People on the Keto eating plan often turn away from honey completely, thinking that it will take them out of ketosis. Let’s examine this more closely.
One tablespoon of Raw Honey contains 17g of net carbs. We can consume between 25 and 50g of carbs, and still stay in Ketosis. Rather than eating something processed, let’s examine 3 places that Raw Honey holds within the Keto lifestyle.
Some people follow a version of Keto called TKD. (targeted ketogenic diet) That is if you do regular workouts, jogging, cycling or other moderate to hard exercise. You can then add an extra 20-50g of carbs into your eating plan, providing that it is eaten within an hour before or after exercise. That is up to 1 tablespoon of Raw Honey just before workout. I prefer mine just after exercise, eating it leisurely off the spoon while waiting for the shower water to warm up.
Others follow a version of Keto called CKD (cyclical ketogenic diet). This is typically only something that works for people that train really hard. People who feel that they need extra carbs will be in Ketosis 5 days of the week. For 1 or 2 days of the week they will then eat a moderate amount of carbs. In this case you will just listen to your body and eat Raw Honey as needed on the carb loading day(s) of the week.
The success of an eating plan is often dependent upon what happens in your thought life. If you feel like you are truly getting the best, it is hard to feel resentful, and even harder to just give up.
Our family have been eating a “clean” form of Keto for almost 4 years now. For us it is a lifestyle. We eat Raw honey every day. Not more than a tablespoon a day, though. I believe that Raw Honey is the perfect treat for the beginner on Keto. It helps you to not feel deprived.It makes for a treat that is not going to take you out of ketosis and it is a REAL food. (Paleo) It is not synthetic, processed or in any way tampered with. The health benefits over stevia in processed form, or xylitol ( a processed substance) is irrefutable.
Ultimately Keto is about so much more than weight loss. It is about reducing inflammation, mental clarity and increased energy. (Some people do keto to reduce autism symptoms in their child, or to improve PLOS so that they can fall pregnant.)
Keto is about the host of health benefits that come with such a lifestyle change. Moving away from empty carbs, processed foods, bad for health, budget and earth. It is about slow food, zero-waste, living and treading lightly and respectfully. Having food integrity. Natural sunlight. Moving more. Using less artificial supplements and having food as medicine again. That is looking at the bigger picture. We have learned it is not only about “butter and bacon”. It is about amazing leafy vegetables, herbs, spices, butter, double cream yogurt, nuts and of course a drizzle of Raw Honey to finish it off.
