honey

Consider it a sugar and use it accordingly. If you like it, fit it in to your macros and enjoy it, assuming you don't have diabetes or some other medical condition that limits sugar intake.

I use 1 tsp. of Honey in my nightly cup of herbal tea instead of sugar. I don't use sugar in anything I cook (except baked goods). If a sauce recipe calls for a little sugar, I use honey instead (especially good when making cole slaw). Not sure of the nutritional difference, just my personal preference.

my friennds keep bee's to so I get it from them I have not had any in a long time

You are lucky to have friends that produce honey. That is the best honey, raw, non-refined like sugar. White clover honey you get in the grocery store has 60 cal per TBsp, 17g carbs, 16g sugar

I love honey and have it with peanut butter on toast quite often.

Love it with yogurt and walnuts, it's a natural product but be aware of the calories and enjoy in moderation !

Agave Nectar is a good substitute to honey too
http://www.allaboutagave.com/

Honey from a chemical standpoint behaves a bit differently than refined sugar or even most sugars/carbs. To get the most out of honey you want to keep a couple things in mind.

You want raw, unfiltered honey, yes you want all the pollen, nastiness etc that you can think of, in that honey.

You want to buy local, especially if you have seasonal allergies.

Copying and pasting some previous stuff I posted on honey from various articles cuz I'mlazyherewegooooooo:

Honey may promote better blood sugar control. Proper fueling of the liver is central to optimal glucose metabolism during sleep and exercise. Honey is the ideal liver fuel because it contains a nearly 1:1 ratio of fructose to glucose. Fructose "unlocks" the enzyme from the liver cell's nucleus that is necessary for the incorporation of glucose into glycogen (the form in which sugar is stored in the liver and muscle cells). An adequate glycogen store in the liver is essential to supply the brain with fuel when we are sleeping and during prolonged exercise. When glycogen stores are insufficient, the brain triggers the release of stress hormones—adrenalin and cortisol—in order to convert muscle protein into glucose. Repeated metabolic stress from cortisol produced when less than optimal liver glycogen stores are available during sleep, leads over time, to impaired glucose metabolism, insulin resistance, diabetes, and increased risk for cardiovascular disease and obesity.

Experimental evidence indicates that consumption of honey may improve blood sugar control and insulin sensitivity compared to other sweeteners. The body's tolerance to honey is significantly better than to sucrose or glucose alone. Individuals with greater glucose intolerance (e.g., those with mild diabetes and Type 1 diabetes) showed significantly better tolerance to honey than sucrose. In addition, the antioxidants in honey, which have been shown to reduce oxidative stress, frequently by a larger factor than can be explained by their actual amount, may be beneficial for diabetics and help to improve endothelial function (the function of the cells that make up the lining of our blood vessels) and vascular health.

Honey boosts immunity. Research conducted in several hospitals in Israel found honey effective in decreasing the incidence of acute febrile neutropenia (when high fever reduces white blood cell count) in 64% of patients. Honey also reduced the need for Colony Stimulating Factor (a compound produced in the cells lining the blood vessels that stimulate bone marrow to produce more white blood cells) in 60% of patients with acute febrile neutropenia; increased neutrophil count (another type of white blood cell), decreased thrombocytopenia (low platelet count), and stabilized hemoglobin levels at >11 gm/dl (a bit low but way better than full blown anemic).

Honey can also aid in the ease/relief of seasonal allergies. Local/raw honey tends to retain the pollens and other factors that trigger allergic reactions during spring and summer months. In basic/stupid terms it functions as a sort of immunotherapy if incorporated into the diet leading up to and around the periods where allergy symptoms are most severe, by exposing yourself to these pollens prior in smaller, controlled amounts you are less likely to suffer as much when they are basically choking the air around you.

The last bit I can personally attest to, anyone who lives in Texas can tell you how bad allergies can get during the spring and summer. I eat quite a bit of honey from a local honey distributor and have had to rely less and less on my prescription allergy medicine (as in I pretty much don't have to take the *kitten* anymore)

I use honey as a sugar substitute in coffee much of the time.

I like to keep it around, because it has antimicrobial properties for wound care, helps sooth sore throats and boosts the immune system, ***helps to break down fat in your body,*** and has vitamin C and a few other vitamins and minerals as well.

I like to use pure maple syrup as a sweetener too, though it doesn't have the same health benefits as honey.

Really, I think that granulated sugar and corn syrup are what you've got to watch out for.

Maple syrup is a good source of potassium- for that reason it's a common ingredient in home-made electrolyte supplements for endurance exercise- so it's not without meriit. :happy:

I love getting it from my local farmers market. I use it pretty much daily on my greek yogurt & fruit, and on my oatmeal. Delicious!

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Its in the database- One tsp = approx 0.5 TBSP = 32 cals, 9g sugar.
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I have to disagree. There are 3 teaspoons in a tablespoon, not 2. Therefore, 1 teaspoon of raw, local honey is @ 20 calories and 5g sugar. I have recently started using only honey as a sweetener. No artificial sweeteners at all. It is not the trigger other sugars, including artificial are for me. I too have a friend who makes his own honey. SO delicious!