Winnie the Pooh Was onto Something…

Health 4 Minutes

This article on the Cleveland Clinic’s website, written by dietitian Mira Ilic, MS, RDN, LD.

details the benefits of honey! 

Winnie the Pooh might have been on to something. While honey is known as a natural way to sweeten foods, it may have benefits for your body, too, says registered dietitian Mira Ilic, MS, RDN, LD.

How honey is made

Honey is a liquid sweetener that bees make. After they collect nectar from flowers, they take it back to the hive and regurgitate it. Then, the other bees chew it until it becomes honey. The bees deposit the honey into tiny, waxy storage units called honeycombs. They fan it with their wings to dry it out. This process makes it stickier.

“Honey gets its sweetness from its chemical makeup,” Ilic says. “It’s made up of two simple sugars called glucose and fructose, along with some minerals.”

Types of honey

The U.S. boasts more than 300 different types of honey. You can buy it:

Raw: Raw honey comes straight from the hive. “Raw honey is the least processed and probably has the most antioxidants,” Ilic says. Despite its raw status, it’s considered safe to eat except for children younger than 1, who should avoid all honey.

Pasteurized: Pasteurized honey has been processed to remove imperfections and improve its shelf life. “It can also be spiked with added corn syrup or other sweeteners,” Ilic notes. “Not all honey sold in the stores is the same even though it all starts naturally in the hive.”

Why is some honey light and others dark?

Whether honey is light or dark in color depends on which kind of plant the bees who made it took the nectar from. “For instance, dark buckwheat yields dark honey,” says Ilic. “But nutritionally, there’s evidence that darker honey has less water and more antioxidants than light-colored honey.”

Honey has so many different tastes you can enjoy compared to plain sugar, she adds. “It can be sweeter or more bitter, depending on the flower source.”

Light honey varieties

Light-colored honey tends to be mild in flavor. Varieties include:

Acacia honey: It has floral scents and sweetness but doesn’t change the taste of what you put it in, such as tea and oatmeal, Ilic says.

Clover honey: This honey is common in the U.S. “It has a floral, sweet taste and a bit of a sour aftertaste,” says Ilic. “It’s good for baking, sauces and dressings.”

Dark honey varieties

Dark honeys are known for their stronger flavors. Examples include:

Buckwheat honey: “This full-flavored honey can be used in marinades,” says Ilic.

Manuka honey: Manuka honey comes from the nectar and pollen of the Manuka bush in New Zealand. “Studies have shown it contains antioxidants, along with antibacterial and antifungal properties. It’s also expensive,” adds Ilic. It’s traditionally used topically to treat burns, cuts and sores.

Is crystallized honey bad?

Store honey in a cool location away from sunlight. But sometimes, even in the perfect spot, honey can crystallize and solidify. “Honey with a higher ratio of glucose versus fructose crystallizes sooner,” Ilic explains. “Glucose may also attach to the little particles of honeycomb and pollen in raw honey and is more likely to crystallize as a result.”

But crystallized honey is still safe to eat: Ilic recommends using it as a spread, like butter. You can also re-liquefy it by putting the container in a warm water bath.

Honey’s health benefits

Honey contains antioxidants, minerals, enzymes that have many potential health benefits. There’s also evidence that honey can:

Soothe coughs: The World Health Organization (WHO) and the American Academy of Pediatrics both endorse honey as a natural cough remedy.

Treat wounds and burns: Pharmaceutical-grade manuka honey dressings have been used in clinical settings to treat burns and pressure ulcers.

“Many other claims have been made about the health benefits of honey – some based on very small studies, others overstated and based on mixed study results,” Ilic says. “Additional studies are needed.”

How to add honey to your diet

While honey has health qualities that other sugars only dream of, Ilic says it’s still an added sugar — and eating too much of it can wreak havoc on your health. The American Heart Association recommends:

Women: Consume no more than 6 teaspoons daily of added sugars (100 calories).

Men: Consume no more than 9 teaspoons daily of added sugars (150 calories).

Those limits include all sources of added sugar in your diet, so use honey in moderation to avoid exceeding the limits, says Ilic. “Try sweetening plain yogurt with a light drizzle of honey and add your own fruit, instead of eating flavored yogurt with too much added sugar.” You could also use honey in sauces and marinades or as a skin mask.

If you want to use honey medicinally, Ilic says talk with your health care professional first.

How to choose honey

Ilic’s first tip? The best honey doesn’t come in a cute little plastic teddy bear. That kind of honey is processed and less beneficial than its counterparts.

“The clearer the honey, the more processed it is. Raw honey seems to be the better choice,” she says.” It’s likely to have some pollen and more enzymes because it’s not treated with heat. Pollen may have beneficial properties. But pollen does make honey look foggier.”

If you’re buying honey from a local source, she also recommends asking:

Where did the honey come from?

Did the seller produce it?

What can they tell you about it?

