Honey is centuries old, potentially dating back to 2100BC when the first honey bees are thought to have originated from South Asia. Honey could be described as the ‘Nectar of the Gods’ for its historic uses for health, vitality, medicine, and beauty. In its most simple form, it is a healthy and characteristic natural sweetener; it is a widely used alternative to cane sugar. We should really appreciate the level of work put in by the amazing bees that produce our honey worldwide- it is thought that it may take around 160,000 bees to produce just one pound of honey! It is also almost guaranteed that as a child if you had a cold or a sore throat you were mixed up a concoction of honey and lemon to treat your symptoms! Honey is one of those foods that you either love or hate- its flavor is distinct. Here we take a little closer look at honey and its benefits.

Firstly, some Honey and Bee Facts:

• Honey is the only food source produced by an insect that humans eat!
• Honey contains many beneficial enzymes, amino acids, and pollens- The rawer the better!
• Honey does not freeze, it holds it moisture
• The darker the honey, the more flavorful it will be. Honey retains a distinctive flavor of the flowers from which it is made. 
• There are potentially 25,000 species of bees across the globe, and ‘worker bee’s’ lifespan is only about 4-6 weeks over summer time
• 99% of the ‘worker bees’ are female 
• Bees pollinate many types of plants that produce our food while they gather nectar.
• Honey Bees dance when they return to the hive to signal the other bees where the flowers are.

Some benefits of honey: 

There are many reasons to use honey for its nutritional value and how it may contribute to better overall health. Here is just a short glimpse of how it may help you!

For colds and flu:
Honey is a great antibacterial and anti-fungal agent, many conventional cold and medicines/remedies contain a honey ingredient. It naturally contains hydrogen peroxide which is antiseptic and manuka honey has sometimes been used to fend off particular strains of bugs and viruses. Raw honey can kill unwanted bacteria and fungus- it is a powerful little weapon we have for its immune building and anti-bacterial properties.

For overall health:
Honey, particularly raw honey is a potent antioxidant; it contains phenolic compounds which rank highly for fighting against free radicals and cell damage caused by toxins and pollutants. Some studies have found that honey can potentially help to prevent heart disease and cancer. It may also beneficial for maintaining blood glucose levels for diabetics. Honey is predominantly carbohydrate but also contains amounts of protein, enzymes, vitamins, and minerals. Honey is known to be plentiful in both enzymatic and non-enzymatic antioxidants.

How to have honey:
Honey can be introduced into your diet in many ways! It’s always good to get creative and thinks of new ways to stay healthy and well. Here are a few ideas to get you started:

• Try adding a spoonful to your tea with some lemon or include a spoonful in your protein shakes. 
• Add a little honey onto toast instead of chocolate spread or jam
• Do you love your smoothies? Add a little honey to your favorite smoothie recipe!
• A breakfast of probiotic yogurt with fruit and a little of honey is a good way to start your day too!

Desert Creek Honey was founded in 2006 by Blake Shook, who had taken an interest in beekeeping as a teenager. Starting as a hobbyist beekeeper with one hive, Blake dove into beekeeping with a passion for bees and producing the best honey he could. He learned the best ways to handle bees was in a responsible, sustainable manner that was respectful of our winged friends. Adding staff over the years, Desert Creek Honey is now the largest American honey producer that also packages and sells our own honey. A truly family owned business, Desert Creek Honey now operates nearly 10,000 hives across the United States in clean, natural areas. Producing only raw, unfiltered honey that is not altered in any way, raw honey exactly as it should be!

Desert Creek Honey calls rural North Texas home, where the air is clean and the wildflowers are plentiful. “We leave much of the honey our bees produce in the hive to keep them healthy, and always use sustainable, responsible apiary practices. Part of those practices is ensuring that our bees are kept far from commercial farms that use pesticides and chemicals,” said Desert Creek. Unlike other honey producers and packing companies, Desert Creek honey travels straight from the hive to the bottle! Desert Creek do not cook, alter, add to, force filter, boil, or pasteurize it their honey. 

Desert Creek: 

• Maintain that perfect balance by bottling their own product and selling directly to the end user exactly as it was produced by the bees. 
• Carefully handle their honey and it has a deliciously robust wildflower flavor and scent. 
• Support clean and fresh, a perfect food straight from the hive – pure, raw, and natural. 

Here are just a few honey products from Desert Creeks’ line! 

Desert Creek Raw Honey:

• A pure, raw honey that remains unprocessed from hive to bottle and perfectly maintains all of the enzymes, amino acids, pollens, vitamins, and trace minerals naturally found in raw honey.
• Is rich in flavor and responsibly harvested at DC’ own rural facility without cooking, pasteurizing, filtering, or adding to the natural goodness found in raw honey.
• No force filtering, which requires excessive heat and removes the benefits of the natural pollen honey contains.
• Naturally fat-free, cholesterol free, sodium free, kosher, and gluten-free.

Desert Creek Honeybee Pollen:

• Pollen can help relieve allergy symptoms. Honeybee pollen contains all of the amino acids and is an excellent health supplement. 
• Great at boosting your immune system. Pollen is also used by many athletes as a source of protein and as an energy boost!
• Sprinkle into smoothies, on salads, cool drinks, or on any other cold foods. It has a sweet, almost nut-like flavor.
• Doctors recommend starting by consuming 1-2 granules per day, and over a 2 week period work up to 1-2 teaspoons of pollen each day.

Honest Raw Honey:

• Maintains natural enzymes, pollens, amino acids, propolis, vitamins, minerals, texture, flavor, and color. 
• Does not contain: antibiotics, chemicals, additives, herbicides, pesticides, imported honey, and everything else that shouldn’t be in your food!
• Unaltered, not cooked, pasteurized, filtered, or added to. 
• Responsibly produced in the USA, eco-friendly honey from hive to bottle. 
• Certified kosher. 

“We are committed to keeping happy, healthy bees and a huge part of that is keeping the area around the hives clean and natural. This also ensures that our honey is pure and free of harmful substances such as chemicals and antibiotics. In order to help promote growing bee populations in the United States, we also strive to support bees and the beekeeping industry and promote a positive view of bees in our community” said, Desert Creek.

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