Honey: A golden treasure (and we deserve it!)

Girls, today we're going to talk about something we all have in our kitchen, but maybe we don't know what treasure is actually there.

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Imagine: 8,000 years ago, our ancient sisters were climbing rocks with baskets to collect honey from wild beehives. Cave paintings from Spain prove it! And while we are deciding whether to put honey in our tea or on our bread, ancient Egyptian women used it to treat wrinkles, wounds and hair loss.

Honey is like a small miracle of nature. Do you know why it doesn't spoil? Because it's a natural preservative! Bacteria simply can't survive in it - honey literally sucks the life out of them. That sounds dramatic, but it's true. That's why honey found in ancient tombs is still edible today!

Interesting fact for smart women: Honey contains over 180 different substances. That's more ingredients than the most expensive serum on the market!

1. It strengthens our immunity

After 50, we need all the help we can get. Honey contains antioxidants that fight free radicals—those guerillas that destroy our cells. It's like having your own army of protectors in your body.

2. It will help with healing

Do you have a wound that doesn't heal well? Try applying a little honey to it (after consulting a doctor, of course). Our grandmothers knew it – honey has antibacterial properties, which are confirmed by modern science.

3. Soothes coughs and throats

Instead of chemical lozenges, try a teaspoon of honey. It really works! Plus, it tastes better than anything from the pharmacy.

4. It will help with sleep

Honey before bed? Yes! It stimulates the production of serotonin, which helps the brain calm down. So instead of counting sheep, try a teaspoon of honey with warm milk.

Here comes the not-so-pleasant part. There's a lot of "honey" on the market that isn't actually honey. It's like those polyester "furs" - they look similar, but the quality is somewhere else.

How to recognize real honey? A few tricks from smart women:

Water test: Real honey will sink to the bottom of the glass like a stone. Fake honey will start to dissolve like sugar in coffee.

Crystallization test: If your honey still looks like liquid caramel after months, it’s suspect. Real honey crystallizes – and that’s a good thing!

Price test: Too cheap honey is like a too cheap leather handbag – it probably isn't what it seems.

Tip from the experts: Buy from local beekeepers. You support local businesses and you can be sure of the quality. And you can often taste before you buy!

You may have heard of it. Manuka honey from New Zealand is like the Chanel of honeys – expensive, exclusive and supposedly miraculous. It contains the substance MGO (methylglyoxal), which has strong antibacterial effects.

Is it really that amazing? Studies say yes, but be careful about the price and make sure you buy a certified product. There are a lot of scams on the market.

Reality for our wallets: Even ordinary quality honey from our regions has great effects. Manuka is a luxury, not a necessity!

• Acacia: Soft, light, does not crystallize for a long time. Perfect for beginners.
• Linden: Strong flavor, great for colds. Like a hug from grandma.
• Buckwheat: Dark, strong flavor, full of minerals. For the brave.
• Forest (honeydew): Dark, rich in antioxidants. Like red wine among honeys

Practical tips for everyday use:

• Instead of sugar in tea and coffee
• For pancakes instead of syrup
• For meat marinades (honey caramelizes beautifully)
• For homemade muesli bars

In the bathroom:

• Face mask: honey + a little oatmeal = natural peeling
• Use as a conditioner on your hair (but be sure to rinse it out thoroughly afterwards!)
• On the lips instead of balm

When sick:

• A spoonful of honey with lemon and ginger = a natural remedy for colds
• Honey with warm milk for a good night's sleep

Honey is not suitable for children under 18 months (it contains spores that can be dangerous). And beware, diabetics! Honey is natural, but it still contains sugars.

Also, watch out for allergies – if you are allergic to pollen, start with a small amount.

Chemistry of honey vs. sugar

• White sugar (sucrose) = glucose + fructose combined in one molecule.
• Copper = mainly free glucose and fructose, some water and micronutrients (vitamins, minerals, enzymes).
• The caloric value of honey is approx. 320 kcal / 100 g vs. sugar 400 kcal / 100 g – so honey is just a hair less caloric, but it's still a lot of energy.

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„"Honey turns into energy, sugar turns into fat" - myth

This is not true. Every carbohydrate you consume beyond the scope of energy expenditure, is stored as fat, whether it is from honey, sugar or whole grain bread.

