FOUNDERS STORY: How Manuka Honey helps us through the change of season
When the weather starts cooling down, it is always in the back our minds that cold and flu season is on its way. Recent times have been even tougher than ususal, with Covid-19 setting in around the world, causing weakened immune systems and health complications, followed by some severe flu bugs that have made it even more difficult for people to recover their overall health and immune strength.
Paul and Sheryl have always had a ‘food is medicine’ approach, and Sheryl admits she was an ‘OG Hippy’, always seeking out the truth when it came to what she was feeding herself and her family.
‘A huge focus (for us) is health and wellbeing. The garden is completely organic and our total food is 98% organic, we enjoy a plant based diet. I was that woman in the supermarket with the book, ‘The Additive Code Breaker, published in Australia in 1986, checking everything I purchased for the family.
So it comes as no surprise that Steens Raw Manuka Honey is as unrefined as possible, essentially providing consumers with jars of crushed wholecomb, with only the wax removed. Sheryl is a huge advocate of removing refined sugar, and replacing with honey – understanding the drawbacks of consuming highly processed foods with no nutritional value.
‘ Honey is the only sweetener I use and Paul enjoys very dark chocolate with his coffee. Our philosophy was to eat real food not numbers.’
With a large garden at their property in the Bay of Plenty, New Zealand, overflowing with fruit trees and vegetables, Paul and Sheryl ensure they are eating mostly what they grow themselves, saying ‘Just picked and home-made are our thing’, and this is another way they ensure they are getting the nutrients they need through the change of season. Eating fruit and vegetables that are in season, especially if they are freshly picked, ensures the nutrients are at their highest, as they can start to degrade over time once picked.
Having been in the beekeeping industry for over 40 years, they both understand the value of Manuka Honey as an overall wellness supplement. Rich in antibacterial, antimicrobial and antioxidant properties, Manuka Honey is used daily by the Steens, for all occasions:
‘It’s hard to beat our UMF 20+, and UMF 15+ comes in a close second. We eat it daily at breakfast time. Paul has a dodgy gut and uses a teaspoon throughout the day and at night as needed. It’s our go to for sore throats and in warming herb teas when poorly. If I am creating a raw bake, I always use the 20+’
Not only is Manuka Honey incredible for immunity support thanks to its natural antibacterial and antioxidant properties, but it also holds prebiotic properties. With so much research being undertaken around how gut health affects overall health, consuming a teaspoon a day of Manuka Honey not only supports immunity through protecting against illness, but it can also assist with digestive support, helping to provide a healthy gut microbiome and ensuring your body is well prepared to fight off seasonal bugs.
As well as their own experiences with Manuka Honey health benefits, Paul and Sheryl have also received feedback from hundreds of customers with their own stories of how Manuka Honey has helped them in their journey through various illnesses, with Manuka Honey at the forefront of their pathway to natural wellness.
‘Mohammed is a wonderful gentleman in London and a huge advocate of our honey, when he heard Paul and I were going to be in London he extended an invitation to his home to meet his lovely family. The food and warmth they shared was the highlight of the trip. That evening is etched in our memory forever. He had gifted his friend some Manuka who had been very poorly, the gentleman contacted us and said this, “The addiction to my Manuka therapy has extended my life. A beautiful taste from such a natural product. Thank you for supplying Hope which tastes so nice.”
Needless to say, sharing the wonderful natural properties of New Zealand’s very own Raw Manuka Honey with the world is an incredibly special thing for the Steens’, and the feedback from people it has helped mean so much to them.
"The stories where folks say it has improved their lives, ‘It doesn’t get any better than this."
Steens Raw Manuka Honey is the only really raw Manuka Honey on the market, with no heat treating and no fine filters, providing up to 15 times more Bio-Available Bee Bread and pollen than other brands.
