Is regular honey the same as raw honey?

Honey is a natural health food sourced from the wild that our ancestors consumed for thousands of years – it can be harvested without causing any damage to our environment and bees. Bees are under threat from disease and erosion of their natural habitats and therefore it is vital that humans protect and take care of them as they can rebuild their populations by providing food and safe homes for them.

Honey has a lower glycemic index than table sugar, making it a sweet substitute.

What is the difference between the regular honey and raw organic honey?

Regular honey is a processed honey, quite cheap and available in most supermarkets and is far from the health-promoting raw unpasteurized honey. Honey is filtered, heated and sometimes watered down and then forced at high pressure through extremely small filters to remove pollen.

This kind of honey contains little to no pollen and all live enzymes are destroyed by heat. Also, it may contain antibiotics and to provide higher yields the flower nectar is substituted by HFCS (High Fructose Corn Syrup) commonly derived from GMO corn which is linked to obesity, diabetes, hypertension, liver damage…

Raw organic honey is a bit more expensive, has not been heated past pasteurization, which is usually around 95 degrees; therefore, all nutrients are intact. It has a cloudy yellow colour. It contains propolis and pollen and anti-bacterial, anti-fungal, and antiviral properties as well as many enzymes, vitamins C, B6, and minerals like iron, calcium, and copper. It strengthens the immune system and it’s an excellent remedy for skin wounds and infections. Raw organic honey is a great source of carbohydrates, high in calories, increases blood sugar levels, improves digestive functioning, and is a powerful antioxidant.

What a huge difference, isn’t it? 😉

I personally prefer to buy a locally produced raw organic honey in a glass jar, not in plastic, from the health food shop, every winter mainly as a sweetener for some herbal teas or unbaked nut cookies, especially for Christmas.

Here is a simple recipe for you which takes about 5-10 minutes to make:

RAW ALMOND COOKIES

Ingredients:

2 cups almonds

½ cup organic raw honey

Dried coconut

Optional: If you don’t have raw honey, you can use organic maple syrup, agave nectar or coconut nectar instead.

Organic ingredients are always recommended!

Preparation:

1. Grind almonds in the food processor.
2. In a bowl mix the ground almonds and honey into a sticky dough. Wet your hands and make balls or log shapes and roll them in coconut. Store in the fridge to chill before serving. Enjoy 😉

You can find a good quality (raw) honey in many health food stores or online.