Autumn is here: cold and flu season is almost here.

While some prefer fall like the best of the seasons, it takes just one cold morning to remind us that while making pumpkin pies, improving immunity should be at the top of our to-do list. The last thing we want is to be affected by a cough or sore throat.

Luckily our first choice just happens to be delicious and all natural: organic, locally-sourced raw honey. The variety that comes straight from happy bees tended to by a kind keeper. Why honey? The benefits are enormous.

The difference between raw honey and regular honey

Regular, commercial honey, the kind that typically comes in a container and runs clear and easy from the jar, is filtered and then pasteurized at a high temperature to kill off any yeast that may be present. Raw honey is unprocessed and unpasteurized, it preserves the beneficial nutrients present. Commercial honey lacks the incredible benefits of raw honey. To see whether or not the honey you’ve purchased is truly raw, take a spoonful and place it in a glass of water. If it settles to the bottom, it’s raw. However, if it dissolves easily and sticks to the edges of the glass, it could be processed and even counterfeit.

The amazing benefits of raw honey

Local raw honey could help if you’re prone to seasonal allergies! Raw honey contains bee pollen, which helps your body adjust to the pollen in the air. By eating honey produced locally, you consume trace amounts of the same pollen that could be wreaking havoc via allergies, helping to regulate your body to the pollen in the air. By regularly eating raw honey, your body could build up antibodies and produce less histamine, when allergy season rolls around.

Do you have problem sleeping? A little raw honey before bed helps you sleep by helping to promote the production of melatonin. Raw honey generates a rise in insulin, which produces serotonin, which is eventually converted to melatonin. Adding a small amount of honey to a cup of tea before bed helps you relax and prepares your body for rest.

Raw honey needs to be at the forefront of your seasonal prevention kit, as cold and flu season fast approaches. Soothe a sore throat and suppress a cough with a spoonful of raw honey. It not only soothes, but it contains antibacterial properties to shorten the lifespan of a cold. Raw honey is.as effective as traditional cough syrup in treating a sore throat and reducing mucus production. Honey is naturally antibacterial and antifungal. It will not go bad (as long as it’s kept pure and free of contamination from water and other factors). The same antibacterial and antifungal properties can benefit the body by supporting immunity and warding off minor colds and seasonal illnesses. These same antibacterial properties are incredibly beneficial for acne-prone skin. Raw honey has long been used as an ingredient in masks and even as a cleanser.

Here comes some tips about how to use raw honey

Raw honey is incredibly versatile, but in order to harness its full range of benefits, it’s best consumed straight from the jar. However, it makes a great substitute for processed sugar if you’re willing to sacrifice a bit of its nutritional power. Do you have a tough workout ahead? Take a spoonful of raw honey beforehand to power through. Eating raw honey as it is improves your well-being, and it adds the holistic perspective on health.

For more healthy living tips, you can also read How to make your own alkaline water

I wish you a healthy, meaningful life!

Georgiana