I was in San Francisco at the Ferry Building, caught up in a whirl of fresh-baked smells and friendly local vendors. A cute little pop up stand called “Be Kind” caught my eye. The super friendly girl manning the stand knew more about honey than I realized a girl who couldn’t be over 21 could.

Creamed honey, honey sticks, Manuka honey, honeycomb – I’ve never seen so many variations on the sweet nectar. And then there were the infused honeys – Rosemary Bliss, Lavender Love, Buckwheat?? I had to try them all. I was like a kid in an ice cream shop. The rosemary bliss was DE-licious. 

Alas, right before I was about to check out with my new glass-jarred goodies, I spotted the Bee Pollen. You’re supposed to eat that? I ask.

“Yep!” She said. “It’s actually an amazing source of protein, and ironically, a great allergy reliever. I take it every morning.”

Oh I’m intrigued. A superfood I hadn’t heard of yet. I so desperately wanted to take it home, but I resisted. Partly for sake of suitcase weight and partly because I’d already spent way too much at that heavenly market.

It wasn’t until a few weeks ago at a food photography shoot (for work) did I come across the pollen again. We were making a beautiful Paleo dessert I affectionately named “Rainbow Chocolate Rounds” for one of my favorite clients, Enjoy Life Foods. They were essentially melted dark chocolate (gluten-free, GMO-free, soy-free, dairy-free, you get the picture), topped with dried fruits, seeds and nuts.

In the sea of goji berries, dried blueberries, coconut shreds and pumpkin seeds, was a big bag of bee pollen. I helped myself to a spoonful of it (you know, to make sure it was photoshoot ready) and immediately remembered my moment at Bee Kind.

The photographers were kind enough to give me the barely used bag at the end of the shoot after they heard me gushing about its benefits. And I found a home for it on the top shelf of my refrigerator.

Now I am proud to say it has become a new favorite in my daily routine.

I put it in my morning post-workout smoothie, I sprinkled it on Siggi’s yogurt, I mixed it with chocolate chips and enjoyed as an after-dinner treat.

Here’s the lowdown on this slightly unconventional supplement, and what makes it so “super”:

VITAMIN-RICH. Bee-gathered pollens are rich in proteins, free amino acids, and vitamins, including B-complex and folic acid.

CANNOT BE SYNTHESIZED. One teaspoon of pollen takes one bee working eight hours a day for one month to gather. Each bee pollen pellet contains over two million flower pollen grains and one teaspoonful contains over 2.5 billion grains of flower pollen. Thousands of chemical analyses of bee pollen have been made with the very latest diagnostic equipment, but there are still some elements present in bee pollen that science cannot identify.

TUMMY FUNCTION. With a high proportion of cellulose and fiber, as well as the existence of antibiotic factors, bee pollen has a positive effect on intestinal function.

CHOLESTEROL. It is reported that bee pollen in the diet acts to normalize cholesterol and triglyceride levels in the blood.

MAKIN’ BABIES! Pollen stimulates ovarian function. It is actually recommended whenever the end result is obtaining eggs for reproduction.

ALLERGIES. Ever heard of desensitization? The idea is that if a body is exposed to an allergen in small doses, it will build up immunity to it (kind of like a vaccine).  Therefore, it can be a very effective remedy for hay fever, allergies and pollen-induced asthma. It has also shown to increase control of bronchitis, ulcers of the digestive tract, colitis, migraine headaches, and urinary disorders.

FITNESS. The British Sports Council recorded increases in strength of as high as 40 to 50 percent in those taking bee pollen regularly. Even more astounding, the British Royal Society has reported height increases in adults who take pollen. Oh God. So I could actually get TALLER by eating this? (I'm already 6' 1").

WEIGHT CONTROL. By correcting a chemical imbalance in body metabolism, pollen can have a strong effect on weight control or stabilization.

CRAVINGS. Because it boosts the value of the nutrients you are eating, it helps to eliminate cravings.  The result of its natural phenylalanine (a man-made amino acid that shows up in weight loss pills – can you guess which version is better?).

BEE-UTY. Studies show, unhealthy or aging skin can be dramatically improved by eating more bee pollen. It seems to prevent premature aging of the cells and stimulate growth of new skin tissue. It also offers protection against dehydration and stimulates blood supply to skin cells.

*A warm thank you to Dr. Mercola for your thorough research, as usual. http://www.mercola.com/article/diet/bee_pollen.htm

And now, for the moment you’ve all been waiting for, how the heck do I eat it? Here are two of my latest and greatest smoothie recipes – both of them featuring bee pollen, both of them DE-licious. (p.s. I am constantly posting new smoothie concoctions on my instagram profile so follow me for more ideas!)

BEE POLLEN SMOOTHIE RECIPES

HAPPY TUMMY MANGO BEE SMOOTHIE

Ingredients:

• 1 teaspoon bee pollen – I use Sunfoods Spanish Bee Pollen
• 1 cup frozen mango
• 1 cup coconut milk OR coconut water
• 1-2 scoops Vital Proteins collagen
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 inch turmeric root/1 teaspoon turmeric
• 1 inch ginger/1 teaspoon ginger
• 2 ice cubes

HAPPY TUMMY ON VACAY BEE SMOOTHIE

Ingredients:

• 1 teaspoon bee pollen – I use Sunfoods Spanish Bee Pollen
• 1 banana
• 1/2 cup frozen pineapple
• 1 cup coconut milk OR coconut water
• 1-2 scoops Vital Proteins collagen
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 inch turmeric root/1 teaspoon turmeric
• 1 inch ginger/1 teaspoon ginger
• 2 ice cubes

Directions for Both: 

Toss all ingredients in a NutriBullet and pulverize!

IMPORTANT NOTE: Because it is possible to have an allergic reaction to the pollen, it is best to start out in very tiny amounts to see how you react to it. Remember, I am not a doctor. Please consult your physician if you have any concern over ingesting bee pollen.  

What do you all think? Has anybody ever tried it before? Are you willing to? Do you have any recipe ideas for how you can incorporate it into your daily routine? Comment belowwwww!