Ilic adds that an “organic” label doesn’t automatically mean the honey is healthier or better quality. “Bees sometimes fly a few miles past their pesticide- and herbicide-free property to ones with flowers that aren’t. And even organic honey may be ultra-pasteurized.”

SOURCE: CLEVELAND CLINIC

Mira Ilic, MS, RDN, LD.

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122 thoughts on “Winnie the Pooh Was onto Something…”

  1. Morning All
    when we turned on our deck light last night to check the temp before we went to bed we were stunned–we had 3 inches of snow and it was still falling. the temp hovered at 28-30. it was supposed to be a rain event for us. surprise.
    we woke this morning to about the same 3 inches only mellowed by some rain it seems. temp is the same.
    see what everything looks like when there’s some light out there.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. The wind is still pretty strong and blowing snow around; -5 on the thermometer this morning and I no longer have a front porch. When it gets light enough, I’ll get a picture but it looks like a level yard from my front door all the way to the road – can’t even tell a porch is there! I peeked out onto the patio behind the blind and the afghan – no sign of any footprints in the snow on the patio or Wheezer. The damned squirrel got into the WP feeder yesterday and knocked the cover to the side so that block is probably gone by now. I chased her off a few times, then just said fuck it – let it be! The worst she can do is chew thru the bungees; she can’t break it since it’s metal. Ah, winter in NE! Such fun!!!

      Liked by 1 person

      1. behind our porch swing there is a huge pile of snow–so it already dropped off the roof there. i have to get out there before the temps drop or that will be a ice mound I can’t climb over! lol

        Liked by 1 person

  6. sunnydaze
    sunnydaze
    January 13, 2024 1:18 am

    .@POTUS is violating Article I of the Constitution by carrying out airstrikes in Yemen without congressional approval. The American people are tired of endless war.

    — Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib (@RepRashida) January 12, 2024

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Morning GA!
      i had no idea about clover (mostly in the cute little bear containers) and raw honey. I bought some of the raw type at walmart and hopefully in the spring when the farmers’ markets open again i will stock up on local raw honey.

      at the end of our driveway–across the little stream the neighbor had a clearing and when we first moved here he proudly showed us a dozen or more bee hives. He said a local farmer rented the space from him in exchange for honey. the bees like the area with fruit trees and wildflowers and they needed the water source the stream provided. Then he would rent his hives out for pollination of fruit groves. being we have bears in the area, i asked about them breaking into the hives for honey and he said not so far–they’ve left the hives alone.

      when we first had the logs delivered for the house, he allowed us to use the field in front of his house to unload them from the long trucks. (a distance away from the hives). we got to see the formation of a new bee colony that day—amazing. the neighbor swiftly called the bee hive owner to come and provide a new home for the swarm. he happily complied

      Liked by 2 people

  11. SAW THIS AT CTH YESTERDAY….

    NOW – Imagine the hidden kickbacks (like that infamous 10% for the big guy) that come back to the politicians from Ukraine and elsewhere around the world!

    The amount of graft that travels back and forth from foreign governments and politicians’ big money donors is staggering – enough to make billionaires of every elected official and multi-millionaires of many unelected high level government officials.

    For example – Fauci’s take is huge!!!

    Liked by 1 person

  17. OK, it’s finally light enough – man, is that wind ever blowing!!! This was from this summer:

    I wasn’t about to try to go outside to get it from the same angle but…you’ll get the idea, I expect!

    Liked by 1 person

  18. hmmmmmmmmmmmmmm…is this true???

    Black Knight
    January 13, 2024 9:44 am

    Something to consider:

    Dual citizens at the highest echelons of the US government:

    Yellen – Treasury
    Garland – AG
    Mayorkas – DHS
    Harriman – DNI
    Klein – WH Chief of Staff
    Blinken – State
    Sherman – State (Deputy)
    Nuland – State (Political Affairs)
    Lander – Office of Science and Technology
    Cohen – CIA

    & previously outside – Epstein

    One cannot serve two masters:

    Matthew 6:24
    Luke 16:13

    Why are folks who are not 100% American and American only citizens allowed in these positions? And who do they really serve?

    No same country would ever allow this.

    Like

    1. i said that about the Bills–the “pro” arguments were all about the tax revenue the stadium will bring in and such.
      at the expense of the children and families–but NOT illegal families–

      Liked by 1 person

  22. The savagery won’t stop until they are punished appropriately!!!

    “Brothers who killed Ethan Liming, stomped on his chest, broke his neck and took his car at LeBron James’ school sentenced, only 6 months and 18 months each”

    EXCERPT: “The brothers charged in the death of 17-year-old Ethan Liming at LeBron James’ Promise School in Akron, Ohio were sentenced in October, coming one month after a jury could not come to a unanimous decision on a count of first-degree felony involuntary manslaughter one of the brothers was charged with.

