another question...

[kellibelli]

I know that honey is not vegan and not raw. I have read that it also is not optimal for the body as well...but it is so yummy and a lot less expensive than agave...can you guys throw out some of your opinions and comments on honey versus agave for me?

[eatyourbroccoli]

you can purchase raw honey. it tastes a lot better than regular cooked honey. if you buy it in bulk, its pretty cheap too.

i, personally, do use honey. a lot of people dont though. its just personal preference and one day i hope to eliminate it from my diet, but for now i use it as a sweetener. i figure if animals in the wild eat honey every now and then, my consumption of it isnt going to kill me.

[sport]

i figure if animals in the wild eat honey every now and then, my consumption of it isnt going to kill me.
Animals in the wild eat other animals in the wild but does that justify it for our use.
Bees do not produce honey for our use but for their own.
I do not use honey mostly because of the disgust factor. I can not consider using a product that has been excreeted through the rear end of any creature.

[Rawmommie]

I use agave and like the taste much better than honey anyway. I don't find in my area that it's much more expensive than raw honey. :)

[exurb]

I prefer raw honey to agave because it's local and I know it's not processed at all.

As for the vegan-ness, anyone who's ever bought a cucumber or apple or veggie or fruit needing pollination has caused bees to be used. Farmers rely on bees to pollinate these foods, and they hire/rent beehives for pollination if they don't keep their own. So I'm over the veganness, because seeing the use of bees in farming all these vegetables and fruits i think it gets a little non-sensical to attack the honey whilst chowing down on the veggies that the bees are used to produce. Organic honey is grown under certain circumstances which includes allowing the bees to eat their own honey, rather than replacing the bee's food with cheaper sugar syrup as they can do in conventional.

And on the other hand, agave is not local and has travelled far leading to excess fossil fuels being burned, and I read that there have also been cases of "agave fraud" where it is not the raw pure product it claims to be, so I mostly just go with the honey, or just try to sweeten naturally with things like apples, etc.

Although I wonder if you can make raw tequila?... guess not, you have to distill it, darn...

To each his own, but to me if you want to feel like you're liberating the bees, you've got to also cut out a lot of pollinated fruits and veggies too or grow your own.

Hmmh, just thought maybe I should grow my own agave indoors...

[exurb]

I can not consider using a product that has been excreeted through the rear end of any creature

actually, sport, bees vomit/puke the honey.... LOL I'm sure that makes you feel much better about it!!! :rolleyes: ;)

[Dimond]

I have found raw agave for very cheap so that's not a problem. There are many places on-line you can buy it. I have always had problems with sugar and honey is basically the same thing, whereas agave doesn't cause me any problems. This is why many people with sugar issues can use this.

I do love honey for hair and skin though.

[Goldsplinter]

I use honey instead of agave because, agave is so cheap, must be a sign for something... and good comeback exurb :)

[sport]

actually, sport, bees vomit/puke the honey.... LOL I'm sure that makes you feel much better about it!!! :rolleyes: ;)
No I am afraid that it does not help at all. Wish it did.

[rawnora]

Honey IS very highly processed, just not by us. In addition, bees secrete very powerful acids into their product so that it does not decompose. That's why honey enjoys such a long shelf life. The problem is, our bodies are not able to break these substances down either, so the body is forced to neutralize them using minerals stored in teeth and bones. A little honey won't kill anybody, but it isn't a healthful food either.

Regards,
Nora
www.RawSchool.com

[Sharon in Colorado]

I use raw honey. There's a big difference between local raw, unheated honey and the national brand Sue Bee which has been heated at high temps and is very processed.

I know very little about the process of agave nectar. I am unsure of its purity, however I do use it when the consistency is needed.

I wrote an article about my personal experience with honey and agave nectar in my blog, link below.

[rawbeliever]

I don't use honey, not for moral reasons, but because I suspect it's not so good for us. Though I've never actively used agave, either, so I don't know if it's any better.

Read your article, Sharon, thanks for the info.

Kellibelli, I found a relatively cheap source for agave if you buy in bulk (I haven't tried it out myself..going to, though):

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000FL08B0/ref=wl_it_dp/104-3888450-8568749?ie=UTF8&coliid=I37H84VDAJSQ39&colid=26EW4YT4PX793

[kellibelli]

Thank you everyone for your opinions. This is so helpful. I am going to check out this link for bulk agave and see what the prices are.

[Goldsplinter]

Honey IS very highly processed, just not by us. In addition, bees secrete very powerful acids into their product so that it does not decompose. That's why honey enjoys such a long shelf life. The problem is, our bodies are not able to break these substances down either, so the body is forced to neutralize them using minerals stored in teeth and bones. A little honey won't kill anybody, but it isn't a healthful food either.

Regards,
Nora
www.RawSchool.com
links, articles.

[exurb]

Sharon in Colorado, thanks for your blog. I read it as well as the other entries. You come through the lines as a lovely person with a nice perspective on life, etc., and it was nice to read.

[sunflowery]

Honey IS very highly processed, just not by us. In addition, bees secrete very powerful acids into their product so that it does not decompose. The problem is, our bodies are not able to break these substances down either, so the body is forced to neutralize them using minerals stored in teeth and bones. A little honey won't kill anybody, but it isn't a healthful food either.

Regards,
Nora
www.RawSchool.com

thank you for the info Nora!

I love raw panela (raw-unrefined sugar, made from sugarcane, I don't know the name in english :p )

[KombuchaCHIC]

I prefer raw honey to agave because it's local and I know it's not processed at all.

As for the vegan-ness, anyone who's ever bought a cucumber or apple or veggie or fruit needing pollination has caused bees to be used. Farmers rely on bees to pollinate these foods, and they hire/rent beehives for pollination if they don't keep their own. So I'm over the veganness, because seeing the use of bees in farming all these vegetables and fruits i think it gets a little non-sensical to attack the honey whilst chowing down on the veggies that the bees are used to produce. Organic honey is grown under certain circumstances which includes allowing the bees to eat their own honey, rather than replacing the bee's food with cheaper sugar syrup as they can do in conventional.

And on the other hand, agave is not local and has travelled far leading to excess fossil fuels being burned, and I read that there have also been cases of "agave fraud" where it is not the raw pure product it claims to be, so I mostly just go with the honey, or just try to sweeten naturally with things like apples, etc.

Although I wonder if you can make raw tequila?... guess not, you have to distill it, darn...

To each his own, but to me if you want to feel like you're liberating the bees, you've got to also cut out a lot of pollinated fruits and veggies too or grow your own.

Hmmh, just thought maybe I should grow my own agave indoors...

Great post, and thank you for bringing to light something I have never thought of before. I have raw honey in my diet, and I don't intend to exclude it any time soon. I also use it for my skin. It is really helpful during the dry winter months.

[eatyourbroccoli]

for what its worth, monkeys include honey in their diet.

i know the response to that may be "monkeys also include bugs in their diet, doesnt mean we should"....but maybe..we should? some cultures do lol :)

and the sugar in honey is similar (identical? i dont remember) to the sugar compounds found in wild fruit, as opposed to the sugar found in domesticated fruit.

either way..as gilmoregirl mentioned..honey seems to be great for my skin. ive been using it since RP posted on it..does miraculous things.

[lynnc72]

Honey can be added to conditioner. It makes hair super soft.