Sign up to be a part of Energy Up!’s Annual Sugar Shocktober. This five day nationwide in-school health and wellness campaign is scheduled for the week before Halloween, October 22 - October 26, 2012 in conjunction with Food Day and Life's Sweeter with Fewer Sugary Drinks Challenge initiative, "Pour One Out"

Last year over 2,500 students, teachers and school faculty in private and public schools in the tri-state area participated in Energy Up!’s Annual Sugar Shocktober outreach event. The program’s goal is to educate students, teachers and faculty about the harmful health impact of Sugar Sweetened Beverages (SBB’s) and to empower them to choose healthy beverage alternatives like water.

For five days, students and faculty ‘chose to be sugar savvy’ by taking our “5 Day Sugar Sweetened Beverages (SSB) Free Pledge”, promoting awareness of the dangerous effects of sugar, eliminating Sugar Sweetened Beverages from the menu, suspending bake sales, participating in more physical activity and drinking more water. The week was wrapped up in a glittery array of fun activities and prizes for all!

This innovative health and wellness program kicks off with students, teachers and faculty learning to calculate how much added sugar is in their favorite foods and beverages through Energy Up!‘s popular branded educational tool, Energy Up! Sugar Shock.

Energy Up! provides ideas on healthy beverage alternatives and encourages everyone on campus to take Energy Up!‘s 5 Day SSB Free Pledge. Colorful Energy Up! “Choose To Be Sugar Savvy” posters and flyers promote awareness and support efforts to change behaviors. Prizes and giveaways make it fun to participate!

Participating schools agree to eliminate Sugar Sweetened beverages (SSB’s) from school menus and vending machines throughout the week to make it easier for participants to reach their goals. Additionally, students, teachers and faculty receive the tools, inspiration and encouragement they need to eliminate SSB’s from their daily diet at energyup.org

Sign up to be a part of Energy Up!’s Annual Sugar Shocktober. This five day nationwide in-school health and wellness campaign is scheduled for the week before Halloween, October 22 - October 29, 2012. When you eliminate Sugar Sweetened Beverages (SSB’s) such as soft drinks, fruit juices, chocolate milk and sports drinks in your school, you’re improving the well-being of your students, faculty and staff.

Join the Energy Up! “Choose To Be Sugar Savvy” School Movement today! Be a part of this historic health and wellness program by taking the first step to improving the overall health of your school or organization!

1. Soda contains zero nutrients, and is high in calories and sugar. Studies show a strong link between soda consumption and childhood obesity.

2. Soda suppresses the appetite so kids are less likely to eat nourishing foods. Soda drinkers are less likely to get the recommended levels of vitamin A, calcium, and magnesium.

3. Phosphorus, a common ingredient in soda, can deplete bones of calcium. Girls who drink more soda are more prone to broken bones. Doctors are becoming concerned about the health impact of carbonated beverage consumption on teenaged girls.

4. Studies show a direct link between tooth decay and soda. Not only does the sugar cause cavities, the acids in soda etch off tooth enamel. Acid can begin to dissolve tooth enamel in only 20 minutes. Dentists are reporting complete loss of the enamel on the front teeth in teenaged boys and girls who habitually drink sodas.

5. Caffeine is known to create physical dependence and upsets the normal balance of neurochemistry in the developing brains of children. Caffeine stimulates the adrenal gland without providing the nourishment it needs. In large amounts, caffeine can lead to adrenal exhaustion, especially in children. Colas contain 35 to 38 milligrams of caffeine per 12-ounce can. Diet colas often contain a lot more. A can of Pepsi One has about 56 milligrams of caffeine. Mountain Dew, Mello Yellow, Sun Drop, Jolt, Barq’s Root Beer, and Sunkist Orange soda all contain caffeine. Sprite, 7-Up, ginger ale, and many brands of root beer are caffeine-free.

6. Drinking a lot of soda every day can lead to blood sugar disorders, including diabetes.

7. Aspartame, used in diet sodas, is a potent brain toxin and endocrine disrupter.

8. Citric acid, often found in soda, may contain traces of MSG. MSG is another potent brain toxin. The artificial flavors found in soda may also contain traces of MSG.

9. Drinking sodas regularly can upset the fragile, acid-alkaline balance of the stomach, creating a continuous acid environment. This prolonged acid
environment can lead to inflammation of the stomach and duodenal lining, which can be quite painful.

