Manuka Honey...and a few uses!

FOLK REMEDIES …

Sometimes the oldies are the best (and cheapest!) .. so I thought I would start putting a few  'Home Remedies’ in this Blog.  If you know of any easy and simple home remedies, please let me know and I will pop it in the next Blog post to share with everyone.

In the meantime, here is a recipe for a decongestant syrup, a remedy to ease heartburn and also a remedy for acne - all containing the wonderful Manuka Honey …

Manuka Honey

You may have heard of Manuka Honey - it is a premium medical-grade honey, produced by bees that gather nectar from the flowers that grow on the Manuka bush (also known as Leptospermum scoparium) which is indigenous to New Zealand and certain parts of Australia.

Studies have found that Manuka Honey contains very powerful antibacterial, antimicrobial, antiviral, antioxidant, antiseptic, anti-inflammatory and anti-fungal properties, making it extremely effective in treating a wide variety of health conditions.

There are so many therapeutic uses for Manuka honey but one which always gets a lot of 'airplay' is the use to help leg ulcers, for which you can even buy Manuka coated dressings.  You can google and get loads of info. on this use but I thought I would just share one link here that may be of particular interest to animal owners as it has loads of info on the use of honey but also its use on animals
... click here to read all about it!

Most standard honeys contain hydrogen peroxide which is a known antiseptic but Manuka Honey is significantly different in that it has additional antibacterial properties that have the ability to destroy the infectious bacteria that cause most health complications.  Unlike standard honey, Manuka Honey is also stable so there is no concern of it losing its potency or healing properties. 

Among its many, many uses, Manuka Honey can be taken for GASTRO INTESTINAL DISORDERS ranging from Acid Reflux to Irritable Bowel Syndrome – one example of this use is for …Acid Reflux and Heartburn

All you need to do is ...

Take 1 teaspoon of Manuka Honey 3-4 times per day on a small square inch size piece of bread or toast, 20 minutes before meals, to coat the oesophagus.  How easy is that?!

Manuka Honey also has applications for SEVERE ACNE …

After washing your face with warm water, apply a thin layer of Manuka Honey all over the face and leave it on for 15 minutes.

If possible, do this while in the bath while also enjoying the steam from the bath water.  

Wash off the honey with warm water after 15 mins and then with a (pre-prepared) cut lemon slice gently wipe this over the area, then wash off with warm water again and gently pat dry.

It is also brilliant to help the respiratory system - here is a remedy for ...

DECONGESTANT SYRUP – ONION-HONEY

Ingredients: 

¼ onion, chopped finely and 3 tablespoons Manuka honey

Method:

Place the onion in a bowl and pour over the honey. Leave to stand over night. 

Dosage:

Take one teaspoon of the honey, three times a day.
This may be continued for up to one week.

Benefits: 
Clears mucus and congestion. A great for remedy for children as they enjoy the sweetness.



I hope you enjoy these little remedies !  Til next time ... El x'

A little meditation, using the breath ...

Half an hour’s meditation each day is essential; except when you are busy, then a full hour is needed !

St Francis de Sales 

Well, that quote just about says it all, doesn’t it?   Actually, any amount of meditation is great for your mind, body and spirit – even just being mindful and ‘in the moment’ is of huge benefit.  

Someone once told me that if the thought of formalised meditation was too much to contemplate, just make a cup of tea, sit or stand with it and look at something wonderful (plant, animal, scenery) and just focus and enjoy those two things ie, the wonderful thing you are looking at and savour the texture and taste and feel of that cup of tea … just being in that great moment to refresh and refocus your mind is enough to set you up for a good day!

Meditation has been proven to be beneficial on so many levels – it can relieve stress, boost the immune system, decrease anxiety, improve brain function, improve clarity and focus, normalise blood pressure etc etc.  There are so many benefits, too many to list here.  I would recommend you to just do what you can when you can, as much as you can … even a few minutes a day will help.

There are so many forms of meditation available … I find that if you would like to formalise your practice you will need to try different forms out for yourself, to find something that suits you best.  The first form of meditation I learnt, when I was 18, was transcendental meditation, which employs the use of a personalised mantra.  I have learnt lots of other forms since then but I find myself always reverting back to the transcendental form. 

I will write about different practices in later posts but for now I just wanted to share a cleansing meditation with you, which uses the breath as a tool to bring focus. 

This meditation can help to clear your mind and your body, but is especially helpful for your lung health and energy.

If you can get into the habit of practising this ‘mindful breathing’ regularly, you will become calmer and calmer and more energised at the same time!  Focusing on the breath is one of the most common and fundamental techniques for accessing the meditative state.  Breath is a deep rhythm of the body that connects us intimately with the world around us.

  

So – making sure you will not be disturbed for a few minutes, get yourself nice and comfortable.  Close your eyes, breathe deeply and regularly and observe your breath as it flows in and out of your body.

Give your full attention to the breath as it comes in and full attention to the breath as it goes out.  Whenever you find your attention wandering away from your breath, gently pull it back to the rising and falling of the breath.

Inhale through your nose slowly and deeply, feeling the lower chest and abdomen inflate like a balloon.  Hold for five seconds.  Exhale deeply, deflating the lower chest and abdomen like a balloon.  Hold for five seconds.

Do this 3 or 4 times, then allow your breathing to return to a normal rhythm. You will begin to feel a change come over your entire body.  Gradually you will become less aware of your breathing, but not captured in your stream of thoughts.  You will become more centered inward. You will just ‘be there’ !

Hope it helps!  ‘til next time ...

El x