Did you know Honey?

If you're looking for something different to sweeten your foods with that will have more health benefits than regular sugar, look no further than to honey. Honey is often passed over for its health benefits as people do tend to look at is as a simple carbohydrate, but as long as you're being sure to keep the portion sizes down to a moderate level, there's no reason you can't include honey in your day.
Let's take a look at some of the health benefits that this sweet liquid has to offer.
Better Blood Sugar Control
The first benefit that honey has to offer over that of regular sugar is that it appears to give users a much better blood sugar control. This is largely due to the fact that honey contains the perfect blend of glucose and fructose so it won't cause nearly as large of a blood glucose spike as some of the carbohydrates (from the fructose) will go directly into the liver cells.
It's also believed that by having the liver glycogen stores full through the consumption of honey or other fructose containing foods, you can help increase feelings of satiety in the body and therefore help reduce the chances of consuming too many calories.
Lower Levels Of Belly Fat Accumulation
Also important to note, with the fructose found in honey being directed towards the liver cells, that's going to help prevent the release of a certain hormone in the body known as cortisol, which when seen in high concentrations may promote fat build-up in the abdominal cavity.
Cortisol is largely a stress hormone that's also secreted in times of high-stress or anxiety but it's also going to be secreted when liver glycogen levels run low as well.
Acts As A Cough Suppressant
Finally, one last interesting benefit of honey is that it can act as a cough suppressant in the body and work better in young children than traditional cough syrup. Stirring a tablespoon of honey into a mug of hot tea can be the perfect way to sooth a sore throat and help to reduce the instance of coughing in young children.
As an additional benefit as most of those who are sick are not taking in sufficient calories, the added calorie boost from honey will provide their body with energy to fight off the cold.
So instead of putting in another spoonful of sugar into your cup of coffee or tea, try some honey instead. It'll offer numerous health benefits and you'll still get that great sweet taste that you enjoy.