Thank you honey !
2014 is the year of the bee as far as I’m concerned (thank you to Léo for the drawing). I’ve just finished reading a book that has convinced me that the value of honey goes far beyond those mentioned in my previous honey post. The book is called The Honey Diet and is written by a Scottish chemist, Mike McInnes. It is touted as a diet book, which I think rather belittling. This is really is so much more. Not only does it contain fascinating information, it is also groundbreaking, agenda-free science combined with good common sense.
Mike McInnes describes in detail the benefits of eating raw honey and clearly explains the way the body metabolises it, which is very different from the way other sugars are metabolised. Honey has a perfect fructose/glucose balance, easily assimilated by the liver where it is then used as a necessary and convenient source of fuel. This easy assimilation also means that honey does not cause damaging insulin spikes.
To put it another way, when you eat a spoonful of honey your body says: ‘Excellent! This is high-quality fuel that I can put to good use so I’ll start using it straight away.’ When you consume a spoonful of sugar or other refined sweeteners it says: ‘What on earth is this and what am I supposed to do with it? I have absolutely no idea so I’ll stock it away as fat until I’ve figured something out’.
Taking a spoonful of honey before bed ensures deeper and more restorative sleep as it effectively feeds the liver overnight, allowing it to carry out the numerous tasks it undertakes while the body is asleep. Like most things, the body can’t operate without effective fuel, which means that having to deal with an unwelcome diet of artificial foods prevents it from being able to carry out even the most basic maintenance work. Properly fuelled up, the body will burn more calories overnight than would be burned during a 10km run and it will do this without having to send ‘help! I need more fuel’ distress signals, which invariably prevent you from sleeping properly.
If you look into the intelligent and efficient way that bees operate, it’s hardly surprising that they create such perfect nourishment. They are the earth’s hardest working creatures and models of efficiency and cooperation.
They have developed a complex communication system to impart information to other bees regarding sources of nectar. They do a little dance to indicate the direction in which the food source may be found in relation to the position of the sun. The amount of waggling involved in their dance indicates the distance of the food from the hive and then a wing-fanning display gives information as to the richness of the source.
Bees give a whole new meaning to multi-tasking!
13 Comments
apuginthekitchen
So interesting thank you, never knew all of this about honey. Tonight I will have a spoonful before I go to bed!
The Healthy Epicurean
I’d be interested to hear if it works as well for you as it does for us…
Butter, Basil and Breadcrumbs
I found this to be so interesting, and so glad you shared this. It’s funny, because I just bought a brand new jar of honey, and I’ll be insisting that we all have a spoonful at night from now on. Thanks for the wonderful info, and I’m heading to Amazon to see if I can find that book. 🙂
The Healthy Epicurean
I’m glad you found it interesting. Let me know how you get on with a spoonful at night – we’re converts here! The book is definitely worth reading, although I don’t think it’s out yet in the US…
Martyn Oliver
“… I’ll be insisting”
//laughing// Your brand new jar won’t last long at that rate! Better lay up more stock fast.
10 Legs in the Kitchen
Fascinating! I always thought honey was healthier than natural sugar but started thinking it was just a myth.
Leo is quite the little artist; please let him know I enjoyed his picture and am glad he was willing to share.
The Healthy Epicurean
It’s no myth – it really really is! And thank you so much – I’ll tell Léo that you enjoyed his picture – he’ll be very pleased 🙂
Martyn Oliver
“They are the earth’s hardest working creatures”
You know, I hate waste at the best of times. But with honey, I don’t know … I cannot bear to leave the smallest smear in the bottom of a jar. I’ll go round the corners with the tip of my finger until it’s absolutely all gone – because that tiny last scrap that’s left behind represents a whole day’s work for one of these humble little creatures.
The Healthy Epicurean
I’m not ashamed to admit that I do this too Martyn. 🙂
KJ
Well, I ordered his book and look forward to what he has to say. I have used maple syrup, in small doses, as a sweetener for most of my adult life, with some honey thrown in. However, I have been using raw honey, lately, and hope the benefits you mentioned will make themselves apparent with continued use.
By the way, who created the watercolors at the top of your pages?
The Healthy Epicurean
Hi KJ! I’ll be very interested to hear what you think of the book – I’m confident you’ll agree that it makes for very interesting reading. My father did the banner watercolours. I hope that you’re well…
Chitra Jagadish
This is sooo knowledge and thanx a million bunch for such wonderful healthy information. …
The Healthy Epicurean
You’re welcome! Thank you for visiting.