly available in yellows and oranges, sure to brighten your border and feed bees. There are also a few hardy perennial ones, of which ‘Goldsturn’ is my personal favourite. All are easy to grow from seed.
·  7
Scabious or cornflowers (HA), another aster family member, are mostly blue flowered and bees adore them. Dead-headed regularly, they’ll flower all summer long.
·  8
Lavender (HHS) There are plenty of lavenders to choose from, all needing plenty of sun and well drained soil, but they’ll reward you with plenty of fragrant flowers for cutting and drying. Just watch them get smothered in bees when they come into flower.
·  9
Bluebells (bulb) Another early food supply. Just a note of caution for UK growers. The native English bluebell in now under threat from the Spanish bluebell, which outcompetes and crosses with it. So please ensure you are planting the native bluebell to ensure you don’t endanger a bluebell woodland near you.
·  10
Hellebores (HP) The Christmas rose! A lovely flower to have in your garden from late winter to early spring, this plant will tolerate some shade and moist conditions, though not wet. When bees emerge from hibernation they need food fast. This one gives them a snack when there’s little else around.
·  11
Clematis (Perennial climber) The majority of clematis will provide pollen, and I’ve watched bees happily moving from flower to flower gathering their crop. Always plant clematis deeper than they were in the container, as this gives more protection against cleamits wilt. These plants are hungry and thirsty, so add good compost to the planting hole. They also like their roots in the cool and heads in the sun, so once planted I place either a thick mulch or a pile of stones or gravel around their roots, keeping them cool and conserving moisture.
·  12
Crocus (bulb) Early flowering, plenty to choose from, and planted in the autumn to flower year after year. These are great value and cheer me up as well as the bees!
·  13
Mint (HP), especially water mint, is loved by bees. It’s great in your cooking, too. Easy to grow, it can be a bit of a thug, so either grow it in a container or prevent its escape around the garden by burying a bucket (with holes in the bottom for drainage) and plant your mint into that.
·  14
Rosemary (HHS) A mediterranean herb, rosemary likes well drained soild and full sun. It flowers around April/May. A great culinary herb, bees will take advantage of the pollen as long as you prune it correctly. This is best done straight after flowering, as most of the flowers will appear on new wood. Don’t prune rosemary back to old, bare wood as these are not likely to regrow. Depending on where you live and soil conditions, rosemary can be short lived, so take some cuttings each year so you can replace the old plant should it dsie or become too leggy.
·  15
Thyme (H to HHS)) There are now quite a few varieties available, tasting slightly different to each other eg lemon thyme. However, I’ve noticed that the wild thyme (thymus serpyllum) attracts a lot of bee visitors and tends to flower more profusely. But they are all worth growing. Give them the same growing conditions as rosemary and lavender.
·  16
Hebe (HH-HS) This extensive group of shrubs have wonderful flowers for bees. Plenty of pollen, all on one flower and plenty of flowers on one shrub. They vary in height, are mosly blue or pink and tolerate most soils. They dislike too much wet, so a well drained soil is best. Water well, though, until established.
·  17
Borage, the bee herb. (HA) Borage is blue flowered, simple to grow and in fact one type grows wild in the UK, though originally from Syria. Easy, prolific and the bees love it.
·  18
Echinacea, the cone flower. (HP) Now available in a variety of colours, all of which will attract bees. Echinacea Tennesseensis will attract birds, bees and butterflies.
·  19
Mignotette. There are HA, HHA and Perennial members of this family. They are sweetly scented and will attract and feed your bees, especially Reseda lutea.
·  20
Thrift, or Sea Pink (HP) is a great plant for a rock garden, trough or wall. Holding its bright pink flowers well above the grass-like foliage, it will cheer your garden and make the bees come back for more! Give it well drained condiitons and lots of sun.
·  21
Sedums are also excellent plants for rock gardens and walls. There are many to choose from, but avoid Sedum Spectabilis Autumn Joy if you’re planting for bees. Biting stonecrop and English stonecrop (sedums acre and anglicum). are natives, and great for bees.
·  22
Sweet Williams (Dianthus barbatus) (HB) are fantastic flowers for bees. An old cottage garden favourite, bees are attracted to the pink or white flowers and we love the perfume! They are members of the dianthus family, as are Pinks and Carnations, all of which are good for the bees.
·  23
Monarda (Bergamot) (HP) This is the herb that flavours Earl Grey tea, but the bees love its flowers for pollen and nectar. Its folk name in the Uk is bee balm. It likes a moist but not wet soil and can cope with a bit of shade. Share it with the bees! Bergamot tea is a herbal treat in itself. Just pour boiling water on the leaves and allow about ten minutes before drinking.
·  24
Cornflower (HA) Easy to grow, cheap and cheerful, cornflowers are another cottage garden favourite. Thier blue flowers act like a bee magnet. Grow in as large a group as you have the space for. This makes it easier for the bees to spot them and saves them flying around more than necessary. It’s easy to save seed from one year to the next, too.
·  25
Poppies (HA-HP) All poppies are attractive to bees, and are laden with pollen in nice open flowers. Very easy to grow, especially the annual kinds, and easy to save seeds to sow next year. Enjoy their delicate petals while your bees enjoy a feast.
·  26
Verbena Bonariensis (HP) a tall, delicate looking perennial with purple/mauve flowers that add a tropical feel to your borders. This is easy to grow from seed and sown early enough will flower in its first year. One not to do without!
·  27
Snapdragons (Antirrhinum) (HHA) Plenty of choice in heights and colours. Have you ever watched a bee enter and leave a snapdragon? Their weight pulls the lower part of the petal down so they can get inside for their food, and you can hear them buzzing while they are in there. Lovely to watch.
·  28
Ageratum (HHA) Easy to grow, with heads of blue flowers and another member of the compositae family, so lots of food on one flower head. This is one of my favorite annuals in the garden. Just don’t plant out until all danger of frost has passed and dead head for more flowers.
·  29
Echinops (globe thistle) (HP) This lovely blue thistle is very ornamental, even when not in flower, standing about 36″ tall. Bees and butterflies love the flowers which provide plenty of nectar. Easy to grow from seed and will come back year after year.
·  30

