Honey for Health: Why a Jar a Week Can Support Your Family’s Wellbeing
Honey has been a staple in homes across the world for thousands of years and not just because it tastes delicious. Here in Bellingen, we enjoy the changing flavours through the seasons and consume a lot of honey and pollen!
Honey offers a range of everyday health benefits that make it one of the most valuable foods you can keep in your kitchen.
Why Honey Is So Good for You
1. It’s Naturally Antioxidant-Rich
Raw honey contains antioxidants that help the body neutralise stress caused by everyday living. These antioxidants come from the nectar of flowers meaning every jar is the essence of local plants, collected and naturally processed within the hives.
2. It Soothes the Throat and Digestive System
A spoonful of honey can help settle the throat and support a calm digestive system. It’s gentle, natural and comforting, something your body recognises.
3. It’s a Natural Energy Source
Honey provides slow, steady energy, perfect for kids heading to sport, parents on the go, or anyone needing a gentle pick-me-up without reaching for processed sugar.
4. Raw Honey Supports the Microbiome
Because our honey isn’t heated it contains natural enzymes, trace pollen, beeswax and plant compounds that support gut balance where so much of our immune system lives.
Why a Jar a Week?
Many families we work with enjoy roughly a jar of honey each week for:
Morning tea or coffee
Breakfast bowls with muesli and yogurt
Salad dressings
Lunchbox snacks
Baking
On toast
To replace processed sugars with something natural and nourishing
To keep your pantry stocked with a versatile healthy sweetener
Support your local food economy every time you shop
It’s not about eating more, it’s about choosing better and how about adding a squeeze to your water bottle to support hydration with added antioxidants.
The Extra Boost of Manuka Honey
Here in Northern NSW, we’re lucky to have access to Australian Manuka, made from our native Leptospermum species. Manuka honey is known for its methylglyoxal (MGO) content, a compound linked to strong antimicrobial properties.
This gives Manuka honey additional benefits, often used for:
Supporting the immune system during seasonal changes
Soothing the throat when run down
Applying to minor skin irritations or cuts
General wellbeing and resilience
The higher the MGO rating, the more potent the honey’s natural properties.
But even our everyday local Manuka blends have noticeable depth and wellness-supporting qualities.
Why Buying Local Matters
When you choose honey from Bello Honey, you’re not just choosing honey you’re choosing:
Gentle, sustainable beekeeping
Hives placed with care in biodiverse landscapes
Honey extracted and bottled right here in the valley
A product that hasn’t travelled thousands of kilometres or been blended down
Local honey supports:
✔ Local pollination
✔ Local growers and gardens
✔ Local ecology
✔ Local families (like ours and yours)
From Our Hive to Your Home
We believe that nourishing ourselves shouldn’t be complicated.
It can start with something as simple and joyful as honey on the table.
Thank you for choosing raw, local, real honey.
Thank you for helping us care for the bees.
Thank you for keeping the Bellingen Shire flavour alive.
— Bello Honey
Local Bees. Local Blooms. Local Care. 🐝💛