Oh Honey!

Thanks to its distinct depth of flavor and its many proven (and impressive) health benefits, honey is one of Mother Nature’s sweetest gifts, and around here, early fall is when many backyard beekeepers and bee farms (called apiaries) “pull” this liquid gold from their hives and “spin” it out of the combs to share with all of us.

According to Montgomery backyard beekeepers Myles and Debra Wright, who’ve been encouraging their busy bees to produce honey for four years now, getting your honey fix by buying local, raw honey is always the smart choice, for several different reasons:

1. The stuff in the grocery store may not even be 100 percent honey. Some “honey” is cut with other ingredients. Plus, it has often been pasteurized, which destroys many of its beneficial properties. “Pasteurized honey from the average store is as unhealthy as consuming refined sugar. Raw honey is different because it has not been pasteurized, heated or processed in any way, and therefore still contains minerals, vitamins, enzymes and powerful antioxidants. It also has anti-bacterial, anti-viral and anti-fungal properties,” Myles said.
2. “Raw honey is great, but local raw honey is even better!  It contains pollen that is specific to your area and therefore can really help with seasonal allergies. Taking a spoonful of raw honey once or twice a day is a great help.  This gets the pollen introduced into the body and gradually builds up the body’s tolerance to seasonal allergies,” he added.
3. It’s not just for eating! “Honey has antiseptic qualities and is used for medicinal purposes including wound care, sore throats and allergies.  Some use bee stings for arthritic therapy,” Myles said. Other products that use honey or wax include lip balm, soaps, lotions and liniments.
4. There’s more. Raw honey has also been proven to:

• Aid in digestion
• Strengthen the immune system
• Balance blood sugar
• Treat ulcers
• Soothe sore throats

AND: It. Tastes. Better!

Want more ways to use honey? Learn how to make your own moisturizing foot cream with honey.