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5 Easy, Delicious AND Nutritious School Snacks

5 Easy, Delicious AND Nutritious School Snacks

It’s back to school and the season of snack swapping, make sure you give them something good. Bonus points if they don’t want to swap it 🤪 Maybe that’s wishful thinking? Creating snacks that are quick, inexpensive, nutritious and something all the kids want to eat can feel like a mythical quest. 

The great thing about manuka honey is that it’s packed with brain and body boosting benefits but it’s also sweet and tastes great with most everything (re: kid approved). For as little as $1/day you can incorporate manuka into your kid’s snack routine and it can help:

Here are five easy snacks we think you and your kiddos will love:

  1. Easy Air Fryer PB&H, three ways!
  2. Honey PB Apple “Cookies”
  3. Gluten & Yeast Free Soft Pretzels with Honey Mustard Dipping Sauce
  4. Air Fryer Shiitake Mushroom Jerky
  5. Peanut Butter Manuka Honey Cereal Bars 

Check out our reel for other fun ideas that don’t need a recipe! Or, if you want something super duper quick and portable, check out our manuka honey sticks!

1. Easy Air Fryer Peanut Butter & Honey Pockets
Makes: 1 Pocket

Ingredients:

  • 2 slices of bread
  • peanut butter 
  • 1 tbsp PRI Manuka Honey 60+
  • sandwich cutter
  • Optional fillings: banana slices, raspberries, jam
  • Butter

Instructions:

  • Preheat the airfryer to 400F. 
  • Spread peanut butter across one piece of toast in the shape of your sandwich cutter, try not to get it on the sides otherwise it will ooze out. 
  • Then drizzle manuka over top. 
  • Fill with fruit or keep it just PB & Honey. 
  • Top with the slice of toast. 
  • Then use the sandwich cutter to remove the crust and cinch the sides. 
  • Lightly spread butter on the top or spray coconut oil and then air-fry for 4 minutes and then flip over for another few minutes. 
  • Remove and let cool. 
  • Slice (or not) and enjoy!
2. Honey Peanut Butter Apple “Cookies”
Makes: 4 Servings

Ingredients:

  • 2 large red delicious apples
  • ½ cup peanut butter
  • ½ cup chocolate chips
  • ¼ cup walnuts
  • ¼ cup slivered almonds
  • ¼ cup shredded coconut 
  • 2 tbsp PRI Manuka Honey (or more if you like it sweeter)

Instructions:

  • Slice apples into rings. 
  • Remove core if preferred. 
  • Mix peanut butter with honey to create a honey peanut butter. 
  • Then spread the honey pb spread across.
  •  Top with chocolate chips, walnuts, slivered almonds, shredded coconut and more honey to top! Enjoy!
3. Soft Pretzels with Honey Mustard Dipping Sauce
Makes: 10 small-medium pretzels
Pretzels Ingredients::
  • 4.5 cups oat flour
  • ¼ cup tapioca starch or arrowroot starch
  • 1 tbsp cornstarch
  • 1 tbsp baking powder
  • ½ tsp PRI Fine Sea Salt
  • 2 tbsp PRI Manuka Blend
  • ½ cup unsweetened coconut yogurt
  • 1 ½ cups water (warm to the touch)
  • ¼ cup baking soda (for the bath)
  • 5 cups water

Toppings:

Instructions:

