Are you ready to make a change?

30-Day No Sugar Challenge

Canadians consume an average of 88 pounds of sugar each year — that’s more than twice the daily limit.¹ Excess sugar consumption has also been linked to obesity, heart disease, high blood pressure, cancer and stroke.²

Join TELUS Health Care Centres and tens of thousands of Canadians who are discovering how it feels to cut refined and added sugar for 30 days.

It’s free to join, and you’ll get simple assignments, recipes and tips from our registered dietitians every day.

Note: If you have a pre-existing health condition that may require you to maintain a specific or restrictive diet, do not begin this challenge or make changes to your prescribed diet before speaking with your doctor or a registered dietitian.

FAQ's

When will I receive my daily email?
You will receive your daily assignments and tips every day starting the day after signing up.
Can I consume wine or beer during the challenge?
Sugar found in dry wine is mostly residual sugar from the grapes as opposed to added sugar. Also, during the fermentation process, sugar is converted to alcohol. A dry wine that contains less than 2g of sugar per litre is acceptable during the challenge. Beer does not contain added sugar but may contain less than 1g of residual sugar from fermentation as well. Therefore, both beer and dry wine containing less than 2g of sugar per litre are acceptable during the challenge. When consuming any alcohol, moderation is key.
Can I consume natural sweeteners such as honey, maple syrup, stevia or agave during the challenge?
No. The goal of this challenge is to help participants reduce sugar cravings, and to promote enjoyment of foods that are less sweet than they may be used to. When you continue to stimulate your sweet receptors with ingredients that add sweetness, you may be more likely to continue to experience sugar cravings.
What about artificial sweeteners like Splenda?
Although Splenda and artificial sweeteners do not contain sugar, they are sweet. Consuming foods containing artificial sweeteners may sustain or increase our affinity towards sweet-tasting foods and beverages, or trigger cravings. Therefore, we encourage you to avoid artificial sweeteners during the challenge.
Can I still eat fruit during the challenge?
Enjoy whole fruit during the challenge but avoid fruit juice (including 100% all-natural, fresh-squeezed juice). Fruit juice contains a high concentration of "free sugars" and none of the fruits’ fibre. Pureed whole fruit (eg. in a smoothie) is allowed. During the challenge, enjoy up to three servings of whole fruit per day. One serving of fruit means one small to medium-size fruit, or 1/2 a cup of chopped fruit or berries.
Can I still eat carbohydrates during the challenge?

Enjoy healthy carbohydrates during the challenge, but be mindful of portion sizes. Carbohydrate-dense foods should make up about 1/4 of your plate each meal (eg. between half a cup and 1 cup of cooked whole grains per meal).

Healthy carbohydrate sources include legumes; whole grains like oats, buckwheat, bulgur; and starchy vegetables like potatoes, root vegetables, pumpkins, beets, peas and squash. During the challenge, avoid refined grain products like white bread and pasta.
I signed up and haven't received any emails. What do I do?
Please check your junk mail or spam filters. If you still can't find the emails, contact carecentres@telus.com for technical support.

Sources:

¹ Canadian Diabetes Association. Sugar and diabetes. [https://www.diabetes.ca/advocacy---policies/our-policy-positions/sugar---diabetes] Accessed February 4, 2021.

² Harvard Health Publishing. The sweet danger of sugar. November 5, 2019. [https://www.health.harvard.edu/heart-health/the-sweet-danger-of-sugar#:~:text=Over%20time%2C%20this%20can%20lead,pathological%20pathways%20to%20heart%20disease.] Accessed February 4, 2021.