We probably love winter more than most. With winter brings snow and with snow comes snowboarding, skiing, snowshoeing, and winter hiking. But when winter ends there is just as much to look forward to in Spring as there was in seasons past. I would say that Spring has finally arrived but a we await a big snowstorm, I am still planning on what hikes we will be going on and where we will be going camping. I like to think of all the trails covered with wildflowers and green grasses!
The only downfall to Spring and all those wildflowers is that my husband has the WORST allergies. No matter where we have lived, he will sneeze repeatedly every day. Not to mention the itchy eyes and the runny nose. I can see how miserable he is but he won't take no for an answer and still wants to go hiking. We stock on up on the sinus medications and the allergy pills but those only give so much relief. Peppermint oil helps to ease the stuffy nose and eucalyptus oil in the shower relieves the coughing. But that still only provides so much help when it comes to seasonal allergies.
Now, I'm not one of those people who has to use everything and anything natural. I am fortunate that I do not have the seasonal allergies but after going through my fair share of health problems (surgeries, cancer, c diff, pneumonia, etc). All of that said, I have not been on any antibiotics in almost 3 years. Next month will mark a full year since I have even suffered from a cold. There is one thing that I have done in the past few years that I would like to attribute to staying healthy; honey!
Pretty much every evening I settle down to a glass of hot tea (local, loose leaf tea) and a nice heaping glob of honey. And for every cup of tea I have, I am guilty of taking a spoonful of honey from the jar and eating it for myself. Is this the reason I stay healthy? I can't say 100% that it is but I like to think that it is. My husband on the other hand doesn't drink tea too often but when he does he always asks for it without honey. Who does that? I mean really? That changed last week though. I've been reading more and more about how taking honeybee pollen helps with an abundance of things from allergies to immunity. I did some more research and found out everything I needed to know about bee pollen.
One thing I found out was that there are some people that have terrible allergic reactions to ingesting bee pollen. Before he even began taking it, we both tried a couple of pestles by itself. The taste was pretty interesting. I let it dissolve on my tongue and then the little ball left I chewed. It tasted just like honey. After waiting all evening, we came to the conclusion that neither of us have any allergies to it.
I've read not to mix it with anything hot (tea being out of the question) because it loses it's benefits that way. Every morning we wake up and before brushing our teeth, we have some bee pollen. I take mine with a small spoonful of honey while my husband mixes a dab of peanut butter, honey and pollen together and takes it that way. It has only been a couple of days now but I like to think I see a change in how bad his allergies are. Of course, I don't think we will see any improvement until at least 4-6 weeks of ingesting. We will continue to keep taking it in hopes that when Spring is in full bloom he can go hiking without feeling like he is dying.
Now for those of you that are still skeptical on this honeybee pollen craze, I'll give you some more information about how you can benefit from taking pollen. First of all, bee pollen is richer in protein than any other animal source. It has more amino acids than beef, eggs, or cheese of equal weight. Aside from that fact in itself, here are the top 10 reasons to start adding bee pollen to your diet.
1) Energy- The nutrients found within bee pollen make a great natural energizer!
2) Skin Soother- Bee pollen is often used in topical products to treat inflammatory conditions like psoriasis or eczema. The amino acids and vitamins protect the skin and regenerate the cells. 3) Respiratory System- Bee pollen contains a high quantity of antioxidants that have a healing effect on the tissue of the lungs.
4) Allergies- Pollen reduces the presence of histamine, relieving many allergies.
5) Digestive System- Bee pollen contains enzymes that help aid in digesting foods.
6) Immune System Booster- Pollen is good for intestinal flora and has antibiotic-type properties that help protect the body from contracting viruses.
7) Treats Addiction- Used holistically for healing addictions. Bee pollen crashes cravings.
8) Cardiovascular System- Bee pollen contains large amounts of Rutin; an antioxidant that helps strengthen capillaries, blood vessels, and cholesterol levels.
9) Prostate Health- Men who suffer from prostate issues can find relief using bee pollen.
10) Infertility- Bee pollen stimulates and restores ovarian function and may help assisting pregnancy. It's even a hormonal booster and a great aphrodisiac.
In order for you to get the maximum benefits from bee pollen, make sure that you get raw honey and pollen from a local vendor. I prefer purchasing honey directly from farmers markets or the farms themselves. The pollen is from bees that are from your area so if you use a pollen from across the country, you won't be getting the potential benefits because it's not plants from your area. If you need suggestions as to where to buy honey and pollen from in your area, feel free to comment or email me!
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