There are tons of fitness influencers with perfect bodies who earn their living by promoting all sorts of supplements. They all swear by a certain brand of protein shake, creatine, amino acids, you name it, that pays them a substantial amount of money for this.
Don’t get me wrong. It is perfectly fine to drink protein shakes and take creatine. They ARE a vital part of my fitness journey, too. But these products are not something that I am truly passionate about. At the end of the day, it does not make suuuch a big difference which brand I choose.
There is another product that fills me with excitement and enthusiasm. It is what I want for me, my family, my friends and my clients. Something with REAL power that comes directly from nature.
I am talking about good old natural honey.
I don’t think that science has fully discovered the full potential of honey, yet.
However, as a personal trainer, I want to make you aware of 4 great benefits you can get while enjoying the heavenly taste of honey.
1. Honey gives you energy before and after workout ⚡
If you are looking for an energy boost during your next workout, or something to help with your recovery from a tough session at the gym, honey is the answer.
One study, at the University of Memphis Exercise and Sports Nutrition Laboratory, confirmed that honey is one of the most effective forms of carbohydrate to eat just before exercise.
No wonder my mentor always told me - “One spoon of honey before and after workout, and you do miracles!”
Let me explain why.
There are 2 types of carbohydrates. Fast and slow.
Before and after workout, we need fast carbs. Especially after, in order to restore the glycogen and help the protein to do its job.
Honey is a fast carbohydrate, because it doesn’t need much time to digest, but still not that fast to spike your insulin unhealthy high like for example pure sugar does.
If you are someone who works out in the morning, make sure that you keep one jar of natural honey at the office, so you can enjoy a spoon of it after your workout.
2. Honey is a healthy alternative to chocolate and jam
What I also love about honey is that it is a natural sweetener.
I use it in my morning smoothie and also as a dressing to my salads! When I make pancakes, I prefer flavoring them with honey instead of chocolate or jam.
In that way, I enjoy something sweet and healthy at the same time.
Of course, you have to be careful because honey can bring extra calories, so make sure it fits your daily calorie intake.
3. Honey helps you SLEEP better
My favorite benefit which for me personally is a game changer - honey helped me SLEEP again!
I was developing chronic sleep deprivation. I tried many things like melatonin sprays and expensive CBD oils, but nothing really helped.
I went to the doctor (several times) and I wanted something hard, but he refused to prescribe me anything. He told me to try to meditate, rest and exercise - things that I already did.
Then I found out that what can help me was already on my shelf! 1 teaspoon of honey before bed, and I am now sleeping like a baby!
I take it in combination with baldrian drops, which calm my nervous system.
Sleep is by far the most important factor for your mental and physical health! You can get your nutrition, training, work-life balance right, but if you don’t have a good quality sleep, nothing truly matters! Sleep is the ultimate recovery!
Here is how it exactly works:
Honey helps your brain release melatonin, the hormone that your body uses to restore itself during sleep. Raw honey contains tryptophan and because eating raw honey only raises blood sugar level slightly, this controlled rise of insulin causes tryptophan to enter the brain and there it gets converted into serotonin. Serotonin is a melatonin precursor: the pineal gland uses serotonin to synthesize melatonin.
4. Honey boosts your immune system
Honey has great antibacterial and antioxidant effects.
In simple language, it cleans your body from the free radicals that have accumulated due to unhealthy lifestyle (e.g too much processed food like cakes, salami, chips; drinking alcohol; exposure to cigarette smoke; etc)
As a result, it boosts your immune system.
Which means less sick days and more energy.
Additionally, honey has been proven to help with treatment of minor wounds, throat or skin problems, gastrointestinal problems or fungal infections.
WHERE DO I GET MY HIGH QUALITY HONEY FROM?
One day I read an article about bees - how they communicate and function to produce honey. I also read how critical their survival is for the whole ecosystem and that their existence is in serious danger.
I felt so touched that it almost made me cry. I couldn’t find an answer to the question, “How can we help?”. I thought maybe I can start taking care of a beehive in my backyard in Berlin. But it was too complicated to set up. One day my wife came to me and showed me the company called Pollenity.
They give you the opportunity to adopt a beehive and receive sustainably produced honey directly from the source.
In addition to that, they have developed a technology which helps beekeepers better understand bees behavior and make informed decisions on how to take care of them. The algorithms have already helped save beehives, increase productivity and better manage honeybee business operations.
When you adopt one single adopted hive, you support over 60,000 bees and an indigenous beekeeper. 20,000 bees go out of your beehive and pollinate up to 100 million flowers per day, turning the local gardens into a blossoming wonderland.
In return, you receive 3 jars of honey per month. What a deal!
Honeybees have inhabited our planet for around 3.5 million years, and since then they have been an inseparable part of nature. We rely on 30% of all our food to be pollinated by the honeybees, and we must protect and cherish them.
Bees are responsible for the future of our food!
For me personally, this was the answer to my question, “How can we help?”
We immediately adopted 2 hives and started receiving 6 jars of honey every month. We ended up having so much honey that we started giving away to our clients. And they truly loved it!
We also visited our beekeeper George close to our hometown Plovdiv in Bulgaria. Bulgaria is currently one of the leaders in Europe of producing honey.
George is taking care of 120 beehives! 120! Remember that from only 1 hive you are pollinating up to 100 million flowers per day and 60k bees have a home.
George is making sure that the hives are in perfect condition! In conclusion, incorporating honey into your diet can provide a multitude of health benefits, from boosting your energy and immune system to helping you sleep better at night. Additionally, adopting a beehive through Pollenity not only allows you to enjoy sustainably produced, high-quality honey directly from the source, but also supports the survival of bees and the preservation of our ecosystem. By taking this small step, you can make a big impact on both your health and the environment.
You can adopt a hive from Pollenty’s website. For Free delivery to Germany, use the promo code: Powerbuilding2023
The code is available only for "Adopt a Hive" package.
Sources: National Honey Board, “Nutritional Benefits of Honey.” Sept 2008. Paul IM, et al. Effect of honey, dextromethorphan, and no treatment on nocturnal cough and sleep quality for coughing children and their parents. Archives of Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine, 161(12) Cohen HA, et al. Effect of honey on nocturnal cough and sleep quality: d double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled study. Pediatrics, Vol 130, Number 3 Honey helps you sleep beter by: https://localhivehoney.com/blog/get-better-sleep-with-raw-honey#:~:text=Honey%20helps%20your%20brain%20release,becomes%20serotonin%2C%20which%20becomes%20melatonin. Better Sleep with raw honey https://balqees.com/can-raw-honey-help-with-insomnia#:~:text=Raw%20honey%20contains%20tryptophan%20and,to%20be%20converted%20into%20melatonin. Serotonin in to melatonin. https://somaticmovementcenter.com/serotonin-melatonin/#:~:text=Serotonin%20is%20a%20melatonin%20precursor,healthy%20levels%20of%20melatonin%20too.
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