The Nipmuc Sugar Challenge

On April 2nd, 9th and 10th grade students had the opportunity to view the documentary “Fed Up.” (www.FedUpMovie.com), sponsored by our Health Services Office.  Kristin Gauthier, our School Nurse provides the following description of the presentation:

 

"Fed Up" is narrated by Katie Couric, and blows the lid off everything we thought we knew about food and exercise.  Exposing the hidden truths contributing to one of the largest health epidemics in history, the film follows a group of families battling to lead healthier lives and reveals why the conventional wisdom of exercise and eat right is not ringing true for millions of people struggling with diabetes, childhood obesity and other serious conditions. Including captivating interviews with the country's leading experts, this vital information could change the way we eat forever. Following the film, Gail Sauter, a holistic health coach from our community  led a brief discussion and presented an optional 10 Day No Sugar Challenge to students.  

 

Fed Up trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aCUbvOwwfWM

 

During the Nipmuc Sugar Challenge, students and staff were encouraged to eat whole foods that do not contain any added sugars.  It's amazing what foods contain hidden sugar!  Feedback from students and staff suggests that many opted to take on this challenge, including all of us in the Counseling Center!


Here in the Counseling Center, we support students in many areas of their lives, with a strong focus on emotional health and well being.  We often find ourselves helping students to understand the many factors that contribute to emotional and physical health.  We knew participating in the Sugar Challenge would be a great opportunity to focus on the link between a healthy diet and mental health.  As the Sugar Challenge winds down, we've learned that we feel better, we have more energy and we've noticed fewer sugar cravings as the week has gone on. Some of us have even noticed more restful and better sleep!  If you would like to read more about the connection between sugar and brain function, including mental health, please view this link:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/04/06/sugar-brain-mental-health_n_6904778.html

Our School Nurse, Ms. Gauthier, has also provided a number of great resources and tips to support students and families who are interested in taking on the Sugar Challenge and these are listed below.

FOR FAMILIES

 

1.The Fed Up Challenge for Families Courtesy of The Kids Cook Monday:

 

Cooking meals at home is a great way to keep an eye on how much sugar your family is eating. Getting kids involved in grocery shopping and meal preparation helps them learn more about making healthy choices and will equip them with the skills they’ll need to continue to eat healthfully as adults. Here are some tips for participating in the challenge as a family:

2.Declare your home a whine-free zone.

 

Be clear that going fully sugar-free for 10 days is a short-term experiment to help your family learn more about sugar. Designate a chalkboard or large piece of poster board as the place to showcase all the healthy and delicious things you’re enjoying instead of sugar. Every time anyone complains, they have to add something new to the list!

3.Take a family outing to the grocery store.

 

Spend some time looking at the foods you usually buy and read their ingredients labels together. Do you see sugar or hidden sugars on those labels? Brainstorm the types of products you might buy instead. For example, instead of sweetened yogurt, give plain yogurt and fresh berries a try.

4.Create a healthy snack box.

Together, decide what your go-to healthy snacks will be, such as low-fat string cheese and fruit. Then, fill a box in the refrigerator with your new favorites and declare it the healthy-snacking zone. Take the opportunity to talk to your kids about the difference between snacking out of hunger versus snacking out of boredom.

5.Commit to cooking together.

 

Getting their hands dirty in the kitchen one of the best ways for kids to learn about making healthy choices. Commit to cooking together at least once a week and enjoying family meals together as often as possible by taking The Kids Cook Monday Family Dinner Pledge. By taking the pledge, you’ll sign up for The Kids Cook Monday newsletter, which delivers an easy, healthy recipe and other fun tools to help the whole family enjoy the cooking process every week.

6.Celebrate with a healthy options.

 

When you make it through the 10 days of the challenge, don’t celebrate with an all-out sugar fest. Instead, select a healthy no-sugar recipe, and cook it together. As a family, talk about how occasional treats like this can be part of your healthy diets.

 

7.Keep the challenge going.

 

To help your family keep their sugar habits in check long-term, consider making the challenge ongoing. Since Mondays are the days people are most open to making healthy changes, challenge your family to go sugar-free every Monday. At dinner that night, ask each family member what healthy foods they chose to eat instead and if the challenge helped them learn about any new products containing hidden sugars.

 

Feel free to follow some of these tips and keep the challenge strong!