manukahealthuk

Winter is the time of the lurgies, personally i think its because we get run down, temperature drops and we just do way too much. Winter is a natural time to hibernate. Think of the animals in the wild they sleep a lot! However the party season creeps up on us and we like to over indulge and push our bodies to the limit so its more important than ever to eat well and support your immune system.

One of the best things you can do every day is eat more greens! I know it sounds obvious to some but starting the day with a green smoothie packed full of leafy greens is one of the easiest ways to boost your vitamin levels naturally. Winter is a great time to start cooking with spices like cinnamon, star anise, ginger, turmeric, which are all fantastic immune boosters. One of my favourite winter wellness drinks is turmeric, star anise, fresh ginger, squeeze of lemon and manuka honey as its fantastically warming and soothing.

If you are going to go out and party hard then make sure you nourish before and after to try and reduce the side effects of lack of sleep and de-hydration. In the winter drinking lots of water can be chilly so swap it up for herbal teas throughout the day to make sure you stay hydrated.

Natasha Corrett shopping for immune boosting ingredients

When choosing your food during winter try and stay away from too much raw and uncooked food however if you want to have a salad for lunch you need to warm the furnace beforehand so start with a soup or hot drink so its easier to digest, its something that really works for me. I am always sure to eat a lot of immune boosting foods during winter for example. Superfoods like spirulina, wheatgrass, maca, baobab, moringa, acai have higher levels then other foods and I like to put them into my green smoothie in the mornings they are packed full of energy boosting properties helping to keep you going for the day. When choosing immune boosting foods, you want to look for foods that are high in anti-oxidents. So you can also find flu fixers in every day foods like berries and spices.

Remember to rest when you can, stay hydrated, eat immune boosting foods and stay warm!

Get your free winter wellness recipe book featuring a recipe from Natasha Corrett with purchases of Manuka Honey 30+-550+.

Nutritionist, Marianna Sulic, reveals the benefits of manuka honey and explains why Manuka Health MGO manuka honey is different than other manuka honey products?

What are the benefits of manuka honey in general - does it help with any particular ailments, especially those that generally occur in winter?

Manuka Honey, unique to New Zealand, has incredible and reliable health-giving properties and can be used as a natural remedy to assist with an array of health conditions. Manuka Honey works against a wide range of bacteria including the causes of stomach ulcers, sore throats and wound infections. This honey has also been proven to be effective in helping the natural healing of skin ulcer, burns, boils and cracked skin.

Through Professor Henle’s research he recommends a minimum of 100mg/kg to have therapeutic health benefits helping to sooth dry, irritated throats, coughs, mouth ulcers and applied topically for dry skin, which is especially beneficial during the winter months. With a minimum of 400mg/kg (MGO™ 400+ and MGO™ 550+) being beneficial against sore throats and bronchitis.

Why Manuka Health manuka honey is it different than other manuka honey products?

Manuka Health was the first company in the world to introduce science-based, robust, easy to understand MGO™ Manuka Honey rating system.

In 2005, Professor Henle’s student at the Institute of Food Chemistry at the Technical University in Dresden, Germany discovered very high levels of naturally occurring Methylglyoxal in Manuka honey are responsible for its unique reliable antibacterial activity. This discovery was a milestone and a breakthrough in the industry. In 2008, Manuka Health established the MGO™ Manuka Honey Certification System, which was the first rating system based on the Methylglyoxal content of the honey. Methylglyoxal is now accepted by all the scientists around the world and acknowledged by the New Zealand government as the main key ingredient in Manuka honey that sets it apart from other honeys.

Each Manuka Health MGO™ Manuka Honey product is tested and certified to contain a minimum level of methylglyoxal, ranging from 30mg/kg to 550mg/kg in our highest grade MGO™ 550+ Manuka Honey.

For example, MGO™ 100+ contains 100mg of methylglyoxal per kg of manuka honey, 250+ contains 250mg of methylglyoxal per kg of manuka honey and so on for 400+ and 550+. The higher the Methylglyoxal content of MGO™ Manuka Honey, the stronger the antibacterial activity.

From the hive to shelf, manuka honey is one of nature's unique gifts. Sourced from beehives in remote and pristine areas of New Zealand.

