17 Things You Probably Didn’t Know About Honey, But Should!

17 Things You Probably Didn’t Know About Honey, But Should!

Not all honey is created equal. Or, more accurately, not all honey on the grocery store shelves is equal. Some international honey has been treated and no longer has the health benefits discussed here.

If you can possibly buy from a local farmer, farmer’s market, or a reputable local company, it really is the healthiest choice.

Honey and Baking

1. You should never refrigerate honey. Tis will make the honey crystallize faster.

2. Slightly warmed honey is easier to measure out and mix.

3. One 12-ounce honey bear is equal to one cup.

4. Honey never spoils. While excavating Egypt’s famous pyramids, archaeologists have found pots of honey in an ancient tomb. The honey, dating back approximately 3,000 years, is the world’s oldest sample and was still perfectly edible. If it crystallizes or becomes granular, place the open container in a bowl of hot water until it liquifies again. You can get more information on how to decrystalize honey here: http://health-benefits-of-raw-honey.blogspot.com/2017/07/how-to-decrystallize-honey-its-mid.html?spref=fb.

5. To replace sugar with honey in a recipe, substitute 1/2 to 2/3 cup of honey per cup of sugar, and decrease the amount of liquids by 1/4 cup per cup of honey used.  Stir the mixture very thoroughly. Lower the baking temperature by 25 degrees. Watch the baking time carefully since foods brown more quickly when honey is used. You can get more information on using honey in your baking here: http://health-benefits-of-raw-honey.blogspot.com/2017/07/4-rules-for-swapping-out-sugar-in-favor.html?spref=fb

Health Benefits of Honey

6. Honey contains antioxidants, which help protect against cellular damage.

7. Use honey on wounds, including burns, to help them heal faster. Honey is a natural antibiotic.

8. Manuka honey is the preferred variety for first aid treatment.

9. It can be used as a treatment for chapped lips!

10. A good rehydration beverage combines 1/2 c. honey, 1/2 t. salt, 2 c. orange juice, and 5 1/2 c. water. Use lukewarm water to help the honey dissolve faster, then cool.

11. Adding a little local honey (produced within 50 miles) to your diet may help prevent some allergies. The bees have been collecting pollen from plants in your specific area, the same pollen that is the culprit behind many allergies. Tiny doses of this pollen has the same effect as allergy shots, helping the body build immunity against pollen. (Note: filtered honey has had the pollen removed, so do not expect the same benefits from filtered honey.) You can get more information on how honey can help prevent allergies: http://health-benefits-of-raw-honey.blogspot.com/2017/07/honey-for-allergies.html?spref=fb

Odd Bits and Pieces

12. Bees have been known to produce blue and green honey. This is usually a result of bees feeding on sugars that have been dyed. This most commonly has been known to happen in hives located close to M&M factories.

13. It can be purchased in a crystal form. When rehydrated, it can be used as liquid honey.

14. Honey should be stored in closed containers because it absorbs moisture from the air, which can cause it to ferment.

15. An African bird called the Honeyguide locates and feeds on wild honey. The Honeyguide becomes very chatty when it finds a beehive, making it possible for people to retrieve honey themselves.

16. Ancient Egyptians used honey as a form of money and fed it to their sacred animals.

17. Honeybees are the only insect that actually produce food for humans! Just one reason to learn about beekeeping and becoming a beekeeper, or just make your backyard or garden bee-friendly. Pay back the favor!

Honey Isn't Just Sugar!

Honey Isn't Just Sugar!

Not All Sugars are Equal

"Honey is water super-saturated with sugar.”

“Honey is not healthier than any other concentrated sugar product.”

“Sugar is sugar.”

These are some of the many common misconceptions we may know in regards to honey. Especially when talking about honey as a sugar substitute. But the truth is that not all sugars are equal. We’ve all heard phrases such as “there are good calories and bad calories” of course, or “not all fats are equal.” And yet the idea that “all sugars are not created equal” sometimes seems to not hold the same weight to those who have never taken the time to see the differences. People need to know that there is good sugar, bad sugar and even some dangerous sugars. There are so many fake sweeteners, some of which have names that you can even pronounce.

