(Read the updates below!)
Was one of your New Year Resolutions to cut back on sugar? Have you been meaning to cut back on desserts or wean yourself off of refined foods? Do you feel that you are too addicted to even naturally sweetened foods? Well, the Sugar Cleanse Challenge might be just the thing for you!
For the last couple of years, I’ve done a sugar-free challenge, inviting you to join in cutting on refined sugar and flour, and, for those who feel they need it, even unrefined sugar. It’s been a community project with accountability and support from those doing the challenge with you.
This year the sugar cleanse was a little late in coming because of some scheduling conflicts (that is, I was trying not to schedule it when we were on vacation). If I am honest, perhaps there was just a little hesitation on my part as well. After the holiday sweets, I remembered that I do indeed like sweets! But it’s time. Both my five year old and I need a break from sweets, even naturally sweetened ones. Maybe you are in the same boat as us. In fact, several of you mentioned to me this last week that you needed to cut back on sweets!
So what is the Sugar Cleanse Challenge? Here’s the plan. For 2 weeks (just 2, mind you), we will be all giving up all forms of refined sugar and white flour. Some can choose to give up all sweeteners, others to limit it. Here are the categories.
Category 1: No refined sugar or flour (this includes white flour, white sugar, corn syrup and agave syrup)
Category 2: 2 teaspoons at a time (no more!), up to 2 tablespoons per day. (Read about the 2 teaspoon rule here)
Category 3: No sweeteners of any kind. Cutting out fruit or stevia is not required, but can be cut, if desired.
If you have any health issues related to yeast, two weeks will not be enough to heal you. However, doing the two week challenge successfully will get you started in the right direction. For me, I find that if I strictly adhere to the no sweet rule for two weeks, my taste buds adjust and I no longer crave sweets in the same way. That means that I find doing a two week challenge helpful for long term results. I am going to be giving information, encouragement, and resources for the challenge. Meanwhile, if you’d like a little push to do the challenge, read this article, Is Sugar Toxic?
For inspiration, read how taking out refined sweets changed one woman’s life. You can read other encouraging stories here.
Stay tuned for more resources, and when you are ready to join the challenge, sign up by leaving a comment below saying what category you are committing too.
Sugar Cleanse Challenge
1. Kimi Category 3
2. Elena-Category 3
3.Michele-Category 3
4. Jenny ~ Category 3
5. Flo Makanai-Category 3
6. Jessica G.
7. fern-Category 3
8. Tonya Scarborough-Category 2
9. Keri -Category 3
10. Kim and daughters-Cat 3
11. Cait-Cat 2
12. Shiloh-Cat. 2
13. Shannon-Cat. 1
14. Sarah-Cat 1
15. Jennifer-Cat 1
16. Allison-Cat 3
17. Laura-Cat 2
18. Ki Vick-Cat 2
19. Bethany@ Grafted Vine-Cat 3
20. Aneta-Cat 2
21. Katie Ellen@ A Humble Harvest-Cat 3
22. Dani-Cat 3
23. Stephanie R.-Cat 1
24. Nancy-Cat 2
25. Amy-Cat 2
26. Brooke-Cat 2
27. Allison-Cat 1
28. Kelly Powers-Cat 2
29. Jen-Cat 2
30. Amber-Cat 3
31. Christina-Cat 2
32. Jane-Cat 3
33. Vanessa-Cat 3
34. hillary-Cat 3
35. Betsy- Cat 2
36. Nicola-Cat 2
37. Liz-Cat 1
