Once upon a time in the small Northern NSW village of Byron Bay, there lived a golden man who was gratefully known for his dealings in little golden pellets of pollen. Now these were not just your average pellets of gold, no no no … this particular gold carried with it stories of miraculous life saving qualities and nutritious benefits that far outweighed the average claims from a bottle of multi vitamins or even any food source on the market now days. The story of Jory goes a little something like this …

Jory was born in the U.S.A under the shadow of the Pentagon and spent the first part of his life witnessing his parents consume deadly cocktails of prescribed drugs that were washed down with litres of alcohol behind clouds of nicotine smoke, in what was considered ‘the norm’ … back then. The ‘norm’ for Jory went on to be the loss of both his parents due to toxic overload in their early/mid 30’s but before their passing they managed to instill in Jory the need to find a better way to live.  

This took Jory around the world and back again on his own discovery of life, food, nutrition, facts, fasts, dietary information and some ‘Waui Maui’ cultivation to name but a few mind altering adventures.  Saving Australia til last because he felt that it was the safest and best place to be (before the government sold us out and allowed the coal stream gas miners to invade us) and having come to his own conclusions that “Jarrah” Bee Pollen was the best food source in the world to live on, he decided he wanted to spread this golden magical message across our fair shores. This decision was coupled with the fact that West Australian Pollens, in his opinion, were the world’s most vibrant in terms of  ‘aura’ as seen and tested in his own extensive research and through “Kiruan Photography” (photographs of the aura). He eventually settled in Byron Bay some 27 years ago and has survived on a healthy income from moccasin making, bee pollen dealing and various other creative and captivating hobbies.

But besides all this, you may be wondering … “What is Bee Pollen” and “How can i get my hands on the gold ??” Well me hearty’s … look no further for all is about to be revealed !!

Jory did explain one thing to me that i was unsure of up until this interview and that is that the pollen that is collected by the bees is the sperm and the ova of the flowers about to be brought to life. It is carried on the back legs of the ‘bees knees’  as seen in the stunning picture above. Incredible isn’t it?

So energetically, which is where alot of Jory’s descriptions came from as i spoke to him, it carries the mammoth potential to become a life … alive !! Be it a plant, a flower, a tree, a bush, it’s all there in the pollen, captured in it’s purest essence and delivered to us by this charmingly sweet man.

The following is copied from Jory’s handout but hearing him talk about it in the studio was far more exciting and believable, especially when i had to remind myself that this was a man about to turn 60 sitting across from me who seemed as young and energetic as a boy half his age or less. A beautiful thing to witness in this world is the retainment of a youthful soul.

From Jory –

BEE POLLEN – THE WORLDS RICHEST SOURCE OF AMINO ACIDS

Amino acids are the building blocks of protein. Bee pollen has been found to be one of the world’s richest sources of amino acids with ‘Rare Australian Super Pollen’ being the most nutritionally potent and bio-available form of the product yet discovered. Instantly absorbable, clinicians have detected Bee Pollen in patients spinal fluid within thirty minutes of sub lingual (under the tongue) application !! Incredibly, bee pollen is richer in proteins than any animal source available.

Bee pollen contains more amino acids than beef, eggs or cheese of equivalent weight. It is important to know that bees recognize and select pollens which are rich in nitrogenous matter (amino acids) and leave poor quality proteins behind.

Not only does bee pollen contain a complete compliment of nutrients, it’s glucoside content helps transport these nutrients into the bloodstream.

Bee pollen contains folic acid along with an impressive vitamin array which cannot be artificially duplicated in the laboratory. It’s chemical make up is so complex that synthesising it artificially has eluded even the best modern day technology.

Bee pollen is so impressive that it contains many nutrients not found in animal products.

Linolenic acid is the only fatty acid essential for human nutrition that cannot be manufactured by the human body. Bee pollen contains linolenic acid in relative abundance.

A chemical analysis of Bee Pollen reveals it contains every nutrient required to sustain life.

Bee Pollen contains an unbelievable concentration of vital elements. It seems to be the most complete food found in nature. Some experts believe it could be the answer to world hunger !!

The story of Jory draws to it’s conclusion now with the invitation to sample some pollen and decide for yourself if it resonates with you.

!!! NB: IF YOU HAVE ALLERGIES WHEN IT COMES TO BEES AND THEIR PRODUCTS – SEEK ADVISE FIRST !!!