What is the Manuka plant?
The Manuka plant is native to New Zealand. It is an evergreen shrub that grows from 2 to 5 meters tall. In New Zealand, Manuka grows wild on both the North and South Islands. Every spring manuka bush gets covered with white flowers making the hills look like they are covered in snow.
The flowering only happens for 4 weeks in each region.

How was the Manuka plant used traditionally?
The Maori tribes who arrived in New Zealand over a thousand years ago were using the strong wood of Manuka for paddles and handles for their tools and weapons. A tea made by boiling the leaves was used to treat colds and fevers. In fact, the common name, “Tea Tree”, was given to Manuka back in 1769 by the British explorer, James Cook, who used the potent tea to treat skin and digestive illnesses among his crew. The inner bark was boiled and used as a sedative.
Manuka was used externally as well as internally. The bark has been used to treat burns, wounds, skin disorders, and rheumatic conditions.

When were bees introduced in New Zealand?
The honey bee was introduced to New Zealand in 1839 by European missionaries. The land provided a hospitable place for bees. Beekeeping as an industry grew steadily.

What was Manuka honey used for in the early days?
In the early days, however, in fact, up to the 1930’s, honey from Manuka bushes was considered a low quality honey and the Manuka beekeepers would give the honey away for free to dairy farmers who would, interestingly, feed it to their cows.

The story goes that the farmers noticed how cows that fed on this particular honey did not suffer from infectious diseases as much as other animals had. This was probably one of the earliest indications there was some type of special property about Manuka honey.

Is Manuka honey Organic?
MGO™ Manuka Honey comes from Manuka that grows wild in pristine, remote untouched areas in New Zealand.
To get to these areas Manuka Health’s beekeepers sometimes need to cross mountain rivers up to 20 times or to use helicopters.

Sometimes the topic comes up as to whether or not Manuka Honey is organic. Organic farming is not much of an issue in New Zealand because the agriculture is based on grassland. It is not a crop-based agriculture, so there aren’t any crops that a farmer would use herbicides, pesticides or insecticides on.

Keep in mind that Manuka grows wild in New Zealand. There are no orchards of Manuka. It covers miles and miles of hill country.

When was the science discovered?
In 2006, Professor Thomas Henle from the Technical University of Dresden, Germany discovered that very high levels of naturally occurring Methylglyoxal in Manuka honey are responsible for its unique properties.

Nutritionist, Marianna Sulic, reveals the top tips for winter wellness.

Start the day with a cup of warm lemon tea with Manuka honey
When we wake up in the morning our body tissues are dehydrated and are in need of water. Lemon helps to quench our thirst while stimulating the digestive system and liver, while aiding detoxification. Manuka honey adds anti-bacterial properties and relieves a dry throat.

Dose up on vitamins and minerals – think superfood greens
Iron, zinc and vitamin C are also key to a healthy immune system. Boost your dietary intake of these vitamins and minerals by eating dark leafy greens and red and yellow vegetables. Spirulina and wheatgrass are packed full of vitamin, minerals and antioxidants that will support the body and boost the immune system.

Boost your immune system with Echinacea before the cold & flu season starts
A natural herb, Echinacea helps to boost the immune system and prevent colds from forming. It’s best taken at the start of the season before you feel any symptoms.

Replenish your gut flora and boost your immune system further with probiotics
The good bacteria found in probiotic supplements helps to fight off bad bacteria and boost the immune system by increasing the immune system cells found within the gut. When the seasons change in October I recommend taking a high potency probiotic such as Udo’s Choice Super 8’s – take one capsule per day for 1-2 months.

Keep exercising – spin classes, indoor swimming, ice skating, hiking, running
It’s hard to get motivated when it’s cold and dark, but your body has to work harder to keep warm, so you can burn more calories when you exercise outdoors in the wintertime. Find an exercise partner to keep you motivated and if it’s too cold outside, go to the gym or do laps at an indoor pool.

Wrap up warm!
Keeping warm over the winter months can help prevent colds and flu – think hats, scarfs, gloves and proper footwear. Cold extremities of hands and feet can be due to poor circulation, so wear woolly socks indoors to keep the body warm.

