Allegra Wiborg, Lead Trainer, Service Delivery

Some people might think that the Quit For Life® Program helps a person quit tobacco. And they’d be half right. But really, we’re all about helping people quit tobacco, and stay quit.

In my last couple posts I’ve written about strategies and mind-sets Quit Coaches can help a participant cultivate to quit successfully. But, as I used to tell participants, “Quitting is half the battle” (only the callers born in the late ‘70s to early ‘80s picked up on the subtle G.I. Joe reference—but it’s a good analogy all the same) “staying quit is the other half.”

So if a participant has already quit and is feeling great, does he still need a Quit Coach? Think about it this way: becoming good at something takes time, whether it’s skiing, meditating, or living a tobacco-free life. Challenges creep up: hills that are steeper looking down than they seemed looking up, distracting voices in the other room, or a buddy accidently offering a cigarette to his newly quit friend. And when challenges arise—especially unplanned challenges—people often stumble.

That’s why Quit Coaches are trained to assess participants who are quit just as thoroughly as participants who are planning to quit. By “assess” I mean explore strengths and barriers that a person might have toward reaching her goal. And participants can still have challenges even when they are successfully quit: that old pack of cigarettes in the freezer, a family reunion where most members smoke, a bombshell stressful event waiting around the corner. Coaches ask questions to uncover information that participants might not even be aware of as a potential challenge to staying quit. Coaches can then present any concerns they have to the participant in order to build not a quit plan, but a stay quit plan.

Andy Roberts, the Quit For Life® Quality Director of Service Delivery, explains why speaking to a Quit Coach is still important for the participant who is quit—even if the participant feels he’s doing great.

Imagine you went to the doctor for a serious health issue; the doctor examined you, took some tests, gave you medicine, and then sent you on your way. When you came back for a follow-up appointment the doctor asked, “How are you feeling?” and you responded, “I’m not feeling symptoms right now.” Would you expect the doctor to say, “Okay, I take your word for it—bye,” or would you expect the doctor to say, “That’s great, now I’m going to examine you again to make sure that the issue has cleared.”

I would feel more comfortable working with the second doctor to better my health. I mean, even if I felt better, I’d like to have the sign off of a professional.

Each step in the quitting process has unique obstacles. Staying quit can be the last step, but it’s not an isolated event. It requires a new way of thinking—every minute, every hour, every day.  Staying quit does get easier with time, but it takes practice to develop the skill of living tobacco-free with confidence. Good thing there are professionals to help.

Mark Twain once said, “Quitting smoking is easy. I’ve done it hundreds of times.” Obviously, he never tried the Quit For Life® Program.

As a former Quit Coach®, Allegra remembers the importance of viewing each caller as an individual who brings their past and their personality to the behavior change process. And, she remembers the importance of treating each caller with care. These are elements she tries to share with Quit Coaches in her training classes. Read more of Allegra Wiborg's blog posts.

Learn about the Quit For Life® Program

Read more stories from current and former Quit Coaches

Sandi Kaplan, MS, RD, Associate Director, Clinical Development & Support

Spring is my favorite season for a lot of reasons. Each morning, I look out into the garden and yet another bush is blooming. Purple yesterday, red, today, maybe yellow tomorrow. It’s delightful! I also love the longer days, hanging out at Little League and Major League baseball games, and making sidewalk chalk designs.

But my biggest reason for loving spring is the vegetables that are in season at this time of year. By May, I feel done with winter squash, parsnips and rutabagas. I am so ready for asparagus, artichokes and salad greens. Out with the stews and soups, and in with the blanching, steaming and grilling.

If you have a challenging time getting enough vegetables into your diet, this is the perfect time of year to increase your veggie intake. Spring vegetables are so flavorful that you don’t need to work hard to make them delicious. Preparation is quick and easy and before you know it, you’ll be getting your five or more veggie servings a day.

