It is always nice to find things that are delicious and yet very healthy … ‘Manuka Honey’ is one of these things. This product is exclusively from New Zealand’s strongly scented ‘Manuka’ trees, and it’s honey at it’s most delicious, yet it also has an extra ‘healthy factor’.
In my family there was always plenty of honey. My grandma kept bees so honey was, and still is, commonplace. As a kid I loved to spread it on bread with butter, soooo delicious, but it was so readily come buy I’m not sure I fully appreciated it.
I definitely appreciate ‘Manuka’ honey now. It can be a bit pricey, especially if you use it in your diet AND as a beauty remedy, as I do. So what makes it so special and is it really worth it?
Honey has been a part of our diet for centuries, for its antibacterial, antifungal and antiviral properties. Manuka honey has been proved to have even higher antibacterial properties. Hopefully without completely boring you, scientists have compared Manuka with it’s medical ‘brother’, phenol, which is used in aspirin and as an anesthetic in medicine. Over prescription of antibiotics has resulted in resistant bacteria and Manuka is now used in hospitals to combat this. Each jar is marked with a ‘UMF rating‘ (Unique Manuka Factor), the higher the rating the greater the antibacterial activity.
So what’s Manuka honey great for?
– I put a teaspoon of Manuka in my porridge each morning to help ward of colds & flu, it’s great for the immune system. It also tastes fabulous!
-It’s great for helping wounds, burns and ulcers to heal, as it prevents bacteria growth yet keeps skin moisturized so it can recover properly.
-I also use it as a ‘facial cleanser’ and ‘mask’. To cleanse I spread it evenly on my face and leave it for twenty minutes. It’s not as sticky as regular honey so it’s easier to work with and wash off.
If I get time to do a proper mask I mix 1-2 tablespoons of Manuka with a small tablespoon of powdered cinnamon and a tablespoon of fresh lemon juice. Leave it for 20 minutes and then rinse thoroughly. It’s a great brightening, (thanks to the lemon), exfoliating, (thanks to the cinnamon) and obviously anti-inflammatory, (thanks to the Manuka) cleansing mask. Note to yourself: Do not lick your face! It’s delicious and you will be tempted, but it has to stay there for a while in order to be effective.
I hope you decide to try it, let me know what you think. To me ‘Manuka’ is a MUST! Why? “BECAUSE I’M WORTH IT!”
