Living Healthy

What is honey? Sugar-rich nectar produced by plants is harvested by honeybees who through an enzymatic process in their gut, convert this nectar into honey which they regurgitate into comb cells. Real honey contains bee pollen. What is propolis? A dark resinous mixture collected from tree sap and flower resin by bees who use propolis to prevent disease, bacterial growth and parasites, and to seal cracks in the hive. What is royal jelly?  A creamy white nutrient-rich honeybee secretion, containing B-complex and C vitamins, and a broad spectrum of amino acids, trace minerals, proteins, sugars, essential fatty acids and enzymes....

Natural Cold &  Flu Fighters We are only midway in the 8-week flu cycle, and already North America is in the midst of a flu outbreak. In the United States, were an estimated 24,000 deaths occur annually due to flu, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) confirms that, this year, flu has reached epidemic levels with 7.3 percent of deaths now attributed to influenza as more virulent strains such as H3N2 appear which make people sicker, longer. In Canada, Health Canada's FluWatch has reported 69 pediatric and 26 adult cases requiring hospitalization. With such statistics, no wonder there's demand for...

Most consumers believe that honey is a natural product made by bees. Little do they know that to keep prices low, many commercial brands mix their honey with other less expensive cane, beet or corn sugars. These products are definitely sweet, but they are nothing more than health-destroying sugars in the same vein as white table sugar. No wonder people have health problems. Also, few people know that honey should, as defined by the Codex Alimentarius Commission which sets international food standards and trade, contain at least 95 percent bee pollen. Their Honey Standard specifies that no pollen or constituent...

What is Royal Jelly? A creamy white nutrient-rich honeybee secretion, Royal Jelly is the only food fit for a queen bee. Royal jelly contains royalactin, a protein which causes queen larva to grow 1 1/2 times the normal size, and makes queen bees very fertile and long-lived. Queen bees can live up to five years compared to a few weeks for worker bees which maybe why royal jelly is found in traditional anti-aging tonics. Besides royalactin, royal jelly also contains C and B-complex vitamins, and a broad spectrum of protein-building amino acids, trace minerals, proteins, sugars, essential fatty acids and enzymes....

What is Buckwheat Honey?   Despite the name, buckwheat is not a cereal grain, but a plant related to rhubarb. Dark in colour, buckwheat honey has a smooth, full-bodied taste and is rich in antioxidants. In traditional herbal medicine, honey is used to improve circulation and for heart health. Good news for world heart day. Why is Buckwheat Honey Good for the Heart? First, buckwheat honey contains rutin and magnesium. Rutin strengthens capillary walls and magnesium relaxes blood vessels which helps to decrease blood pressure. Second, buckwheat honey has antioxidants. A 2004 Cornell University report on a study showed people...