Here are some practical ideas to get you started:

• Consider getting a weekly or bimonthly organic veggie delivery. Most people are much more likely to eat vegetables when they are delivered to their home – along with yummy recipes.
• Use a couple of hours on a Sunday to prepare salad fixings for the week. We wash salad greens (buying prewashed greens is a great option too), steam asparagus, chop carrots, and slice cucumbers. It’s much easier to throw together a salad when you wa lk in the door if everything is ready to go.
• Never underestimate the yumminess of a sugar snap pea. These make a great addition to salads and are a big school lunch favorite in our house too. They’re wonderful in stir fries as well.
• A bed of just wilted spinach makes any dish more gourmet. I buy prewashed baby spinach leaves and steam them for just a few minutes. Add a little lemon juice and olive oil and voila!
• Make a visit to the Farmer’s Market an opportunity for inspiration. Chat to farmers about their spring produce and get their favorite ways to eat their heirloom green beans, or succulent artichokes.
• Don’t forget spring herbs – garnish any dish with fresh parsley, and put fresh mint on top of a yummy fruit salad. Herbs add nutrition, color and flavor.
• Radishes are another Spring favorite. I like them sliced raw in salads but they are also delicious roasted and tossed with a little soy sauce. People who don’t like radishes will be amazed at how good they taste when roasted.
• Chard is another leafy green that cooks in a snap. I like to sauté it with some garlic cloves and olive oil. Then toss it with some chickpeas for a light and nutritious side dish.
• Beets are a spring staple in our house. We steam the beets, then peel them and slice them for salads. While the beets are steaming, we sauté the beet greens in a little olive oil and eat them warm or cold.
• Avocado is a great spring veggie to use as a spread or a salad garnish.

We’d love to hear your Spring veggie ideas. Have a wonderful spring!

Sandi is a dietitian with an extensive experience with teaching and educational program development, both at an undergraduate and graduate level and currently instructs nutrition and psychology students at Bastyr University. Sandi is an accomplished speaker and has presented on a wide variety of topics for professional and community organizations. She is also a talented writer and produces articles and newsletters for a range of publications. Read more of Sandi Kaplan's blog posts.

Learn more about effective nutrition for weight loss in our upcoming webinar, Deconstructing DASH: How Your Workforce Would Benefit from America's #1 Rated Diet, presented by Dr. Robert F. Kushner. Register for May 15 or May 22.

Learn more about our Weight Talk® personal coaching program, designed to achieve measurable, sustainable weight loss.

Marie Gahler, Senior Manager, Weight and Nutrition Education Services

Snacking has become a favorite American pastime! We munch in front of the TV and while searching the web. We grab something to go and eat in our cars as we zoom from work or school to yoga practice or basketball. And let’s not forget those late night ice cream cravings!

So, given our current snacking habits it is no surprise that a recent article in the New York Times indicated Kellogg, the company famous for its cereal, is interested in expanding their share of the snack market and hopes to add new snack options soon. They are currently working on a deal to purchase Pringles and the snack marketing experts that come with it. While I can’t blame Kellogg for wanting to grow their business, I find myself asking: Do we really need more snack products?

With the still growing number of overweight and obese children, adolescents, and adults in this country, we need to examine the role of snacking and our health. Whatever happened to just eating three square meals a day? Back a few decades ago, eating between meals was an exception, not a daily practice. People actually sat down and ate a breakfast that kept them full until noon rolled around. They then ate a good lunch and stayed satisfied until dinner time. As we all know the obesity rate was much lower back then too and families actually ate meals together!

Recent research published in the Journal of Nutrition found that, unlike meals, snacks don’t lead to a feeling of fullness. More concerning is that people did not eat less at the next meal when they had snacked. Thus, overall, those who snacked took in more calories than those who didn’t. Not surprisingly, other studies have found that snacking is associated with greater obesity.

My personal experience is that the habit of eating between meals or skipping meals and snacking instead, leads to a higher calorie intake than when I take the time to eat breakfast, lunch, and dinner. I find if I eat healthy meals I truly am not hungry in between and while snack foods may sound or look good, I can resist them. I wish Kellogg would stick to breakfast cereal which promotes a sit-down eating experience and stay out of the snack market.

Marie Gahler has more the 25 years experience in treating obesity and weight related health behaviors and continues to be inspired by the efforts and success of those who strive to improve their health and weight. She currently manages the Accomplish Bariatric Nutrition Services program and develops curriculum for Weight Talk®. Read more of Marie Gahler's blog posts.

