Honey and Bees — Wellness

Honey has been used as a wound treatment for thousands of years. Before the advent of antibiotics it was common for medical professionals to recommend the application of honey to cuts and burns to help with healing. In the last few decades there has been a growing amount of clinical evidence that has shown the effectiveness of honey in this application. The physical properties of honey alone have a positive impact on the wound healing environment. Honey is acidic with a pH of 3.2-4.5. It is well known that topical acidification of wounds increases the release of oxygen from hemoglobin which...

Have you wondered why you see honey used as an ingredient for skin and body care products? Raw honey has long been touted for its antibacterial and antimicrobial properties.  It also contains antioxidants, nutrients, enzymes and healing compounds. Lastly, honey is also a humectant which means that it draws moisture from the air and into the skin. So not only does it gently cleanse the skin it also helps to moisturize. The ancient Egyptians considered honey an anti-aging remedy and Cleopatra was said to have her body treated with honey every day.  For a great DIY skin mask, mix equal amounts...

Let's talk about the benefits of consuming bee pollen! If you've been keeping up with our newsletter, you probably know that pollen is collected by bees to feed their larvae. It is one of nature's most nourishing foods for them and for us! Bee pollen is roughly 40% protein.  Pollen also contains nearly all the nutrients required by the human body. Half of pollen’s protein is free amino acids which are ready to be used immediately by the body. In fact, pollen contains more protein then any animal source and more amino acids by weight then eggs or beef!  Despite...

There are many amazing aspects of beeswax, but let's talk about beeswax candles.  One of the first references to beeswax candles is as far back as 40 BC during the Han Dynasty (honey bees have been around awhile!). The use of beeswax for candles became more common during the Middle Ages as a pleasant smelling alternative to tallow.  Unfortunately at that time, only the wealthy and churches could afford beeswax. In fact, many churches had their own apiaries to get the beeswax needed to make candles. Beeswax burns cleaner than other forms of wax, without black soot, and produces negative ions that actually clean...

I'm sure that most of us were recently inspired by the performances we saw in the Olympics.  Did you know that ancient Greeks consumed honey to boost athletic performance during the games?  Even today Olympians are still eating honey to fuel their feats.  Ashton Eaton (U.S. decathlete) adds honey to his breakfast routine while Kerri Walsh Jennings (women's volleyball) packs honey sticks for snacks. Some scholars even believe that Nectar and Ambrosia, the food and drink of the Greek Gods, were actually kinds of honey!  Holly and I fuel with honey before and after all our workouts. If you want an...