Bees' Sugar is Unique

Think about that for a moment. Which other sugars can claim that they are anabolic, medicinal, antiseptic, gentle on blood sugar, friendliest to our liver, the most ideal fuel for burning body fats, and has many healing effects? None, except honey. Taste aside many believe bee's sugar is the best, nature-given sugar for our body, yet probably most forgotten and neglected sweetener.

The doctors never fail to tell us that our body is unable to utilize refined sugars. This is because they are void of all nutrients and our body tissues in fact must relinquish precious vitamins and minerals to detoxify and eliminate them from our system. This can often lead to nutrient deficiencies and the gradual deterioration of our cells and organs. You may also know that our bodies need some sugars too, and good sugar, honey ideally, can provide a positive supply of liver glycogen for healthy effects of brain metabolism.

Fast Facts about Honey

Bees use the nectar they collect from flowers to create honey. This thick substance is typically consumed in liquid form and can range in color from pale yellow to dark brown.

Honey is composed primarily of water and two sugars: fructose and glucose. It also contains trace amounts of:

• enzymes
• amino acids
• B vitamins
• vitamin C
• minerals
• antioxidants

Many of the antioxidants found in honey are classified as flavonoids. Flavonoids have anti-inflammatory properties, which may provide some health benefits.

The exact nutritional makeup of honey varies based on its origin. There are more than 300 varieties of honey. Each variety of honey has a distinct color and flavor.

Honey can help kill germs and promote healing of minor cuts and burns.

What are the benefits of honey?

Honey is higher in fructose than glucose. Fructose is sweeter than glucose, so you may be able to use a smaller amount of honey in your food or drink without sacrificing sweetness. The trace amounts of vitamins and minerals found in honey may also have added health benefits.

Raw, unpasteurized honey contains trace amounts of local pollen, which may help desensitize allergic reactions.

Honey also provides additional health benefits:

•        It may help kill off germs because it has antimicrobial properties.

•        When used as a salve in gel form, it may help promote healing in wounds and minor burns.

•        It may also help ease coughing and sore throats.

Start Discovering Honey's Capabilities

Bees play a critical role as pollinators for many agricultural crops in maintaining a balanced eco-system, but they also have the ability to create the sticky sweet substance we know as honey that if consumed can provide many health benefits. The healthful substances in honey may be minute in quantity, but overtime, when consumed daily will provide a powerful accumulative effect in our health and body immunity.

If you have never quite known honey or couldn't think of the golden liquid as more than just sugar and calories, then just remember these powerful truths related to sugar and open up a whole new perspective that could bring a huge impact on your daily dieting habits.

Honey Isn't Just Sugar!

4 Rules for Swapping out Sugar in favor of Honey in Baked Goods

4 Rules for Swapping out Sugar in favor of Honey in Baked Goods

Do you love baking but want to cut down on your sugar intake? Why not try replacing the sugar in your baked goods with honey? There are several benefits to eating honey verses eating sugar.

One of these benefits is that honey consists primarily of Fructose and glucose. Glucose is absorbed quickly by the body, giving the body an immediate boost of energy. Meanwhile, the Fructose is absorbed more slowly, providing energy over a longer period. Therefore, because honey contains high levels of both glucose and fructose, it may provide both an immediate and sustained energy.

Honey contains some vitamins, whereas white sugar contains no vitamins at all. 

Honey also contains quality protein while sugar on the other hand, gets a miserable zero!

Lastly is that Honey contains a much higher rate of minerals than sugar does including calcium, potassium, manganese, and iron.

So, it would seem that honey is the more nutritious option to granulated sugar but I also just love the earthy sweetness honey imparts on baked goods. And the coolest part about baking with honey is that each varietal lends a different flavor to the end product. Orange blossom adds a citrusy, floral note; wild raspberry is reminiscent of the berry itself; and buckwheat is almost molasses-like.

But when it comes to swapping in honey for sugar in a recipe, it's not simply an even trade. So here are 4 simple rules to swapping sugar out for honey.