Allegra Wiborg, Lead Trainer, Service Delivery

Remember that old Burger King slogan, “Have it your way”? That’s kind of what the Quit For Life®  Program is like. Except without the burgers. In fact, our company is the opposite of one that endorses a Whopper-eating lifestyle. But let me explain.

Each Quit For Life®  participant gets set up with their own Quit Coach®  to help them build an individualized quit plan. During the intervention, maybe a participant shares she wants to have a lot of vocal social support as she quits, or maybe a participant explains he just wants to let his mom know about his quit—and no one else. Either way is a fine part of a quit plan, as long as the participant is thinking about how they want support.

At Alere Wellbeing, we train Quit Coaches in the theory of participant as educator. That is, Quit Coaches ask probing questions but let the participant tell their story about what they need to quit successfully. How do Quit Coaches know what to ask about? They’re experts in the United States Public Health Clinical Guidelines’ five key behaviors to quitting tobacco:

1. Set a quit date
2. Use cessation medications
3. Develop urge management skills
4. Tobacco-proof the environment
5. Enlist support

While the Quit Coach®  is proficient in the five keys, the participant is the educator about what these keys will to look like in practice. One time a participant told me she wanted to have a funeral for her cigarettes, bury them in the backyard complete with a eulogy—voila! Tobacco-proofing! Another participant told me that when he was jonesing for a cigarette he was going to practice his nunchuck skills—certainly a way to manage your urges.

So, Quit Coaches are armed with the raw material, but the quit plan still needs to be assembled in a way that is palatable for the participant.

With Quit Coaches who assist with—instead of prescribe—a Quit Plan, participants can have it their way. And isn’t success delectable?

As a former Quit Coach®, Allegra remembers the importance of viewing each caller as an individual who brings their past and their personality to the behavior change process. And, she remembers the importance of treating each caller with care. These are elements she tries to share with Quit Coaches in her training classes. Read more of Allegra Wiborg's blog posts.

Learn about the Quit For Life® Program

Read more stories from current and former Quit Coaches

Erin Thompson Curlett, Senior Content & Social Media Marketing Manager

I hate to cook. So many moving pieces, so many ways to get burned, sliced, splattered with burning oil – you know. It can be stressful.

Baking’s a different story – baking I’ve got down pat. My mom’s chocolate chip cookie recipe is to die for. My cupcakes, cinnamon rolls, scones, and banana bread are pretty scrumptious, too. Chicken enchiladas? Lasagna? No problem.

Can you see a pattern? I’m really good at making really unhealthy fare. As a newlywed who is still slowly adjusting to what it means to feed two people (What? You don’t want cold cereal and fruit for dinner…again?), I also have to adjust to the fact that my tastes and my husband’s tastes only seem to intersect on – you guessed it – unhealthy fare. We both love pizza! And pad thai! And burgers! Oh my.

But when it comes to eating healthfully together, I’m at a loss. We both want to add more fruits and vegetables to our diet, but we are on completely different pages. He likes broccoli, asparagus, and green beans. I like tomatoes, peppers, and eggplant. I’d be happy to whip up the veggie-rich soups and salads that fed me through my single days – but he’d be asking where’s the meat?

Last week, it finally dawned on me. The pattern of my culinary success was not merely defined by unhealthy fare; it was also defined by my preference to mix ingredients together in one go – and then wait for the heat to do all the magic.

It was time to unveil our never-before-used slow-cooker.

When I went to the market I piled as much produce as I could fit into the grocery cart – some produce I love, some my husband loves, some I figured we both needed to try (like kale. Everyone's talking about kale). I also made sure to pick up some lean protein – mostly chicken, but also a little bit of ground beef (next time we’ll try ground turkey).

The first recipe I tried was spicy chicken burritos, which basically required putting sliced chicken breast into the pot with chicken broth, sweet bell peppers, zucchini, tomatoes, and spicy taco sauce. I modified the recipe a bit, replacing chicken bouillon granules with low-sodium chicken broth and the green taco sauce with a spicy Tex-Mex inspired sauce my husband and I had in our cupboard. I added sliced squash and a few sprigs of kale (because everyone’s talking about kale). We added the mixture and a little bit of salsa (and yes, just a little bit of cheese) to our tortillas. The result? Delicious and filling chicken burritos! We felt pretty good about the meal, but because the Tex-Mex sauce was a bit high in sugar and sodium, next time I think I’ll swap that out for lime juice, cilantro leaves, and diced jalapenos. I'll also try replacing the instant rice with less starchy brown rice.

