I know absolutely nothing about honey.. page

[SheGlowsPale]

Is honey (the raw/organic kind) ok on PB in moderation? I've never been a big honey fan at all and would have expected because its so high in sugar that its an absolute no-no but I see some recipes on here that call for it...Is it one of those ingredients that are ok in moderation? and why is it ok in moderation if its got so much sugar? (Sorry for my ignorance on this, like I said...I never really eat honey ever...but I want to make one or two cake alternatives that call for it)

[Stabby]

I hear you can catch flies with it. Those would probably be healthier for you.

*insert "but indigenous peoples eat honey and it's natural and real food, etc ad nauseum"*

Sugar's a slippery slope but fortunately only about 1/3 of honey is fructose, that fructose is in sucrose (so not free fructose, the worst kind) and the great thing about honey is that a little bit goes a long way in cooking, so that would probably be the best pick for a caloric sweetener. Sugar is a quantity x quality thing. Fast absorbing is bad but if it's only a bit there isn't much harm done as long as the super-deadly crap is gone from the diet and general nutrition is good. Some people on high fat diets are ultra-sensitive to even a little bit of it so try it out and see how you react.

[moonablaze]

raw and unfiltered is the way to go. it's probably your best choice for adding a LITTLE sweetness (if, like me you think stevia tastes terrible).

[piano-doctor-lady]

There is something about honey, which had me eating it as my only carb (except for some fruit) for awhile.

People with severe digestive problems (such as Crohn's, irritable bowel, etc.) have trouble splitting apart starches and disaccharides. Sugar and lactose are both disaccharides. Since starches and disaccharides can't be absorbed into the gut lining until they are split into simple sugars, people who can't split them apart (the enzymes are hidden under a mucus layer which is trying to protect the gut lining from evil flora) can't absorb them. So they hang around feeding the "evil-doers" in a vicious cycle.

I read a good book by Elaine Gottschall, explaining all of this. It's why people with ulcerative colitis, Crohn's, etc., do fairly well with protein and fat, but just horribly with starches. The book is called, "Breaking the Vicious Cycle." If you want to see some heartfelt testimonials, go read the Amazon page for that book. The system she advocates is called the "Specified Carbohydrate Diet."

Honey is allowed because although it has two simple sugars in it (fructose and glucose, just like table sugar) an enzyme keeps them apart, so they can be absorbed. So I ate honey and fruit (plus the rest of my diet was low carb) and my hay fever just vanished. Healed the leaky gut.

And that's why I still like honey, in moderation. The fructose has some problems for insulin resistance, of course.

[Rivvin]

raw and unfiltered is the way to go. it's probably your best choice for adding a LITTLE sweetness (if, like me you think stevia tastes terrible).

I see this all the time, and yet I find stevia delicious... I use about a packet daily between my tea and greek yogurt. I found it to be a pretty good replacement for honey and syrups...

[JeanPatrick]

I believe raw, unpasteurized and unfiltered honey is good (the darker the better). Yes it has sugar... but it also have a lot of vitamins and what not.

You should not be eating it by the spoon but honey is great in marinades or half a tea spoon of the stuff in an homemade hot chocolate is great too.

Plus, you can use it for other things such as healing a scar, etc.

[cillakat]

ITA agree with JeanPatrick and Stabby.

I'll also add that raw honey is the best burn treatment available for 1st and 2nd degree burns, hands down. Much better than silver sulphadiazine. There are even some not so well done studies using raw honey instead of silver sulphadiazine in third worlds countries and it's very likely that honey is a better treatment even for severe burns. The enzymes dissolve necrotic tissue which is a huge problem with deeper thickness burns and the anti-microbial factors keep infection at bay.

I always have raw honey on hand for burn tx. Hydrocolloid dressings for burns are also very helpful in addition to the honey. Moist wound healing is the way to go.

[Rivvin]

Who wants the honors of telling me why stevia is bad for me and will kill me?

[muaythaimike]

Who wants the honors of telling me why stevia is bad for me and will kill me?

LOL. I'll give it a try since you asked.

Well......... stevia is a green plant but when processed comes out as white granules (some products)........ ummmmm........ it isn't a whole food............ Can't sweeteners cause sort of of negative impact on insulin or satiety or something? I'm trying hard here, best things I could think of!

It aint gonna kill you.

EDIT - P.S It isn't supported by the FDA so must be ok

[JeanPatrick]

ITA agree with JeanPatrick and Stabby.

I'll also add that raw honey is the best burn treatment available for 1st and 2nd degree burns, hands down. Much better than silver sulphadiazine. There are even some not so well done studies using raw honey instead of silver sulphadiazine in third worlds countries and it's very likely that honey is a better treatment even for severe burns. The enzymes dissolve necrotic tissue which is a huge problem with deeper thickness burns and the anti-microbial factors keep infection at bay.

I always have raw honey on hand for burn tx. Hydrocolloid dressings for burns are also very helpful in addition to the honey. Moist wound healing is the way to go.

As a teenager, I would get some cold sore once in a while. raw Honey was the best thing I tried. It healed my cold sores so quick.