Digitalis (foxglove) (HB) Foxgloves make great food for bees. As they are poisonous, protect children from them and handle wearing gloves. As long as these precautions are taken these are wonderful plants for the garden and the bees. A woodland plant, they’re useful for a shady spot.






Other articles you may enjoy:

More Than Honey (A Bee Movie): The Not So Talked About Factory Farming of Bees

Oregon Temporarily Bans Pesticides Following Bee Deaths

Natural Pain Relief

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When a plant shows a certain effect with regards to human health, the first thing western medicine does is isolate, synthesize and make a pharmaceutical out of the “active molecule” in the plant. The rest of the plant is normally not considered of any use because it is cheaper for research to study one single compound instead of the multiple complex interactions happening between the whole plant and the human body. Isolating and synthesizing one molecule in a plant (instead of the entire array of plant molecules that benefit us in the first place) allows drug companies to patent that molecule and call it their own. Making slight chemical modifications opens these companies to an array of further patenting potential (and thus, more money).

Little do people know is that the entire plant itself is much cheaper, and easier to gain access to. The whole plant is also much more beneficial to the human body, putting the isolated compounds synthesized by drug companies to shame.

I will, and always have believed that the whole plant itself is much better than pharmaceutical drugs. Consuming the entire plant allows your body to synthesize all that plant has to offer – the enzymes, minerals and vitamins, creating a whole body health benefit. Synthesized plant compounds take on a form that is not as recognizable to the human body – the benefits are not whole, and have little to no effect on our health compared to if we actually ate from the source plant itself. The compounds in the whole plant work synergistically with the body – human beings and plants have evolved side-by-side for millions of years, and so it only makes sense that our bodies would have adapted to absorb these health-activating compounds from plants and dispose of the rest.