I won’t bore you with the details of the other (fairly experimental) recipes I’ve tried, but I will fill you in on what I’ve learned in the last week:

• Slow-cookers are easy to use and don’t require a lot of ingredients: Chop up your veggies, slice your lean protein, grab your broth and spices, and voila! Set it and forget it. Aside from the obvious benefit of dumping ingredients into a pot and walking away for 8 hours, the best part of the slow-cooker is that you don’t need a lot of fancy ingredients or a complex recipe to make a delicious meal.
• Slow-cookers make tender meat: My mother-in-law also makes tender meat, but she has a few years on me in culinary craft. While I learn the art of meat tenderizing, our slow-cooker can provide back-up. Slow-cooker, you just earned your right to a permanent spot on the countertop.
• Preparing veggie-loaded meals made me more mindful of veggies: I found that as I chopped vegetables for the slow-cooker, the very act of chopping – being mindful of the colors, the smells, the textures– made me think more positively of the vegetables. When I returned to the fridge later for a snack, the carrots and peppers I had chopped that morning seemed like a good mid-afternoon snack, too.
• Slow-cookers allow you to cook with new veggies without committing to eating them: My husband wrinkled his nose at the kale and the peppers that I added to our burrito mixture, but the chicken that he ate sat in their veggie juices all day long. Likewise, the veggies sat in the chicken juices all day long - so to him, it was a win-win. The veggies he ate didn't taste quite as terrible as he had envisioned. Plus, he could obtain (some of) the nutritional value of the veggies even if he picked them out (and gave them to me - yum!).
• Using a food processor reduced my stress and increased my enjoyment of cooking: Knowing that all I had to do was chop and prepare allowed me to take my time and not worry about planning everything out just so – one component of home cooking that usually makes me feel anxious.
• My daily increase of fruits and veggies had immediate health effects: Even after one week I feel like I have more energy, am drinking less coffee in the morning, and am sleeping better at night. I even think my pasty winter complexion has improved!

Do I think I’ll give up learning to cook in favor of slow-cooker meals? No - that would be a disappointment to my loved ones (I'm not even talking about my husband - almost every dear  friend gifted us with books of healthy recipes and/or cookware for our wedding). But I do think that experimenting with time-saving, stress-reducing food processors is allowing me to slowly immerse myself into the joyful world of mindful food preparation – and is helping to build my confidence for future culinary endeavors.

Reed Dunn, Senior Recruitment Marketing Manager

When you are a runner or becoming a runner, brand loyalty is something you just have to let go of.

That wasn’t an easy concept for me, as I thought I knew which shoes were best for me. Those shoes resulted in a black toenail, partly because they were a size too small. I didn’t realize I was running for several months without enough toe box room, because, well, I didn’t really understand the importance of the toe box. Or arch support. Or flexibility.

I just knew what I thought felt right. I was wrong.

Many runners with much more experience had told me I should go to a running store and get evaluated. I thought this seemed a bit excessive, since I already had made my new shoe purchase after completing an in-store self evaluation by jogging on the treadmill and jumping up and down in the shoes.

All I had done was bump up a size in the same exact shoe that had caused my first black toenail. But I thought everything was perfect. The shoes felt great, I ran my first half marathon in them, and I was certain I had found my forever shoe. Then the outer edge of my left foot started feeling sharp pains when I ran distances beyond a 5K.

Knowing my latest running goal involves completing five half marathons in 2012 (maybe I shouldn’t be committing to this in a published forum), I knew it was beyond time to take the advice of those more-skilled runners and get myself into a store that would complete a full evaluation of my stride, arch and other elements that help determine the shoes that would be best for me.

I had held off because I was certain this was going to result in a $250 shoe purchase that may or may not resolve my ongoing issues. Or result in new issues.