  • Preheat the oven to 425ºF, and line your baking sheet with a silpat mat or parchment paper.
  • In a large bowl, whisk together your dry ingredients: oat flour, tapioca or arrowroot, baking powder, cornstarch and sea salt.
  • Next, pour the dry mixture into a stand mixer with the dough hook attachment.
  • Pour in the warm water and turn it on low speed.
  • Slowly add in the manuka honey, let it mix for a few seconds and then very slowly add in the coconut yogurt, increase the speed to medium.
  • The dough should start to come together and resemble a yeasty dough. If it’s too wet add 1 tbsp of oat flour at a time, if it’s too dry add in 1 tbsp of water at a time.
  • Once the dough is formed into a ball. Let the dough sit for 5 minutes. While doing this, bring 5 cups of water and ¼ cup of baking soda to a boil.
  • Slice the dough into 8 sections, roll each section in a long rope and then form a horseshoe shape, cross the ends over the other and make a loop, then twist the ends again and loop up to create a pretzel shape. Complete until you have all your pretzels shaped.
  • Next, once the baking soda bath has started to boil, drop in 1-2 pretzels at a time with a spatula with holes. Cook each pretzel until it starts to look brown 1-2 minutes, you can flip if you’d like for an even bake and coating.
  • Continue until all the pretzels have soaked in the baking soda bath and transfer them to the prepared baking sheet.
  • Create an egg wash but combine 1 egg yolk with 1 tbsp water, and brush it on. Top with PRI Flaky Sea Salt. Bake for 18-20 minutes or until golden brown.
  • Once golden brown, remove from the oven and let cool before serving with honey mustard dipping sauce. Feel free to add more salt if preferred at this point. Store in an air-tight container or ziplock bag.

Honey Mustard Dipping Sauce Ingredients:

  • ⅓ cup dijon mustard (with or without seeds)
  • 3 tbsp  PRI Manuka Honey
  • ¼ cup mayo (dairy free works great too!)
  • 1 tbsp yellow mustard
  • 1 tbsp lemon juice
  • ¼ tsp chili powder (optional)

Instructions:

  • Mix the dijon mustard with the honey and vegan mayo. Stir until well combined.
  • Next, add in yellow mustard, the lemon juice and optional chili powder.
  • If your dijon mustard has seeds, throw it in a high speed mixer and blend until more smooth.
  • Pour into a sauce dish and dip your pretzels in! Enjoy!
4. Air Fryer Shiitake Mushroom Jerky

Ingredients:

  • 2 - 8 oz. packages of shiitake mushroom
  • ½ tbsp toasted sesame oil 
  • 2 tbsp coconut aminos
  • 1.5 tbsp rice vinegar
  • ½ tbsp PRI Manuka Honey 60+
  • ½ tsp liquid smoke
  • ½ tsp soy sauce 
  • ¼ tsp minced ginger
  • ¼ tsp garlic powder
  • ¼ tsp onion powder 
  • ¼ tsp PRI Chipotle BBQ Salt
  • ⅛ tsp black pepper

Instructions:

  • Rinse the mushrooms and pat them dry with a paper towel. 
  • Next, create your marinade by adding all the ingredients into a small bowl and stirring until well combined. 
  • Place your mushrooms into a glass container with a lid and pour in your marinade. Place the top on and refrigerate overnight (preferred) or for at least a minimum of 2 hours. Shake the container regularly so the marinade is distributed throughout. 
  • Next, remove your mushrooms from the fridge, they should have absorbed most of the liquid, but strain whatever excess marinade there is.  
  • Place the mushrooms on a paper towel and pat dry again. 
  • Next, place your mushrooms flat in the air fryer and airfry at 180F for 60 minutes. Spray with cooking spray.  After 30 minutes, flip the mushrooms over so they can cook evenly. At 60 minutes, check if they are your desired texture, if not, keep in the airfryer until desired consistency. Remove from airfryer and place on a paper towel one last time to absorb the excess oil. Enjoy!
5. Peanut Butter Manuka Honey Cereal Bars

Ingredients:

Instructions:

  • Line an 8x8 square baking pan with parchment paper and set aside.
  • In a large saucepan, combine peanut butter with manuka honey and coconut oil and stir on low heat until well incorporated throughout (2-3 minutes). 
  • Turn the heat off and stir in vanilla and sea salt. Then add in 3 cups of cheerios and stir until they are covered in the peanut honey mixture. Pour in the remaining 3 cups and gently stir until well incorporated. It should be similar to rice crispy treats and stick together.
  • Pour the cheerio mixture into the parchment lined pan and refrigerate overnight or for a few hours until firm.
  • Slice into bars and enjoy! Store in an airtight container in the fridge to enjoy for a week or freeze to enjoy later.

