What do you think of when you hear the word bees? Do you think of creepy little bugs that sting if you get too close? I used to. And I'm sure many of you do too. But then we got bees. Yes, real live bees. And my husband promted and encouraged me to join him in doing lots of reading and learning about those creepy little bugs. And now, months and months later my opinion of the little bee has changed greatly. (Except when they wind up flying around inside the house and I have to call my kids to catch them.)
Bees are fascinating, brilliant little creatures that create one of the healthiest, most medicinal foods on earth. Everything in their comb is edible and full of powerful vitamins, minerals, nutrients, and enzymes that can act as medicine for humans under many different circumstances. I'm going to briefly list a few benefits for the main bee products. But there's far more to know than what will be listed here.
Lets start with the honey. Now when I say honey I don't mean the liquid stuff you buy in a squeezy bear, which is most cases is not even honey at all. I'm talking about the raw, unprocessed and unfiltered honey which is usually thicker, tastier and can come in a variety of different colors. Raw honey can have antibiotic and anti bacterial effects and can treat many internal disorders as well as healing external wounds. Remember, it's gotta be raw honey (not heated) to retain all of its health benefits!
A note about honey: it's best to know the source (apiary/farmer) of your honey. Many bottles can say raw and organic but that doesn't necessarily mean that the bees haven't been treated with pesticides or pollinated flowers with pesticides. Knowing where your honey comes from can assure you of the highest and purest quality.
Next there's bee pollen. The pollen is collected by the bees from thousands of flowers and flown back to the hive where it's mixed with nectar to make the honey. It's full of antioxidants, 18 vitamins including all the B vitamins except B 12. It's got all the amino acids, fatty acids and protein too! It's great for increasing your energy and alleviating allergies!
Propolis. Our kids call propolis "bees gum". It's a sticky, waxy resin that the bees use to seal up their hive and fill in any cracks. Propolis has antibiotic, antibacterial, antifungal, anti microbial and anti inflammatory effects which help keep the bees inside the hive free of unwanted bacteria and viruses.
It's full of vitamins and is a huge immune system booster. We like to just chew it straight from the hive but there are different ways you can consume propolis. Any health food store would have propolis in different forms, along with all the other fabulous bee products.
So go ahead and try someing new. If you're suffering from allergies, need a good immune boost or just want to add something super beneficial to your diet, bee products might just be the thing! And if you ever want to stop by for a visit, our bees love visitors!
If you ever want to sample some raw, unfiltered honey, come over and visit us for a taste!
