MANUKA HONEY &
IMMUNITY
THE IMMUNE SYSTEM &
MANUKA HONEY
I am not a nutritionist or a scientist but have always been fascinated by diet, ancient remedies, eating seasonally and a love of foraging and living off what nature provided for us. Doesn’t everyone have a secret desire to be self sufficient even just for a short while?
Due to the nature of my work, wonderful manuka honey stories are shared with me on a near daily basis. These come from all areas ; nurses (I have yet to meet a nurse who doesn’t swear by manuka honey dressings) , doctors (Dr Hilary Jones is a huge advocate) all manner of alternative medics, nutritionists and the regular person on the street. Ordinarily it starts with “you will never believe it but…” and funnily enough, I do! There is many a manuka tale to tell.
With the events of 2020 / 2021 and the complete bombshell that the pandemic has brought to everyone’s lives, keeping your immune system strong is more topical now than ever before.
I am often asked if Manuka Honey is good for the immune system. The immune system is very complex and the answer is not straightforward. It seems to be universally accepted that a strong immune system is vital for good health and that there are many ways in which we can help to support it.
For once experts seem to agree that we can support the immune system with a combination of things which have the added benefit of being readily available and completely natural:
- Sleep – more and regular
- Nutrition
- Fresh air and daily exercise
- Good gut health
- Reduction of stress – yoga, mindfulness or meditation
Here are just a few ways that you can use Manuka honey to help support your immune system.
Sleep
A delicious and calming bedtime drink: Cup of warm milk (dairy, oat, soya or almond) with a teaspoon of best manuka honey, two drops vanilla extract, pinch cinnamon. You can also add a couple of tbsps of porridge oats and whizz up if you prefer.
A teaspoon of manuka honey in your lemon and ginger before bed . Don’t forget to wash your teeth afterwards, lemon is not good for enamel.
Diet
A shot or tonic is a great way to integrate manuka honey into your immune system support routine: Immune boosting Tumeric, Lemon, Ginger and Manuka shot: add pinch of turmeric to 1 tbsp lemon juice, grated ginger and half a teaspoon of manuka honey … stir, shake and down in one!
Good Gut Health
Regular consumption of lemon honey water will help keep your digestive system healthy. Squeeze half a lemon into warm water and add a little manuka honey to taste. Drinking lemon water with honey increases stomach acid production and bile secretion, which aids the breakdown of food materials, absorption of nutrients and expulsion of waste through the colon.
If any positives emerge from the coronavirus pandemic then an increased awareness of keeping our immune systems healthy has to be one of them. Organic and pure natural ingredients added to your diet will help improve your immune system. As always, it is crucial to know where your food comes from and how it is grown. Please see Manuka Uses and Benefits for other delicious ways of supporting your immune system with manuka honey. Look after yourself, you are very precious!