EDUCATION
9 minutes
Essential Takeaways
Our brains are in constant overdrive these days. We’re busy, and we’re tired. But we also know that a lot of the energy-boosting products on the market are laced with sugar and caffeine which can cause damaging blood sugar spikes.
Manuka honey offers a natural energy source. It’s an easy-to-digest carbohydrate that releases glucose slowly compared to refined sugar, giving the body sustained energy over a longer period of time. It also offers antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, and antioxidant properties for a well-rounded wellness boost.
You can use manuka honey in surprising ways at meal times to help regulate your blood sugar whilst still getting that extra energy hit you need in a way that’s safe for your body.
It’s no wonder that we’re tired.
Our brains are bombarded with information constantly.
In 2011, we were processing five times more information every day (about 174 newspapers’ worth) than people did in the 1980s¹.
And that’s before you add the emotional impact of each “paper”. Or global pandemics, political upheaval, the cost of living, and everything in between.
Whilst the grocery stores are stocked full of energy bars, energy drinks, and energy patches, we’re more aware than ever of the dangers of these quick fixes.
Often full of refined sugar, caffeinated, and packed with hard-to-pronounce ingredients, they might give you a short boost of energy. But many come with a long list of scary side effects, too².
Pure, raw honey can give you an all-natural energy burst without the undesirable extras.
Here we’ll discuss which honey does this best, how, and the best ways to get results.
In this guide to using manuka honey for energy:
How Honey Gives You Energy
“Our scientists have found that low energy often occurs as a result of what you eat. Your unique responses to the food you eat — specifically your blood sugar — are linked with how energetic or tired you feel.”
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ZOE³.
Your body gets its energy from three types of fuel molecules: carbohydrates, lipids (fats), and proteins⁴.
Our digestive system breaks down these nutrients into glucose, fatty acids, small peptides and amino acids. When these enter the bloodstream, different cells in the body metabolise them for different purposes - like building and repairing cells, for example⁴.
This is our “energy”.
It turns out that honey can provide a lot of this fuel too, and over a sustained period of time⁵.
This combined with its well-established antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, and antioxidant properties⁶ makes honey an exciting natural performance all-rounder.
So, how does it work?
Honey contains mostly carbohydrates and is easy to digest which makes it a quick-acting energy booster⁷.
It helps to replace the glucose our bodies use throughout the day, and its lower value on the glycemic index means it raises our blood sugar more slowly than refined sugar.
A sudden spike in blood sugar isn’t very helpful. We might get a quick spurt of energy followed by lethargy and hunger, prompting us to eat more food rather than the right food⁸. This can cause illness, weight gain, mood swings, and even premature ageing⁹.
By keeping our glucose levels steady, we feel fuller for longer and more alert.
And it’s not all about the glucose. Honey also contains some amino acids¹⁰, lipids¹¹ and peptides¹⁰, which are important nutrients for energy.
“These results are great news for athletes or anyone looking for a natural, convenient energy boost.”
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Boost athletic performance with honey, Food Navigator¹².
Before you rush to that honey on the grocery store shelf, there’s one important watch-out.
Not all honeys are created equal and some will give you many more health benefits than others. That’s what we’ll explore next.
Does honey help with tiredness?
Yes. Pure, raw honey is a great source of fuel throughout the day¹³. By increasing your blood sugar slowly, it helps to maintain your energy boost and stave off that afternoon slump.
How long does it take honey to give you an energy boost?
Depending on what else you’ve eaten and whether your body is exercising and using energy up faster, honey should give you an energy boost within a few minutes¹⁴.
The best time to eat honey as an energy source
The best time to eat honey for energy depends on when you need a little boost.
You can have it first thing in the morning on your toast or in your coffee. It’s a fantastic pre-workout fuel and post-workout recovery snack. You could make a smoothie in the middle of the day to boost your energy levels when they start to flag.
Whenever you start to feel a little sluggish, take a spoonful of manuka honey for a delicious and natural lift. Keep scrolling for more suggestions on how to use honey as an energy booster.
The Best Type of Honey for Natural Energy
Unfortunately, a lot of the honey you find on grocery store shelves won’t offer you much more than the caffeine-laced, sugary energy bars down the aisle.
Honey is one of the most faked foods in the world.
Due to its global wellness reputation and demand, a lot of the readily available and cheaper options are diluted and ultra-filtered. This increases the amount of produce available for sale, lowers the cost, and makes them look more commercial.
However, the heavy processing removes a lot of the beneficial natural compounds the honey would have had when it was raw and pure, straight from the hive.
Fortunately there is one type of honey you can rely on. Not only is it regulated for purity and authenticity, but it offers a sustained energy boost and so much more.
That is, manuka honey. Specifically, UMF™ certified manuka honey, which is independently tested to the strictest standards in the world.
Manuka honey has been found to offer antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, and antioxidant properties, thanks to the presence of a compound called methylglyoxal (MGO).
While you might find this in other pure honeys, manuka can be up to 100 times more potent.
