Manuka Honey Is on Sale! (And It's Good Stuff)

**I am not a doctor or any other kind of medical, health, or nutritional specialist. Before using anything for health purposes, make sure to check with your healthcare providers, do your own research, and use every bit of your own common sense before following suggestions by anyone like me!**

I've posted about Manuka honey and Manuka oil before. Well, Manuka honey is on sale over at Steens.

Manuka honey lives up to - and beyond - every bit of the hype. I can personally attest to that. I have stopped cold sores in their tracks by applying a dab of Manuka to my lip the minute I feel the first warning itch. I have put Manuka on burns and cuts. I have used it in warm tea for a sore throat. It works.

Here's the thing, you have to be careful about from whom and where you buy Manuka. There are a lot of scam sellers with products rated differently (to make you think the honey is more effective than it may actually be) or mislabeled. This is why there is an actual grading system for Manuka and all kinds of rules about how products have to be labeled. There are licenses issued to manufacturers and exporters. True Manuka sellers take this stuff seriously.  Check this link for in-detail information.

The brand I trust most of all is Steens. After looking at lots of different brands and trying some, I decided that Steens is the best. In my opinion. I actually am hesitant to use other brands now.

Here is the thing: it's not cheap. If you do find cheaply priced Manuka, make sure you check that it's legit because it is most likely an imposter.

Buying a good quality Manuka is not like buying "regular" honey. You can get the lower UMF varieties at really affordable prices. Some people use those for daily dietary needs. The higher UMF though is for stronger medicinal needs. I am fortunate enough that the jar I have ($24.00/12oz/$2.24 per ounce) has lasted me since April 2018 and I still have some left to use. Also, my jar is labeled as "good" until 2022. Some people have money enough to use their Manuka on their skin and in their hair for beauty purposes. I only use it for medicinal purposes - mainly fatigue - and for a variety of other healing uses (cold sores, throat, psoriasis, burns, etc.) and I have about... well, I'm bad at estimating so let's take a look:

There's a good
5 or 6 tablespoons left.

So you can understand why I got so excited when I got an email this morning showing this:

50% off? 50??? Of the 25+ UMF honey? 

Oh. My. Joy. I actually felt lottery-winner-giddy for a moment. In my head, I was rearranging my budget and scratching things like butter and paper towels off my grocery list. I mean, I can go for a while without butter and hand-drying paper, right?  But then, I saw this part of the email:

Rolls Royce on sale. Must go now!

I'm sure everyone in a 5-mile radius could hear my heart dropping and my smile hitting the floor.

Okay, so I still can in no way afford the higher UMF Manuka, but...  I normally use the 10+ variety and it was also in the sale. At a price I could afford without dropping 10 things from my grocery budget.

Even better, I could actually afford to go a little higher and get the 15+ UMF for the first time ever - without having to break into Ft. Knox.

Listen, for about 5 minutes, I considered calling my siblings to ask if they wanted to chip in on a jar of the 25+ UMF. That might sound crazy to some of you, but I really considered this in-family Go Fund Me route. That's how much I believe in the natural healing properties of this honey.

If you think I am being dramatic, just know that I have used this honey in a tea during some of my worst fatigue. I didn't jump up out of bed or off the couch like Grandpa in Willy Wonka, but I did start feeling better sooner than when I don't use the honey. 

The fatigue relief was a good indicator that the honey works, but I got actual visible no-fooling proof. The first time I got a visible indicator of the healing power of Manuka was when... Okay, this is embarrassing but... From the time I was about 19 or 20, I started to get the occasional cold sore on my lip. I don't know where the heck I picked that nastiness up from but there it is. For years, I suffered from a big old, festering sore spot on my lip that would last about a week before it began to heal. Even the healing was nasty. I tried everything but Abreva was the only thing that worked. I had to catch the sore right when I felt the first tingle of an itch. If I slept through or missed the itch right away, the Abreva would help the sore heal faster but didn't stop it from forming. I'd get a nasty blister that would go away in a couple of days instead of going full-blown, wishing-for-a-pandemic-so-I-could-wear-a-mask nasty.