38. jacqui-Cat 3
39. Leigh-Cat 2
40. Wendy-Cat 2
41: Meghan-Cat 1
42: Sarah Jess-Cat 2
43: Karen B.-Cat 1
44: Pat-Cat 3
45: Jean-Cat 3
46: Amy M-Cat 3
47: Janina-Cat 1
48: stephanie-Cat 3
49: Shanna: Cat 2
50: Amy Carter-Cat 3
51: Lisa-Cat 2
52: sammiejo-Cat 2
53: Kathy Thierry-Cat 3
54: Daisy-Cat 1
55: Christina-Cat 3
56: Jenny Odegard-Cat 3
57: Meghann Milton-Cat 2
58: Beverly-Cat 3
59: Elisabeth-Cat 3
60: Kristi Cooke-2 1/2
61: Kelly R.-Cat 3
62: Ann Q.-Cat 3
63: Jenn Best-Cat 1
64: Jen B-Cat 3
65: Emi-Cat 1
66: Kei- Cat 2
67: xtina-Cat 2.5
68: Elena-Cat 3
69: Ruth Avery-Cat 2
70: Mellow-Cat 2
71: Sharon-Cat 2
72: Esther-Cat 2
73: Rebecca-Cat 3
74: Nance-Cat 3
75: Vikki Kay-Cat 3
76: Jennie-Cat 3
77:Kellie-Cat 2
78: andreab-Cat 2
79: Emily-Category 3
80: Renee-Cat 2
81: Celena-Cat 2
82: Tania Berg-Cat 3
83: Jamie-Cat 2
84: Katie @ Mexican Wildflower-Cat 2
85: jani-Cat 1
86: Emily-Cat 3
87: Jen C-Cat 3
88: Kathy-Cat 3
89: Sharon-Cat 2
90: Amanda-Cat 1
91: Becky-Cat 2
92: Sarah Laughlin-Cat 1
93: Stephanie-Cat 3
94: Naomi – category 2
95: Stephanie Marchbanks-Cat 2 1/2
96: Tonya Daniels-Cat 2
97: Sheila-Cat 2
98: Stephanie-Cat 1
99: Judee @ Gluten Free A-Z-Cat 1
100: Sara- Cat 3
101: Lauren-2 1/2
102: Colleen -Category 1
103: Giselle-Cat 3
104: Sharon-Cat 2
105: Jess-Cat 3
106: Andrea-Cat 2
107: Teresa-Cat 1
108: Kimberly-Cat 1
109: Ami-Cat 3
110: Jaime-Cat 1
111: Anne-Cat 2
112: cindy-Cat 2
113: Jessie-Cat 1
114: Rachel-Cat 2
115: Leala-Cat 2
116: Sarah-Cat 2
117: Meredith-Cat 1
118: Sarah C-Cat 2
119:Marliss Bombardier-Cat 1
120:Nicole Blackmon-Cat 3
121:lisa-Cat 1
122:Angela Kuhn-Cat 3
123:Hilary-Cat 2
124:Jacquie Olsen-Cat 3
125:Melody-Cat 2
126:Olga-Cat 2
127: Lechau-Cat 3
128:Melissa-Cat 1
129:april-Cat 3
130:Maria-Cat 2
131:Alicia-Cat 2
132:Holly-Cat 3
133:Shawnee Scott-Cat 1
134:Julie-Cat 2
135: Kristy-Cat 1
136: kris-cat 2
137: Rebecca-Cat 1
138: Amber-Cat 3
139: AndreaKJ-Cat 3
140: Raquel-Cat 1
141: Kristen-Cat 2
142:Carrie-Cat 2
143: Beth P-Cat 2
144: Martie – Cat 2
145: Denise-Cat 3
146: Juliet- Combo of Cat 1-2
147: Cat-Cat 2
148: Ashley Knight-Cat 1
149: Khandhi-Cat 2
150: Rhonda-Cat 1
151: Laura-Cat 3
152: Kate S-cat 2
153: Carol Harris-Cat 3
154: Gail-Cat 3
155: Rebecca Marchbanks: Cat 2
156: Anne-Cat 3
157: Gretta: Cat 1
158: Valentia-Cat 3
159: Amy-Cat 1
160: Natalia-Cat 1
161: BetsyB-Cat 1
162: Jessica langley-Cat 2
163: managersam-cat 2
164: Susan-cat1
165: Laurie R.- cat 1
166: Karen- Cat 3
167: Tanis- cat 2
168: Aubrey-cat 2
169: Shelly-cat 2
170: Barb- cat 2
171: Ash Bak- cat 2
172: Carolyn-cat 1
173: Karrie- cat 1
174: Jennifer- cat 1
175: Sherrie- cat 3
176: Kelli- cat 3
177: Jill Ward- cat 3
178: Kelly- cat 1
179: Jennifer Burns- cat 1
180: Theresa- cat 3
181: birgitte- cat 3
182: Karen Kwiatkowski- cat 2
183: Mara Lightwood- cat 2
184: Lea H @ Nourishing Treasures- cat 2
185: Natalie – cat 3
186: Celeste- cat 2
187: Amy M.- cat 1
188: Cindy- cat 3
189: Oly- cat 2
190: Anna- cat 1
191: Karen Ferris- cat 3
192: Dawn- cat 2
193: taylor kelch- cat 1
194: Laur- cat 1
195: Monique- cat 3
196: Teresa- cat 2
197: Valerie- cat 1
198: Sarah W- cat 2
Your turn now! Who wants to join us?
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Kathy- Category 3 (I will still have fruit, but just 2 servings. Fruit has too many healthy benefits lite vitamins and fiber).
