| Honey |
All over the world Canadian honey is recognised for its superior quality and incredible taste. Canada has ideal conditions for producing honey. Traditionally long summers provide honeybees with enough blooming crops and nectar to make honey yield in Canada twice as large as the world's average, while Canada's clean and vast environment is responsible for the superior quality of the product. In addition, honeybee industry is regulated by very strict import restrictions. There are only a handful of countries where the honeybees can be imported from including Australia, New Zealand and the United States. The prairie provinces of Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba are the major honey producers in Canada.
Producing 75 million pounds of honey annually Canada exports its honey to more than 30 countries of the world. Filtered and pasteurized honey does not require any preservatives and it can be stored for over two years without losing its quality. However, honey industry in Canada can offer much more than just honey. The by-products of the industry include beeswax for candles and various household uses and protein-rich pollen mostly used as a diet supplement. Propolis is also produced alongside honey. It is often used in cosmetics as an ingredient for lip balms, tonics and other products. Royal jelly is another by-product of honey industry that used in cosmetics. It is produced by worker bees for the queen bee. 
Honey is a truly unique product. It has a very distinct sweet taste, which is hard to find in any other product. However the actual aroma, taste and colour of honey can vary. It is largely determined by the type of flower from which the nectar is collected. Some varieties of honey double the characteristics of the plants. It is particularly true for Orange Blossom, Lime Blossom, Rosemary and Thyme honey.
Two main ingredients of honey, which also give honey the sweetness it has, are inverted sugars levulose and dextrose. While dextrose is half as sweet as cane-sugar, levulose is twice as sweet. In fact, levulose is the sweetest of all sugars created by nature. Apart from inverted sugars, honey contains volatile oil, mineral elements, enzymes and some amount of vitamins. With regard to vitamins, suggested amount of those cannot be agreed on, but it is generally believed that the amount is close to negligible. Minerals present include calcium, copper, iron, magnesium, manganese, phosphorus, potassium and zinc. Similarly to colour, taste and aroma content of honey can vary. For example, darker honeys contain more minerals, particularly iron, copper and manganese. Honey has a particularly wide usage. It can substitute sugar in many dishes, for instance. Honey is hygroscopic substance, which means that it attracts water. This makes it good for baking cakes as it keeps them moister for longer. Honey can be added to all sorts of beverages. One teaspoon of honey added to a cup of coffee or tea imparts an exquisite aroma. Lemonades, sodas and fruit punches, mixed with well-ripened honey are truly delicious. Alcoholic drinks, cocktails and whisky can also be mixed with honey. There is a great variety of cocktails that have honey among their ingredients. The antiseptic qualities of honey were discovered a very long time ago. Historically if has been used for treatment of burns and cuts. It is believed that honey can stimulate the growth of tissue involved in healing. It makes healing faster and reduces scarring. Honey is also a great source of antioxidants. The natural sugars in honey are very quickly digested by the body. This is why honey is a great energy booster. It is often used by sportsmen and athletes for replenishing energy. In addition, honey appears to stand out as a great source of carbohydrate to ingest with post-workout protein supplements. |
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(NC)—For the 3 million Canadians who have diabetes, it can be a challenge to eat right and control blood glucose levels. Those who have recently been diagnosed with the disease must also learn new dietary habits and pay much closer attention to factors like alcohol intake, vegetarianism and the food they eat when they are away from home. Here are a few recommendations that may help you in this regard.