It is nature's energy booster due to its carbohydrates; these carbohydrates provide energy, as well as strength. Athletes, in particular, benefit from honey due to its ability to create endurance and decrease fatigue. The glucose found in honey plays a role, also, as the body rapidly absorbs it to give immediate energy. On the other hand, the fructose in honey is absorbed at a slower rate to give sustained energy. As opposed to refined sugar, honey keeps the body's sugar levels somewhat constant, instead of spiking the blood sugar which causes an energy crash.
It is anti-bacterial, anti-viral, and contains antioxidants to help boost the body's immunity. Raw honey has approximately 5,000 enzymes and numerous vitamins, amino acids, and minerals. Honey helps fight respiratory problems and has increased the quality of life in cancer patients.
Unlike refined white sugar, it contains no empty calories. Use honey in place of white sugar to reduce blood sugar spikes and to fill those empty calories with vitamins and minerals. In addition, honey has been noted to suppress appetite. One teaspoon of honey contains approximately 21 calories and is sweeter than sugar, which means you are able to use less for the same sweetening effect potentially promoting weight loss.
When applied topically, the properties of honey have the ability to heal wounds including burns and ulcers. The two sugars found in honey, fructose and glucose, attract water so that when honey is applied to a wound, honey absorbs the water into the wound. This action dries out the wound to inhibit and deter bacterial growth.
Top Ten Ways to Cook and Eat Honey
- Use in your hot tea as a healthy sweetener.
- Mix into your plain yogurt instead of buying a less healthy, pre-sweetened yogurt.
- Spread a slice of toast with peanut butter, honey, and cinnamon to jumpstart your morning routine.
- Instead of sprinkling sugar over your cereal, drizzle it with honey.
- Substitute it for sugar in cookie, bread, and muffin recipes.
- Use it as a seasoning for meat. Apply honey to chicken or pork chops before cooking to give the meat a unique flavor.
- Create a dressing with olive oil, vinegar, and honey to use on top of salads.
- Drizzle it over vanilla ice cream for a decadent dessert.
- Add honey and lemon with hot water as a refreshing, soothing drink.
- Eat it straight from the comb! Take a bite out of the comb and chew it like chewing gum. The more you chew, the more honey will come out of the honey comb. When all of the honey is out of the comb, spit out or swallow the wax; the wax is safe to eat and is non-toxic.
