Firstly, you must bear in mind that honey is a natural sweetener, unlike high processed table sugar, high fructose corn syrup or artificial sweeteners. So, it is better to use honey as replacement for the sugar or artificial sweetener you use in your drinks and foods. So, now you might be thinking: "How much honey can I consume on a daily basis?". Before we answer that, we want you to know that one basic principle of weight gain is this:
Anything excessive is not good, even honey. When you take in more than what your body needs, whether it's sugar, fat or honey, the extra calories are stored as fat.
Okay, back to answering that question. Honey is basically sugar, which is a form of carbohydrate or energy-giving food. Nevertheless, it is natural and contains goodness that high processed table sugar or white sugar doesn't have. If you didn't know it already, table sugar or white sugar only contain empty calories, compared to honey.
Fact #1: One tablespoon of honey has 64 calories, and one tablespoon of sugar has 46 calories. But we only need 1 tablespoon of honey to make something sweet as compared to processed sugar, where you need 2 tablespoons of it to make your drink/food sweet. So, you do the math. How much calories are you consuming when you take honey and how much if you use sugar. It's just that simple.
Fact #2: Raw honey, a natural sweetener, is not subject to heating or any form of processing. Comparatively, sugar that is derived from the sugar cane plant is highly processed, and during such processes, all naturally occurring trace minerals are removed from the sugar cane plant. The end result is processed sugar that is devoid of nutrition such as vitamins, minerals and important enzymes. All that is left after all that processing are empty calories. Whereas commercial pasturized honey only has one step of processing that will prevent crystallization and yeast fermentation during storage. That process is just heating.
Generally, 3 to 5 tablespoons of honey per day is sufficient.
But now you're going to ask, "How exactly does consuming honey make me lose weight?". There are at least a couple of tips we can share with you.
Tip #1: Mix honey with cinnamon.
- Put half a teaspoon of cinnamon powder and a teaspoon of honey in a cup and mix into a paste.
- Pour a cup of boiling water into the mixture and let it sit for half an hour. Don't forget to cover the cup.
- Stir and filter, using a coffee filter for example, to remove any particles.
- Take this in the morning with an empty stomach at least half an hour before breakfast.
Although it is not widely proven, some people have found that taking cinnamon with honey can help with weight loss as it improves metabolism and regulates sugar level, resulting in weight loss.
Tip #2: Take honey with lemon.
Taking honey with lemon as part of a detoxification process can aid in losing weight. Fasting on honey and lemon juice, an alkaline food, is highly beneficial in helping obese people lose weight, at the same time maintaining energy and appetite.
- Mix one teaspoon of raw honey (unheated) with the juice of two teaspoons of lime or lemon juice in a glass of warm water. Make sure that it is not boiling hot water.
- Drink this concoction once in the morning on an empty stomach.
- This concoction not only works as a detox tonic, it also works as a digestive tonic, so you can take it after a big and oily meal.
However, we want you to bear in mind that depending solely on these tips to lose weight is not enough. You need to have a balanced diet, and a well-regulated exercise regime would also help a lot in your aim to lose weight.
Introducing Leven Virgin Forest Honey. 100% Pure Raw Honey from the primitive forests of Borneo. No artificial flavours or additives added. The brand has entered a fairtrade agreement with the indigenous people of the Borneo forests to ensure that the honey can be harvested, at the same time preserving the habitat of the plants and animal species such as the giant honey bees of the Borneo forests. Read More.
