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Linden honey, also known as basswood honey or lime blossom honey, is a delicious and nutritious sweetener that has been used for centuries for its health benefits. It is made from the nectar of the flowers of the linden tree, a tree that is native to Europe and North America. In this blog post, we will explore the benefits of linden honey and why you should consider adding it to your diet.

1. Rich in Antioxidants

Linden honey is rich in antioxidants, which are compounds that help to protect the body against damage caused by free radicals. Free radicals are unstable molecules that can damage cells and contribute to the development of chronic diseases such as cancer, heart disease, and Alzheimer’s disease. The antioxidants found in linden honey can help to neutralize these harmful molecules and protect against disease.

2. Soothes Sore Throat and Cough

Linden honey has natural anti-inflammatory properties, making it an excellent remedy for sore throat and cough. Its soothing properties can help to reduce inflammation and irritation in the throat, making it easier to swallow and reducing coughing.

3. Promotes Restful Sleep

Linden honey contains natural compounds that have a calming effect on the body and can promote restful sleep. This makes it an excellent choice for people who suffer from insomnia or have trouble falling asleep. A spoonful of linden honey before bed can help to calm the mind and promote a restful night’s sleep.

4. Boosts Immune System

Linden honey has antibacterial properties that can help to boost the immune system and protect against infection. It also contains vitamins and minerals that are essential for maintaining a healthy immune system, including vitamin C and zinc.

5. Aids Digestion

Linden honey has natural prebiotic properties, which means that it can help to promote the growth of beneficial bacteria in the gut. This can aid digestion and improve overall gut health.

6. Delicious and Versatile

Linden honey has a unique flavor that is floral, fruity, and slightly woody. It is delicious on toast, in tea, or as a sweetener in baking. It also pairs well with cheese, yogurt, and fruit.

In conclusion, linden honey is a delicious and nutritious sweetener that offers many health benefits. Its antioxidant content, soothing properties, immune-boosting effects, and digestive benefits make it an excellent choice for anyone looking to improve their health and well-being. So why not try adding linden honey to your diet and discover its many benefits for yourself?

Einkorn is an ancient variety of wheat that has been cultivated for thousands of years. It is a nutritious and delicious alternative to modern wheat varieties, and it is becoming increasingly popular among health-conscious consumers. In this blog post, we will explore the benefits of einkorn and why you should consider adding it to your diet.

1. Rich in Nutrients

Einkorn is a nutrient-dense grain that contains high levels of protein, fiber, and essential vitamins and minerals. It is an excellent source of vitamin B6, which plays a crucial role in maintaining brain health and preventing cardiovascular disease. Einkorn is also a good source of iron, which is essential for the production of red blood cells and the prevention of anemia.

2. Low in Gluten

Many people are sensitive to gluten, a protein found in wheat and other grains. Einkorn is a low-gluten variety of wheat, which means it is easier to digest and less likely to cause digestive problems. This makes einkorn an ideal choice for people who are gluten-sensitive or suffer from celiac disease.

3. High in Antioxidants

Einkorn is rich in antioxidants, which help to protect the body against damage caused by free radicals. Free radicals are unstable molecules that can damage cells and contribute to the development of chronic diseases such as cancer, heart disease, and Alzheimer’s disease. The antioxidants found in einkorn can help to neutralize these harmful molecules and protect against disease.

4. Sustainably Grown

Einkorn is a sustainable crop that requires less water and fertilizer than modern wheat varieties. It is also less susceptible to pests and diseases, which means fewer pesticides and herbicides are needed to grow it. This makes einkorn a more environmentally friendly choice than other grains.

5. Delicious and Versatile

Einkorn has a delicious nutty flavor and a chewy texture that makes it an excellent choice for baking bread, muffins, and other baked goods. It can also be used as a substitute for rice, quinoa, or other grains in salads, soups, and other dishes. Einkorn flour is widely available, making it easy to incorporate into your diet.

In conclusion, einkorn is a nutritious and delicious ancient grain that offers many health benefits. Its low gluten content, high nutrient density, and rich antioxidant content make it an excellent choice for people who want to improve their health and reduce their environmental impact. So why not give einkorn a try and discover its many benefits for yourself?

What is Lavender?

Lavender (Lavandula vera). is a perennial plant which is used in the medicine, aromatherapy and it is use by the bees to make a very sweet honey. The upper part of the plant is strongly branched and forms a tuft up to 60 cm of high or more. The number of flowers on one tuft reaches more than 2000, that makes it very instagramable 😉.  Lavender blooms usually in July and that extend the bee’s prime forage as well as the honey season in Bulgaria. Honey yields in areas where Lavender is more widespread increase significantly.

