14 Day No Refined Sugars + Grains Challenge

Reducing refined sugar + grain intake may be linked to several health & wellness benefits such as reduced risk for a range of chronic diseases (heart disease, Type II diabetes, certain types of cancer), increased energy, deeper & better quality sleep, clearer skin, improved memory retention, and overall better brain functionality. Working through this challenge will take a bit of discipline and advanced grocery / meal planning, yet the result will be worth it!

Sugar Detox ExperienceI was introduced to this diet in October 2016 when my coworker, Jyoti, motivated me and 15 other Integra LifeSciences colleagues to take-part in this “challenge.” We agreed to follow this diet religiously through Halloween, where anyone who failed or cheated at any point would have to treat our group to dinner at the end of all this.

As work was quite busy at this time, I missed the “official kick-off meeting” where Jyoti laid out the rules and our group brainstormed menu options. Given poor preparation on my part, Day 1 was TOUGH! Most food I happened to have on hand, including my morning bowl of Cheerios named a “Heart Healthy Food” by the American Heart Association (AHA), contained refined something or the other! I ended Day 1 with a huge headache. Once I caught-up on the background information and stocked-up on cleared groceries from Wegmans, Trader Joes, and Whole Foods, the challenge went very smoothly where I started to feel better than ever. In fact, I had no desire to break this diet once Halloween rolled around. I had a piece of candy that night just to say I did. Though I enjoy many dishes that contain some refined & processed ingredients, I am now more aware of “healthier” brands & food options and continue to make the “healthier” choice, where I reasonably can, to this day.

This diet replaces refined foods with real, whole, and unprocessed foods. Be sure to read the ingredients label on everything you eat – you’ll be surprised to see the amount of preservatives and artificial materials that are laced within your “go-to” foods! Note that this is NOT a NO SUGAR and NO GRAIN diet. Sugars and whole grains naturally occurring in fruits, vegetables, and elsewhere are OKAY, yet sugars and grains removed from their original source, refined, and then added into foods are NOT. As a general rule of thumb, if you cannot recognize an ingredient, you should not eat it.

Below are examples of refined sugars:

  • White Sugar or “Table Sugar” (Note: This is sucrose, often derived from refined sugar cane or refined sugar beets.)

  • Brown Sugar (Note: This is made by adding molasses into refined white sugar)

  • Confectioner’s or Powdered Sugar

  • Processed / Artificial Sweeteners (e.g. Saccharin, Sucralose, Nutrasweet, Equal, Splenda)

  • Evaporated Cane Juice

  • Organic Palm Sugar

  • Corn Syrup

  • High Fructose Corn Syrup

  • Malt Syrup

  • Added Dextrose, Fructose, Glucose, Lactose, Maltose, Sucrose, and Trehalose

  • Maltodextrin

Below are examples of natural and NON-refined sugars / sweeteners:

  • Natural sugar in fruit, dairy & other whole foods

  • Stevia*

  • Raw Honey*

  • Yacon Syrup*

  • Turbinado*

  • Agave*

  • Pure Maple Syrup*

  • Monkfruit Sweetener*

  • Coconut Sugar*

  • Date Paste / Date Sugar*

*I personally avoided each of these when I worked through the challenge.

Below are examples of refined grains:

  • White, All-Purpose, and / or Bleached Flour

  • White Rice

  • White Bread

  • Degermed Corn Flour

  • Instant Oatmeal

Below are examples of whole and NON-refined grains:

  • Brown Rice

  • 100% Whole Wheat

  • Barley

  • Buckwheat

  • Bulgar / Cracked Wheat

  • Millet

  • Rolled or Steele Cut Oatmeal

  • Popcorn

For a listing of recommended “no refined sugars + grains” menus and food brands to help get you through this challenge, please click here.  In addition, you may search for recipes tagged “No Refined Sugars + Grains” as well. Feel free to reach out to info@cleanculinarycanvas.com if you have questions or need help along the way!