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The Hibernation Diet - Page 2

post #21 of 328
7/20/08 at 1:18pm
So, I told my mom to try taking the honey at bedtime because she has a terrible time sleping. She has been sleeping great and has also lost 3 lbs. I didn't even tell her about the weight loss because I didn't want her to be looking for it. It was a total bonus for her!
I'm starting this tonigh, too!

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post #22 of 328
7/20/08 at 4:55pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by bluebirdmama1 View Post
Does anyone have any concerns about honey causing cavities?

Also what about if someone has yeast issues? Should they avoid the honey. On the Hibernation diet website, he says it is great for pregnant women with morning sickness. But I remember that I was so prone to yeast infections when I was pregnant.
This is why I would suggest using totally unheated honey. Even raw honey has been heated enough to make it flow, never over 117 degrees, but that still kills some of the enzymes. Unheated honey, though, has never been heated past the temperature of the hive. It's loaded with enzymes and good bacteria and is a true superfood that will kick bacteria butt. Unheated honey still has the propolis, too, which is so good for fighting bad bacteria.

You might have to ask for it, but you can usually get some kind of unheated honey ordered at the health food store. It's not cheap, but I don't think it will cause the problems you're concerned about. You can make it last a long time if you use it as a supplement, and regular raw honey for everything else.
post #23 of 328
7/20/08 at 11:40pm
We use a brand called "Apitherapy", which is totally unheated. It isn't cheap. I think it comes from Vermont. It's quite good.
post #24 of 328
7/21/08 at 12:53am
Quote:
Originally Posted by mbravebird View Post
This is why I would suggest using totally unheated honey. Even raw honey has been heated enough to make it flow, never over 117 degrees, but that still kills some of the enzymes. Unheated honey, though, has never been heated past the temperature of the hive. It's loaded with enzymes and good bacteria and is a true superfood that will kick bacteria butt. Unheated honey still has the propolis, too, which is so good for fighting bad bacteria.

You might have to ask for it, but you can usually get some kind of unheated honey ordered at the health food store. It's not cheap, but I don't think it will cause the problems you're concerned about. You can make it last a long time if you use it as a supplement, and regular raw honey for everything else.
Is unheated the same as uncooked?
post #25 of 328
7/21/08 at 8:50am
I tried it a couple of nights now, and was pleased. I slept better, had lots of dreams, and also I lost a couple of pounds this weekend (I usually gain on the weekend!), so I am very excited! Thanks so much for bringing this to our attention!
post #26 of 328
7/21/08 at 9:31am
Quote:
Originally Posted by mbravebird View Post
This is why I would suggest using totally unheated honey. Even raw honey has been heated enough to make it flow, never over 117 degrees, but that still kills some of the enzymes. Unheated honey, though, has never been heated past the temperature of the hive. It's loaded with enzymes and good bacteria and is a true superfood that will kick bacteria butt. Unheated honey still has the propolis, too, which is so good for fighting bad bacteria.

You might have to ask for it, but you can usually get some kind of unheated honey ordered at the health food store. It's not cheap, but I don't think it will cause the problems you're concerned about. You can make it last a long time if you use it as a supplement, and regular raw honey for everything else.
I just got a 60 lb bucket from a local bee keeper, and he says it is raw. Now I have got to find out if it is really raw.
post #27 of 328
7/21/08 at 1:00pm
I buy raw honey from our local mom & pop wfs - it's called "Walt's Swarmbustin' Honey." On the label it says, "TOTALLY RAW - Unheated, unstrained honey containing bee pollen, propolis, beeswax, and possibly unavoidable bee parts."

It's $11.99 for 3 lbs. I use it in my tea, probably defeats the purpose, huh? Maybe I'll just buy cheaper honey for my tea & save the Walt's for before bedtime....
post #28 of 328
7/21/08 at 1:22pm
I usually get my honey from the farmer's market. But I just picked some up from TJ yesterday - creamed honey, unfiltered, uncooked.

I haven't been sleeping that well the last week or so. I tried taking the honey, but it didn't seem to help. Still not very restful sleep. I took it right before bed. Are you guys taking it right before bed or a couple hours before?
post #29 of 328
7/21/08 at 1:30pm
mamaMAMAma, I take mine right before bed...did you try to eliminate any light sources before sleeping? I even tried to stifle my bedside clock. I am not used to sleeping in darkness, but I guess the diet says it is important, so I am trying!
post #30 of 328
7/21/08 at 1:36pm
:
post #31 of 328
7/21/08 at 1:45pm
Oh my! I'm totally going to have to try this honey thing. I usually wake every 2 hours or so every night and have since, oh, prob after college.
post #32 of 328
7/21/08 at 1:54pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by mamaMAMAma View Post
I usually get my honey from the farmer's market. But I just picked some up from TJ yesterday - creamed honey, unfiltered, uncooked.

I haven't been sleeping that well the last week or so. I tried taking the honey, but it didn't seem to help. Still not very restful sleep. I took it right before bed. Are you guys taking it right before bed or a couple hours before?
I wouldn't trust TJ's to be *unheated*, uncooked, maybe, but not *unheated.*
post #33 of 328
7/21/08 at 2:16pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by PeggyinNC View Post
mamaMAMAma, I take mine right before bed...did you try to eliminate any light sources before sleeping? I even tried to stifle my bedside clock. I am not used to sleeping in darkness, but I guess the diet says it is important, so I am trying!