The golden man is contactable on 0421 509 291 and is so well known around town that if you ask anyone that sit’s outside one of our many fabulous organic cafe’s in town, they will be sure to point you in the right direction.  Join the buzz of the bay today and say g’day. Don’t be afraid to ask about what you don’t know about, we are all here to guide and teach one another.

With Love and Pollenation,

Sister Rasela

 Remember to take care of your own amazing planet – YOU !!

On air on bayfm 99.9 on May 23, 2011

There’s a cliche at the moment that at home or in restaurants its good to know all about our food “from paddock to plate” – we’re spending a lot of time in the paddock today on belly.  I’m playing some talks recorded at the Northern Rivers Sustainable agriculture forum 2 weeks ago.  Jane Laverty from N R food links joined me in the studio to talk about how the events were received (very well!).  My favourite speaker was gorgeous Stuart Larssen, who looks and sounds like a farmer from central casting, has a dry Aussie wit, but has been a  thinker and innovator on his large farm for 20 years.  Another very interesting speaker was Greg Reed, from the department of Primary Industries, who is running a project to improve farm planning so local farms are as sustainable as possible with the advent of climate change.  And we found out, thanks to POAMA, a predictive tool that Greg highly recommends (and I hope you can understand, because I don’t, but you can find it here), that we will be swinging into a El Nino weather system by springtime, so it will be very dry soon.

For more information on the talks, see http://www.northernriversfoodlinks.com.au/sustainable-agriculture-projects/

For lots of information on local food, go to http://www.sustainfood.com.au/

BELLY BULLETIN

Oh yes, make mine a double espresso.
More is better when it comes to drinking coffee to ward off the risk of deadly prostate cancer, according to a major US study just released by researchers at  Harvard.  Men who drink six or more cups per day have a 60 percent lower risk of developing the most lethal type of prostate cancer and a 20 percent lower risk of  any type of prostate cancer compared to men who don’t drink coffee.
Even just one to three cups per day was linked to a 30 percent lower risk of developing prostate cancer.  “Our study is the largest to date to examine whether coffee could lower the risk of lethal prostate cancer,” said Harvard associate professor  Lorelei Mucci.
The effects were the same whether the coffee was caffeinated or decaffeinated, so researchers  believe the lower risk could be linked to the antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties of coffee.  A study last year also found that drinking coffee may protect against mouth and throat cancers.  If you are a tea drinker, sorry, no such link was discovered.

The whole of Casino is in a beefy buzz, it’s Beef Week.  The beef queen was elected last Saturday, there’s beefy fun all week, including a farmers market on Thursday, a free bbq breakfast with the butchers, cow pat lotto and milking competition on Friday, a parade, a mr beef week comp, bush poets, the lot.  See www.casinobeefweek.com.au

And if you’d like to see this region on one of the most popular TV programs in Australia, tune in to Masterchef this Thursday.  The contestants will visit  Season restaurant in Kingscliff, where the chef is cooking with some lovely local produce.  Hopefully they will show our area for more than a few seconds.
Bangalow pork belly braised in tamarind and rock sugar, crispy skinned Cudgen reef snapper fillet and coconut pannacotta is the meal they will enjoy…mmm
If you’d like to try one of chef Reuben Radonich’s dishes, clicking here will take you to a  Bangalow pork recipe.  He’s a local boy (actually born in Byron Bay, unbelievable), so he should know how to deal with the most famous local food product.

Also coming up, cooking demonstrations at the Byron Bay farmers market on Thursday June 2.

on air on bayfm 99.9 on May 16, 2011

Today on belly I had the great pleasure to talk with Helena Norberg-Hodge.  She is an occasional Byron bay local, and full time fighter for a better world.  She is currently talking about her new movie, the Economics of Happiness.  For lots of information and other interviews about the movie, as well as upcoming screenings and a way to buy the dvd, go to http://www.theeconomicsofhappiness.org/

And check out the trailer below.

 

You can also find one of Helena’s other movies, Ancient Futures, on Youtube or to buy online.  It shows the beautiful people of Ladakh, in the Himalayas, who have inspired a lot of her work.  Beautiful and interesting story.  Here

And Helena also shared one of her favourite recipes with us, a warm vegetable salad of potatoes and beans.  She dresses it with a vinaigrette  that has boiled egg yolk added to make an easy mayonnaise type dressing.  A bit safer than the classic raw egg mayo in many places.