1. Use Less Honey than you would Sugar.

Rule: For every 1 cup of sugar, substitute 1/2 to 2/3 Cup of honey.

You will want to reduce the amount of overall sweetener you use when switching out sugar for honey. The reason for this is that honey can be twice as sweet at time depending on the type of honey you are using.

You will need to use your own judgement to determine the exact amount to use depending on the honey. Some honey’s like Acacia is extra sweet while on the opposite end of the spectrum you might have something like chestnut that is much less sweet.

2. Reduce the amount of other liquids used.

Rule: For every 1 cup of honey you use, subtract 1/4 of other liquids you would normal use in the recipe.

Unlike with Sugar Honey is in a liquid form and is made up of about 20 % Water. For this reason, you will want to reduce the total amount of liquids you are using in the recipe to make up for the extra liquid in honey.

Again, you might need to use your best judgement when first trying out honey in place of sugar in a recipe but generally you will want to reduce by 1/4 to possibly as much as 1/3 of the liquids in your recipe.

3. You will want to add Baking Soda.

Rule: Add 1/4 teaspoon baking soda for every cup of honey used.

For this particular rule, you only want to add baking soda in a recipe that does not already call for baking soda. Because Honey is naturally acidic you will need the baking soda to help balance out the acidity so that the baked goods will still rise properly.

4. You will need to lower the temperature of the oven.

Rule: Reduce the temperature of the over by 25 Degrees F.

The higher sugar content in honey means it caramelizes and therefore burns faster than granulated sugar. To ensure that whatever you're baking doesn't brown too quickly, lower the heat and keep a watchful eye. You will want to check on it periodically to avoid burning or over-baking. 

Honey for Allergies

Seasonal allergies are the plague of many who love the great outdoors. They usually begin in February and last until August or September. Seasonal allergies occur when plants start to produce pollen. Pollen is a powder-like substance that helps plants make seeds and reproduce.

People can inhale pollen, which leads to seasonal allergies. The allergies occur when the body perceives the pollen as a foreign invader, similar to a bacteria or virus. In response, the body mounts an attack. This results in symptoms such as:

• watery and itchy eyes
• a runny nose
• sore throat
• coughing
• headaches
• trouble breathing

There are over-the-counter treatments available for seasonal allergies, but many people prefer natural treatments instead. One example rumored to help with seasonal allergies is local honey. Local honey is raw, unprocessed honey made close to where you live. This honey is rumored to help allergies.

Three Basic Facts

1.   Some people consider local honey to be a good natural treatment for seasonal allergies.

2.   Consuming local honey may help you develop immunity to local pollen. This is similar to how allergy shots work.

3.   Studies about honey as an allergy treatment have been inconclusive.

Why Is Honey Believed to Help Allergies?

The idea behind honey treating allergies is similar to that of a person getting allergy shots. But while allergy shots have been proven to be effective, honey hasn’t. When a person eats local honey, they are thought to be ingesting local pollen. Over time, a person may become less-sensitive to this pollen. As a result, they may experience fewer seasonal allergy symptoms.

It’s true that bees pollinate flowers and make honey. But the amounts of pollen from the environment and plants are thought to be very small and varied. When a person eats local honey, they have no guarantee how much (if any) pollen they’re being exposed to. This differs from allergy shots that purposefully desensitize a person to pollen at standard measurements.

What Research Has Been Conducted Regarding Honey and Allergies?

One study examined the effect of pasteurized honey on allergy symptoms compared to local honey. The results showed that neither group who ate honey experienced relief from seasonal allergies.

However, a different study found that honey eaten at a high dose did improve a person’s allergy symptoms over a period of eight weeks.

These studies have conflicting results and small sample sizes. This makes it hard to determine if local honey could reliably help a person reduce their seasonal allergy symptoms. Larger-scale studies are needed to confirm or recommend a certain amount of honey.

What You Should Know Before You Use Honey as a Treatment

Doctors and researchers haven’t recommended a certain amount of honey a person should eat each day to relieve their seasonal allergy symptoms. Plus, there are no guarantees how much pollen may be in a serving of local honey.

