Paleo Diet and Paleolithic Diet Questions & Answers

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So I've been doing really well on Paleo and I've done my first week of a perfect paleo diet... or did I? A treat, I liked to mix 1/4 cup walnuts, 1/4 cups of almonds, and a tbsp of raw, unfiltered, organic honey. I've been doing reading and there seems to be a lot of controversey about honey altogether. Opinions ranged from "It's identical to HFCS" to "It's been used millenia before the Old Testament!" I don't know what to think so I'm tempted to throw my honey out like I did with my fruit, because I want to lose weight asap (which I have been succeeding at).

Opinions? Is honey evil?!

flag	asked Jul 15 at 21:52 RacerRex9727 593●3●11

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Honey isn't all that bad (whole food and all). I'd be more concerned with the nut overload you consumed. In addition to the 400ish calories, you're looking at 15ish grams of omega-6s, but 2.7 grams omega-3s as a saving grace. – Matt Jul 15 at 23:36

neither honey or nuts are bad, but they can be empty calories for the person trying to lose weight. – RaiseFitness Jul 16 at 2:38

foreveryoung · Answer 1 · 2012-07-15 23:11:33Z UTC

The Hadza, an opportunistic foraging tribe, consume very large quantities of honey during certain times of the year, and it is universally ranked as the most preferable food source- higher than meat, berries, baobab fruit, and tubers. It comprises the majority of calories during peak times of the year.

My opinion is that it is both better for you and more paleo than the nuts you are mixing it with.

KA24 · Answer 2 · 2012-07-15 22:05:29Z UTC

Raw honey from a good source is great. It's even better if you find the right uses for it. I use it in my coffee and sometimes if I'm needing a sweet kick to something.

It's evil if you use it as a staple, consuming massive quantities of it.

Aughra · Answer 3 · 2012-07-15 23:48:27Z UTC

I think you're mistaking paleohacks for "Atkins-hacks." Of course, Honey is paleo... as long as it's raw and hopefully local.

If you do better on low-carb then stay away from it. If you seem to do fine with some carbs, I don't see what the problem is.

AmandaLP · Answer 4 · 2012-07-15 22:03:42Z UTC

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It is probably the least offensive sweetener, and probably used very rarely in Paleo times.

On one hand, it is high in fructose, on the other, it is full of antioxidants and good stuffs.

Get the best raw honey you can, the darker the better, and never heat it, and you are fine. Grocery store honey isn't recognizable as honey, so buy local farmers market honey.

answered Jul 15 at 22:03

AmandaLP
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Oh, and "organic" honey isn't really organic. You are better off with whatever is local to you. – AmandaLP Jul 15 at 22:11

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Agree with AmandaLP, ignore the "organic" tag -- the big three you should look for are "raw", "unfiltered", and (most importantly) "local" ... – cerement Jul 15 at 22:32

cerement · Answer 5 · 2012-07-15 22:06:09Z UTC

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Honey is a sweetener, which are not allowed in most variations of Paleo. BUT if you're going to use a sweetener (as opposed to just eating fruit), then raw unfiltered local honey is the best choice of the lot.

Is Honey a Safe(r) Sweetener? at Mark's Daily Apple

It also comes down to moderation, as a weekly or monthly reward, it's just fine. Not so much if you're adding it to your coffee every morning. One of the BBC's Human Planet episodes showed the risk/reward involved in hunter-gatherers trying to procure honey. When we got it, we certainly ate it. But again, not a daily occurrence ...

answered Jul 15 at 22:06

cerement
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"Not allowed" is subjective. You can't tell me that if Grok came across a bee hive, he wouldn't have sampled the liquid gold. – MathGirl72 Jul 15 at 22:11

That's exactly what cerement said – Alvaro Jul 15 at 22:14

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as for the risk/reward tradeoff, here is a quote from an interview with a Hadza tribesman, "The bees get our blood ? we get their honey...It is fair exchange." Honey is one of the most highly revered foods known to man, and we do go to great lengths to procure it, hence, now we have such things as beekeepers. – foreveryoung Jul 15 at 22:23

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BBC Human Planet, Jungles episode - Treetop honey gathering - bbc.co.uk/programmes/p00dlvl4 – cerement Jul 15 at 22:24

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As to how important bees are to humans? Michael Pollan pointed out we'd have problems surviving without them: imdb.com/video/screenplay/vi854301977 – cerement Jul 15 at 22:29

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Karen · Answer 6 · 2012-07-15 23:25:06Z UTC

Honey's "evil" if you have diabetes, prediabetes or insulin resistance or other metabolic difficulties. Otherwise it's an acceptable* sweetener on paleo. HGs gather honey, sometimes to excess (although only for short time periods), and usually in very hazardous conditions.

*acceptable when used in moderate quantities, raw. Use common sense; it is a sugar, with all the potential problems that come with that.

If you want to lose weight, skip the honey for now until the weight comes off. Honey lasts well, so you could keep it if you aren't subject to cravings.

Chinaeskimo · Answer 7 · 2012-07-16 02:29:20Z UTC

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It may be "evil" if you consume it by the gallon, but in moderation, it should be just fine.

answered Jul 16 at 2:29

Chinaeskimo
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Higgs · Answer 8 · 2012-07-16 02:05:56Z UTC

Speaking as an individual with Crohn's,raw honey is one of the few sources of carbohydrate that does not cause myself issues with bloat if consumed in more than small quantities.

I also have to say it is pretty nice to take a spoonful before bed along with a Magnesium pill then enter some Rip Van Winkle level of slumber.

Honey, is it evil?!

8 Answers