BELLY BULLETIN

Amnesty International, the organisation that fights for human rights, is 50 years old this year and is celebrating by inviting you to hold or attend a candlelit dinner.  The candle wrapped in barbed wire is Amnesty’s symbol.  If you want to show your support, hold a dinner at your place or go to a participating restaurant on Saturday 28th of May and raise a glass to toast freedom.  Amnesty isn’t necessarily looking for donations, although they will be gratefully received.  They are mainly interested in a show of support on their birthday.  There is still plenty of time to register your private dinner or restaurant on the Amnesty website.  By registering , hosts get access to a free online supporter pack including email invites, menu and recipe suggestions, and a script for their toast.

The Byron shire Echo is celebrating 25 years with its Community Awards, recognising some of the wonderful people in our area.    In this week’s paper some great locals were listed in the ‘battles as an environmental warrior’ category.  The belly vote goes to Judy McDonald, who as well as fighting for locally produced food and landcare has taught so many locals to grow their own food in our sub-tropical climate.  See the paper for details.

May is also Biggest Morning Tea month, fundraisers for the Cancer Council.  There’s one in Ewingsdale this Wednesday May 18th at 10 am at the Fig Tree restaurant.  One at the Mullumbimby Uniting church hall on Friday 20th at 9.30 am.  Plenty more around, check your local papers or the bayfm community service announcements.

Backpackers doing good.  Yes it happens.  Eco-tourism consultant Angie Wilton got donations of 6000 dollars in 4 months from backpackers staying at Byron’s Arts factory, to set up a permaculture community garden there, to grow food and educate visitors about sustainable living practices.  It will rely on volunteer work once estabilished.

Love and happy chocolate, sister T

MUSIC

Yungchen Lhamo, Happiness is…, from Putumayo presents : gardens of Eden

Tony Bennett and k.d. Lang, What a wonderful world

Ludwig van Beethoven, ‘the hymn to joy” , with the Roman Philarmonic Academy choir and the “Alessandro Scarlatti’ orchestra from Naples

Shubha Mudgal, the Awakening

Al Green, Happy Days

“Well” said Pooh, “what i like best” – and then he had to stop and think. Because although eating honey was a very good thing to do, there was a moment  just before you began to eat it which was better than when you were, but he didn’t know what it was called … 

Honey headed anticipation...

 

Talofa and welcome to the sweetest show on the airwaves, the tastiest radio in the Shire, where this week your ears will be drizzled with sticky stories of honey love.

The word honey along with variations like ‘hunny-bun’ ‘honey-pot’ and the abbreviated ‘hun’ have all become terms of endearment in most of the English speaking world. In some places it’s used for loved ones yet in others such as in Southern USA it can be used when addressing casual acquaintances… or even strangers !

In 2005 China, Argentina, Turkey and USA were the top produces of natural honey, according to reports from the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO). Significant regional producers include Turkey (ranked 3rd worldwide) and Ukraine (ranked 5th). Mexico is also an important producer of honey, providing  10% of the worlds supply. Production began there in the early 20th century and on the Yuctan Peninsular most producers are small family operations who still use traditional techniques such as moving hives to take advantage of various tropical and sub tropical flowers.

Do bees really have knees ???

Honey is made by the honey bee – a subset of the genus APIS. Honey bees represent only a small fraction of the approximately 20,000 known species of bees. In the hive or in a wild nest, there are 3 types of honey bee. A single female queen bee, a seasonal but variable number of male drone bees to fertilize new queens and some 20,000 to 40,000 female worker bees. The worker bees gather sugar rich flower nectar which they carry in the pollen baskets on their back legs. They take 28 days to grow from a larvae to a worker bee and will then spend their entire life working … (no fun !!) They do not lay eggs or mate, no, no, no … instead  they build the comb from wax extruded from glands under their abdomen, they clean, defend and repair the hive as well as feed the queen, the larvae and the drones. They constantly gather nectar, pollen, water and propolis. They ventilate, cool and heat the hive to help maintain the constant ideal temperature of 34.4*C. They do this by depositing water to cool warm areas and fanning their wings for water evaporation. They also huddle together in other areas where warmth is needed.