10. Sodas act as dehydrating diuretics, much like tea, coffee and alcohol, and can inhibit proper digestive function.

Reprinted from healthychild. (healthychild.com)

Energy Up!, the leader of the “Choose To Be Sugar Savvy” School Movement (www.energyup.org) aims to help you to improve the overall health of your school’s student body with a proven and successful health and wellness in-school campaign called ‘Sugar Shocktober.’ ‘Choose to Be Sugar Savvy’ and enroll YOUR SCHOOL, ORGANIZATION, CHURCH AND/OR CORPORATION in Energy Up!’s Sugar Savvy Shocktober 2012 Program.

SUGAR SHOCKTOBER PROGRAM GUIDELINES/SUGGESTIONS:

SUGAR SHOCK DEMONSTRATIONS: Students, teachers and faculty learn how to sugar shock their favorite drinks to see the alarming amounts of sugar in sports drinks, fruit juices and super size sodas using Energy Up! branded materials.

5 DAY SUGAR SWEETENED BEVERAGES (SSB) FREE PLEDGE: Students, teachers and staff are encouraged to read aloud Energy Up!'s 5 Day SSB Free Pledge in their homeroom/advisory every morning during the week of October 24 - 26, 2012. Schools have the option to purchase customized Energy Up! “Choose To Be Sugar Savvy” banners or download generic versions of banners to prominently display in their school. Students, faculty and staff should be encouraged to sign their names to the banner.

POUR ONE OUT ON FOOD DAY: Host a Pour One Out event on Food Day! Coordinate with a few friends, a club or business, or even an entire school to make a video pouring out sugary drinks in a fun, creative way on or around October 24th and post it to the Pour One Out event page on Facebook found here. Check out our sample video below to give you some ideas.

HOST AN SSB FREE SCHOOL RALLY: Challenge your students, faculty and teachers to take and say in unison the 5 Day SSB Free Pledge and sign Energy Up!’s “Choose To Be Sugar Savvy” Banner

SSB FREE MENU REQUEST: School principals submit cafeteria requests to school food department to remove all Sugar Sweetened Beverages (SSB's) from school menu for one week (October 24 -26, 2012) Participating school cafeterias agree not to sell any Sugar Sweetened Beverages (SSB’s) including chocolate milk, fruit juices, soda, Vitamin Water, Snapple Ice Tea and/or any other sugar sweetened beverages during the week of October 22- 26, 2012.

MAKE TAP WATER ACCESSIBLE in your school and school cafeteria and promote it

AFTER SCHOOL SNACK REQUEST: Principals agree to eliminate Sugar Sweetened Beverages (SSB’s) from After School programs snacks during the week of October 22-26, 2012.

SHUT DOWN VENDING MACHINES: Principals agree to shut down vending machines and cover with “I Choose To Be Sugar Savvy” posters during the week of October 22- 26, 2012.

SUSPEND BAKE SALES: Principals suspend any fundraising involving sugar sweetened beverages and food products including cupcakes, cookies, candy and sports drinks and sodas during the week of October 22- 26, 2012.

INVOLVE FACULTY: Encourage all faculty and staff to abstain from conspicuous consumption of Sugar Sweetened Beverages (SSB’s) on school campus during the week of October 22- 26, 2012.

GET YOUR ENERGY UP!: Add quick bursts of physical activity to student and faculty’s lives with fun ideas provided by Energy Up!

BE LOUD & PROUD: Display Energy Up! Sugar Shocktober posters (Sugar Savvy Zone, Choose To Be Sugar Savvy, Energy Up! Affirmations and the 5 Day SSB Free Pledge) Post Pledge flyers on doors, walls and hallways

MAKE IT FUN: Host in-school Energy Up! Sugar Shocktober poster and video contests. Students design posters and/or write and produce Public Service Announcements (PSA’s) videos promoting awareness of the excessive amounts of sugar found in popular Sugar Sweetened Beverages (SSB’s). Posters and videos can also promote drinking water rather soda, sweet teas and chocolate milk, etc. and/or pouring out Sugar
Sweetened Beverages (SSB’s). *** NOTE TO PERRY: Please show examples of this from last year’s Summer Camps

GET INSPIRED: America’s Top Energy Conductor, Kathie Dolgin aka ‘High Voltage,’ and her creative team ensures your program’s success by providing colorful graphics, delicious alternatives to sugar sweetened beverages, words of encouragement and ideas for incentives!

SPREAD THE WORD: Like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter and encourage your students and faculty to do the same

Join our growing list of organizations, institutes and government agencies that have already signed on to Energy Up! Sugar Shocktober program...