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Manuka Honey For Burn Treatment

Manuka Honey For Burn Treatment

For centuries, Manuka Honey has been popular for its antiviral, anti-inflammatory and antibacterial properties. It is generally used for treating wounds, burns, and other many other conditions both internal and external. Using Honey can accelerate healing, pain relief and decreased inflammatory response. You can apply a thin layer of Manuka Honey on a bandage before putting it on the affected area. 

Manuka Honey is produced by the bees from the nectar of the Manuka Tree that originated from New Zealand and Australia. MGO stands for Methylglyoxal, it is the compound that makes Manuka Honey unique. Manuka is the only honey that exhibits non-peroxide activity due to the MG component that is present. Manuka honey comes in a range of MGO ratings. The higher the number on the label, the higher the concentration of MGO. For external uses, especially for burn treatment, we recommend an MGO rating of at least 200+. 

Burn is a damaged tissue, after contact with heat and this can happen in many circumstances. Burn treatment depends on the type of burn. There are four types for burns below. 

  • First-Degree Burns or Superficial Burns are mild. These cause pain and reddening of the outer layer of skin or epidermis.
  • Second-Degree Burns or Partial Thickness Burns affect the outer layer of the skin or epidermis and lower layer of the skin or dermis. These cause pain, redness, swelling, and blistering.
  • Third-Degree Burns or Full Thickness Burns go through the lower layer of the skin or dermis and affect deeper tissues.
  • Fourth-degree burns go even deeper than third-degree burns and can affect your muscles and bones. Nerve endings are also damaged or destroyed, so there’s no feeling in the burned area.

It appears that using Honey can heal Superficial or Partial Thickness Burns and when applied to the skin it helps to regenerate burn surface or tissue forming in wounds, reducing infection, providing relief and speeds up the healing process. 

If you feel your burn is severe, or just aren’t sure, please seek medical attention.

 

References:

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3941901/

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK78502/

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25742878/

https://www.webmd.com/pain-management/guide/pain-caused-by-burns

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6023338/

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Easy DIY Manuka & ACV Cuticle Oil

Easy DIY Manuka & ACV Cuticle Oil

This is the cuticle oil for longer, stronger nails & healthy cuticles, .naturally! We all have had cuticle and nail issues and understand we need to take care of them…but what really are the purpose of our cuticles?

Cuticles are actually part of your skin that grows over the bottom of your nail and covers your nail matrix. The nail matrix is the part of your nail that grows so, the cuticle acts as a very important protective barrier for your nails!


This cuticle oil is  a SUPER simple DIY & another great natural health hack!  All you need is:

  • Manuka Honey - (1) Honey is a humectant, which basically means it locks in moisture. (2) Manuka is also full of antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties.
  • Manuka Oil - (3) Shown to be 33x more effective against most bacteria than tea tree oil & also helps retain moisture. It can also help with brittle nails.
  • Coconut Oil AND
  • ACV - Both of these ingredients are packed with essential nutrients to help keep your nails strong and repair chipped or brittle nails.

All of these ingredients work together to create a hydrated nail bed, free from invasive bacteria and fungus. Simply mix the ingredients together and you’re done! While you can get inexpensive cuticle pens online and in lots of stores it is optional, just make sure you store the oil in a container with a lid. 

Simply rub into your cuticles and nails, leave for 10-15 minutes and rinse! Do this daily or, if you have problem nails, up to 3x a day.

