Raw Honey - A Sweetener Dripping with Benefits

Next time you reach for the sugar bowl, try reaching for the raw honey jar instead.  And, next time you swat at a honey bee crashing your picnic, whisper a thank you instead.  That party crasher has a big job to do and is doing your world and maybe even your health a lot of good.

Honey Jars

There are a lot of honey jars on the store shelves these days and some are sweeter than others in the benefits category that is.  Here are some distinctions when choosing which jar to dip into:

Raw honey: This honey is collected straight from the honeycomb.  In fact, some raw honey even includes the honeycomb.  Raw honey is unheated (or just slightly), unpasteurized, unprocessed, and it has all its live, nutritious enzymes preserved.  This term can be a little loose though as there are no strict legal requirements for claiming honey as raw.  Further, you may find raw honey or unprocessed honey that has only been slightly warmed to retard granulation, but still maintaining the health benefits. Many farmers' markets now sell raw honey where you could inquire directly from the bee-keeper the process he or she undergoes when preparing the honey to sell.

Commercialized honey: A lot of honey found on the store shelves is commercial honey that has been pasteurized for easy filtering and bottling.  It looks cleaner and smoother and more appealing. This cleaning process also slows down the speed of crystallization that can occur in honey. But this beautification process of heating alters honey's yeast and enzymes that are responsible for activating vitamins and minerals in the body. And more bad news, depending on where it has been processed, commercial honey can contain some very undesirable things like antibiotics, heavy metals and other nocuous substances.

Medicinal honey: Some honey varieties have more medicinal value than others due to its higher anti-bacterial properties.  Some examples are Manuka, Tualang, and Kanuka honey. But they are all very expensive and usually not consumed on a daily basis but kept for treating burns, cuts, coughs, sore-throats, infections, and other ailments.

Health Benefits of Raw Honey

Raw honey straight from the beehive is loaded with polyphenols, a type of antioxidant that helps to protect cells from free radical damage and may also contribute to heart health and protect against cancer. But, the processing of honey often removes many of these phytonutrients found in the original raw honey. Bottom line: raw, unprocessed honey contains the widest variety of health-supportive substances.

Here are some other benefits to the sticky substance from a symposium on honey that presented research on the topic:

Consider some bacteria in honey a friend. Different varieties of honey possess a large amount of friendly bacteria. In a 2006 study researchers found that substituting honey for sugar in processed foods improved the gut microflora of male mice. Further, the antiseptic properties of honey can relieve acidity in the stomach and help with digestion.

A spoonful of honey will help the cough go down. A study that involved over 100 children with commercialized honey beat out dextromethorphan, a cough suppressant and diphenhydramine, an antihistamine in lessening nighttime cough in children and improving their sleep.

Slap on some honey for better skin. According to preliminary research, Manuka and Kanuka types of honey are effective to treat acne. Honey can also be an effective treatment for other skin conditions like eczema, ring worm, and psoriasis. Try this mask with honey for clearer skin with items from your pantry.

Honey may aid with blood sugar control.  Consumption of honey may improve blood sugar control and insulin sensitivity compared to other sweeteners. Individuals with greater glucose intolerance (those with beginning stages of diabetes and Type 1 diabetes) showed significantly better tolerance to honey than sucrose in other sweeteners.

Crack open the raw honey jar when treating boo-boos. Honey strongly attracts water.  This is beneficial as anything that absorbs water in a wound helps dry it out so that the growth of bacteria and fungi is inhibited.  Manuka honey, in particular, can help keep bacteria out of wounds.

Raw honey can improve your cholesterol blood levels. Several studies have shown with regular raw honey intake decreases in total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol and C-reactive protein have resulted.

Taste Test

Besides being so much better for you, raw honey tastes so superior to many commercialized, icky sweet ones on the market.  I can't believe the difference in taste! I am not alone on this. Watch this to see what others think too!

Honey Do: Honey Chicken With Peppers

Gather

For chicken and vegetables:

• 1 pound boneless organic chicken thighs
• 3 small or two large colorful organic peppers of yellow, red or orange cut into uniformed sized strips or squares 
• Salt and pepper
• 1 egg white, scrambled
• 1 cup or more whole wheat panko crumbs
• 4 green onions, chopped with one saved for garnish
• 1.5 teaspoons toasted black sesame seeds for garnish
• 1 lime cut into wedges

For honey garlic sauce:

• 1/3 cup raw honey (I use the brand Bee Flower and Sun Honey Co. raw honey.)
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 big pinches of red pepper flakes or more if you like more kick
• 1 tablespoon dry sherry 
• 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
• 1/3 cup of water
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon fresh ginger, grated
• 2 teaspoons arrowroot mixed with 3 teaspoons of water, for sauce thickening

large saute pan
wax paper
prepared grain of choice

Now do this

• Sprinkle the chicken pieces with salt and pepper.  Set aside.
• For honey garlic sauce, mix well first eight ingredients together in small bowl.  Stir until honey is dissolved and set aside.
• Place egg white in one shallow bowl and panko crumbs in another shallow bowl.
• Coat chicken pieces, one at a time. First coat in egg white and then panko crumbs. Set aside on wax paper.
• Heat one teaspoon oil in pan and stir fry peppers and three of the green onions just until starting to soften but still crisp - a minute or two at most - and remove into place into bowl. Set aside.
• Add additional teaspoon of oil and saute chicken until browned and then flip to other side. 
• Cook on medium heat for 5 - 7 more minutes or until cooked through.
• While chicken is cooking, add honey garlic sauce mixture to another small saute pan and let come to simmer.  Stir in arrowroot mixture to thicken.  
• Taste and adjust flavors to sauce - more salt, more honey, more vinegar, red pepper, etc.
• Once the chicken is cooked through, add peppers and green onions back into pan with the chicken.
• Plate the chicken and peppers over rice or other grain of choice.  Drizzle generously with the sauce and garnish with the black sesame seeds and green onion.  
• Squeeze generously with lime wedges.

Have you made the switch to raw honey yet?  How do you use honey in your cooking?


honeycomb-photo credit: <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/max_westby/4045923/">Max xx</a> via <a href="http://photopin.com">photopin</a> <a href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/2.0/">cc</a>

bee-photo credit: <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/autanex/519742656/">autan</a> via <a href="http://photopin.com">photopin</a> <a href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/2.0/">cc</a>

spoon - photo credit: <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/domiriel/5894098736/">Domiriel</a> via <a href="http://photopin.com">photopin</a> <a href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/2.0/">cc</a>