Honey Brain:
How Winnie the Pooh’s Favourite Food
Affects My Type-1 Diabetic Brain

Winnie the Pooh may do well on honey. But this type-1 diabetic doesn’t…. Christmas and birthdays (my son and I were both born on January 22nd) caught me in a web of eating desserts with honey. I made cookies, cake and a birthday pie. They were GAPS approved (starch free); but certainly not ketogenic. Nonetheless, every time I tasted honey (in batter or a finished product) I enjoyed it… and wanted more.

Unfortunately, I paid for it. Being parents we are always trying to teach our son about consequences. And I certainly had consequences eating desserts with honey.

The Trouble With Honey

Honey is a combination of glucose and fructose. As natural as fructose is, it makes my blood sugars whacky for about 24 hours. After eating a small piece of cake (made with coconut flour and honey)  I had to correct with humalog every four hours. Granted, the cake (and it’s butter icing) contained a lot of honey.

The honey-induced blood sugar levels were making me miserable with moodiness and impatience. Plus there was the brain fog that kept me searching for common words.

The only benefit to honey was that it helped me cope with the stress of moving into a new home in the country. The consequences of honey, however, have been hard on my body, brain and HgA1C.

Is Dessert Worth It?

I have to ask: Is having a dessert really that great? Is it worth the ill-effect on my relationships with my family? Instead of recovering from whacky blood sugars, I could be snowshoeing in the woods with my husband and son.

So in order to be in a good and active mood with my family, I decided no more honey for a very long time. It’s all yours Winnie.