Resources:

(1) https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5038978/

(2) https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3941901/

(3) https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7694078/

 

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Copycat Fruit Punch Gatorade

Copycat Fruit Punch Gatorade

The dog days of summer are officially here 🥵. Whether you are keeping cool by the pool or crowded around the air conditioner, keeping hydrated is key. Especially if pool time involves margaritas 😉 

We love a good electrolyte drink to keep us in tip top shape but what we don’t need are unnecessary artificial dyes and ingredients…yuck! Thus, we took one of our favorite flavors and gave it an upgrade which, of course, we just had to share with you!

You might ask: why are electrolytes important anyway and how do they work? Well, electrolytes play a critical role in balancing your body’s pH and in moving nutrients to your cells. They also help balance the water level in your body and regulate your heartbeat. (1)

When you are low on electrolytes you can experience all sorts of issues like blood clots and muscle contractions. Luckily it’s so easy to avoid by simply drinking enough water and incorporating this drink into your summer routine! (2)

Pro tip: if you don’t like fruit punch, you can make it with any juice you prefer. Citrus is also a very refreshing choice! 

Recipe: 

1-2 Servings

Ingredients:

  • 2 Cups Filtered Water
  • 1 Tbsp Manuka Honey
  • ½ Cup White Grape Juice
  • ¼ Cup Apple Juice
  • ¼ Cup Concord Grape Juice
  • 2 Tbsp Orange Juice
  • 1 Tbsp Pineapple Juice
  • ½ Tsp PRI Fine Sea Salt
  • ½ Tsp Beet Powder (Optional; For Color)

Instructions:

  1. Add 2 cups of water to a large mason jar. Then add in 1 tbsp of manuka honey.  Secure the lid and shake well until the honey is mixed into the water. The liquid should be yellow in color.
  2. Remove the lid and add white grape juice, apple juice, concord grape juice, orange juice and pineapple juice. Next, add in sea salt. If you prefer it less salty add ¼ tsp at a time of sea salt.
  3. Secure the lid and shake well. If you want the color to be a more true red like classic electrolyte drinks add in ½ tsp of beet powder for color. Optional, but recommended!
  4. Shake well and enjoy by itself or served over ice!

Resources:

(1) https://med.libretexts.org/Courses/Sierra_College/Sierra%3A_NUTF10_(Teh)/09%3A_Nutrients_Important_to_Fluid_and_Electrolyte_Balance/9.05%3A_Electrolytes_Important_for_Fluid_Balance

(2) https://books.google.com.ph/books?id=QX9_BZvlItgC&printsec=frontcover&dq=When+you+are+low+on+electrolytes+you+can+experience+all+sorts+of+issues+like+blood+clots+and+muscle+contractions&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwiSsfjXhPb4AhWZCIgKHeg2CLEQ6AF6BAgFEAI#v=onepage&q&f=false

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Honey Candied Orange Peels

Honey Candied Orange Peels

This recipe is a little more time consuming than our usual, but it’s just too good not to share, plus it’s not technically difficult and it only has three ingredients, one of which is optional!

Our Honey Candied Orange Peels may be a little different from the ones you’re used to. The honey gives them more of a jelly texture vs the dryer texture you get when candying with sugar but many who try them say they prefer a softer texture.  

For these, we used our Leatherwood Honey. Leatherwood Honey is considered to be one of the rarest honeys in the world. The Leatherwood tree is mostly found in remote areas of Tasmania and takes 80-100 YEARS to flower! 

Technically, you could use any of our honey for these candied peels but if you have never tried Leatherwood it is definitely an experience and, especially for its rarity, is quite reasonably priced. We put it on ALL the fruits!

We finished these by dipping them in melted Raspberry Manuka Chocolates. This part is optional…though your taste buds may disagree.