When I use the Manuka, it stops anything developing past the itch. If I miss the itch, I can dab some Manuka on the first little blister, and not only does it not get any worse, but it starts to heal right away. I have not had a visible cold sore since I started treating the initial signs with Manuka. I have not had a cold sore since using Manuka. Not one. I've caught a blister in the morning when I wake up, applied Manuka, and by the time the day is out, no more itch, no more blister - nothing. I now keep a couple of Manuka in my purse. That way I can use it on my mouth or have some on hand for tea if I am out and start getting worn out or get a throat ache.

plain for tea & cold sores

with shea for daily lip balm

I can absolutely promise you that I have not bought a tube of Abreva ever since I started using Manuka for cold sores. 

So, yeah, Manuka is not cheap but neither is a single tube of Abreva. Back when I started buying it - maybe 8 years ago, it was around $12-$15 a tube, depending on where I bought it. I just checked on Amazon for a price:

That $17.20 price is for a .07 ounce tube. Amazon calculates this out to be $286.51 per ounce. So, basically just about 300 dollars an ounce for something that can only be used in one way.

So, I wouldn't really mind asking my family for help getting a $140 jar of Manuka that would last me for a few years. I sure don't mind going without extra bread or butter for a couple of weeks so that I can buy the 25- or 30-dollar jar. After all, I used to buy Abreva that I could use only for one thing. 

Anyway, I really wanted to tell anyone interested in the sale and to yak once more about how amazing I think Manuka honey is. 

By the way, the oil is great for using on my psoriasis but I have to dilute it down a lot. It's very powerful - strong-scented and too much to use full-strength on the skin. It's also pricey and I paid around $15 for my last 10ml bottle. Of course, you only have to use the tiniest drop ever mixed with some carrier oil or grease to use on the skin - as a matter of fact, any more than the tiniest drop is too strong for my skin. But I have to choose between honey or oil and the honey is more versatile.

Peace

--Free

P.S.:

Because I rarely finish typing a post on the day I start one, I have already received the Manuka UMF 15+ so... Here it is.

7.9oz for $35 ($4.06 per ounce)

I want to point out that I noticed that the higher the UMF, the darker the honey. When I checked online, I learned that this is because there are more of certain compounds in the higher UMF-rated honey. Interesting, yes? 

Anyway. I ended up going to the Steens storefront on Amazon because the price was around $35 and no shipping with Prime. The sale is still on at the Steens site as of the time of this post, but I am not sure how long it will last. 

Trying Sumac For Antioxidants

**UPDATE**

 As a CKD stage 3b patient, I cannot eat a lot of sumac. While it's highly antioxidant and a diuretic, I found some information that will keep my use of it at a minimum. As always, you should talk with your doctors before trying anything new in your diet. Just because something is healthy that doesn't mean it is healthy for you!

 Have any of you ever heard of Sumac? Have you ever used it?

I had never in my life heard of Sumac until the other day. It was mentioned in a chat among other sarcoidosis folks as being very high in anti-oxidants. It's been about 4 years since I blogged about ORAC numbers (ORAC = Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity) and measurements of antioxidants in foods and other things. Sumac is on one of the lists I posted but... I guess because I had no idea what it is, I just spaced it out.

Anyway.

Let's talk about Sumac. When it was mentioned as being such a healthy spice, my American brain immediately thought salty/savory or spicy hot. What a surprise to learn that it is more sour/lemony/tangy.

When I heard about the flavor makeup, I realized that I probably would not use Sumac on meats. I started Googling for more info on the spice, looking for other ways I could use it. I started seeing all these recipes for "Sumac Lemonade" and I got so excited at the description "Think hibiscus-tea-meets-pink-lemonade!" on this page.

I have been drinking so much water the past few months, there are days when I feel I could float away. I occasionally drink calorie-free sparkling water but I always want something with a little oomph to it. Maybe this could be it?

Other than wanting the supposed health benefits, I would also like to forgo any sodium. I have ordered a sodium-free powder and today is the day. I wrote all of this so that I could take some photos and do a taste-test before I give you my opinion. Kind of an on-the-spot/in-the-moment blogging thing. So, give me one minute...

Okay. Here is what I think after trying it right out of the bag, then on a small piece of baked salmon, as a hot tea, and as a cold "lemonade".