It is used for a wide range of conditions like regulating diabetes, soothing burns, easing stomach problems, painful joints, allergies and wound care.
It’s even great for the skin and hair.
With manuka honey, you not only get the natural energy boost from an easy-to-digest carbohydrate source, but a wellness kick for your entire body.
Boost your immunity and overall health with one ingredient, 2000 natural compounds.
Is manuka honey better than regular honey?
If you’re looking for a honey for energy that you can trust to be authentic and pure, then manuka honey is considered to be better than regular honey thanks to the stricter regulations surrounding it.
Manuka honey also offers more potent antibacterial, anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties than regular honey. As a result, it has earned an enduring, global reputation in both medicine and wellness in general.
And by opting for a UMF™ graded jar, you can choose exactly how potent you want these properties with the assurance that you’re genuinely getting the real deal.
Here’s a deeper dive into manuka honey vs regular honey.
Is manuka honey good for your gut?
Studies have found that some honeys have prebiotic activity¹⁵. This means they promote healthy changes in the composition of the gut microbiota (our little personal ecosystem of microbes).
Research is still developing in this area, but we do know more about the benefits of using manuka honey for stomach problems like acid reflux and GERD.
The Benefits of Honey for Energy Before a Workout
Not only is manuka honey a great source of energy throughout the day, but it can also be part of a healthy workout plan.
Unlike refined sugars which rapidly increases blood glucose levels, leading to glucose spikes, honey helps to maintain carbohydrate levels and glucose supply more evenly over time. Easy to digest and slower to release energy, it’s ideal for sustained metabolic function.
Its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties also help the body to heal from strenuous exercise and rebuild cells.
It’s important to use pure, raw manuka honey to get the best results. Sports products that use manuka honey may not be the most effective option.
How to Use Honey as an Energy Booster
Manuka honey is a good source of natural sugar when taken as part of a healthy, balanced diet. But you can also do a few things to reduce the impact of sugar on your body as well.
Here are a few ways to get the best of manuka honey as part of a meal, inspired by the book Glucose Revolution by The Glucose Goddess Jessie Inchauspé.
Drink ACV and honey before a meal
Vinegar can lower blood sugar levels and enhance that feeling of satiety so it’s easier to stop eating¹⁶.
By combining apple cider vinegar with honey, you can prepare your stomach to eat while keeping energy levels stable.
Try apple cider vinegar with honey.
Include salad on your plate
Dietary fibre is fundamental to a good digestive system and studies show that we don’t get anywhere near enough¹⁷. It slows down the absorption of sugar into the bloodstream.
Leafy greens are fantastic sources of fibre as well as countless vitamins and minerals that the body needs. Make a manuka honey salad dressing to go on top for a natural, nutritious energy kick.
Eat in a particular order
The order in which you eat the food on your plate can impact your blood sugar and energy levels¹⁸.
By eating your veggies and protein first, you’re more likely to keep insulin levels low and stable.
Try drizzling manuka honey on your vegetable side dish, on chicken, or glazed ham (once it’s out of the oven) to prep your gut for harder-to-digest carbohydrates later in the meal.
Keep a delicious manuka honey snack on hand
It’s easy to make your own long-lasting manuka honey for energy snacks to take with you on the go.
This way, you have a natural sweet hit whenever you need it most.
Try our easy manuka honey chews or bliss ball recipes.
Get the Boost You Need with New Zealand Honey Co.’s Manuka Honey for Energy
All of the manuka honey we supply is UMF™ certified, rigorously and independently tested, non-GMO and glyphosate free.
So you know that you’re getting the purest, most authentic product for your body.
Unsure which grade is right for you?
Sources:
¹ Your mind is processing more data, Minecheck.
² Energy drinks and food bars, Children’s Minnesota.
³ How to boost your energy, ZOE.
⁴ Nutrient utilization in humans, Nature.
⁵ Boost athletic performance with honey, Food Navigator.
⁶ Honey supplementation and exercise, National Library of Medicine.
⁷ Pre-workout nutrition, Healthline.
⁸ How to prevent blood sugar spikes, Healthline.
⁹ Glucose-related papers and science, Glucose Goddess.
¹⁰ Amino acids, proteins and enzymes, National Library of Medicine.
¹¹ Identification of the lipid components of honey, Springer.
¹² Boost athletic performance with honey, Food Navigator.
¹³ Manuka honey pre-workout superfood, New Zealand Honey Co.
¹⁴ Physiology, glucose metabolism, National Library of Medicine.
¹⁵ The potential of honey as a prebiotic food, National Library of Medicine.
¹⁶ Apple cider vinegar, Healthline.
¹⁷ Dietary fiber, Medical News Today.
¹⁸ The order in which you eat…, Times of India.
DISCLAIMER: Sale Excludes MGO 50+, UMF 10+, UMF 28+, and Manuka Honey Spoon. Offer valid until 7th July. Valid while stocks last. The discount code can only be used once per customer and is non-transferable. Cannot be combined with other offers. Items purchased with this discount are subject to our standard return policy.
Your wellness journey starts with a spoonful a day.
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