Here is a list (not limited to) of 8 natural painkillers that can be found in your kitchen:

1. Ginger - Joint & Muscle Pain
Gingerols (active compounds in ginger) prevent the production of pain-triggering hormones. Add at least 1 tbsp. fresh, raw dried ginger (powder form), or 2-4 inches of fresh ginger into your meals daily (juicing ginger with other greens is a great way to reap these health benefits!)

2. Garlic - Painful earaches
Ear infections are one of the most prevalent medical complains in North America. Placing two drops of warm garlic oil into you or your child’s achy ear daily for five days. This treatment clears up infections faster than prescription medications! Making your own garlic oil is simple. Crush 3-4 cloves of garlic and put into a shallow pot on the stove. Let the cloves simmer in 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil (or hemp oil) for two minutes, strain, and refrigerate for two weeks. Alternatively, simply let the garlic cloves sit in the oil for 2-3 days in the fridge and strain out the cloves whenever you need to use the garlic oil.

3. Honey - Mouth sores (i.e., canker sores or cold sores)
Unpasturized, raw honey works wonders for mouth sores. Dabbing a little bit of honey on your cold sore or canker sore four times daily helps them heal up to 43% faster than over-the-counter prescription creams. The enzymes in raw honey reduce inflammation and destroy bacteria and viruses. It also helps speed the healing of damaged tissues.

4. Horseradish - Sinus problems
Many individuals suffer from congestion and facial pain. Horseradish naturally speeds up blood flow to the sinus cavities and helps heal sinus infections by opening up and draining the cavities. Horseradish works just as well, if not better than, decongestant sprays do, and without the addictive side effects of decongestants (these also leave you congested more than decongested in the long run – I remember using them as a teen and I was consistently congested). Take one teaspoon twice daily symptoms clear.

5. Turmeric - Chronic pain & inflammation
Turmeric is a wonder food. It contains a compound called curcumin which naturally shuts down cyclooxygenase 2, an enzyme that activates an array of pain-inducing hormones. It is three times more effective at easing pain and inflammation than aspirin, ibuprofen or naproxen. It has also helped relieve chronic pain for over 50% of people suffering with arthritis and fibromyalgia. I would suggest juicing 3-4 inches of turmeric root, or consuming 1 tbsp. fresh, raw turmeric powder daily.

6. Cloves - Tooth pain & gum inflammation
Chewing on clove buds is a great way to ease tooth pain and gum inflammation. They contain a compound called eugenol which is a natural anesthetic. You can also sprinkle some ground cloves (1 tsp. or so) on your food if you would rather not chew on the clove itself.

7. Peppermint - Painful muscles
Peppermint is an excellent muscle relaxant. If you have any knots in your back, shoulder, or anywhere else in your body, sitting in a warm bath with 10 drops of peppermint oil will help relax your muscles. Peppermint oil naturally soothes the nerves in your body, and when combined with warmth, is up to 25% more effective at relieving muscle cramps than over-the-counter painkillers.

8. Grapes - Backaches (damaged back tissue)
The resveratrol in grapes helps relax tight blood vessels and improves blood flow in the intervertebral discs and thus eases back pain. Improving blood flow to the discs in the back in important because blood helps deliver healing nutrients and oxygen to the cells and nerves in our body. Eating 2-3 cups of grapes per day is an excellent way to help loosen and ease backaches.

Sources: Live Love Fruit

(1) Altman, R., & Marcussen, K. (2001) Effects of a ginger extract on knee pain in patients with osteoarthritis. Arthritis & Rheumatism, 44, 2531-2538.

(2) Brooks, D. (1986) An onion in your ear. The Journal of Laryngology and Otology, 100, 1043-1046.