Honey is created by the bees as their food source for energy. The nectar is regurgitated in the bees ‘honey belly’  a number of times until it is partially digested. The bees all work together with the digestion and regurgitation until the product reaches it’s desired consistency and quality. This is when it is stored in honeycomb cells.

Do not attempt to comb hair with this !!

After the final regurgitation the honeycomb is left unsealed, however the nectar is still high in both water content and natural yeasts, which if left unchecked would cause the sugars in the nectar to ferment and spoil.  The incredible process continues therefore, to protect the honey and create a seal … but how you may well ask ??  The bees inside the hive fan their wings, creating a strong draft across the honeycomb which enhances evaporation of much of the water from the nectar. The reduction in water content raises the sugar concentration and prevents fermentation.

num num num

“When late morning rolls around and you’re feeling a bit out of sorts, don’t worry, you’re probably just feeling a little eleven o’clockish”  Winnie the Pooh

Removal and collection of the honey is typically achieved by using smoke from a bee smoker to pacify the bees. The smoke causes the bees to attempt to save the hive from a possible forest fire and they become far less agressive. The honeycomb is removed from the hive and honey is extracted from the comb and usually filtered … keep reading to discover the many differences in extracted honey.

Schmokin'

Sweet as bro –

Honey gets it’s sweetness from monosaccharides fructose and glucose and is about as sweet as granulated sugar. The benefits over sugar are that it contains trace amounts of vitamins and minerals and in it’s raw form is less processed than most other sweetners. Honey also contains tiny amounts of several compounds thought to function as antioxidants, including vitamin C. The specific composition of any batch of honey though, depends on the flowers available to the bees that produce the honey.

What am i buying ??

Generally honey is bottled in it’s familiar liquid form but it is also sold in other forms and can be subject to a variety of processing methods which produce any of the following – What’s your choice ???

Crystalized Honey – Where some of the glucose content had spontaneously crystalized. Also called ‘granulated honey’. Honey that has crystalized over time in the home can be returned to it’s liquid state if stirred in a container sitting in fairly warm water.

Pasturized Honey –  Has been heated in the pasturization process. Pasturization destroys yeast cells. It also liquifies any micro-crystals in honey, which destroys the onset of visible crystalization. However !!! Excessive heat exposure also results in product deterioration as it reduces enzyme activity thus reducing it’s therapeutic benefits. Heat also affects it’s appearance (darkens natural colour), taste and natural fragrance.

Raw Honey – Pure Honey as it exisits in the beehive or as obtained by extraction, settling or straining, without adding heat. Raw honey contains some pollen and may contain small particles of wax. Local honey is sought after by allergy sufferers as the pollen impurities are thought to lessen sensitivity to hayfever.

*NOTE ON ALLERGIES AND HEALTH HAZARDS*

Because of the natural presence of BOTULINUM ENDOSPORES in honey, children under the age of 1 year should not be given honey. The more developed digestive system of older children and adults in general destoys the spores. Infants however can contract BOTULISM from honey

Strained Honey –  Sounds a bit uptight but it is what it says. Passed through a mesh material to remove peices of wax, propolis and other defects without removing pollen, minerals or other valuable enzymes.

Ultrafiltered Honey – Heats honey to 65-77*C so it more easily passes through a fine filter to remove all extraneous solids and pollen granules. Prefered by supermarket trade as it is clear and has a long shelf life. It’s pretty much lost all it’s natural goodness.

Ultrasonicated Honey – Processed by form of ultrasonification … yes yes, but what does that mean exactly ?? It’s a non-thermal processing alternative that destroys most yeast cells but the ones that do survive usually loose their ability to grow. Hmmm, sounds suss to me. It reduces the fermentation process substantially (for longer shelf life) and works at around 35*C. It is still processed and tampered with.

Whipped Honey – I’m sure there have been many a kinky thing done with honey but this type is also known as creamed, spun, churned or candied and has all been processed to control crystalisation and produces something for those of you that like it smooth with a spreadable consistency.

Dried Honey – Has moisture extracted from liquid honey but not by the bees flapping their little wings ten to the dozen. The process may or may not include the use of drying and anti-binding agents and produces a completely solid, non-sticky honey. Well where’s the fun in that ??? It is commonly used to garnish deserts. Oh, yummy, there’s the fun.

