September 30, 2021 Day 77   I’m home!  After 13 hours of travel yesterday, it feels SWEET to be home as I was welcomed by flowers and a sugar free dinner. I had a great time with my mom and sister and we were all investigating hidden sugars as we traveled.    Here are some things we three found with sugar and some without.   Read More

September 29, 2021 Day 76   I think I’ve gotten a hold of the resort’s restaurant menus and what dishes have no sugar and what contains added sugar.  Yesterday we all had fresh fruit, potatoes and an egg for breakfast, then for lunch I had a house salad with grilled shrimp, no dressing, and for dinner a quinoa and grilled veggie bowl.    Read More

September 28, 2021 Day 75   We’re still enjoying the resort and for lunch yesterday I chose a beet salad.  I recalled the problem the other day with beet salad and sugar and asked again, and was assured these beets did not have added sugar. But what about the peppadew?  I was suspicious that these sweet and spicy piquant peppers were brined and we know what that offen means – sugar. I didn’t ask about them, ordered the salad, and then looked up the ingredients on line on my phone while the kitchen was busy at work making our salads.  Yes, sugar in the brine, so added sugars.  For the 3 on my plate, added sugar was probably about 1-2 g sugar.   Read More

September 27, 2021 Day 74   My mom, sister, and I checked into our resort last night after a four-hour drive through the mountains of West Virginia.  My sister did a great job getting us here safe and sound after working all day.  Along with our room key came complimentary fireside s’mores vouchers to use during our stay.   Read More

September 26, 2021 Day 73   Is sugar hiding in the salad dressings in your fridge?   Here’s what I found in my host’s fridge in a salad dressing “study”. The sugar listed is per 2 Tablespoon serving.    Ken’s Light Chunky Blue Cheese 1 g sugar Ken’s Lite Northern Italian 0 g sugar Newman’s Own Classic Oil & Vinegar 0 g sugar Ken’s Creamy Caesar 1 g added sugar Ken’s Lite Balsamic 3 g sugar (2 added sugar) Maple Grove Farms of VT Fat Free Raspberry Vinaigrette 8 g sugar (sugar is the second ingredient after water)   Check out your fridge (or a friend or family members, like I did) and let us know what you find.    Read More

September 25, 2021 Day 72   This eating out while traveling is challenging!  After our facials this morning (first time in many years) we had lunch outside overlooking the golf course.  The menu again was very nice, but everywhere I turned was hidden sugar.  I focused in on the Ahi tuna with seaweed salad, pickled ginger and ponzu.  Of course, the ponzu most likely had sugar.  If the seaweed salad had sugar, I’d choose something else.   Read More

September 24, 2021 Day 72   My parents met me at Union Station yesterday afternoon. As we drove to our lunch destination we passed the Capitol, the Pentagon, the Washington Monument, the new 9/11 memorial at the Pentagon, and Arlington National Cemetery. DC was bustling.     The restaurant menu was varied and had a lot of nice options.  I took extra time and care to think about what might have hidden sugars and finally decided on a “sesame crusted tuna salad drizzled with cilantro ginger sauce, roasted beets, avocado, red grape tomatoes with mixed greens and citrus vinaigrette”.  Of course, when it came time to ordering, I told the server I was on a no-added sugar diet and I asked for no cilantro ginger sauce because it probably has sugar – he confirmed – yes, no citrus vinaigrette because it probably has sugar – he confirmed – yes.   Then he added, um, the beets are doused with sugar too, so you probably don’t want them!  Read More

September 23, 2021 Day 71   This morning I am headed to DC by train. I love the train!  I’ll be able to relax, make some calls, get some work done, and hopefully have some spare time to continue reading the Sugar Blues book. Of course, I packed fruit and almonds for the trip and when I arrive will have a late lunch out with my mom and dad who are picking me up from the train.  Such a treat!     Read More

September 21, 2021 Day 69   Another snack bar masquerading as a health food appeared on my horizon yesterday.  I told a fellow golfer about my sugar free year and she took a “Built” bar out of her bag to examine. The label showed 4 g added sugar, and 8 g of sugar alcohols which of course is added sugar.  Sugar alcohols are not alcohol as they do not contain any ethanol, but they are sugars.  The difference with sugar alcohols is the lower glycemic index so they raise blood sugar more slowly than other forms of sugar.  They also contain fewer calories by weight.  Some people find it hard to tolerate sugar alcohols (me), as it can cause bloating and diarrhea.   Read More