• If you will burn energy from honey → you burn glucose/fructose → no storage.
• If you won't burn → the body stores the excess (usually first as glycogen, then as fat).

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Fructose & glucose

Honey has more fructose than table sugar. Fructose first goes to the liver - there some of it can be converted into fat (lipogenesis). In a healthy person in small amounts this is not a problem, but in chronic excess (sweet drinks, large doses of honey) it can contribute to the deposition of fat in the liver.

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The benefit of honey?

• Has antioxidants, enzymes and antibacterial effects (especially high-quality, unfiltered honey).
• It may have smaller glycemic index than sugar (but it depends on the type of honey).
• It tastes sweeter, so some people only need a smaller amount.

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Summary

• ✅ Honey is not neither a diet nor a "non-fat" sweetener.
• ✅ In small doses (1-2 tablespoons per day) it's fine, healthier than white sugar, if you like it.
• ❌ Larger doses = still lots of calories and sugar → weight gain as with any sweetener.

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Verdict:
Honey is stored as fat just like other carbohydrates, if you eat more than you burn. The only difference is in the accompanying substances and the flavor profile. If you want to lose weight → monitor your total energy intake, not just the source.

Without bees, there would be no honey, but most importantly – without bees, there would be no other food! Bees pollinate plants that we couldn’t live without. It’s like if all the volunteer firefighters disappeared – suddenly everyone would realize how much we need them.

• Buy from local beekeepers
• Plant flowering plants in the garden or balcony
• Do not use pesticides
• Spread awareness of their importance

Honey is not just a sweet treat – it is an investment in health, beauty and taste. Quality honey may cost more than white sugar, but when you calculate how much you will save on medicines, cosmetics and doctors, it comes out the same.

And most importantly, honey reminds us that nature often knows best. While chemists invent complex formulas, bees have mastered for thousands of years what modern science is trying to imitate.

So next time you add honey to your tea, remember that you're not just tasting sweetness. You're enjoying thousands of years of human wisdom, the work of tiny winged wonders, and a gift from nature that has no equal.

And don't forget: Every spoonful of quality honey is a small act of rebellion against an artificial world full of chemicals. We, big girls, deserve the best of nature!

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J. A. Comenius:
I have learned to know and love nature more from beekeeping than from many scholarly books.

R.A. Réaumur:
Whenever I observe the magnificent work of the bees in the hive, it seems to me that a ray of God's wisdom has shone before me.

Vilem Mrštík:
Bees is an interesting book. Open it and you will see what will gradually appear to you.

Z. Gravenhorst:
Beekeeping is like reading a beautiful book that becomes more interesting and exciting with each page.

Albert Einstein:
If bees disappeared from the earth, humans would only have four years left to live.

Wilhelm Bolsche:
There are two greatest mysteries of life in the world, man and bees. The bees are the older.

J.M. Ehrenfels:
Beekeeping is the poetry of agriculture.

Dear friends, girls, women, girls…

I would like to share with you a thought that has been keeping me awake at night lately. You know, I love honey. That golden, sweet liquid that carries the taste of summer, flowers and sun. But with every spoonful of honey, I realize something much deeper – the indispensability of bees.

They are tiny, hardworking creatures who selflessly wander from flower to flower. Without them, our world would not be what it is. Without their hard work, a large part of the plants, fruits and vegetables would disappear from our tables. They are a symbol of the balance and perfection of nature. And yet it pains me to watch them struggle for survival.

It is astonishing how little regard people have for the nature that is our home. The disrespect and recklessness towards the ecosystem that keeps us alive is incomprehensible to me. It is like cutting off the branch we are sitting on. And what is worse, it is a path to self-destruction.

We can't just stand by and watch. Each of us can take at least a small step. We can plant bee-friendly flowers in our gardens, stop buying sprays that kill them, or just support a local beekeeper. Because protecting bees isn't just about honey. It's about protecting our entire world. It's about loving and respecting nature. And it's about hoping that we too can be better and more considerate.

Let's try, not because we have to, but because we feel like it. With love for the Earth and all living beings.

PS: The next time you meet a bee, thank it. Without her work, the world would be a lot poorer – and most importantly, a lot less sweet.

Autumn with coffee – a little ritual that will warm the soul