August 11, 2021
Day 29
 
I’m headed home today after a fantastic visit with family over the past five days.  Everyone was so accommodating with my sugar free commitment. 
 
Last night my brother and sister-in-law had us all over to celebrate my sister’s birthday.  My SIL made peppermint tea for me.  She also prepared a caprese salad, and a blueberry, cucumber, and feta salad which was so delicious and unexpected. The “crepe cake” was off limits, but actually seemed like it would have very little sugar.  It was made with about 25-30 layers of crepes and a thin filling (maybe a cannoli cream), and topped with sliced strawberries. 
 
Yesterday afternoon I received a call from my brother John to review the menu for this coming weekend as we will be visiting him and his wife next. They both love to cook want to make sure they too can accommodate my sugar free plan.  I feel loved!
 
At dinner, my aunt asked me how I can stay away from sugar, and isn’t it tempting when you know it is around?  I explained to her that it’s been many years of consistently tweaking my diet towards healthier options, and I’ve found alternatives to bring in to my diet, which helps push out the less healthy choices. What helped me about eight years ago was doing an elimination diet.  It taught me about other food alternatives and a different way of eating than the Standard American Diet (SAD) I, and many of us grew up with. It also showed me how I could feel so much better by eating differently.  Of course, I wasn’t totally sugar free, so this year is about the next tweak.
 
If you are interested in an elimination diet, let me know and I can help you with that.
 
Have a great day!
 
 
 
#eliminationdiet
#mysugarfreeyear
#sugar
#sugarfree
#healthcoachmaryellen
#sugarfreediet
#nutrition
#sugarfreestyle
#sugarfreelife
#nosugaraddedlifestyle
#nosugaradded
#healthcoach
 

August 10, 2021
Day 28
 
No problem with cravings at all yesterday and even thinking about eating or drinking something with sugar was not appealing.  I don’t really know what to expect with this journey, but I’m trying to be mindful each day and reflect on how sugar might have affected my life and even decisions I’ve made. Whew, going deep.
 
Food choices today were all no-sugar-added such as a spinach and whole fruit smoothie for breakfast, almonds for a mid-morning snack, Napa cabbage salad chicken breast for lunch, grapes and almonds for an afternoon snack, and more chicken and roasted veggies for dinner. Clean food and a clear mind!
 
Happy birthday today to my sister Kathleen Mihich! Thanks for having me stay and for cooking healthy no-sugar-added food while I’m visiting.  Off to the gym this morning and then I’ll be spending some time with my niece who is headed off to college in ten days. 
 
Have a great day!
 
#mysugarfreeyear
#sugar
#sugarfree
#healthcoachmaryellen
#sugarfreebaking
#sugarfreediet
#nutrition
#sugarfreestyle
#sugarfreelife
#nosugaraddedlifestyle
#nosugaradded
#sugaraddict
#sugaraddiction
#mindfulness
#calmmind
#healthcoach

August 9, 2021
Day 27
 
I’m still away for the family reunion and yesterday was a day of helping my sister with grocery shopping, cooking, and getting prepared for another gathering and dinner. After the meal prep was finished, we took time out for a swim in the pool and a bit of R&R. 
 
Later when the family arrived, chips and no-sugar-added salsa, smoked salmon on cucumber rounds, and cheese and crackers were all put out for appetizers. We made homemade hummus for an appetizer but forgot to serve it. The grocery store didn’t carry my favorite Mary’s Gone Crackers so instead, I found Every Body Eat brand no-sugar-added chia crisps and thought I’d give them a try, but they can’t compare to Mary’s.
 
Dinner consisted of grilled chicken, all kinds of grilled summer veggies, and a few salads and of course no added sugar in sight until the carrot cake dessert!  The fresh fruit was, and is always, a great option.  
 
 
My sister and I are headed out for a boot camp class this morning, then we’ll have the family over at the pool for some kind of bring in lunch and a swim. Enjoying my mini-vacation.
 
Have a great Monday! 
 
#mysugarfreeyear
#sugar
#sugarfree
#healthcoachmaryellen
#sugarfreediet
#nutrition
#sugarfreestyle
#sugarfreelife
#nosugaradded
#healthcoach
 

August 8, 2021
Day 26
 
Had lots of fun with the family yesterday and of course, with family gatherings and birthday and anniversary celebrations comes great food, drink, and sweet desserts too.  
 
Last night was dinner for 12 at Mom and Dad’s house. We enjoyed shrimp cocktail, but of course most cocktail sauce contains sugar, so I just had a squeeze of lemon.  Salmon, asparagus and potatoes for dinner.  I made myself busy in the kitchen making coffee and doing dishes while dessert was being served in the dining room. 
 
I wasn’t familiar with the store-bought German Sachertorte and checked the nutrition fact label and read the ingredients from the package. The very first ingredient was sugar.  
 
To show her appreciation, my mom wanted to use the trifle bowl that my visiting Aunt gave her years ago using an ancient Weight Watchers recipe made with lady fingers, strawberry jam, sherry, fresh fruit, pudding and cool whip. WW would never post this recipe with today’s nutritional focus on whole foods, no sugar, and anti-fat-free processed foods such as pudding and cool whip. To think I used to love this dessert.  I hadn’t had it in so long and almost forgot how it was made.  Mom had dates and almond butter in the pantry so I made a plate of those to pass around too, and everyone loved them.
 
