The change of the seasons almost always brings forth an incredibly bothersome sore throat. Scratchy and irritated, it can hurt to eat, drink, or just plain swallow.

 

These and other random sore throats have plagued me for years – but I never quite knew what to do for them when they weren’t serious enough to require a visit to the doctor.

Last week, however, just as the temperatures began to drop at night, I found myself waking up each morning with that old, familiar feeling – a sore, scratchy throat.

And then, I had a thought…

A good friend of mine from Ireland bestowed upon me a jar of manuka honey. “Nectar of the gods,” he called it. He implored me to try it as soon as my throat went awry.

I always knew honey had potent healing qualities, but manuka honey is more powerful than anything you’d squeeze out of a bear-shaped bottle. Heck, some physicians and homeopaths recommend rubbing this kind of honey directly onto wounds, as it expedites the healing process (and is often used to treat ulcers, acid reflux, common infections, as well as touted to be an excellent facial cleanser).

One evening, I scooped out a teaspoon of the stuff, and just allowed it to emulsify into a piping hot cup of tea.

Before I had even finished drinking the honey-laced tea, I noticed a significant shift in the way my throat felt. Upon taking my last few sips, I realized that my sore throat was virtually gone.

Having this honey in your arsenal is especially useful for the fall and winter seasons – just as those scratchy, irritated throats run particularly rampant.

My jar of active 10+ manuka honey was purchased at a grocery store in Ireland (Sainsbury’s, to be exact), but you can find it online, or at almost any Whole Foods store.

Do you have any natural remedies that have consistently worked for you?