Comb Honey – Not a new kind of hair product. This is honey still in the hardworking honey bees wax comb, which is traditionally collected by using standard wooden frames and the comb cut out in chunks before packaging. In India, honey is harvested from forests in the bees natural habitat. It is said that the honey will be consumed by the bees on the new moon day so it is cultivated the day before.

Chunk Honey – Is this what you’ll be called if you eat too much ?? … No. This is infact honey that is packed in wide mouth containers consisting of one or more  peices of honeycomb immersed in extracted liquid honey, mmmmmm sounds delightfully delicious does it not ?

Too much of a good thing is as bad as too much of a bad thing (unfortunately) ...

“It is more fun to talk with someone who doesn’t use long difficult words but rather short, easy words like, ‘what about lunch ?’ ” Winnie the Pooh

Once you have chosen the honey of your dreams, you might like to know how best to preserve it. Because of it’s unique composition and chemical properties, both honey and objects immersed in honey have been preserved for decades or even centuries !! The key to preservation is limiting access to humidity. If exposed to moist air, it’s chemical structure means that it is able to pull moisture into the honey, eventually diluting it to the point where fermentation can take place. Sealed in honeycomb cells is ideal but at home it generally should not be kept in metal containers because the acids in the honey promote oxidation of the vessel. Traditionally it was stored in ceramic or wooden containers but today glass or plastic (yuk) is favoured.

WARNING - Honey addiction can lead to sticky situations like 'dry cupboard syndrome'

Excessive heat has detrimental effects on the nutritional value of honey. Heating up to 37*c causes loss of nearly 200 components, some of which are antibacterial. Heating up to 40*C destroys invertase – an important enzyme that helps in the breakdown of sugars. At 50*C the honey sugars caramalize. Sounds heavenly … but you’ve killed it !!

Regardless of preservation, crystalization may naturally occur over time. This does not affect the flavour, quality or nutritional content of the honey, though it does affect the colour and texture.

Indicators of Quality

High quality honey can be distinguished by fragrance, taste and consistency. Ripe, freshly collected honey should flow from a knife in a straight stream, without breaking into seperate drops. Honey should form temporary layers when poured, layers that dissapear fairly quickly indicating high viscosity (thickness). If not, it indicates high water content and is not suitable for long term preservation. In jars it should appear as pure, consistent fluid and should not set in layers.

Go with the flow

History in Medicine

For the last 2,700 years honey has been used by humans to treat a variety of ailments through topical application but only recently have their antiseptic and antibacterial properties been chemically explained. Some wound gels which contain antibacterial raw honey and have regulatory approval are now available to help treat drug resistant strains of MRSA – METHICILLIN RESISTANT STAPHYLOCOCCUS AURES – which is a bacterium responsible for several difficult to treat infections in humans. It had developed a resistance to some anti-biotics which include Penicillin. MRSA is eapecially troublesome in hospitals where patients with open wounds, invasive devises and weakened immune systems are at a greater risk of infection than the general public.

A quick buzz on ‘MANUKA HONEY’ (Leptospermum Scoparium)

Manuka collector

For the past 28 years, honey researchers at the university of Waikato in NZ have been investigating what many local New Zealanders have long accepted as common wisdom … that their local Manuka honey is a  superior treatment for wound infections (amongst other things). Manuka honey is gathered from the Manuka bush which grows uncultivated throughout NZ. A honey with the same properties has more recently been discovered right here in Australia. Leptospermum Polygalifolium, better known as JELLYBUSH HONEY also grows uncultivated in certain parts of this country but has not been around for long enough that we are able to bring investigative facts to you yet … and being a Kiwi i am always going to sway the Maunka way !! Both of these honeys contain high levels of additional non-peroxide antibacterial components that make them very unique. Incredibly, after 28 years of study on Manuka honey at the Waikato University,  researchers are still unable  to identify the specific synergistic component that is responsible for more than doubling the antibacterial activity within Manuka and Jellybush honey.

I encourage you to delve furtherand stick your nose into the honey pot of natural food products to enhance your health and wellbeing. I hope that the information i provide inspires you to learn more about what it is you eat, where it comes from and  ultimately what is best for YOU as an individual because it’s important to remember that we are all individual and so are our dietary needs.

Time to buzz off now ...

Thanks once again for listening, reading and keeping the fire in the belly burning as we enter into the cooler months. So much more to come so stay tuned !!

Honey dripping love,

Sister Rasela