The Sugar Challenge: A Sweet Way to Increase Employee Wellness
In 2019, workplace wellness programs are going to encompass more than just health.
They will also include financial well-being initiatives and efforts to increase employee emotional health. We have a challenge that combines all three aspects — the No Sugar Challenge. Once a year, Businessolver employees can take part in this two-week challenge that eliminates added sugar, only allowing naturally occurring sugar in fruits and vegetables in their diets.
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Sugar by any other name is just as bad
Cutting all added sugar can seem easy, but it’s actually quite a difficult challenge. Sugar can come in many different shapes, sizes, and, most importantly, names. Sugar is not just the white table sugar you add in your coffee and tea in the morning but can in fact lurk in many different foods you may not expect. One reason Americans consume so much excess sugar is due to consuming processed foods with high amounts of added sugar with names such as, dextrose, sucrose, saccharin, and glucose to name a few.
Excess sugar leads to health problems
Consuming excess sugar is linked to weight gain, an increase risk of heart disease and diabetes, low energy or energy crashes, and may even be a contributing factor to depression and increased tension levels. By cutting out added sugar, employees are more focused on eating a balanced diet full of healthy foods which can help cut down on eating out and or eating quick processed foods, saving employees money in the long run and teaching them valuable skills such as reading labels and making healthier decisions based on ingredients.
Reaping rewards for higher emotional happiness
By helping employees understand what’s in the food they consume every day, this challenge is able to help them make better decisions when it comes to choosing what they eat. If employees complete this 14-day challenge they are rewarded with 4 hours of “healthy day” credits which they can use to take a break from work, extend a vacation, or take a mental health day for relaxation and rejuvenation.
This challenge is a great example of how employers can increase wellness participation by creating a challenge that whole teams can get behind. We see many employees pairing up with partners to complete this challenge for encouragement and moral support. Overall it’s a win/win!
If you want to learn more about increasing employee well-being download our e-book below, From Wellness To Wellbeing: Three Top Techniques for HR Pros that Get Results.