    21-year-old Deshawn Stafford, who was found guilty of aggravated assault and assault was sentenced to 18 months in prison and six months in jail. The sentences will be served simultaneously, according to WKYC….”

    https://thepostmillennial.com/brothers-who-killed-ethan-liming-stomped-on-his-chest-broke-his-neck-and-took-his-car-at-lebron-james-school-sentenced-to-only-6-months-jail-18-months-in-prison

    Liked by 1 person

      1. That wind is kick-ass! -10 now but at least the sky is lightening and the sun is peeking thru. Mark next door has already plowed Lois’ and my DW’s as well as his own.

        Liked by 1 person

  30. so since they got away with instituting term limits on the executive–they want to institute them on judicial—3 co-equal branches no more??? legislative is supreme? how about term limits for CONGRESS????
    FTA

    California Senate candidate and Congressmember Adam Schiff is calling for a major overhaul of American institutions, including getting rid of the Electoral College, expanding the Supreme Court and eliminating the filibuster.

    “I think our democracy is at more grave risk now than ever,” Schiff said in an interview. “And it’s clear that that issue is going to be front and center — and needs to be front and center — on the national stage.”

    — Eliminating gerrymandered congressional districts

    — Making voting easier by designating Election Day a federal holiday, expanding automatic voter registration through government agencies like the Department of Motor Vehicles and universal vote-by-mail access

    — Restoring voting rights to felons who have served their time

    — Reforming the judiciary by instituting term limits for Supreme Court justices, creating an enforceable ethics code and banning stock trading for judges

    https://conservativefiringline.com/shifty-lying-comrade-schiff-promotes-plan-to-destroy-america-destroy-electoral-college-disguises-it-as-measure-to-protect-democracy/

    Liked by 1 person

  31. she’s just as delusional as joe. she thinks SHE did so much to right the country during the plandemic
    FTA
    “But then the pandemic was happening. And so I had to get to work and travel around the country, get shots in people’s arms, get schools open, give people confidence that the vaccines were going to work. Um, we had to get people back to work. So, it was a ho– I had to put everything aside that I had planned to do. And think of, if you can think back to three years ago, I mean, think what we were dealing with, think of the mental health issues, that still continue.”
    Advertisement

    Maybe she thinks she is in charge, since she always has to lead Joe around. It’s funny that she wants to make everything about herself. But is she kidding? SHE was getting shots in people’s arms? She, “Dr. Jill,” was doing it? Is she kidding with that? Then “get schools open,” that’s another piece of nonsense. The Democrats were aligned with the the teachers’ unions in delaying as long as possible getting schools reopened. It’s on their heads that kids were hurt, lost learning time, and maybe suffered a lot of mental health effects.

    Yes, let’s recall how her husband threw people out of their jobs with his mandates, including members of the military who had served for years, and encouraged masks on little children that hurt their development. Does she want to take credit for that as well? Does she know how much that hurt people?

    We are so privileged we had Jill here to guide us to tell us what to do. That’s the imaginary reality they want to try to sell us, a perverse revision of history in which they are our saviors. But it has no relation to the truth. But the Bidens seem to not care about that, as long as they can hold onto power.

    https://redstate.com/nick-arama/2024/01/12/watch-jill-biden-explain-all-the-things-she-had-to-do-to-right-the-country-n2168636

    Liked by 1 person

  45. Love honey but

    https://www.bonappetit.com/entertaining-style/trends-news/slideshow/counterfeit-foods

    Honey
    At first glance, the teddy bears look cute. But take a closer look. See the beady little eyes. Those smug upturned noses. They’re hiding something. In fact, reported cases have unmasked so-called “honey” as sucrose, beet sugar, or even high-fructose corn syrup. The Al Capone of honey laundering was busted in 2008 for allegedly smuggling cheap honey from China and relabeling it as White Korean Honey. To avoid honey fraud, choose small-batch honey. Be sure to check the ingredients to avoid any products bolstered with added sugar or syrup.

    Liked by 2 people

  47. “Johns Hopkins rescinds DEI memo calling white, Christian, English-speaking people privileged”
    COLLEGE FIX STAFF
    JANUARY 11, 2024

    EXCERPT: “Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine on Wednesday rescinded an email sent recently from its diversity, equity and inclusion chief that called white, Christian, English-speaking people privileged, among several other “social identity groups,” according to screenshots of the memo posted on X.

    Others listed on the privileged list included: able-bodied people, heterosexuals, cisgender people, middle or owning class people, and middle-aged people….”

    https://www.thecollegefix.com/johns-hopkins-rescinds-dei-memo-calling-white-christian-english-speaking-people-privileged/

    Liked by 1 person

  50. some idiot sued–a host of people including 5 SCOTUS judges, the governor of Texas and others in an abortion case that SCOTUS said belonged to the states to decide. so the 5 defendants and Roberts recused themselves which means not a quorum to decide so it’s remanded back to the circuit courts where it should have been. frivolous lawsuit to the max

    https://redstate.com/bradslager/2024/01/13/theres-curiosity-as-six-scotus-justices-recuse-themselves-and-amusement-about-what-it-leads-to-n2168673

    Liked by 1 person

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