When I walked in and greeted the sales team at the store, they immediately got me started on the evaluation. For those of you who haven’t done this, it’s very high tech and would have been worth the $250 I was expecting to pay for the “perfect” shoes for me.

Upon completing the 10-minute evaluation – I wiggled my feet, ran barefoot for a few minutes on a treadmill and rocked back and forth and side to side on cushioned pads – the in-store evaluator informed me of my high arches and consulted with another sales member to get a few pairs of shoes for me to try. He showed me on a touch-screen monitor (that always makes it seem fancy and official) where my weak spots were and where I was pounding the ground hardest.

Price was not discussed. I was certain that was a sure sign I’d be dipping deep into my bank account.

After trying on half a dozen pairs, including four different brands, I had a better understanding of how the shoes should feel. I had a better feel for what would be an appropriate toe box for my foot, and I felt confident I was going to end up with a pair of shoes that would treat me better than my previous purchases.

As I walked to the counter, I was surprised to learn this shoe purchase was not going to be $250. Evaluation included, I was walking away with a pair of shoes that were just less than $80. I did almost double my purchase price by adding a pair of custom insoles that, weeks later, I can say have dramatically helped my running.

As I prepare for my first half marathon of 2012 this weekend in New Orleans, I’m feeling confident I’m running in the right shoes. I’m not sure they are my forever brand or style, but they’re working out much better for me than any previous pair I’ve tried. Thanks to the in-store evaluation, I’m even thinking much more about how I’m running and am more aware of how my feet feel with each step.

Reed Dunn is senior recruitment marketing manager at Alere Wellbeing. He discovered a passion for running, completed his first half marathon in December 2011 in Las Vegas, and now is working toward new running goals. Read more of his running tips.

Sandi Kaplan, MS, RD, Associate Director, Clinical Development & Support

March is almost here. The daffodils outside my front door are getting ready to bloom and the kids and I are discussing seed choices for our raised vegetable bed. So it has been fun to see some fascinating gardening-related articles in the headlines. I've had read a little about how beneficial gardening can be from physical, mental, and emotional perspectives. But I had no idea that there is a burgeoning field called “horticultural therapy” which is researching the benefits of gardens in a wide variety of settings including prisons, secure mental health facilities and residential programs for troubled teens.

There are many obvious benefits to gardening either alone or in a group – we get the health benefits of physical activity when we garden and we also tend to eat more nutritiously when we harvest our own fruits and vegetables. Research has shown that gardening also provides cognitive benefits – enhanced mood, less anxiety and depression and improved concentration.

There are other benefits that are present when we garden together with others. It teaches cooperation and social skills and also builds a sense of social support and reduces feelings of loneliness and isolation.

One of the key pieces that is discussed in “horticultural therapy” is the phenomenon of hope. The ability to hope (believe in the possibility of a better future) is based on qualities like a sense of personal competence, an ability to cope and having a purpose in life. The very action of planting a seed in the soil requires hope. The research is showing that, for many people who feel hopeless, this involvement in gardening can encourage a sense of hope and healthy forward movement in life.

So how exciting, in the context of all of this research, to see a recent article on Seattle’s Food Forest.

The Food Forest is the first in the country and is set to break ground this summer. A seven acre plot of land will be planted with hundreds of different kinds of edibles: fruit and nut trees, berry bushes, vegetables, herbs and more. Anyone will be able to help with the planting as well as wander into the public park and eat whatever is available.

The planners have taken the whole environment into account so that soil, chosen plants, insects and bugs will be mutually beneficial and create a self-sustaining, perennial forest. The planners have also worked very hard to recruit community support and take the community’s design wishes into account.

I imagine that communities around the country will be copying this project in no time. Of course there are some anticipated challenges: What if one person takes all of the berries? What if the forest attracts many homeless people? But I think there is a bigger question – what if this forest provides “horticultural therapy” to a whole community? I think that’s worth taking a chance on.

Reed Dunn, Senior Recruitment Marketing Manager

I’m a guy, so it should be no surprise I don’t stop for directions.

Driving around lost is a little different from running around lost, as I learned this week. While I should be at least slightly ashamed to admit this, I got lost while out on my mid-week run.

