Raw Honey And Why I Love It As A Type 1 Diabetic

It’s chilly outside now so the heat is turned up, I’m wearing warmer clothes, and drinking hot teas more often. One of my favorite ingredients to use in my hot tea is raw honey. I have been using this particular type of honey for about 10 years now at the time of this post and it is one of my absolute FAVORITE foods. It is a staple in my Red Sugar Life for many reasons. I like raw honey that is unfiltered, uncooked, unpasteurized, thick, and smooth, like this one that I love (from YS Eco Bee Farms):

  

(This jar of mine is almost all gone!)

I love whole foods and healthy foods, and raw honey offers far more than just carbs, it’s highly nutritious and does so many good things for me.

Raw Honey Is LOADED With Helpful Nutrients

The raw unfiltered honey I use is loaded with vitamins, antioxidants, enyzmes, and minerals, so I also consider it a health supplement for me as well. I also use the raw honey in my skin/body/hair care sometimes. It has other uses for me outside of eating it. The same nutritious awesomeness that I get from consuming it, also helps my body externally too.

I’m fascinated by it, its yummy creamy texture and how it can remain solid even at room temperature, its unique taste and how it’s incredibly pleasant.

(‘Yummy’ doesn’t sufficiently describe this deliciousness)

When I use carby-sweeteners I don’t use a lot at once, I use small amounts at a time. I avoid table sugar as much as possible, but I don’t avoid all types of sugars entirely. While I may be a type 1 diabetic (type 1.5 diabetes) and my body has difficulty processing glucose, my cells still need glucose in order to function just like everyone else’s. But, if I am going to have a sweetener, I try to have healthful, nutritious sweeteners. In addition to raw honey, I sometimes use non-carby sweeteners, like pure xylitol which I wrote about here.

I do use the less solid types of raw honey sometimes in conjunction with my solid raw honey. They are different from the solid raw honey as they have a more syrup-like consistency:

They are processed a bit more, but are still more nutritious than highly-processed, highly filtered honey.

Raw Honey Has Antibacterial Properties

As I am a type 1 diabetic (type 1.5 diabetes), my condition is autoimmune so my immune system is not as strong as someone without type 1 diabetes. My immune system has to work harder to fight off infections/illnesses, even ones that those without my condition(s) are able to fend off more easily. Honey is known to have antibacterial properties, good for fighting infections and illnesses It is one of my go-to foods when I am dealing with a cough or cold or other ailments. Whenever I feel a cold or cough coming on I make sure to have some of my raw honey in my efforts to curb the illness and I do notice a reduction or alleviation of my symptoms. With this raw honey being packed with nutrients I love using it as it supports my immune system as well.

Raw Honey Truly Is Something Unique

This raw honey does not have a syrupy, liquidy consistency at all. I noticed even when it is a warmer season, the honey never really becomes syrupy, just looser and easier to scoop out of the jar.  At room temperature it is very thick, smooth, and creamy, even SPREADABLE. Yesss that’s right, SPREADABLE. It’s awesome:

(yeeesssss look at that creamy, golden smooth honey…mmmmm…)

And at below room temperature it is completely solid in the jar and doesn’t move at all. The taste is very delightful and a spoonful of it is a yummy treat all by itself. I experimented and tried it with different kinds of foods and found it dissolves in warm foods well and it is pretty hard (if not impossible) to get it dissolved in cool foods.

I like to fill my Red Sugar Life with foods that not only taste good to me, but are also good for me as well. Raw honey is one of those foods for me. I am about to use this yummy goodness in some of my candy cane peppermint tea (see here) right now! I was brewing some while writing this and it’s ready now, so I am about to enjoy it.

(One of my favorite mugs to use this time of year <3)

~Luna