Ingredients:

Instructions:

  1. Place parchment paper on a baking sheet and set aside.
  2. Fill a medium saucepan with water and bring to a boil. 
  3. Peel the oranges by slicing the sides off, and then scoring the skin to easily remove it in larger pieces. Be careful when removing the skin so you can have nice long pieces of orange peels.
  4. Place the orange peels into the saucepan and boil for 8 minutes. Then remove the orange peels with a large spoon, keeping the water in the saucepan. 
  5. Use a paring knife to remove the skin from the orange peel. You should be able to see no white stuff on the orange peel.
  6. Then cut the peels into ¼ inch strips.
  7. Bring the water back to a boil and boil for 8-10 more minutes. Then drain using a strainer and set aside.
  8. In the sauce pan, combine 1 cup of leatherwood honey with 1 cup of water on high heat.
  9. After a few minutes the mixture should start to boil and bubble up. Then lower the heat to medium and cook for a  few more minutes, after a few more minutes place the heat on low and simmer until you have a syrup. The syrup should be sticky and not watery.
  10. Next, add in the orange peels and simmer on low heat for 30-40 minutes, while stirring periodically so the syrup or orange peels doesn’t burn. Once the oranges are translucent it’s time to remove them.
  11. Place the orange peels on the parchment paper and let them dry overnight. Keep the remaining honey orange syrup for cocktails or to use as jam.
  12. Then enjoy! 
  13. An option but recommended step is to dip the candied orange peels in chocolate. Melt PRI Raspberry Manuka Honey Chocolate Patties in a double boiler and dip the end of each orange peel into the chocolate. Then let the chocolate sit in the fridge and enjoy the raspberry orange honey combo! 
  14. Store in an airtight container in the fridge. 

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Ice Cream Recipe Round-Up

Ice Cream Recipe Round-Up

Have you been celebrating National Ice Cream Month? It’s so easy to make your own, even if you don’t have an ice cream maker! Here are our top four recipes to keep you cool:

1 - Coffee Sweet Potato Nice Cream: We really think we cracked the code on this one. It honestly tastes JUST like regular ice cream except you could literally eat this every day for breakfast and feel great!

2 - Dairy-Free Spicy Mexican Chocolate Soft Serve: Because some like it hot AND sweet! Soft serve is even easier to make without any gadgets or constant stirring and this one is dairy free too!

3 - Patriotic Honey Pops: Okay, these are not technically ice cream but they are cold, delicious, and fun to make with the kids. 

4 - Honey Labneh Ice Cream with Leatherwood Honey: Created by our friends at Spoonabilites, this one does actually require an ice cream maker but…if you are an ice cream aficionado and want to impress your taste buds with a totally unique experience featuring one of the rarest kinds of honey in the world then this one is for you!

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How To Read Your Test Results

How To Read Your Test Results

Introducing our new Manuka Honey labels! Featuring a clear MGO number on the front and a QR code on the lid, linking to the test results for that specific jar of Manuka Honey! Read on for how to read your test results so you know you’re getting genuine Manuka:

The independent labs that we work with are based all over New Zealand and Australia and the different labs send confirmations in a variety of layouts, which you may notice when purchasing different PRI Manuka honeys! 

However there are key points that you can look for when reading your batch certificate.  

  • Sample ID OR lab reference  - Your honey's batch number - This shows the report is for and the batch that your honey came from.
  • Manuka honey test results always show 4 key markers, but the two you really need to pay attention to are:
    • Dihydroxyacetone (DHA) - It gives Manuka Honey its antibacterial properties, the higher the concentration, the stronger the antibiotic effect. MG is derived from the compound DHA.
    • Methylglyoxal (MGO) - This compound is found in high concentration in the nectar of the Manuka Flower.
  • Your test result for PRI Manuka Honey will alway show these 2 markers, which confirm what you have purchased is active Manuka Honey. 
  • The activity marker that is used to determine the different strengths is the Methylglyoxal or MGO level. This is what can be seen on the front of our new labels or in our older labels it is stated on the left hand panel of the jar.
  • Your report will show a number in the line or column under or beside the MGO heading. For example if you have purchased our PRI Manuka 10+ or MGO 100+  you may see the following:
    • This batch tested at an MGO level of 149. 
    • Every batch varies and is rarely exactly MGO 100 and is why we always put the "+" .
    • In this example the honey in your jar will be at a minimum a MGO level of 100 but has actually tested higher. 