(3) Molan, P. (2001) The potential of honey to promote oral wellness. Gen Dent., 49, 584-589.

(4) Bladh, K., & Olsson, K. (2011) Introduction and use of horseradish (Armoracia rusticana) as food and medicine from antiquity to the present: emphasis on the nordic countries. Journal of herbs, spices and medicinal plants, 17, 197-213.

(5) Funk, J., Oyarzo, J., Frye, J., Chen, G., Lantz, C., Jolad, S., Solyom, A., & Timmermann, B. (2006) Turmeric extracts containing curcuminoids prevent experimental rheumatoid arthritis. Journal of Natural Products, 69, 351-355.

(6) Raghavenra, H., Diwakr, B., Lokesh, B., & Naidu, K. (2006) Eugenol – the active principal from cloves inhibits 5-lipoxygenase actiity and leukotriene-C4 in human PMNL cells. Prostaglandins, Leukotrienes, and Essential Fatty Acids, 74, 23-27.

(7) Grigoleit, H., & Grigoleit, P. (2005) Pharmacology and preclinical pharmacokinetics of peppermint oil. Phytomedicine, 12, 612-616.

(8) Xin, L., Phillips, F., An, H., Ellman, M., Thonar, E., Wu, W., Park, D., & Im, H. (2008) The action of resveratrol, a phytoestrogen found in grapes, on the intervertebral disc. Spine.

(9) http://www.ivillage.com/natural-pain-remedies-your-kitchen

A Natural Pain Killing Formula

More Than Honey (A Bee Movie): The Not So Talked About Factory Farming of Bees

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“If the bee disappears off the surface of the globe, then man would only have four years of life left.” Albert Einstein

More Than Honey is a new documentary written and directed by Markus Imhoof. In his new documentary, Imhoof travels the world to take an in-depth look at honeybee colonies in California, Switzerland, China and Australia. Imhoof is more than qualified to make this exposé on the harm being done to bees as he is a second generation bee keeper. This movie sheds light on the  not so talked about aspect of moving bees all over the country to pollinate monoculture crops. After watching this documentary, one can only “bee” left feeling sorry for these poor little buggers as they represent an entire other scale of factory farming that is equally as harmful as the over crowded cattle yards or chicken houses.

Official synopsis from the film’s website: ”

Over the past 15 years, numerous colonies of bees have been decimated throughout the world, but the causes of this disaster remain unknown. Depending on the world region, 50% to 90% of all local bees have disappeared, and this epidemic is still spreading from beehive to beehive – all over the planet. Everywhere, the same scenario is repeated: billions of bees leave their hives, never to return. No bodies are found in the immediate surroundings, and no visible predators can be located.

In the US, the latest estimates suggest that a total of 1.5 million (out of 2.4 million total beehives) have disappeared across 27 states. In Germany, according to the national beekeepers association, one fourth of all colonies have been destroyed, with losses reaching up to 80% on some farms. The same phenomenon has been observed in Switzerland, France, Italy, Portugal, Greece, Austria, Poland and England, where this syndrome has been nicknamed “the Mary Celeste Phenomenon”, after a ship whose crew vanished in 1872.

Scientists have found a name for the phenomenon that matches its scale, “colony collapse disorder,” and they have good reason to be worried: 80% of plant species require bees to be pollinated. Without bees, there is no pollinization, and fruits and vegetables could disappear from the face of the Earth. Apis mellifera (the honey bee), which appeared on Earth 60 million years before man and is as indispensable to the economy as it is to man’s survival.

Should we blame pesticides or even medication used to combat them? Maybe look at parasites such as varroa mites? New viruses? Travelling stress? The multiplication of electromagnetic waves disturbing the magnetite nanoparticles found in the bees’ abdomen? So far, it looks like a combination of all these agents has been responsible for the weakening of the bees’ immune defenses.”

Source: http://www.realfarmacy.com