Buffalo News Refresh – April 2017

By: Holly R. Layer

The WNY Refresh ‘No Added Sugar Challenge’ – A progress report

How’s everyone doing on their April ‘No-Added-Sugar’ Challenge? I was pleasantly surprised to hear how many of my friends planned to join me in avoiding added sugars or in some other ‘get healthy’ undertaking. Between Facebook and those I ran into around town, we have a small crew of people interested in improving their health, which makes me excited!

First of all, congratulations and keep up the good work! It takes a lot to commit to something like this, so kudos to you if you’ve tried to omit sugar for even a day or a week if not the entire 30 days. We’re more than halfway through April, so I encourage you to stay strong until May 1. (Here’s a gentle reminder NOT to ‘celebrate’ the end by eating all the junk you’ve been avoiding.)

Secondly, if you fell face-first into a bowl of jelly beans Easter Sunday, cut yourself some slack and get right back on the no-added-sugar bandwagon. Everyone makes mistakes and this isn’t a Whole30—you don’t have to start over. Just like I tell those I counsel, you’re never more than one opportunity away from making the right choice.

Just to keep it real, here’s how I’m doing:

No dessert for me: While on a weekend trip to Philly, I was the only one of the group to pass on (what was apparently) very good water ice. I’m a huge fan of the cool treat, but I was still full from my cheesesteak dinner and didn’t think it was worth it to break my challenge.
Being prepared while out of town: For both our trips this month, I packed compliant snacks and breakfast items so that I’d be prepared. I made my no-added-sugar banana muffins, brought plain yogurt, grain-free granola, trail mix and lots of fruits and vegetables.
Homemade jam: I found a recipe online and gave it a whirl. After cooking some fruit and mixing with chia seeds to thicken, what you get is a fresher, fruitier ‘jam’ to mix into yogurt or spread on toast. Check out my blog for the recipe.
Weight Loss: I’ve also incorporated calorie counting back into my routine using the MyFitnessPal app. It helps keep me accountable, curbs snacking and late-night eating and promotes appropriate portions. Calorie counting is something I dread until I start, and in about a day I realize how much better I feel when I’m being more diligent about what and how much I’m eating.
The hubby has really impressed me. He’s following the rules (although he was a bit more liberal while traveling) and even trying new things, like unsweetened tea and seltzers…and likes them!
In an effort to be transparent with my readers, there have been some ‘exceptions.’ Ordinarily I’d insist that there be no bending of the rules, even during our two weekends out of town. However, in the interest of rule-breaking (something I’m working on personally) and ‘food freedom’ (something else I’m working on personally), and the fact that there are just some really great things out there you can’t get in WNY, I allowed myself a couple treats while traveling. All of them were delicious, unique to the area and added significantly to my experience with loved ones.

If you need another reason to decrease added sugars in your diet, consider this: a recent study showed that decreasing added sugar intake from 28% of calories to 10% resulted in improved blood pressure, cholesterol, weight and blood sugar levels in as few as nine days.

Again, best wishes for a strong finish!

master bedroom maps

Andrew and I recently (finally!) decorated (a.k.a. hung something other than a mirror) our bedroom.

Back in November, Andrew stumbled upon a website with some amazing prints of old city and country maps. What began as a quest to find Christmas presents for some of our nearest and dearest ended with us ordering a whopping eight (!!!) prints…none of which arrived in time to be wrapped under the tree.

Andrew and I almost exclusively decorate with photos or items that reflect our travels, so we chose maps of places we’ve visited. So far, the bedroom contains Seville, Vienna, Rome, Nice, Florence and Prague, and there is an open wall just screaming for ~~drapes~~ more. (Anyone get my Ernest Scared Stupid reference? My mom does the BEST impression.)

I love that while the maps aren’t centered over the bed, they create a ‘banner’ of sorts between the windows.

Here are some close-ups, starting with Nice, which is our favorite because of the large swath of blue ocean:

Look! It’s the coliseum in Rome!

Here’s the key for the map of Vienna (and a peek into our bathroom):

Hoppy Easter

This post is belated because I was waiting for these adorable mugs to arrive! I spied one (along with its matching child’s size version, too) at Grandma’s house while we were visiting last weekend and I fell in love. They’re from Sur La Table, my favorite kitchen-supply store, so we hopped on over on Saturday while we were out running errands. Unfortunately, they were only available online (and incredibly marked-down), so Grandma treated me to four for my Easter table.

The bunnies even remind me of Grandma–she was a librarian and with the glasses, it just fits!

For our annual Easter trip to Grandma’s this year, we chose to leave a day early to spend some extra time with Emily and Dan in Dayton. We ate pizza, the boys played laser tag, Nora played in her water table, and Emily and I hit up Whole Foods for their wine tasting and to pick up some treasures for me to take home. It was a whirlwind of fun and–as usual–we were sad to go.

Nora and I matched when we woke up on Saturday! We ❤ coral and turquoise!

On Saturday, we spent the day with Grandma. Our first order of business each time we come for Easter is to get her glass table and umbrella out of her shed, clean it and eat lunch in the fresh air. Afterward, we ran some errands to help her take care of replacing her water filter in the fridge and salt for her water softener. We ended the evening at Eddie Merlot’s with Aunt Linda and Uncle Dave, who invited us to join them for brunch the next day after church.

Grandma, Andrew and I joined Uncle Dave’s family at the golf club for brunch. We got to meet Chloe, Hannah’s (far left) daughter who turned one year old in January. Luke (far right) is a senior at Purdue majoring in engineering (like his grandfather, father, uncle and cousin, Andrew).

Until next year!