 

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Leatherwood Honey Frozen Fruit

Leatherwood Honey Frozen Fruit

Leatherwood: the official honey of summer. Yeah, we know...bold statement. But would we lie to you? Never. 

One of the most unique tasting kinds of honey out there with strong floral and citrus notes and a hint of...well something we just can't put our finger on but the flavor combo paired with fruit is a taste experience you do not want to miss. 

Considered one of the rarest kinds of honey in the world Leatherwood is, of course, made by the bees and brought to us with the help of some VERY patient beekeepers. The Leatherwood tree only grows in remote regions of Tasmania and takes 80-100 years to bloom! 

Now, on to the delicious stuff... our favorite way to bring all the summer vibes to your next picnic, bbq, party, or when you just need a tasty, healthy treat on a hot day: Leatherwood Frozen Fruit.

It's really simple - 

Step 1: Pick your fruit (we chose watermelon and blueberries, but you really can't go wrong)

Step 2: Slice your fruit & mix in the Leatherwood honey, making sure each piece is evenly coated.

Step 3: Lay it on a baking sheet and freeze

Step 4: Enjoy! Eat it straight, atop your ice cream, and add it to your water or other favorite beverage...the possibilities are only limited by your imagination!

Our family is really lucky to have access to some of this amazing honey and to be able to offer it at a reasonable price. We can't wait to hear what you create!

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Manuka Honey For Sleep

Manuka Honey For Sleep

Sleep… so crucial for healing and health, but hard to get enough of! Insufficient sleep can decrease the immune system’s health, overall body, and muscle functionality. Honey is more than a sweetener! Honey can help you sleep and is one of the few sleep aids without side effects. 

Dr. Ron Fessenden has written about how honey can help with sleep. He recommends taking it before bedtime after your glycogen is depleted during wakefulness, which is associated with increased energy demand. 

Honey before bed has been shown to slowly release glycogen, which you need for essential body functions during sleep, reducing how often you wake up. 

With the increased stress levels in the last few years, sleeping problems are more common than before, but thankfully honey can be used as a health aid for sleepless nights.

Compared to melatonin, studies show it is an effective and affordable intervention to enhance sleep quality with no associated adverse effects

Like sugar, honey can cause a rise in insulin and release serotonin, a neurotransmitter known to improve mood, relieve stress, boost your energy levels, promote and help you fall asleep, and ensure you wake up well-rested. 

Here are three simple ways to take it:

1 - One - two teaspoons of delicious raw manuka honey straight up.

2 - The famous milk and honey tip

3 - Delicious hot chocolate with stress-reducing adaptogens

Manuka Honey is an excellent source of many health benefits as it not only contains a lot of antioxidants and vital nutrients but has greater antibacterial & anti-inflammatory properties than other honey. 

Of course, good sleep habits begin hours before you get to bed. Incorporating other simple practices into your routine alongside honey could improve the quality of your sleep even more! Here are some ideas:

-Use blue light-blocking glasses in the evening. Blue light, like that from your phone, laptop, and other devices, messes with your circadian rhythm. It signals your brain to wake up when it should be winding down.

-Aromatherapy. There are many herbs and oils associated with good sleep. One of our favorites is manuka oil!  

-Limit caffeine and alcohol intake in the afternoon & stop drinking at least 3-4 hours before bed. Caffeinated or alcoholic beverages also confuse your sleep cycle. Give your body enough time to process them first for more restful sleep.


Resources:

https://www.livinghoney.biz/the-honey-revolution.html

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4544655/

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30390870/

https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT04207281

https://mytinylagunakitchen.com/recipe/adaptogenic-holiday-hot-chocolate-holiday-stress-reducing-tips/

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Manuka Vs Influenza

Manuka Vs Influenza

Ditch the side effects for a dose of nature

Dreaming of hot chocolate, cozy fires & even cozier slippers…hopefully minus the sore throats, congestion, coughs and fevers that seem to also come along with the colder weather.

