Back when I realized that refined sugar and corn syrup were responsible for much of my chronic headache problem, my first thought was of allllll the drinks that I wouldn’t be able to enjoy any more. Once I got over feeling sorry for myself, I decided I needed to find a few “replacement” options that would allow me to indulge in a sweet drink every once in a while.
Refined white sugar and high fructose corn syrup are some of the most inflammatory foods that you can consume. If you are sensitive to inflammation already, they can reek havoc on your whole system. Once I was able to stop eating sugar 100% (and it took a while to realize that cheating really wasn’t worth it) not only did my primary complaint (the headaches) subside, but much of my joint pain, constant neck ache, skin sensitivity and joint stiffness subsided too! I had NO IDEA that my sugar consumption was contributing to so many symptoms…
You see, I love yummy drinks. LOVE THEM! I would be more than happy to bypass breakfast, lunch or even the ice cream after dinner, in favor of sipping on something sweet pored over some nugget ice. (aka, Sonic ice/hospital ice) There is something about it that I deeply enjoy, and the thought of not getting to indulge in that treat every once in a while made me feel “deprived”.
From there I switched to diet soda. I knew how horrible it was for my health, but I just wanted something sweet that wouldn’t make me feel like my head was going to explode the next day! I knew diet soda wasn’t a good long term solution, so I hit Google Search with a vengeance, and found a few alternatives that were just “ok”.
Agave nectar still gave me headaches, Stevia drops left a bad taste in my mouth, and after looking at all the research on the “fake sugars” out there, I wasn’t convinced that it they were a better option. After looking and looking for a couple of months, I finally stumbled upon honey syrup.
I had commented to my husband about how strange it was that the less processed a sweetener is, the less my reaction to it is. I actually said to him “I don’t notice any reaction at all when I eat honey. I wish it didn’t clump in cold things!” And then I realized, I should see if there was a way to do just that.
In all of my research, I had never come across honey syrup until I was actually looking for it. I am not sure why to be honest. All I can guess is that because it is SO SIMPLE, that few feel that it is worth a blog post. Well… I aim to change that!
Recipe
Equal parts water and honey. Yup. That’s it. SUPER easy!
Instructions
- Add hot tap water to a container (I use a canning jar) that has a lid.
- Add the honey (make sure it isn’t crystallized)
- Shake until honey has completely dissolved.
- Store in the refrigerator to sweeten any drinks you like.
Tips
- The honey syrup needs to be stored in the refrigerator after it has been mixed with the water. If you don’t do that, the honey will start to ferment and turn in to a mead. (Which is not a bad thing, but probably not what you are going for. lol)
- If your honey is crystallized, you can always crank up the heat and dissolve it in the water on the stove. Just keep in mind, that if you are using local honey that has not been pasteurized, you will loose some of the medicinal benefits of the honey.
- If your honey was purchased from the supermarket, there is a good chance that it has already been pasteurized (heated) so you won’t loose anything by heating it up again on the stove if you prefer that method.
Serving Sugestions
I quite literally use honey syrup for ALL of my cold beverages…
- Iced coffee
- Chai Tea
- Homemade Lemonade
- Orange Cream Soda
- Cherry Cream Soda <– I love this recipe from Allergy Free Alaska!
- Smoothies
The sky is the limit. <3