From one acre of Lavender the bees can collect around 50 kg of honey. Compared to sunflower, buckwheat, rape and etc. lavender performs much better.

Lavender honey has a golden color, a pleasant aroma and a rich taste, it crystallizes smoothly into fine grains.

The healing power of lavender honey has been known since ancient times, it does not irritate the stomach and is easily absorbed by the body, helps with a number of diseases and calms the nervous system.

Rich in enzymes it facilitates the functions of the digestive system. It is known all over the world as a means of combating migraines and insomnia, as well as for soothing all kinds of internal pain.

The natural lavender honey in combination with cinnamon and turmeric has a good effect on heart activity and in combination with lemon juice, milk or herbal tea, helps with batteling the colds.

Just one spoonful of honey before bed will help you sleep more peacefully.

Won’t you a have a spoon… a full one 😊?

Did you know how the symbol of love – the heart – came into being? And why it not only resembles the human heart, but looks completely different. One legend says that the shape of the symbol is taken from the leaves of the ivy – the plant that with its roots wraps around everything that is close to it. For the ancient Greeks and Romans, ivy symbolized deep affection, and it has become a symbol of love.

There are approximately 15 species of ivy that grow by crawling on the ground until they reach a stable climbing surface such as a tree or wall. Evergreen shrub with creeping or climbing stems, which develop adventitial aerial roots, used for attachment. The leaves are 3 -10 cm long, leathery, shiny, but the flowering branches are ovate or elliptical, and on the vegetative stems 3-5-parted with triangular entire lobes. The inflorescences are umbellate, located at the tips of the branches.

Beneficial ingredients of ivy

It contains up to 5% hederasaponin C, an aglycone containing triterpene hederagenin. It also contains the flavonol glycoside rutin, chlorogenic and caffeic acid, scopolin, tannins, resins, pectin, carotene and others.

Flavonoids are commonly found in plants, fruits and vegetables. They act as antioxidants and help bind toxins to remove them from the body.

In addition, flavonoids help cleanse and strengthen blood vessels, making them useful in circulatory disorders. Many flavonoids have anti-inflammatory properties as they can block inflammation and stabilize mast cells to reduce the release of histamine, which causes inflammation. Flavonoids also have the ability to modulate the production of various enzymes in the body. Enzymes are key factors in many body processes, blocking or producing more than a certain enzyme can have a positive effect on health. Ivy finds such flavonoids as quercetin, campherol, rutin.

Hedera helix medical use

Since ancient times, ivy has been used in medicine in both Europe and Asia. This plant was sacred to the Druids. Today it is widely used to treat diseases of the upper respiratory tract.

Studies show that ivy leaf extract helps increase oxygen delivery to the lungs and is a good anti-inflammatory and decongestant. It is especially effective in dry cough and is often included in medicines. A typical dose used in the treatment of obstructive pulmonary disease, asthma is 25 drops of leaf extract twice a day for children and 50 drops twice a day for adults. Broths and tea are made from the leaves. These tools can be used to wash wounds, skin ulcers. The leaf capsule can relieve pain caused by diseases of the skeletal system, such as arthritis, rheumatism, gout.

Healing properties of ivy

Ivy leaves are usually used in respiratory disorders. Due to their chemical nature, they act as a strong expectorant, anti-cellulite, antifungal, anti-inflammatory: the plant helps with inflammatory processes in the body and accelerates healing processes.

Hedera helix improves digestion, antioxidant, diaphoretic and causes sweating.

Ivy is used in the treatment of the following diseases –  cough, chronic bronchitis, edema, gout, gallbladder inflammation, urogenital infections, ulcer.

Many people avoid keeping ivy in their homes. But you should know that this helps to clean the air in the home. The hedera helix is able to clean the house of toxic substances. These toxic substances can lead to many diseases when people in such premises are ill, and for no reason constantly experience certain diseases.

In addition, as some studies by British scientists show, ivy can significantly reduce the amount of toxic substances from various fungi and molds. Therefore, it can’t be considered a “harmful” indoor plant. On the contrary, it will help you make your home cleaner.

We have gathered some very interesting and unbelievable honey types for you, do enjoy this sweet article.

• TUALANG HONEY

Malaysian Tualang honey is a known therapeutic honey extracted from the honeycombs of the Tualang tree and has been reported for its antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and wound healing properties. What is really interesting about this honey is the way it is gathered.

The “honey hunters”, as they are known, are gatherings of neighborhood locals who head to far off corners of the Malaysian wilderness consistently looking for the uncommon nectar, sitting on the top of the 60-75 m tall tualang trees, the bees are very smart insects they protect their property and liquid treasure. Like New Zealand’s “Manuka” honey (which we will talk about later), also hailed for its supposed medicinal qualities, Malaysian tualang honey is expensive, fetching around $45-$60 a kilo— an enormous amount for the local people from rural poor communities.