Cat 2
Cat 1
Count me in! Category 2. I can’t give up my one serving of fruit each day 🙂
Sarah–cat 1–because I will use some stevia and eat a little fruit.
Category 3
Naomi – category 2
When does this begin?
This Monday! The dates are on the picture. 🙂
A blend of catagory 2 and 3. I will allow 2 tsp. of honey in a latte’ on every 4th day, and 1/2 tsp. in a cup of green tea occasionally. Some days I will have none.
THANKS for doing this!
I cut out sweets for the month of January, the only exception being whole fruits (and I have been limiting those as well). I feel so much more energetic and healthy!
Category 2
I’m in for Category 2!
Category 1. I don’t have time to cook from scratch most days, so this is a big lifestyle step for me. A step in the right direction! Thanks for this support! S
Judee- category 1 this is great.. thanks for doing it!
Sara- CAT 3
Teetering between cat 2 and 3
Colleen Category 1
Cat 3
I’m going to try Cat. 2
Cat 3
Cat. 2!
cat 1
Cat. 1
I’m going to go for cat.3, but I’ll be leaving in the fruit.
This is perfect timing for me 🙂 I have to have a surgery and antibiotics in a week or so and I really need to cut out sugars especially when on abx to reduce probability of flourishing yeast 🙁 I will do category 1 as it is more realistic for me at this point (total addict). I will try to stick to low glycemic natural sugars like coconut sugar/stevia, though. Thanks for the inspiration and I’m excited about the community aspect!
Cat 2
Cat 2
I am in for category 1.
Category 2.
I have been on a whole food detox, on and off, for a few months now. I have been really struggling, but know I need to PUSH myself much, much more. The hardest thing for me is being at home! – all of the famiy’s foods are readily available… and most of it is food I shouldn’t be eating!
I put Category 2 because I sometimes have a small drop of honey with my oats, and I make a smoothie with rice milk, banana and chia seeds – sugar in the banana. This is my sweet treat, and I need to limit myself to that.
Good luck, everyone!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Put me (Leala) down for catagory 2!
Cat. 2 This actually was my new year’s resolution and I have failed miserably at it so far.
I so need this. Cat 1. A step in the right direction.
Ok, I really want Cat 1…but for 2 weeks (thanks for ending right before Valentine’s Day) put me down for Cat. 2. Thanks for this motivation…and all the ladies that have signed up so far! That was really encouraging!
Kimi, I will commit to category 1. I am actually already doing that because of my food intolerance(s), but I want to make sure that I do it intentionally, and not unthinkingly ladle sugar into my tea or something. If that is too easy for me, I am going to bump to category 2, but please put me down for category 1 now.
I’ve been on the candida diet for 2 weeks now so I’m already going without all sugars, with the exception of a grapefruit every other day. I’ve been off and on this diet for 3 1/2 years but this is the first time I’ve been so serious about it. I can already tell my sugar cravings are lessening! I guess I’m somewhere b/t a 2 and a 3 due to my grapefruit!
I’m in for category 1.
I’ll do it! Category 3, I have been cutting down on fruit lately anyways.
Cat 2. I eat grain/dairy free, but I’ve been making these nutbutter cookies with palm sugar and I can’t stop. Even after I had some amazing brisket and buttery soft swiss chard for supper–it was so satisfying–but I felt that little craving for the cookies, and gave in to it. arg. I’m really trying to get some healthy gut flora established, and I’m wasting my (very expensive) probiotics if I don’t cut out the easy sugar!
All right already! I will commit to this too. 🙂 Count me in as a Category 3 and I will only resort to a bit of fruit such as berries if I can’t stand it. Bring it on!
Category 2 please! This is exactly what I needed… thanks!
I would like to sign up for this detox challenge, but I am curious as to what we will be doing aside from giving up sugar for two weeks. Are we going to just mainly post comments of encouragement etc.? Is there going to be extra info for people who participate? Thanks for any clarification. 🙂
Hey Kate,
Signing up is just a public way to commit to the challenge. 🙂
Put me down for #2, please.
Cat. 3
I am in for Cat 1!!
Just curious …. will you be posting “no sugar” recipes to help us on this journey??
Hey Shanna,
I will be posting some recipes, but my blog has many, many recipes that will fit the bill!
i will do cat 3
I really *should* be category 3 but need to transition. Will be eating some fruit and limit to 2tsp of natural sweeteners per day so Cat 2 it will be. Thanks!
Category 2 please. 2 tsp. Yikes.
I have a yeast allergy and need to get back on track with that. I’m for catagory 3
Category 1 – I am psyched to be a part of this!!