Honey

Get the facts on honey here, because it is NOT all created equal.

In short: the raw organic kind is the only kind busy Mamas should buy.

I’m guessing from seeing the few commercials regarding the crude and slightly obese miss “Honey-Boo Boo” she doesn’t eat the raw kind.

Non-raw 'honey' is the "honey bear" or other store bought kind: not labeled raw or organic. It could be labeled USDA Grade A, but still it might not be the best quality honey you want to be feeding your family. Standards are not strict enough to trust the label. They do not include the following:

• Added ingredients (sugar or syrups),

• Heating

• Contaminants

• Authenticity of labeling (natural, organic, raw, unheated)

• Biological source (floral, honeydew)

• Botanical source (Arcacia, Clover etc.), or regional source

So the bees could be feasting on pesticide-laden plants or eating GMO's?!! Yes, maybe. But the label doesn't tell us this. How do we know?!

The majority (76%) of non-raw 'honey' has the main ingredient of: High Fructose Corn Syrup (HFCS).**And HFCS is derived from GMO corn (GMO=Genetically Modified Organisms… i.e. created in a lab – not safe- not adequately tested) *Please read our GMO post by Clicking Here

Also, I have to add my two-cents on HFCS... it is terrible for you! It is linked to many lifestyle diseases: obesity, diabetes, high blood pressure and liver damage. HFCS also leads to plaque buildup and narrowing of the blood vessels. HFCS is the food industry's way of sweetening things by not using "expensive" sugar (HFCS is cheaper than sugar and companies can use far less of it to sweeten foods.) However, HFCS is processed in the body differently than sugar. It is processed through the liver. The reason this is important: the liver doesn't tell us we are satisfied. The satiation process is a brain mechanism. The brain tells us when we have had enough. Sugar has the ticket to trigger the brain mechanism telling the body- "Hey, I'm sugared out!" HFCS can not give us this same trigger. HFCS consumption also creates blood sugar and insulin issues. Therefore, people keep eating -- and eating way too much of HFCS foods and not getting satisfied. Instead, getting fatter. Back to honey. . .

Non-raw 'honey' does not contain bee pollen (there are many health benefits in bee pollen explained below). By definition, if honey doesnt contain pollen, then it is not honey. It is HFCS honey-flavored- 'honey' instead.

From a little digging I found that more than 2/3 of the honey available in commerical grocery stores fell into this catagory: Non-pollinated 'processed' (HFCS) 'honey'.

There are different grades (A,B,C,) for honey according to the USDA grading system.

The USDA grading system for extracted honey provides “general standards” for two types of honey;

• Filtered Honey: all or most of the fine particles, pollen grains, air bubbles, or other materials normally found in suspension, have been removed.

• Strained Honey: strained to the extent that most of the particles, including comb, propolis, or other defects normally found in honey, have been removed. Grains of pollen, small air bubbles, and very fine particles would not normally be removed.

This includes:

1. Moisture content, absence of defects, flavor & aroma and clarity (for filtered honey).

2. Color is defined (but not part of the calculation of grade)

3. For imported honey that bears USDA grading information, the country of origin must be declared.

This grading system is far from perfect as it leaves out the following categories (stated above but important enough to list again --these are NOT covered in USDA grading system):

• Added ingredients (sugar or syrups),

• Heating

• Contaminants

• Authenticity of labeling (natural, organic, raw, unheated)

• Biological source (floral, honeydew)

• Botanical source (Arcacia, Clover etc.), or regional source

Because the USDA honey grading system is lacking these factors, the grading system should never be the only deciding factor in selecting honey. Two honeys could be legally graded as Grade A honey and be identically labeled as, “100% Organic Clover Honey from Arizona – USDA Grade A” yet be entirely different honeys. They could be a blend of honeys from all over the world, some heated to 180 degrees to make it easy to filter, contain antibiotics, chemicals and corn syrup, not made from Clover at all nor actually be from plants in Arizona!

Again for these reasons, buy organic raw (unprocessed) honey. Ask the bee keeper, or store keeper about the origin of the honey. Labels are tricky. They don’t tell us enough even by using USDA standards!

If it isn't labeled RAW, it probably isn't really 100% honey. This is honey! This is delicious honey! (Yes, pictured below is my very own raw honey and I ate a few tastes of it while writing this post! It's just that good!)

Raw Honey is full of vitamins, nutrients and enzymes! In addition, raw honey has:

• Anti-viral and anti-fungal properties

• Contains powerful antioxidants

• Helps minimize allergies

• Helps stabilize blood pressure and balance blood sugar levels

• Boosts immune function

• Helps heal skin conditions

• Promotes digestive health

Raw honey, or REAL honey will contain bee pollen, below are the benefits of bee pollen:

Bee pollen is made by honeybees, and is the food of the young bee. It is considered one of nature's most completely nourishing foods as it contains nearly all nutrients required by humans. Bee-gathered pollens are rich in proteins (approximately 40% protein), free amino acids, vitamins, including B-complex, and folic acid. Bee pollen is a complete food and contains many elements that products of animal origin do not possess. It contains more amino acids than beef, eggs, or cheese of equal weight. About half of its protein is in the form of free amino acids that are ready to be used directly by the body (http://foodmatters.tv/articles-1/10-amazing-health-benefits-of-bee-pollen).

When faced with the decision to buy fake honey or raw honey, always choose raw. Your health is worth it. Why eat it if it isn't raw? It's just another form of chemical garbage (HFCS) with little to no health benefits!

*Dont forget Mamas, pregnant women and infants under 1 should not consume raw honey.

Sources:

FoodRenegade.com

National Honey Board (www.honey.com)

FoodMatters (http://foodmatters.tv/articles-1/10-amazing-health-benefits-of-bee-pollen)

http://www.honeytraveler.com/types-of-honey/honey-standards/