When they find a tree with a lot of honey, the hunters climb up the tree at night, always at night, holding a torch in the hand (as there are no street lamps in the jungle). As they approached a hive on the top of a tree they start hitting the torch against the trunk and A flood of embers starts falling down, the other hunters called out to the bees to come down J, a swarm of bees rushed out, chasing the sparks of light, thus granting the hunters precious moments to cut through the hive and fill a bucket with chunks of the precious honeycomb.

The men worked through the night, slowly moving around from tree to tree, only stopping just before dawn, having collected all the honey can. Usually around 40 – 50 kg. Almost every “hunter” is stung numerous times a night, but they continued working, because that is just all the day’s (night in this case) work. Just smear a little honey on that wound old chap.

• MANNA HONEY is a honey with a geographic protection from the EU, it is only produced in “Strandja” national park in Bulgaria, where it is believed to be the tomb of the Egyptian goddess Bastet, and it was the capital of the ancient Tracians.

An extremely important role in forming the manna plays the leaf lice that parasites the trees. They drill holes on the leaves, a sweet, sticky juice runs down out of them. The leaf lice, take up some of the liquid, enrich it with the enzymes from their digestive system and release it to the surface of the leaves in the form of valuable nutritional material called – manna. From this point on the bees start to play their part in the workflow. They collect the enriched with enzymes manna, process it and produce the unique healing honey with it. Manna honey is composed of a large amount of free amino acids and the mineral substances in it are between 5 and 9 times more than in light nectarine species. The electrical conductivity of the honey is 2,2 millisimens. These undisputable facts also determine the great healing power of manna honey.

One of the biggest proofs of the special qualities of manna honey is its rich content of vital vitamins: B1, B2, PP, B12 (about 16 times more than in apples and apricots), B6, folic acid, biotin etc. The rich mineral composition of manna honey determines its alkalizing action, which is why it is recommended to athletes and all physical exercise activities to prevent muscle fever and fatigue. It has the ability to strengthen the immune system.

• MANUKA HONEY 

Everything has been written for the Manuka honey and its outstanding qualities like: MGO ™ 300+ Manuka honey naturally has a rich content of Methylglyoxal (MGO) – the substance responsible for its antibacterial effect. Origin from New Zealand Manuka honey is known as the most powerful antibiotic, it has antioxidant, antiviral and antiseptic properties, it is a reliable ally for health. But I can tell you two things about this honey: 1^st it is really expensive, ranging from $200 up to $500 per kilo, BUT it is not the most expensive honey on our list (stay tune) and second if you haven’t tasted it, I tell you it tastes as you have swallowed a bunch of random pills and it smells like pharmacy.

• YEMENIES CAVE HONEY The most expensive honey in our list and in the world is the Yemeni cave honey, with prices ranging from $1200 to $1600 per kilo. In the remote mountains of  Yemen inside the caves the bees make their wild hives in order to hide from the hot, hot sun, thus they protect themselves and the unique honey. This honey has a very thick consistency and amber color, it is really like a fresh made caramel straight out of the pan of some Michelin star chef. The price of the honey also comes from the fact that this caves are very hard to find and the quantity is so very low. The beekeepers have to crawl inside the caves through narrow fissures in the rock and collect just enough so that the bees can still thrive without damaging the hive.

• HONEY FROM ARGENTINA RIVERS

The raw honey is harvested all along the banks of the Paraná River in Argentina. The beehives are floating on wood pallets in the river. The beekeepers collect it in small boats; then the pure honey, is shipped straight from to local shops or to the airport for luxury boutiques around the world. The texture of the honey is very liquid and the color is crystal clear. Stock is extremely limited and it sells out very quickly as you would expect of such a rare substance. These traditional methods of beekeeping in Argentina are kept in tandem with nature, for generations.

• HERBAL HONEY also known as multicolor or bouquet honey, it is the most commonly known honey in the world, it is derived from the nectar of many polish and mountain plants. But we save it for the number one spot in our list, because we want to give you a different point of view of how the most common honey is made in the most uncommon and hard way.

And here are the facts:

• Honey bees collect pollen and nectar of about two million flowers to fill a jar of honey. For this purpose, they travel over 90,000 km.
  • In one flight the bee brings no more than 0.02 grams of honey.
  • To collect 4 kilograms of honey (1 gallon) the combined flight distance from the bees equal the way to the moon and back.
  • For the rest of his life, an average worker bee makes 1,5 tablespoons of honey.
  • The bees have the best built-in natural GPS in the world

Each and every extraction of honey is one of a kind and it is determined by the area and the period of the year. Next time you eat a spoon of honey you better be(e) grateful!