Note that you should not give honey to children under the age of 1. This is because raw, unprocessed honey has a risk for botulism in infants. Also, some people who have a severe allergy to pollen can experience a serious allergic reaction known as anaphylaxis after eating honey. This can cause extreme difficulty breathing. Others may experience allergic reactions such as itching or swelling of the mouth, throat, or skin.

Conclusions on Honey and Allergies

Honey hasn’t been scientifically proven to reduce allergies. However, it can still be a tasty alternative to sugary foods. Some people also use it as a cough suppressant. If you have seasonal allergies, you may need to look for a medically proven treatment. Examples include over-the-counter allergy medicines or simply avoiding going outside as much as possible. 

How to Decrystallize Honey

How to Decrystallize Honey

Its mid-winter and more than a little chilly out. You know what would sound really good right about now, a hot cup of tea. You boil your water and pour it over a tea bag, open the cupboard up to find your honey to give your tea that perfect sweetness. But as you pull it from the cupboard you see that it has crystalized and turned hard.

We’ve all experienced this frustration, so what do you do about it?

Just because your honey has crystallized does not mean that it is bad, you just need to learn how to properly decrystallize it. And it is not only very easy to do but doesn’t take that long either.

First off, you’ll need a few things:

• Your crystallized Honey
• A glass jar (only if yours is in a plastic container)
• A sauce pan or pot
• Water
• And lastly your stove

1. As stated above if your honey is in a plastic container then the first step will be to move the honey into the glass container. You will need to be able to put the jar into the pan of water on the stove so we don’t want to melt the plastic bottle in this process. I suggest using a butter knife to break the honey apart and scrap it out of the plastic container.
2. Once your honey is all into the glass jar you will put it into the pan of water on the stove. You do not want to completely submerge the jar in the water, you want just enough water to sit at or slightly below the line of honey in the jar. Now turn the stove on to low to medium heat. You want it barely simmering, no boiling. If it is boiling not only will your jar start to thrash about but high levels of heat will start to destroy the natural properties of the honey.
3. Now you’re going to let it sit in the water for between 20 and 30 minutes. You will want to occasionally stir the honey up to help it along. Once you no longer see any crystals, you can turn off the stove and carefully remove the jar from the water to cool. Your honey shouldn’t recrystallize at this point but if you are worried about that you can place the jar into a warm bowl of water so that it does not cool too quickly.
4. Now all that’s left is to enjoy you tea!

Honey Comparisons

Honey Comparisons

Raw Honey vs. Commercial Honey

Raw Honey

Ø  Crude form immediately taken out of the cells of honey combs

Ø  Commonly contains bee pollen and propolis, which enhance health benefits

Ø  Can also contain dead bees, legs, wings, and hunks of wax and other impurities but is strained out before bottling

Ø  Cannot be heated above 95 degrees F

Ø  Is not filtered or pasteurized

Ø  Free from any additives

Commercial Honey

Ø  Heavily processed

Ø  May be chemically refined

Ø  Excessively heated, destroying natural enzymes, vitamins, and minerals

Ø  Can be sourced from bees treated with antibiotics and come from inorganic hives

Ø  Filtering and processing eliminates many of the beneficial phytonutrients, including pollen and propolis

Ø  May have additives

Raw Honey vs. Not Raw

Raw honey is a crude form of honey immediately taken out of the cells of the honey combs within a bee hive. This form of honey is far from pure. It commonly contains bee pollen and propolis, which are both two very positive health additions. However, raw honey can also possibly contain dead bees, legs, wings, hunks of beeswax and other impurities. Don’t worry though — if any of these unwanted items get into the honey they’re strained out before bottling.

Raw honey cannot be heated above 95 degrees Fahrenheit, which is the normal temperature of the bee hive. While it’s OK to strain raw honey, it’s never filtered or pasteurized. It also cannot have any other additives.

On the other hand, commercial honey is often heavily processed and may even have been chemically refined. Excessive heat destroys the natural enzymes, vitamins and minerals in honey. Filtering and processing eliminate many of the beneficial phytonutrients, including pollen and enzyme-rich propolis. The only way to achieve sparkling clear honey is by heat, so avoid the golden, syrup-like honey in favor of opaque, organic raw honey.