Unfortunately, the most common drug class for OTC cold & flu remedies including products such as Tamiflu contain questionable ingredients and around TEN common side effects ranging from nausea and vomiting to mood changes! 

Luckily for us all, nature already has the answer and more and more studies are being done to prove it. A recent study published in the Archives of Medical Research titled, “Anti-influenza Viral Effects of Honey In Vitro: Potent High Activity of Manuka Honey,” tested several different types of honey on the common H1N1 influenza strain. Researchers that conducted the study stated: “In conclusion, the results obtained showed that honey, in general, and particularly manuka honey, has potent inhibitory activity against influenza virus, demonstrating a possible medicinal value. Further investigations are required to identify the active antiviral components in Manuka honey and to determine its synergistic effects with known antiviral drugs.”

The study also showed that when manuka honey was added to the use of OTC medications, manuka significantly increased the antiviral effectiveness of both compounds. This might be necessary especially in extreme cases and is important to note. 

Manuka honey has been shown to increase the release of Cytokines, especially during an inflammatory response. Cytokines help white blood cells identify and eliminate damaged or infected tissues. 

If you are having a particularly sore throat or upper respiratory issues, physicians from Oxford University's Medical School and Nuffield Department of Primary Care Health Sciences analyzed existing evidence to see how honey affects the symptoms of URTIs. Concluding, in the article in the journal BMJ Evidence-Based Medicine "Honey was superior to usual care for the improvement of symptoms of upper respiratory tract infections,” also stating "Since the majority of URTIs are viral, antibiotic prescription is both ineffective and inappropriate. However, a lack of effective alternatives, as well as a desire to preserve the patient-doctor relationship, both contribute to antibiotic over prescription."*

It’s easy to incorporate manuka into your care routine. Fun fact about manuka is that when its heated, the MGO, or active component in manuka, is not killed so you can add it to your tea! If you prefer a cold treat when ill, check out our Throat Soothing Popsicles Recipe.

And, because being sick doesn’t always mean you get to lay in bed, we have all your on the go Manuka solutions such as our own alcohol-free cough elixirs, lozenges, throat soothing lollipops & honey sticks. 

** Please note, we are not medical professionals and you should not consider this medical advice. You know your body and when you need to seek medical attention, listen to that voice! And, in the meantime, eat Manuka, drink lots of water & get some rest ❤️

Resources: 

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24880005/

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6594701/

https://ebm.bmj.com/content/26/2/57

https://edition.cnn.com/2018/10/22/health/antibiotics-surgery-cancer-england-uk-intl/index.html



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Meet A Beekeeper

Meet A Beekeeper

Meet Terry Bone, one of PRI’s beekeepers! Terry has been keeping bees for so long, his friends refer to him as “Honeyman”.

Terry is a competitive ocean swimmer, winning gold in his age group nationally (and silver the year before – his first full year of national competition). Terry also has Crohn’s disease, this and intensive swim training are hard on his body.

He is really interested in food and natural health so Terry landscaped the backyard of their cottage building terraced vegetable gardens, planting fruit trees he could in the small space and sourcing reclaimed landscaping items.

He is currently developing a section of regenerating native trees at Lake Rotoiti. He is planting additional natives on the land and will build a simple two-bedroom cabin there. The plan is to have the shell built and to complete a lot of the internal design and fitout using recycled and handmade materials. 

Swimming and bees take most of his time, but he unwinds in the kitchen. Terry loves preparing food from scratch. He also built his own outdoor pizza oven. People who come to their house will receive a meal whether they want one or not and will probably leave with a jar of something homemade. 