Right out of the bag, this was such an interesting flavor. It's weird because it's new but kind of familiar somehow. (Keep in mind that this brand has sodium and I will be testing a salt-free one soon.)

It's salty-tart with a taste of hibiscus. Interesting. I knew right away that, yes, I would be able to eat this on savory foods. So, why not?

On the salmon - a leftover bite of some I had baked with a little butter and nothing else (I like seasoning the salmon on my plate). The sumac I have is dry so I moistened the fish with a few drops of water and warmed it in the microwave. I lightly sprinkled it with sumac and, man... That is tasty. It's almost like I used a blend of seasonings instead of just the sumac. The piece of fish was way too small so I'm going to have to make some more so I can use a little more butter with the sumac. But, yes, yes, yes, the sumac is definitely a "go" with the fish. This particular brand is salty to me so maybe that's why it was good on the fish?

As a hot tea, this was better than I expected but way too salty. I had to add a little bit of sugar. It was pretty yummy but I will wait until I get a brand that is totally salt-free.

The "lemonade" is just what I threw together by making a larger glass of the tea, adding a bit of sugar, and letting set all morning in the fridge. I think I like this salty brand better cold than hot. Still...

I have contacted the seller about the salt in this. They mark the label as "no added sugars" and there is zero sugar shown. However, they don't label it as "no added salt" and the sodium shows as being 77mg per tablespoon. When you say "no added" whatever, I take that the whatever is naturally occurring. When you just show an amount, then I think it's added. That's not a lot of sodium and, as I said, it worked on the fish. The thing is, I have since seen the label of another brand showing zero sodium. 

Bottom line, this is a yummy spice with a lot of seasoning possibilities. I can tell that I would not need to add any salt to the salmon. However, there is no way that I would add this brand to non-savory drinks and smoothies. I am hoping to return this one and get a salt-free version. I really wanted this to use as a tea and lemonade.

To summarize:

Antioxidants are important. Do your research. Talk with your medical care team or health care providers. Ask questions about antioxidants found naturally in foods and beverages.

Peace

--Free

**QUICK POST** Manuka Oil Healing Psoriasis

(NOTE: Blogger wigged out and deleted my whole post after I published and auto-posted to G-Plus. So, here I go, re-creating the whole thing!)

It's never easy to be publicly vulnerable, but I want to post some Before and After photos of my psoriasis-plagued feet to illustrate how Manuka Oil is helping to heal them. First, let me tell you a few things:

1. I think the psoriasis started about 5 years ago.
2. The affected skin gets scaly and itchy. It flakes so badly that it's visible in my shoes and socks.
3. I've tried the long-term use of an RX ointment and an RX cream.
4. Before I left Alaska, I was going to the dermatologist 3 times a week for UVB treatments. This went on for about 2 1/2 - 3 months.
5. I've ordered balms and creams online. Some helped the appearance. Some didn't work at all.
6. The last thing I used (and still do) really helped the appearance of my feet and gave some relief from the itch. Plus, it smells great.
7. I ordered the Manuka Oil on 4/11/18 and started using it immediately. 

Bottom line is, nothing healed the psoriasis until I started with the Manuka oil. I was seeing a difference in the skin of my feet the morning after the first night-time application of the oil. It was so immediate.

Please understand that I am not a medical professional of any kind. Do your research and check with your medical care providers before using this or anything. I am only here to tell what this oil did for me.

By the way, I am in the habit of taking photos of my feet for other product reviews and/or so that my family and close friends can see what's happening. Now, here are the photos. 

 I realize the lighting is different for each picture. That's because I hadn't anticipated using the first one for this post. You can though clearly see that the skin is much less dry and flaky and actually is healing back to normal. I expect that in the next few weeks, I can stop hiding my feet altogether.























 Those are photos of the brand of oil I happen to be using. I am not being reimbursed in any way whatsoever for mentioning them, but I will be buying this particular oil again. It's from Inn & Co. You can read the review I recently did (again, not reimbursed or compensated in any way by the brand or seller) to get an idea why I will stick with this brand.

If anyone else has had success with Manuka Oil (or other products) to treat psoriasis, drop me an email or leave a comment.

Peace
--Free