Non-raw honey or regular commercial honey can be sourced from bees that are treated with antibiotics (such as ciprofloxacin in China’s honey). They also may likely be given winter nourishment in the form of sugar or a low-cost syrup. Hives are made of non-organic materials, which can have pests and be cleaned with non-organic substances. Honey that isn’t raw is pasteurized and filtered, and it can have additives.

Research by the Palynology Research Laboratory at Texas A&M University tested 60 honey products from supermarkets and grocery stores and found that 76 percent contained no trace of bee pollen, which is also loaded with health benefits. The Food and Drug Administration maintains that any honey products that have been ultra-filtered, as these have, are not actually honey and therefore the health benefits of honey cannot be assumed. Some “honey” may even contain high fructose corn syrup.

 

Organic Honey vs. Not Organic

Organic honey usually means raw organic honey. Just like with raw honey, heating is not allowed above 95 degrees F. In order to be called organic, honey must follow good organic management, according to each country’s set of standards and conditions. Processing should also only be done by means of gravitational settling and straining.

Raw Honey Nutrition Facts

Honey is one of nature’s purest foods and is far more than just a natural sweetener. It’s a “functional food,” which means it’s a natural food with health benefits. Raw honey nutrition is impressive. Raw honey contains 22 amino acids, 27 minerals and 5,000 enzymes. Minerals include iron, zinc, potassium, calcium, phosphorous, magnesium and selenium. Vitamins found in honey include vitamin B6, thiamin, riboflavin, pantothenic acid and niacin. In addition, the nutraceuticals contained in honey help neutralize damaging free radical activity.

One tablespoon of honey contains 64 calories, yet it has a healthy glycemic load around 10 for one tablespoon, which is a little less than a banana. Raw honey does not cause a sugar spike and elevated insulin release like white sugar.

Although honey is an affordable food, bees spend thousands of hours collecting pollen from around 2 million flowers to make one pound of pure honey. Honey is typically about 18 percent water, but the lower the water content, the better the quality of honey. Best of all, honey does not need special storage or refrigeration — use it by the spoonful straight from the jar.

 

8 Health Benefits of Raw Honey

The 8 Health Benefits of Raw Honey

The average American consumes almost 152 pounds of refined sugar in one year. This is equal to 3 pounds of sugar consumed in one week! Or 13 tablespoons in a day which is nearly twice the recommended limit! This is in addition to the 42 pounds of high fructose corn syrup consumed on an annual basis. When people eat up to 10-20% of calories as sugar (or more), this can become a major problem and contribute to nutrient deficiencies. Some of the unhealthy side effects of too much sugar consumption can include fatty liver disease, Metabolic syndrome and diabetes just to name a few. Sugar is also very bad for the teeth, because it provides easily digestible energy for the bad bacteria in the mouth 

By itself, it contains:

·         no nutrients

·         no protein

·         no healthy fats

·         no enzymes

So why is it that by comparison the average American only consumes around 1.3 pounds of honey per year? Especially when according to research, if you switch out your intake of refined sugar and use pure raw honey instead, the health benefits can be astronomical!

So what exactly is raw honey?

It’s a pure, unfiltered and unpasteurized sweetener made by bees from the nectar of flowers. Most of the honey consumed today is processed honey that’s been heated and filtered since it was gathered from the hive, which removes and destroys the pollen, enzymes, vitamins, and minerals naturally occurring in raw honey. Unlike processed honey, raw honey does not get robbed of its incredible nutritional value and health powers. It can help with everything from low energy to sleep problems to seasonal allergies.

Let’s talk about some of the Health Benefits of Raw Honey!

1.       Manage Weight

Number one on our list is that by replacing sugar with honey can help weight loss, prevent packing on extra pounds, and can also help to lower blood sugar, as presented by a study done by San Diego State University.

Raw honey has been found to activate hormones that help to suppress appetite, according to another study done by University of Wyoming.

