Fuel your fitness with raw honey
Honey for Sports
With Dubai Fitness Challenge currently ongoing and many more sporting events coming to the UAE and Middle East in the next two months, in this blog we focus on raw honey as a great tool for athletes and sports players.
Honey for Cardio and Endurance
Raw honey contains the natural sugars: fructose and glucose. Both are a type of carbohydrate that our bodies need to function on a daily basis. But how can honey’s natural sugar content help for cardio, in sports such as football, tennis and cycling?
The glucose in raw honey gets absorbed into the blood stream directly and offers quick-release energy. Having a spoon of raw honey 30-40 minutes before a workout has been proven to be as effective, if not more, than artificial sports gels. These sports gels are made from glucose and maltodextrin as well as other processed additives which have no nutritional benefits to them. They are rapidly metabolised by the body, which can cause your blood sugar levels to spike, then suddenly crash, leaving you feeling tired and lethargic – not what you need halfway through a World Cup football match!
You need natural fructose too because it is absorbed more slowly. So, mixed with complex, slow-release carbohydrates, honey can maintain blood sugar levels and offer longer-lasting energy. At Blossom Honey, we love to drizzle Yemeni Sidr Honey honey over our oats, bananas, brown bread, fruit smoothies and protein shakes first thing in the morning, to gently wake our bodies, fill them with antioxidants and prepare for the day ahead.
Honey for Muscle Recovery
Forget ice baths and painful sports massages, raw honey has properties that can protect and repair the cells in your body. Just like protein, honey contains amino acids that build and repair muscles used in physical activity. Both protein and carbohydrates have been proven effective in muscle recovery if consumed within 30 minutes after a workout. We suggest adding raw honey to your protein shake, or simply spread peanut butter on toast and drizzle some Emirati Wildflowers raw honey on top – a quick, sweet and savoury snack.
Honey for Focus
The polyphenols found in raw honey can counter stress, or in the sports world: adrenaline. This helps you stay focused on the game and your competition, plan your next move and improve your coordination. Polyphenols are also known for improving memory – just what you need to remember that all-important training. There is none better than our Kyrgyzstani White Honey for this, especially when taken with walnuts.
Not only for during exercise, polyphenols also work to relax and repair the body’s muscles. Unlike processed, commercial honey, raw honey still contains all its natural anti-bacterial and anti-inflammatory properties. These properties help to protect and repair skin cells. As well as being eaten, it can also be applied topically to cuts, burns, bruises, even sunburn, to moisturise, kill bacteria, keep out infection and help the skin heal faster. Check out our most popular Manuka honey known for its skin healing properties
Honey for Nerves
If you’re feeling the pressure before a big game, it can often affect your entire body and mind. Instead of your usual morning coffee, that may make you jittery and feel sick, a warm water with raw honey will settle the stomach and has actually been proven to hydrate the body for the entire day. By adding organic ingredients such as lemon, ginger and cinnamon, it can also kill any bacteria in the gut, reduce inflammation, improve circulation and digestion. Having a clean gut will also help your body draw in the vitamins and nutrients it really needs for the rest of the day. Try our ready infused Ginger Honey to help settle both your stomach and your nerves!
Ready to incorporate raw honey into your fitness routine?
Come and try our range of raw and infused honeys, in store at Times Square Center, or check out some of our recipes in our Bee Blog here.