Does Eating Honey After Exercise Help?

Everyone has heard that honey can be a great food to include in your diet, but did you know that eating honey after exercise can really help set you up for great results? Check out these simple reasons why eating honey after exercise can help anyone!

Get the most out of your workout

Honey has been one of major super foods ever since ancient times and it’s still widely used because of its many nutritional and health benefits.

It has been found that honey is one of the best post-workout supplements around, and here we give you the reasons why eating honey after exercise is ideal.

1. Balances blood sugar levels

When you exercise, you will spend energy and your blood sugar levels will drop, even to dangerously low levels. To keep your blood sugar up, you need to replenish your glucose reserves and ingest some carbohydrates relatively soon after the exercise.

Foods with a lower glycemic index are better for the job than foods with a higher glycemic index because they lead to a more sustainable rise in blood sugar over time.

Honey is perfect for keeping your sugar levels balanced since it has a lower glycemic index than carbs and processed sugars.

Taking a tablespoon or two of honey after exercise will recover your blood sugar levels in the healthiest way possible.

2. Enables a quick recovery

If your muscles cannot find any blood glucose to use after a workout, they won’t be able to recover properly. There is a so-called anabolic phase, which is the time 30 – 45 minutes after your workout when your body tries to recover and build muscle. This is when you should provide enough fuel for your body and supply it with enough new energy.

In order to repair and grow, your body will be asking for carbs and protein, and using honey as a healthy carbohydrate source together with some protein will do wonders for your body.

All you have to do is make sure to add some honey to your protein shake around 20 minutes to half an hour post-workout.

Your body will not only recover quickly with no negative effects, it will also build muscle fast.

3. Provides antioxidants and other nutrients

This is a great way that eating honey after exercise can benefit you! Working out burns up the fuel of our body but it also makes it vulnerable to oxidation which is dangerous for our body tissues and can negatively impact our immune system and overall health.

That’s why we need to replenish our antioxidant supplies and boost our immune system, and honey is the perfect solution.

Natural honey contains as many antioxidants as spinach, garlic, and apples, dark honey contains more of them, and best Manuka honey has been found to contain up to four times more nutrients than normal flower honey. Some of the nutrients are amino acids, B vitamin group, Calcium, Iron, Magnesium, Copper, Potassium, Zinc, and Phosphorus, to name just a few.

Manuka honey also has a higher level of enzymes and better antibacterial activity. So, taking a few tablespoons of honey after a workout will keep you in a good shape and healthy.

4. Helps in weight loss

This might be one of the benefits of eating honey after exercise that you are the most interested in! There is no better substitute for sugar than honey: it is natural, sweeter, and has fewer calories.

It boosts your metabolism and regulates your digestion, so it actually reduces your chances of gaining weight, and the glucose from honey is absorbed slowly and gradually.

If taken with warm water and lemon juice on an empty stomach, honey helps in weight loss. That’s because it is packed with amino acids and minerals which speed up the body’s metabolism.

Lemon juice provides Vitamin C which further helps detoxification and burning of fat. Another ingredient you can add is cinnamon powder as it also helps regulate our metabolism and blood sugar levels.

So, drinking warm water with lemon juice, a tablespoon of cinnamon powder and honey might be your golden recipe for losing weight.

You both get to eat something sweet and lose weight – the best of both worlds.

5. It helps you look good

A lot of people go to the gym and work out not only to keep fit but to improve their overall looks as well. Honey is well known for the wonders it does for our skin and our tan.

Rich in nutrients, honey is a natural moisturizer for the skin and it helps prevent damaged and dry skin, it keeps our skin plump and youthful-looking, it prevents pimples, rashes, eczema, and other skin issues.

It also has strong anti-bacterial and anti-fungal properties which are really helpful for people who sweat a lot and are in danger of getting a fungal infection, like athlete’s foot.

Wrap-Up

There is really no better post workout supplement than honey – it is cheap, easily accessible, natural and healthy.

Make sure you are using natural organic honey, and enjoy your new best post-workout friend.

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Emma Lawson

Emma is trying to live her life according to nature. She is a health enthusiast, sharing knowledge and valuable information to those who care. She is a regular contributor to High Style Life. You can follow her on Twitter @EmmahLawson.

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• The Benefits of Eating Honey after Workout - February 8, 2016