Growing up, my mother would make me a comforting mug of “honey lemon” any time I got sick. This warm homemade brew was a simple sore throat recipe including ginger, sometimes echinacea tea, but it always had equal parts honey and lemon juice. It soothed my sore throat and cough wonderfully. Honey has been used in this way forever, and science is catching up to what mom has always known. Various types of honey have been touted as natural cough…
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Detoxifying Manuka & Spirulina Scrub
October 16, 2019
What a way to wake up or wind down. Much like starting your day with lemon water stimulates your liver, this simple scrub stimulates your skin’s detoxifying pathways. Mānuka honey provides a powerful antibacterial compound called methylglyoxal. This compound correlates to the MGO number found on mānuka honey packaging. An MGO number of 250 or higher has more antibacterial properties. Spirulina, usually associated as a superfood supplement tinting smoothies and glasses of water a dark blue-green, has similar detoxifying effects…
Making Our Apple Cider Vinegar Drinks
October 8, 2019
Flora’s Apple Cider Vinegar Drinks come in four flavors to delight the senses. Enjoy the crisp tang of organic apple cider vinegar expertly blended with botanicals and spices like elderberry, ginger & lemon, turmeric & cinnamon, and red beet. These drinks are thoughtfully brewed in small batches using freshly ground ingredients blended with apple cider vinegar. The complex flavor of these digestive tonics is rounded out by adding seven of the herbs found in our world-famous Flor-Essence® tea. They are…
Staying Healthy Year-Round with Probiotics
October 1, 2019
How Do We Know We Are Healthy? Truly good health is more than the absence of disease. Some signs of good human health include: Resilient respiratory system; few days sick with coughs, colds, or viruses [1],[2] Good cognition and verbal fluency [3] Getting good, satisfying sleep [4] Well-formed, regular, comfortable elimination [5] Moderate stress response and good neuroplasticity [6] Ability to exercise with only minor wear and tear [7] Having fresh breath and a healthy mouth [8] Relatively little inflammation…
“Fall” into a New Cleanse Routine
September 24, 2019
Summer 2019, at least in the northern hemisphere, is in the rearview mirror and autumn leaves are beginning to fall. As the seasons change, now is the perfect time for a cleanse and digestive tune-up before heading into the season of food temptation: Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas. In early fall, our brain begins to signal some hormonal changes. Insulin resistance increases slightly. Our bodies begin to store a little more fat. Millions of years of mammalian evolution are behind this…
Elderberry Crystals & 25+ Ways to Use Them
September 17, 2019
Elderberry: the most popular way we know to stay healthy—and for good reason! You know you want more elderberry goodness in your life and adding Flora Elderberry Crystals to food is the easiest, most versatile way to get your dose. We’ve searched the internet to collect some creative ways to get your elderberry boost. Here are over 25 of our favorite ideas: Drink It Up In this simple Gut-Loving Water Kefir or swirled into an elderberry kefir drink In a…
Autumn Elderberry Immune Bars
September 12, 2019
You may be a worrier, or maybe not. If you’re a parent, when a toddler decides to suck on a dog toy or shopping cart handle, you may panic, or you may shrug, saying “That should help develop their immune system.” I’ve seen both reactions. Regardless, when our daycare or school-attending kiddos take “sick days,” we may worry—about their immunity, missing learning activities, feeling terrible, potentially infecting others, and causing us to take unplanned “sick days” too. Resilient, healthy children…
Back to School Immune Health for Kids
September 3, 2019
The September back-to-school period invokes a unique blend of feelings for both parents and children: excitement, anticipation, and butterflies, with novelty, planning, and growth all in the mix. More time indoors, crowded rooms of kids, and cooler weather can also present challenges to our immune systems though. The first two weeks back to school in September often involve a spike in colds/upper respiratory tract infections1. The infection rate can increase by six times the usual rate as germs spread. Back…
DIY Manuka Honey Face Mask Series – Part II
August 28, 2019
Our second manuka face mask is enhanced by the powerful antioxidant-rich & skin brightening properties of turmeric and by the acne- and dark-spot-fighting power of cinnamon. This mask is also perfect for rejuvenating dull-looking skin for a brighter complexion. For more information on how manuka honey benefits the skin, see our first post in the series. DIY FACE MASK # 2: MĀNUKA HONEY MASK (For Acne-Prone Skin, Dull Skin And/Or Dark Spots) Ingredients 1 tablespoon Flora Mānuka Honey (MGO 250+/10+…
DIY Manuka Honey Face Mask Series
August 21, 2019
No matter what our age or our skin type, sometimes our skin can use a little help. Things like stress, too much sun and lack of sleep can make our skin look less than red carpet ready. What better way than a DIY face mask to beautify your way to glowing skin? There’s no need to resort to products filled with artificial preservatives and unpronounceable ingredients. Mānuka honey, a rising natural beauty superstar and “super” honey with enhanced healing and…