My plan was to set out from my apartment and clock a nice five- or six-mile run. When I was about two miles into one of my standard routes, I decided to veer off course and check out a different trail. This was a bad idea, especially in the dark.

Within the next mile, I realized I had no idea where I was – aside from inside the city limits of Seattle. I could see the downtown skyline and other important landmarks. While I wasn’t completely lost from all civilization, I realized there was no way I would be landing back at my starting point without adding somewhat significant mileage to my original plan. There was also now way I’d be turning around, which, you know, would have made too much sense. So I carried on from there.

That normally would be an OK thing, except I had no water or refueling snacks with me. I had my iPod, keys to my apartment, and three whole dollars. I realized that money could be used to take a bus back to near my home base, but there was no way I would know what bus to take. I don’t know a thing about the routes in that neighborhood, whichever one I was in at that moment. I was constantly staring at my Garmin watch to see how far I was going. My pace was all over the place. My heart rate was abnormal.

But I ran on, guiding myself back toward the downtown skyline and further away from the much closer University of Washington campus where I was located at this point. I tried to convince myself this was a good accident, especially considering I feel at least one short run behind schedule in planning for the upcoming Rock ’n’ Roll Half Marathon in New Orleans.

I passed my six-mile point. Then seven. Then eight. I was nearing my neighborhood by this time, but I hadn’t had any water or electrolytes to refuel my body. I still felt OK, though I knew that wouldn’t translate well later in the evening. My legs, inevitably, would cramp from lack of hydration.

It’s not like I was going to be completely left to the wolves. I did have three bucks, should I really need to barter for a bottle of water.

I got back to my apartment after wandering around new-to-me parts of the city having clocked right at nine miles. It was almost like I’d planned it, except I hadn’t at all.

Getting the extra mileage into my total was a good thing, but I learned my lesson. Not having a solid route planned on other days when I wasn’t so hydrated – I had taken in five large glasses of water throughout the day leading up to this run – would have ended much more terribly.

Having a plan allows me to know my pace, know where I’m going, stay hydrated, and perhaps most important, know the quickest path home.

Reed Dunn is senior recruitment marketing manager at Alere Wellbeing. He discovered a passion for running, completed his first half marathon in December 2011 in Las Vegas, and now is working toward new running goals.

Marie Gahler, Senior Manager, Weight and Nutrition Education Services

February is American Heart Health Month, a time to realize how prevalent and deadly heart disease is and learn whether our behaviors have us on the track to health or on the track to disease. On Valentine’s Day, we often think about our hearts in an abstract, romantic way, but it’s also a great time to take stock in our lifestyle and think about how our daily decisions affect our physical heart – the most important muscle in our body.

Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death in the United States; one in every three deaths is from heart disease and stroke, equal to 2,200 deaths per day. Though you may not have heart disease, many of us know someone who does or did and realize how devastating a disease it can be. For me it was my father who had high blood pressure and arthrosclerosis and died in his mid 60’s – an age that is not that far off for some of us.

As is the case with many health conditions, our genes do make a difference in our likelihood for developing heart disease. But there’s good news - there are many lifestyle behaviors that contribute significantly to the health of our heart and circulatory system. These behaviors mean that we actually have a significant amount of control over our heart health. For the first time, the American Heart Association has defined what it means to have ideal cardiovascular health, identifying seven health and behavior factors that impact health and quality of life. We know that even simple, small changes can make a big difference in living a better life.

Known as “Life’s Simple 7,” these steps can help add years to your life:

1. Don’t smoke
2. Maintain a healthy weight
3. Engage in regular physical activity
4. Eat a healthy diet
5. Manage blood pressure
6. Take charge of cholesterol
7. Keep blood sugar, or glucose, at healthy levels

As an Alere Wellbeing employee, it certainly feels good to know our programs address each of these 7 areas. Every day we talk with people who are working towards meeting these goals and we are able to help them. In September 2011 the Department of Health and Human Services launched the Million HeartsTM initiative that aims to prevent 1 million heart attacks and strokes in the U.S. over the next five years. They intend to do this by:

• Empowering Americans to make healthy choices such as avoiding tobacco use and reducing the amount of sodium and trans fat they eat. These changes will reduce the number of people who need medical treatment for high blood pressure or cholesterol—and ultimately prevent heart attacks and strokes.
• Improving care for people who do need treatment by encouraging a focus on the "ABCS"—Aspirin for people at risk, Blood pressure control, Cholesterol management, and Smoking cessation—four steps to address the major risk factors for cardiovascular disease and help to prevent heart attacks and strokes.