Terry truly believes in supporting the holistic guardianship of the bees. The underlying ethos is that humans and bees are now interdependent for survival. This is a complex issue but we believe it is vital that we pay and empower those who raise and care for bees. Read more about what it means to be a Sustainable Beekeeper in our recent blog post. 🐝

 

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Psoriasis Awareness Month: How Manuka Honey & Manuka Oil Can Help

Psoriasis Awareness Month: How Manuka Honey & Manuka Oil Can Help

Those who have it, know how difficult psoriasis is to both manage and live with. As there is currently no cure for psoriasis, those who have been diagnosed with this autoimmune disease not only have to endure internal & external pain but also live with skin lesions that can make them feel self-conscious. If you are one of the over 7 million people in the U.S. affected by psoriasis and want to learn more about how manuka honey can help, along with other management tips, click here.

If you want to know more about what psoriasis is, read on!

Like many autoimmune diseases little is known about the cause of psoriasis however, enough is understood about our immune response to understand how & why it manifests the way it does. When you have psoriasis your T cells, which normally help your body protect against threatening foreign substances, are overactive. This overactivity causes them to attack not just disease-causing substances but also healthy skin cells. 

Everyone’s skin cells are constantly dying and regrowing, a process that would normally take about a month. For someone WITH psoriasis though, this takes only a few days causing painful, red, itchy, scaly patches of build-up on the skin. 

This cycle doesn’t tend to stop without some sort of treatment and can be more or less severe depending on many factors. These factors are different from person to person but can include stress, change in the weather, cuts, burns or scrapes, seasonal allergies, and dryer weather such as in dry desert climates or during winter.

While there are not many studies directly related to the use of Manuka Honey on psoriasis, it is thought to have great promise in treating psoriasis lesions. Unlike other honey, Manuka contains a unique component known as MGO; MGO has been shown to be a great aid in anti-inflammatory & antibacterial treatments. In addition to this, there is an overwhelming number of anecdotal reports on the effectiveness of Manuka Honey in reducing the severity of psoriasis outbreaks (by regular internal use) and the management of skin lesions/ external pain (when applied externally).

Manuka oil is shown to have many of the same benefits when used externally. Additionally, both the oil and honey have been shown effective against Staphylococcus Aureus, which has long been associated with atopic dermatitis. 

Given there are no known side effects from using Manuka oil or honey in conjunction with other treatments or on their own, why not give it a try and see if it can be beneficial to your symptoms? In fact, here is a special code just for you for 15% off any PRI Manuka Honey or Oil with the code SKINHELP.

Here are some great and easy ways to incorporate manuka products into your routine:

  1. Add manuka oil and/or honey to your current moisturizer, body, or face wash. Adding to your shampoo and conditioner can also be a great help if you have scalp psoriasis 
  2. Apply manuka oil and/or honey directly to your skin. (Note 100% Manuka oil needs to be diluted before external use. This can be done with any of your favorite carrier oils; simply add 10 drops of manuka oil to 2 Tablespoons of carrier oil.) We also have a pre-diluted 10% manuka oil (carried in almond oil) which is great for use right out of the bottle! If using Manuka honey, simply apply to the affected area and cover before bed!
  3. Add manuka honey and/or oil + Epsom salts to your bath. The salts will help you shed dead skin, while the manuka will help kill bad bacteria & fungus while locking in moisture. You can also add ground-up oats for some extra love.
  4. Help remove irritating dead skin and soothe inflammation with the most gentle exfoliating technique ever: honey tapping! Using only honey and your hands or a spoon honey tapping is a great way to exfoliate sensitive skin.
  5. Take at least one tablespoon of manuka honey per day to help fight internal inflammation.

And, make sure to catch some sun! Ultraviolet B rays have also been shown to reduce the symptoms of psoriasis and  as little as 10 minutes in direct sun can be enough. 

Resources:

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7694078/

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5562472/

https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/atopic-dermatitis-eczema/symptoms-causes/syc-20353273#:~:text=Atopic%20dermatitis%20(eczema)%20is%20a,irritating%20but%20it%27s%20not%20contagious

https://www.psoriasis.org/scalp/



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