Honey, honey…
As you probably know, honey’s value and benefits have become somewhat ambiguous. Even though its health benefits have been well known for quite a while, we are often advised to consume honey in moderation because it’s sugar after all. Well, today, I would like to set you free and tell you to go for it - literally, to dig in.
Recently, I stopped eating sugar. I should have probably started this video by saying: “Hi, my name is Vanya, and I’m a sugarholic” (in the worst possible way). I have no self-control when it comes to sugar, and once I start consuming it, it spirals into an obsession - I have to eat it every day in increasing quantities. Unfortunately, I cannot eat sugar in moderation. A single bite of sugary food triggers my brain into an addiction. The exception is Lindt dark chocolate, starting at 78% cocoa solids and higher.
A while ago, I watched a You Tube video made by a woman was explaining how and why she stopped eating sweets. Something she said really resonated with me. After not having eaten sugar for a while, a friend brought her freshly baked chocolate cupcakes. The woman explained that she decided to take just a bite because they smelled sooooo good. Unfortunately, a single bite re-triggered her into a full blown sugar addiction, and she said that it was a very difficult period because the desire to consume sugar was just as strong as the desire to stop eating it. Basically, it was hard to make a decision to stop eating sugar. I had re-triggered myself so many times that I knew exactly what she was talking about. Therefore, I stopped eating it.
Interestingly enough, honey doesn’t trigger me into a sugar addiction. I enjoy it very much, but I know exactly when I have had enough, and I have no problem to stop eating it. When I crave it, it’s not the addictive part of me that craves it - I know that I’m craving it because my body needs it.
Honey contains vitamins, iron, calcium, bioactive compunds (important for prevention of chronic diseases) as well as immune enhancing properties. Consuming honey, bee pollen, and royal jelly may improve egg quality and general fertility. Women suffering from irregular or erratic ovulation have been advised to consume these bee products. Complementary and alternative medicine suggest that honey may strengthen the ovaries and uterus in women. A group of researchers have shown that couples having trouble conceiving naturally improved their chances of getting pregnant when they underwent vaginal applications of bee honey and royal jelly around the time of the sexual intercourse (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5478293/). Modern medicine suggests that these findings need to be taken with a grain of salt because of lack of clinical trials.
When my herbalist prescribed a fertility mix, he advised taking a tablespoon of honey every morning and evening. He explained that his clinical experience had shown him that honey was highly nutritional and beneficial for both men and women with regards to fertility support.
Please stay tuned - in my next blog, I’ll give you a recipe for almond and buckwheat pancakes drizzled with honey.
*If you suffer from a metabolic disorder including diabetes mellitus, please consult your doctor prior to consuming honey.