5 unexpected ways to add honey to your wellness routine

Did you know that Alberta produces the most honey in Canada?

That’s pretty impressive, considering the popularity of honey. And you better bee-lieve it’s not just for eating. (Sorry, there’s just too many bee-related puns to not use any here.)

You may not realize it, but you can actually use honey in so many more ways than you’d think.

Alberta’s honey producers work hard to not only raise healthy bees but also implement a number of innovative and sustainable practices to be able to supply Canada (and the world!) with the purest natural honey.

Our province’s commercial honey producers manage 25 billion bees, representing nearly 300,000 colonies, which produce more than 40 million pounds of pure honey each year. That’s a lot of honey.

But what’s the buzz about? Well, honey is not only absolutely delicious, but it’s also got so many uses — here are just a few unexpected ways to use the sweet treat.

It’s good for your diet

Raw honey has been found to have a number of health properties, including enzymes, vitamins, minerals, and amino acids.

Raw honey has antibacterial and antifungal properties, is good source of antioxidants, and can even help with digestive issues, too.

You can use it to make your own skincare

If you’re overusing harsh face washes on your face, why not make the switch to raw honey? Using raw honey gently cleanses the face without stripping the skin of its natural oils, and it reduces acne by regulating sebum production. Its natural antibacterial and healing properties soothe and help clarify the skin, too.

You can even use raw honey as a moisturizing hair and scalp cleanser (no, we’re being serious here). Using store-bought shampoos can often strip your scalp of its natural oils, causing your hair to overproduce oil to compensate for the harsh cleaning. To combat this, add one teaspoon of honey to a half cup of warm milk, then apply all over your hair from the root to tips, rinsing with shampoo afterward. This will not only make your hair smoother, but it’ll soothe a dry scalp.

…and beauty products, too

To make yourself a natural, hydrating honey lip balm, simply melt together a tablespoon each of beeswax and cocoa butter with one teaspoon of vitamin E oil, honey, olive oil, and a couple of drops of your favourite essential oil. Let cool and set, and it’s ready to use!

Use it as a substitute for sugar in baking

If you’d like to reduce the amount of processed sugar or artificial sweeteners you eat, why not try using honey instead? It’s an easy substitute that tastes great, too.

To figure out how much honey you should use in place of sugar in recipes, use this Honey Converter from Bee Maid: one cup of sugar should be substituted with two tablespoons less than one cup of honey, add a quarter teaspoon of baking soda, and reduce another liquid in the recipe by three tablespoons.

You can use it to treat mild coughs and burns

Honey is a great natural alternative to treat mild coughs, especially instead of using an over-the-counter cough medicine! You can either just take a spoonful of honey, or mix it with a little lemon juice and coconut oil for a cough remedy. (Honey should not be given to children under the age of 1.)

Honey is also naturally microbial. This is actually the reason why it lasts forever! It has natural antibacterial properties which help to prevent infections. That’s why it’s great for soothing and healing mild burns or even treating small cuts. (Be sure to keep some honey in your emergency first-aid kit.)

It can help you fight insomnia

Did you know that honey can actually help you cure insomnia? There’s a type of insomnia called “early waking” — this is when you don’t have trouble falling asleep, but you wake up after a few hours and can’t go back to sleep.

An easy solution: honey! A spoonful of honey with a sprinkle of salt will help you reset your stress hormones (cortisol and adrenalin) that may be responsible for keeping you awake. Try this the next time you can’t get back to sleep.

Contest

To enter for your chance to win a prize pack containing a selection of honey-based products valued at $75, courtesy of the Alberta Beekeepers Commission, do the following:

Tweet the following (1 entry):

• Win a prize pack of honey-based products worth $75 from @ABCbeekeepers via @DailyHiveYYC RT to enter! #dhcontest

Contest open to 18+ Alberta residents only.

Contest entries will be accepted from the time and date of publishing until 11:59 pm on November 29, 2019. One winner will be chosen at random and contacted through the platform they used to enter.

Contest Guidelines