A Million Dollar Question: Does Honey Make You Fat?
Women and men all over the world want to have an attractive silhouette and an appearance similar to that of the bright and elegant superstars. In their attempt to look perfect, many make the big mistake of starving themselves almost to death and depriving their bodies of the most essential minerals and vitamins. No pasta, no meat, nothing sweet, this is the ubiquitous saying on the lips of dieters. Refined sugar does not go hand in hand with a weight loss diet, but fruit and honey are here to remind us that while life can be bitter, it can also be sweet. Does honey make you fat? Is honey a danger to your perfect form? The answer from doctors and nutritionists is: no, not at all.
However, the myth that honey is extremely dangerous for a slim figure is widespread. Why this myth? Honey can help you lose weight, but only if it is consumed properly. There is no doubt that honey smeared on a greasy, buttered slice of bread will not make you lose those pesky extra pounds.
Honey connoisseurs claim that it is outrageous, if not sacrilege, to compare natural honey to refined sugar. It is true that both products have a sweet taste, but here the similarities between them end. Does honey make you fat? The answer is no, again. Honey is a 100% natural product without chemicals or additives in its composition. On the other hand, sugar is a processed food, rich in carbohydrates, the number one enemy of any diet.
Some may argue that if you take a quick look at a calorie table of food products, you will notice that a teaspoon of honey has a caloric value of 22 kcal while a teaspoon of sugar has a value of only 16 kcal. Therefore, for people who do not know the real properties of honey, the logical assumption is that honey is fattening and a real threat to anyone who wants a model figure.
However, appearances are deceiving. A food is not necessarily fattening, although it may have a relatively high caloric value. A food product is a hazard to its physical form only if it is processed. Honey is raw. So where is the danger? Natural honey has in its composition carbohydrates such as fructose, glucose, sucrose and other natural types of sugars. They are combined with minerals, vitamins and amino acids, which make honey one of the most surprising food products that nature has given us. Honey is miraculous, it does not make you fat.
Honey is slowly digested within the stomach due to its composition. Therefore, you are not hungry immediately after eating honey and you do not feel the constant urge to dip a teaspoon in a jar of honey. The sugars in honey are released more slowly into the bloodstream than those in refined sugar.
Also, honey, like fresh fruit, is a whole food product. Researchers found that fructose-rich foods like nuts or honey actually help the body burn fat and also lead to increased muscle strength.
Believe it or not, but the human body burns more calories during the first four hours of sleep than during any strenuous activity in the gym. So this seems like the right time to burn fat. To speed up the process, you should take two teaspoons of honey before getting a good night’s sleep. No matter what some people say, honey is not fattening because it stimulates the human body’s natural recovery process, leading to massive fat burning. However, no diet can produce the desired effect without regular physical exercise. Probably, if you starve, you could lose several pounds; But you will feel weaker, prone to infection and illness, not to mention the apathy and stress caused by deprivation. With the honey diet, a routine of fifteen minutes of physical exercises, three times a day, will help you lose the kilos that worry you so much in a natural and healthy way.
In addition to not gaining weight, honey taken regularly reduces the level of cholesterol in the blood. The vitamins and minerals in its composition make honey an ideal food for healthy diets with long-lasting effects.
People are convinced that if they spend hours in a gym and if they eliminate almost everything from their daily diet, including essential foods like honey, milk, certain fruits, they will lose weight. The truth is that they will lose the extra pounds, but only temporarily. Once they return to a more saturated diet, the pounds will accumulate again. Losing weight does not have to be torture but an experience that will make you healthier and more optimistic. However, keep in mind that the answer to the question: “Does honey make you fat?” It is a resounding no.