I’m not sure what is on the agenda today, but for now I’m just enjoying the beautiful morning by the pool with the dog, sun, breeze, and birds.  
 
Happy Anniversary Kathleen and Tom!  We were here with you 23 years ago.
 
 
#sachertorte
#WW
#mysugarfreeyear
#sugar
#sugarfree
#healthcoachmaryellen
#sugarfreerecipe
#sugarfreesweets
#sugarfreediet
#nutrition
#sugarfreestyle
#sugarfreelife
#nosugaraddedlifestyle
#nosugaradded
#weightloss
#healthcoach
 

August 7, 2021
Day 25

Yesterday was easy since I had my green smoothie breakfast at home and lunch was packed for the road. When we arrived at my sister’s house, I made a fruit salad for everyone as an afternoon snack.  It was pretty easy ordering at the Italian restaurant we went to for dinner. Broiled seafood and vegetables typically don’t have any sugar added, and this time I didn’t ask. If there was a sauce, I would have asked how it was prepared.
 
This morning we are headed out for a walk, then we’ll take a swim, relax by the pool, and later head to my parents for dinner.  Mom and Dad are making salmon on the grill and fresh veggies. So, all homemade whole foods and no sugar added, except for the trifle dessert, but I’ll skip that. I’ve still got to be on my toes to expect the unexpected.
 
Enjoy your Saturday!
 
#mysugarfreeyear
#sugarfreesnack
#sugarfreediet
#nutrition
#sugarfreestyle
#sugarfreelife
#nosugaraddedlifestyle
#nosugaradded
#healthcoach

August 6, 2021
Day 24
 
This morning I am headed to Virginia to visit family.  They know I always travel with a cooler full of food, but I gave them a warning this time because I picked up my CSA bag last night and did some cooking on Wednesday. The cooler contents include homemade napa cabbage slaw, garden vegetable soup, eggplant, zucchini squash, peaches, blueberries, kale, and red leaf lettuce.  I’m feeling really good about this because I have go-to foods, and I’m staying with my sister and her family who are all healthy eaters.
 
Last night, I met with my Diabetes Prevention Program group.  It was our final session after a year of meeting on Zoom, and the first time we’d met each other in person.  Everyone brought a dish to share and they were all healthy and sugar free too.  One person brought a spinach salad with walnuts, avocado, watermelon, parsley, oil and vinegar. Another brought a spinach dip with carrots shaped like a chip for dipping.  And the other salad was a watermelon, cucumber, quinoa dish.  They were all cold, seasonal and so good. I’m really proud of them all for preparing healthy dishes and implementing what they’ve learned over the past year to prevent Type 2 diabetes.
 
Since I’d been cleaning out the fridge all week, on the way home after my meeting, I picked up a rotisserie chicken and potato salad for the family.  Wouldn’t you know it, the potato salad contained two forms of sugar.  Do you put sugar in your potato salad?  I don’t!  Why does potato salad have sugar in it? I think they want you to buy it again.
 
Have a great Friday!
 
#mysugarfreeyear
#sugar
#sugarfree
#healthcoachmaryellen
#sugarfreesalad
#sugarfreediet
#nutrition
#sugarfreestyle
#sugarfreelife
#nosugaraddedlifestyle
#nosugaradded
#sugaraddict
#weightloss
#chronicdisease
#prediabetes
#diabetesprevention
#DPP
#healthcoach
 

August 5, 2021
Day 23
 
Even after all this time, I find I still have to check every label and not take anything for granted.  I discovered a salad dressing in my refrigerator yesterday that was pretty much all cane sugar.  The first ingredient was cane sugar.  The front label looked great, organic, non-GMO, etc., but it’s still sugar.  I dumped it all out.  
 
The next thing I double checked was the almond butter.  No problem there with sugar.  No sugar added and just almonds and sea salt. I had dates and almond butter for a snack in the afternoon feeling like I just wanted something luxurious, and it was. I am working toward adding more sweetness to life by enjoying nature, and trying to focus more on sweet relationships. 
 
I’d love to hear from you if you are following this no-sugar life.  Hope all is well with you.
 
Happy Thursday.
 
 
#mysugarfreeyear
#sugar
#sugarfree
#healthcoachmaryellen
#sugarfreediet
#nutrition
#sugarfreestyle
#sugarfreelife
#nosugaraddedlifestyle
#nosugaradded
#healthcoach

August 4, 2021 Day 22   Wow, day 22 - that feels pretty good!    The experience of visiting Playa Bowl with my friend yesterday evening was really good thanks to the knowledgeable staff member at the counter.  She caringly and confidently led me in the right direction with my no sugar request, and I was pleased.  I had the green kale base which doesn’t have an added sugar, and added fresh blueberries, strawberries, and mango.  She suggested the no-sugar-added peanut butter, and then for fun I asked for chia seeds on top.  It was a real treat, and that was my dinner!  My friend ordered the acai base which we were told does have added sugar, with strawberries, mango and coconut. Read More

August 3, 2021 Day 21   I had my quarterly visit to the dentist yesterday for a cleaning.  All went well.  I love that feeling of clean teeth!  Do you ever think about sugar and your teeth?  Usually, we think about sugar and cavities with our children, but it can affect us all. Read More

August 2, 2021 Day 20   Even though desserts don’t tempt me, I am still getting an occasional craving for some dark chocolate.  So, last night when I prepped my morning green smoothie, I added cacao powder to see if that helps.  It’s so good and I’ll get a dose of magnesium too. Read More