Quick Question:
How many flowers do bees have to visit to make a 1 lb. jar of your favorite local honey?
The Answer is below
Keep reading to find out some great information about bees, honey and how to use it as a weight loss tool.
A few weeks ago I had the privilege to sit down with local Beekeeper Chris Kohnke, owner of Pure Texas Honey and member of the Texas Beekeepers Association. I’ve known Chris for over 2 years as a regular vendor at the Westchase District Farmer’s Market in Houston, TX, where I volunteer weekly. Chris has been working with bees for 5 years and been a honey packer/producer for 3 years. Chris also incorporated honey in his weight loss regimen and has lost approximately 80 lbs!
The following is an excerpt from our interview.
Blair: Chris – tell me a little about yourself.
Chris: I’m originally from Louisiana and came to Texas when I was twelve. I went to UT and then worked at Blockbuster for many years. I thought that I would retire from Blockbuster, but we all know how that ended. My father-in-law always had bees and gave me an idea about all the honey. He sold a little bit it – but let his colony count go down and let the honey part go as he got closer to retirement. I mentioned there was a Farmer’s Market nearby and asked if I could try to sell some honey while I was looking for other employment. I started learning from him – but he was so knowledgeable about bees he didn’t know quite how to teach me. So, I took some time to learn what I could. Working with him, I realized that I really liked it. I also realized about this time that the extra time on my hands was not beneficial to my health and weight. Once I started at the market, people started to ask more questions about why honey was good for them and if there were more varieties they could try. So, I learned more about those topics so I could benefit the customer.
B: What are the benefits of eating honey?
C: I did research and found one great book – (The Hibernation Diet by Mike & Stuart McInnes). It explains some of the body chemistry that using honey instead of sugar can do for you. Because of the way honey is constructed (it is constructed chemically different from other processed sugars) your body uses it differently. Processed sugar – when not used immediately can turn into fat. The body can store the honey sugar in the liver and use it as needed and that helps with brain function. The brain takes its energy from what is stored in the liver. And when your brain feels safe your whole body feels better and you don’t kick out stress hormones, don’t burn muscle mass and have fluctuations in your body chemistry when you’re sleeping. They studied hibernating animals and they figured out that using honey instead of sugar levels out the glycemic index so your whole body runs better. Instead of morning they suggest eating it at night, but you have to have it every night so your body adapts.
B: What is the difference between your honey and the honey you buy in the store?
C: The difference between my honey and any honey produced by a beekeeper that you know verses the honey you buy in the store is typically the mass produced honey can be amalgamated from different sources and/or from other countries. What can happen is in blending the honey together it is easy to over-heat it. When you over-heat it you denature it. The general temperature is about 130 degrees. If you over heat it all the enzymes that are good for you are destroyed. Also, store bought honey can be micro-filtered so the various pollen are reduced so you don’t know where it was produced – there is no way to trace it back to the origin. Also, there are countries that can use contaminated containers such as used oil drums to store the honey. Most of that has been eliminated. Local beekeepers lightly filter or strain the honey and are careful not to heat the honey when extracting.
B: Is it better to buy and eat local honey? If so, what makes it better?
C: The best answer is: Know your beekeeper. Either his honey or that he is a trusted source. The expectation is that all grocery store honey is bad-but that isn’t true. There are plenty of trusted beekeepers that are selling it in stores. It is the mass produced honey that can be a danger.
B: Do you believe local honey might help people with allergies? Any other health benefits?
C: I have a personal theory on that one based on customer feedback. If it works for you, it works for you. I’ve had many customers tell me it has done wonders for their allergies. I personally believe it works because of how many times people have told me it has worked for them. I used it in my diet changes and I believe it had a part in helping me feel better.
B: What do you tell people when they ask about the relationship between honey and sugar or make a comment that honey is “too much sugar”?
C: The first thing I will ask my customer is–“Are you asking in reference to diabetes?” If so, I will tell them to find out from their doctor about their diet and sugar restrictions. I believe Type 2 you can have some sugar and some honey…but the way honey is constructed is your body burns it more slowly. Yes, it is sugar – but it is a different sugar.
B: You used honey in your weight loss regimen, is that correct?
C: That is correct.
B: How much weight did you lose?
C: Four years ago I weighed 265 lb. Today, I fluctuate between 178 lbs to 182 lbs. I’m supposed to weigh 175 lbs.
B: What made you incorporate honey into you weight loss plan?
C: I had a life event that happened and I decided I needed to change everything. I quickly discovered I needed to find something to satisfy my sweet tooth. I actually didn’t think I liked honey even though I have been around it for many, many years. I had a preconceived notion about it – but then experimented with it and tried different varietals and figured out I did like it. And by the way, I could have plenty and still feel pretty good about it. Then I started eating breakfast and eating Greek yogurt with nuts, fruit and honey. I also used that as my sweet treat. It’s not ice cream – but it did the trick. One tablespoon of honey is about 65 calories.
B: What is your favorite recipe using honey?
C: My favorite is my BBQ sauce. I use a quarter cup of honey to make my homemade BBQ sauce. And it goes on just about anything I grill. My favorite honey is Huajillo. It is rare but so good.
B: Tell me a fascinating fact about bees or honey – or both!
C: Male bees live only to mate with the queen. Females do all the work and are assigned by age. Young bees work the brood and tend to the queen. Middle aged bees build the honeycomb and make honey. Elder bees become the defense bees.
One honeybee will make 1/12 of a teaspoon of honey over its lifespan.
A worker bee lives about 6 weeks in the summertime.
B: Tell me three reasons why we should enjoy honey in our lives
C: 1. Honey can be the sweet part of your diet…literally and figuratively.
2. You can enjoy different varietal honeys and have a significant flavor change depending on what flowers the bees visit.
3. It is kind fun to watch your food being made.
————————————————————————————————————————-
ANSWER:
Would you believe that it takes a million flowers producing pollen in order for bees to make 1 lb of honey!
————————————————————————————————————————-
Terms:
HONEY: A sweet substance produced by Honey Bees strictly from plant nectar.
RAW: Honey only slightly warmed to re-liquefy for packaging. Not to exceed 120 degrees, which is the maximum temperatures inside a beehive.
UNFILTERED: some course straining can be used to remove large particles, but not to the exten that it removes nutrients. NO sock filters, plate filters, sand filters, or diatomaceous earth filters.
PURE and/or NATURAL: 100% honey, with no additives.
LOCAL: Honey that is produced and consumed in the same geographical area. (Approx. 50 miles)
PRODUCER: A beekeeper who produces 100% of his own honey
PRODUCER/PACKER: A beekeeper who produces 100% of his own packaged product.
PACKER/PRODUCER: An individual who produces 30% or more of his packaged product.
PACKER: An individual that buys Texas Honey in Bulk and repackages for sale to the consumer
MARKETER/BROKER: A person or company that buys packaged Texas honey and resells it.
Until next time-
To your thriving life, health and happiness!
Blair