Soothe a sore throat with a tsp of Manuka honey a day
Sore throats can be caused by bacterial infections. Manuka honey has anti-bacterial and antiseptic properties that can help kill off the bacteria and also soothe and coat the throat at the same time. Soothe with a teaspoon of Manuka honey, such as Manuka Health MGO 250+, a day.

Nourish the body with warming foods – soups, stews, casseroles
When the weather gets cold, turn to hot and spicy foods to satisfy your hunger. Healthy foods that are loaded with nutrients, antioxidants, and immune-boosting powers that your body needs to power itself through the cold weather.

Rest and recover – curl up on the sofa with a wool blanket and the latest box set!
Regular sleep is vital to staying healthy. Don’t let yourself get run down. Those who aren’t well rested are more likely to get sick.

Beat the winter blues – supplement with Vitamin D or better yet take a holiday in some winter sun!
For mild depression and anxiety consume super foods packed with calcium and magnesium, such as kale, collards, Brussel sprouts which are all in season. If you can’t get enough magnesium from diet alone try supplementing with One Nutrition Ocean Mag, which contains a highly bioavailable marine source of magnesium. Studies show, seasonal sadness is linked with low Vitamin D levels so it’s advised during the winter months to supplement with 2000-4000IU per day.

Written by:
Marianna Sulic
Nutritionist

Manuka honey comes from the Manuka plant, which is native to the South and North islands of New Zealand.

In 1990 Professor Peter Molan at Waikato University in New Zealand discovered that certain Manuka honeys have additional stable antibacterial properties that do not exist in other honey. He was not though able to determine what exact component gives Manuka honey this specific unique property, therefore he coined the term UMF (unique manuka factor). It wasn’t until 2006 when Professor Thomas Henle from the Technical University of Dresden, Germany discovered very high levels of naturally occurring Methylglyoxal (MGO) in Manuka honey are responsible for its unique reliable anti-bacterial activity.

Discovery of methylglyoxal as the natural compound in Manuka honey that was responsible for its stable antibacterial activity was a milestone, a breakthrough for the industry.

Manuka honey is unique to other honeys as it contains high quantities of methylglyoxal (MGO) and it is the high levels of this anti-bacterial activity that makes Manuka honey beneficial to fight against colds and flu by eliminating pathogenic bacteria in the gut and also encouraging the growth of ‘good’ gut bacteria, which will help to fight infection and boost the immune system.

The MGO content ranges from MGO100+ to MGO550+, including a 250+ and 400+ available through Manuka Health. 100+ means there is 100mg of methylglyoxal per kg of manuka honey, 250+ means there is 250mg of methylglyoxal per kg of manuka honey and so forth.

The higher the MGO the higher the anti-bacterial activity, however although Methylglyoxal is important focusing only on ‘as high as possible’ methylglyoxal levels is not the full quality picture. Methylglyoxal occurs naturally up to approx. 600mg/kg. Higher levels correlate with a decline in quality and freshness which may be a result of sitting in storage for a few years or heavily heated, which damages important enzymes in the honey.

Manuka Health does not adulterate or heat their Manuka honey. The honey is never exposed to temperatures higher than in the beehive.

Manuka Health has always respected the wholefood properties of Manuka honey – our MGO™ Manuka Honey Quality System guarantees not just the methylglyoxal level, but also total quality and freshness.

I recommend taking 100+ as a preventative to maintain general well-being and a minimum of 250+ to fight colds and supporting digestive health. The best way to take Manuka honey is simply off the spoon, a 1tsp daily. Additionally, you can add a 1tsp of honey to a cup of warm tea.
Manuka Health set the standards in 2007 when they trademarked “MGO™ Manuka Honey” and established the MGO™ Manuka Honey Certification System, which was the first rating system based on the Methylglyoxal content of the honey.

Manuka Health’s quality system promotes transparency – they measure the methylglyoxal levels and put the minimum level on the label. The system also shows clarity for the consumers as it’s much easier to understand and remember than past rating systems. Lastly, it gives the customers confidence to know they are receiving exactly what the label claims.

Manuka Health’s MGO™ Manuka Honey science-based quality system is your guarantee of 100% New Zealand made premium quality manuka honey.

Sustainably sourced from our beehives in remote and pristine areas of New Zealand, every batch of MGO™ Manuka Honey is fully traceable from beehive to shelf.