2.     Improve Allergies

As stated above the average grocery store honey is usually high processed and loses a lot of its natural quality’s. Raw Honey, however, contains bee pollen, which is known to ward off infection, provide natural allergy relief, and boost your immune system. The process of using honey to prevent allergies in what we would refer to as immunotherapy.

How does it work?!

You see bees all the time going from flower to flower collecting pollen that cause you to suffer, so when you consume local raw honey, you are also consuming the same local pollen causing you allergies. Through this process of consuming the pollen you will begin to build up an immunity to the allergen, which over time will make you less sensitive to the pollen that caused you allergy symptoms.

A study in 2013 showed that eating local raw honey can improver you allergy symptoms in about 8 weeks and that it improved overall symptoms such as itchy, watery eyes, sneezing, and other similar symptoms.

You know what they say, a spoon full of honey will keep the allergens away!

3.      Natural Energy Source

Raw Honey contains natural sugars, water, minerals, vitamins, pollen, and protein. It provides an easily absorbed supply of energy, making it perfect for morning starts or as a pre/post exercise energy source.

Studies have shown honey to be one of the best choices of carbohydrates to consume right before exercising. As well as revealed that honey performs on par with glucose used in commercial energy drinks. When it comes to exercise, raw honey is highly recommended for both fueling and recovery.

4.     Natural Antioxidant

Studies have shown that a daily dose of raw honey raises the levels of health-promoting antioxidants in the body. Antioxidants protect the body from damage caused by harmful molecules called free radicals, as well as boosting the immune system, and acting as a preventer of any number of debilitating diseases.

Honey contains polyphenols, a powerful antioxidant, that are known to reduce the risk of heart disease and cancer. Studies have also shown that honey contains the disease-fighting antioxidant flavonoids pinocembrin, pinostrobin and chrysin. Pinocembrin supports enzyme activity, and many studies have shown that pinocembrin induces apoptosis (programmed cell death) of many types of cancer cells.

5.     Sleep Promoter

There are two ways in which raw honey promotes restorative sleep. The first is by consuming honey before bedtime, your body will use it to restock the liver’s glycogen supply and prevent your brain from triggering a crisis search for fuel, which can wake you up. So, no more midnight snacking needed!

The second way is that consuming honey fosters the release of melatonin in the brain by creating a small spike in insulin levels which stimulates the release of tryptophan in the brain which then converts to serotonin, which then converts to melatonin.

Melatonin also boosts immunity and helps rebuild tissue during periods of rest, which has been shown to decrease risk factors for hypertension, obesity, type 2 diabetes, heart disease, stroke and arthritis. In addition, serotonin is a naturally occurring chemical in your brain which when increased can help with depression.

6.     In First Aide

At the University of Waikato in New Zealand, Peter Charles Molan has found in multiple studies that honey is a natural antibacterial with wound-healing effects. He also found that honey reacts with the body’s fluids to make hydrogen peroxide, creating an inhospitable environment for bacteria.

For the treatment of burns and wounds, honey is typically applied directly to the problem area or in a dressing that’s changed every 24 to 48 hours.

7.     Diabetes Aid

Consumption of raw honey can help to reduce the risk of developing diabetes and can also be known to help treat diabetes. Raw honey increases insulin and decreases hyperglycemia, and has been observed to cause a lower elevation of plasma glucose levels in diabetics.

Raw honey can be especially beneficial to healthy blood sugar management when combined with cinnamon. Some suggest that the insulin-boosting power of cinnamon can counteract this glucose levels naturally occurring in honey, which would make your honey and cinnamon mixture a low glycemic index food combination as well.

8.     Natural Cough Syrup

Raw honey has been shown to be as effective in treating coughs as over-the-counter commercial cough syrups. In one study, honey was just as effective as diphenhydramine and dextromethorphan, common ingredients found in over-the counter cough medicines. Increasing scientific evidence shows that a single dose of honey can reduce mucus secretion and coughs.

For a cough, a half teaspoon to two teaspoons of honey at bedtime is a studied and recommended dosage for anyone over the age of one.