Vinnie Tortorich Diet: No Sugar, No Grains!

In early 2018, celebrity fitness trainer Vinnie Tortorich introduced his coveted No Sugar, No Grains diet on his podcast, Fitness Confidential. Fitness enthusiasts worldwide were taken aback at such a drastic deficit. Doesn’t cutting out sugar completely mean your overall calorie intake falls short too? And aren’t grains supposed to be good for you?

Let’s rewind a little. In Episode 154 of his podcast, Vinnie opened up about his struggles with leukemia in 2007. After his diagnosis, he was asked to cut down on sugar and fuel up on B vitamins; basically following a ketogenic diet. And thus the NSNG diet was born. Keep in mind, it’s not exactly the same as the keto diet.

NSNG means lots of real, whole food. Image via Unsplash/Monika Grabkowska

NSNG is pretty self-explanatory. According to Vinnie’s website, all processed sugars and all grains are eliminated from the diet - leaving you with only “real” food. That’s not such a bad thing, is it? In the episode, Vinnie states how it’s like being a “carnivorous vegan” - meaning lots of fresh, healthy vegetables and meat in your diet. This also includes fruits, nuts and seeds, legumes, and healthy fats.

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What counts as sugars and grains?

You’re probably thinking candy and white rice. Well, it’s a lot more than just those.

According to the USDA, grains include wheat, rice, oats, cornmeal, barley, and products made from these.

Examples include bread, oatmeal, pasta, cereals, and tortillas.

Breads are to be avoided. Image via Pexels/Tan Danh

Sugars include various products ranging from corn/glucose/maple syrup, agave nectar, palm/fruit/coconut sugar, molasses, raw honey, high fructose corn syrup, etc. Yes, even artificial sweeteners.

Seems pretty lengthy, but honestly, it doesn’t look all that restrictive. Cutting out sugars and grains is a widely believed and followed strategy to shed pounds. But what about it being a lifestyle habit? Can’t we just do the keto diet?

He is against the keto diet. And for good reason. Having been made to follow it for years, he now understands that cycling in and out of this diet creates a lot of acidity within the body. You know what that means? Gallstones!

Apart from the obvious sugar and grains, other foods to avoid are processed and junk foods, soft drinks, energy drinks, and alcoholic beverages.

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So what does Vinnie say we can eat?

Hey, this list is longer than the one with the foods you can’t eat. Although it’s pretty clear that fresh meat and veggies are the way to go, Vinnie personally recommends:

• Meat
• Poultry
• Fish
• Eggs
• Cottage cheese
• Full-fat yogurt (plain)
• Avocados
• Nut butters
• Raw nuts
• Olive oil
• MCT oil
• Grass-fed butter
• Coffee
• Tea

You can watch Vinnie's NSNG guide here:

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Of course, as with any diet, seeing results is only likely when you’re also putting in the effort to exercise on a regular basis. Vinnie recommends bodyweight exercises to burn calories; walking, running, dancing, etc. Exercises that require a machine such as rowing and cycling are okay, as long as there is some bodyweight work as well.

Yoga is a great way to stretch. Image via Unsplash/Anupam Mahapatra

Cardio and yoga are two of his recommended activities. He claims that HIIT training is good for burning more sugar than fat, so it isn’t as effective. Post-workout stretching is a must, and that’s where the yoga comes in.

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As reasonable as Vinnie’s diet seems, it’s not for everyone. What works for one person doesn’t always have to work for another. Give this diet a try for about two weeks and see how well you can control your cravings and need for additional carbs via grains. Once you’re past that, push on for another two weeks. Be sure to take before-and-after photos!