I read more about the lights while sleeping, because I thought it odd that moon light could be bad for us.... I read into the studies that had been done and they used bright strong lights, sometimes for as much as 90 minutes in the middle of the night. They stated that the highest amount of light that didn't cause melatonin to lower was 5 lux and was from a blue or green light source. Higher lux could be used from say, a red light. They said that 5 lux was just slightly more that the light of the full moon on a clear night. To me that all adds up to perfectly to meaning that we were meant to let the moonlight shine in (and help regulate our moon cycles )

The last two nights I've tried taking less honey, like a teaspoon or two instead of a generous 1.5 tablespoon. I feel like it's still working, but not as well as when I took the higher dose. I think I'll go back to the big scoop again tonight. I've been taking it right before laying down and brushing teeth.

So, to those who are losing weight doing this... How much are you taking? I haven't noticed any weight loss, but I've got less than 5 pounds to lose, so that might be why. I'm curious what your secret is though!
post #34 of 328
7/21/08 at 2:26pm
CrunchyFarmGirl..."To me that all adds up to perfectly to meaning that we were meant to let the moonlight shine in (and help regulate our moon cycles)"

ooo, cool! I noticed that we had some light coming in through a large bathroom window, and asked my husband about it...he said it was just moonlight. I thought, oh, how can that possibly be bad for you? but was thinking of closing the bathroom door to eliminate it...now I don't have to! Thank you so much for doing the research and for letting us know! So cool!
post #35 of 328
7/21/08 at 2:28pm
oh, forgot to add...
"So, to those who are losing weight doing this... How much are you taking?

I've been taking a shot glass full to the top of honey (first with a light coating of coconut oil to keep the honey from sticking). I think it is between 1.5 and 2 oz.
post #36 of 328
7/21/08 at 3:12pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by PeggyinNC View Post
CrunchyFarmGirl..."To me that all adds up to perfectly to meaning that we were meant to let the moonlight shine in (and help regulate our moon cycles)"

ooo, cool! I noticed that we had some light coming in through a large bathroom window, and asked my husband about it...he said it was just moonlight. I thought, oh, how can that possibly be bad for you? but was thinking of closing the bathroom door to eliminate it...now I don't have to! Thank you so much for doing the research and for letting us know! So cool!

Someone in the Lights Out and Lunaception thread had also posted that sleeping in complete darkness was shown to raise cortisol levels. This rings true to me. I get stressed and scared in complete blackness.
post #37 of 328
7/21/08 at 4:16pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by PeggyinNC View Post
mamaMAMAma, I take mine right before bed...did you try to eliminate any light sources before sleeping? I even tried to stifle my bedside clock. I am not used to sleeping in darkness, but I guess the diet says it is important, so I am trying!
Funny you mentioned the bedside clock... i was just commenting to dh how bright that display is. I'll adjust it tonight and try it again. Thanks!
post #38 of 328
7/21/08 at 4:56pm
"sleeping in complete darkness was shown to raise cortisol levels. This rings true to me. I get stressed and scared in complete blackness." --CrunchyFarmGirl

UhOh, doesn't this contradict what Mike McInnes says about the darkness? Or does the honey factor make the difference? He says without the honey we get the cortisol and other stress chemicals, but with it, and darkness, that cycle is stopped?

I don't like complete darkness, but if it means better sleep and health, I am willing to try it. I do keep my little mini-maglite flashlight on my nightstand, just in case! *wink*
post #39 of 328
7/21/08 at 9:50pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by PeggyinNC View Post
"sleeping in complete darkness was shown to raise cortisol levels. This rings true to me. I get stressed and scared in complete blackness." --CrunchyFarmGirl

UhOh, doesn't this contradict what Mike McInnes says about the darkness? Or does the honey factor make the difference? He says without the honey we get the cortisol and other stress chemicals, but with it, and darkness, that cycle is stopped?

I don't like complete darkness, but if it means better sleep and health, I am willing to try it. I do keep my little mini-maglite flashlight on my nightstand, just in case! *wink*
I was just thinking that they are probably talking about darkness from electric sources (or fire etc.) because they are much too high and the wrong color. The moon is not that bright, especially in our homes and for half the month it's really not bright at all. I really just wish I or somebody could find a study done on moonlight, then we could all stop guessing!
post #40 of 328
7/21/08 at 10:12pm
So, I did a teaspoon of honey last night (I just couldn't handle any more straight up). I did wake twice to pee, but I've also got AF going on right now, so that may be connected? I did wake up feeling better than I have in a really really long time. As for the weight loss aspect, all of this is really counterintuitive given all the reading I've done in the past year (Gary Taubes, et al.), but hey, I'll give it a shot and see what happens. Just the better sleep is worth it for me provided I don't put on a ton of weight in the process.

I told DH about it and he made a cynical face and said, "Why not just skip the whole glucose-fructose thing and take straight melatonin instead?"

And I don't know about the whole moonlight thing. I'm thinking moonlight's been around for a long time and we're probably adapted to its cycles at some level?

Meanwhile, I'll be enjoying another delightful spoonful later tonight! :

Metasequoia, where in our area are you getting Walt's honey?

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