This second point – treatment - is something we as Alere employees can help with too. We commonly encourage our participants to follow all doctors’ orders. Many individuals with high blood pressure and high cholesterol don’t follow doctor’s orders and fail to take their medication or monitor their blood pressure. At our suggestion we can aid in making sure they understand the importance of getting regular medical treatment and taking all prescribed medication.

For more information on Alere Wellbeing's products and services,  visit www.alerewellbeing.com/our-services

Sandi Kaplan, MS, RD, Associate Director, Clinical Development & Support

My first grader is a sporty kid and so we move through the seasons with a variety of sports leagues. Coaches change, teams vary but one thing stays the same – the post-game snacks provided for the kids. They are consistently high in added sugars. Does a 45-minute, fast-paced basketball game really necessitate the provision of fruit juice, fruit roll ups, and dried fruit chips? At first glance, these seem like nutritious choices, but eating them all together means a lot of added sugar.

Drs. Robert H. Lustig, Laura A. Schmidt, and Claire D. Brindis have plenty to say about added sugar in the American diet. They are actually calling for added sugars (sucrose and high fructose corn syrup) to be regulated by governments in similar ways to tobacco and alcohol so that public health is protected.

That’s a highly controversial statement, so let’s take a look at the evidence they provide.

In 2003, four widely accepted criteria were adopted that justify government regulation of alcohol:

• Unavoidability (or pervasive throughout society)
• Toxicity
• Potential for abuse
• Negative impact on society

It’s not too hard to see how sugar meets these criteria, especially the first. In America today, sugar is added to nearly all processed foods and beverages – it is pervasive in our food supply.

Is it toxic? There is good evidence to suggest that consuming too much sugar is linked to high blood pressure, high triglycerides, insulin resistance and Type 2 diabetes. This is partly because sugar is adding excess, non-nutritious calories to the diet, promoting weight gain. In addition, sucrose and high fructose corn syrup increase uric acid which raises blood pressure. They also need to be metabolized by the liver and if too much is eaten, can actually cause fatty liver – a disease that is also caused by excessive alcohol consumption. A recent study also showed that added sugar consumption may cardiovascular risk factors because it increases visceral fat, the kind that accumulates around internal organs.

Can sugar be abused? There are now several studies that show that humans can become physically dependent on sugar. Sugar can mess with the functioning of our appetite hormones, grehlin and leptin, so we feel hungrier and are not satisfied as easily when we do eat. Sugar also plays havoc with dopamine signals in the brain. It reduces dopamine signaling in the brain’s reward center,  making us want to eat more so we can experience more pleasure from the food.

Does excessive sugar intake have a negative impact on society? Well, if we look at the US costs to deal with metabolic syndrome (that cluster of high blood pressure, high triglycerides and high blood sugar), the numbers are staggering. $150 billion annually on health care resources alone!

So, if we agree that sugar intake meets the criteria for government regulation, then how do we reduce sugar consumption on a national level?

Drs. Lustig, Schmidt, and Brindis have good ideas modeled on successful tobacco and alcohol interventions. They are proposing taxes on any processed foods that contain added sugars and would ideally like to ban television commercials for products with added sugar that are geared towards children. They propose tightening licensing requirements on vending machines and snack bars that sell sugary products in schools and workplaces. There is a strong sugar lobby that will make these kind of changes difficult – but not impossible -as proven by tobacco and alcohol interventions.

Whether or not you agree with these ideas, it does make logical sense to look at your own level of added sugar consumption. The American Heart Association recommends limiting added sugars to no more than 100 calories per day for women and no more than 150 calories per day for men. Remember that there is absolutely no health or nutritional benefit to added sugars, so the less the better. Take a look at your food labels, read ingredient lists and stay away from added sugars as much as you can.