Proven sugar and alcohol programs
for employee wellness
Self-paced behavior-change courses for organizations, public employers and benefit trusts. Vermont public school employees have completed them more than 8,000 times since 2020.
Since 2020
offered statewide to Vermont public school employees through the Vermont Education Health Initiative (VEHI)
8,000+
course completions
96-99%
have recommended Breaking Free from Sugar, every year on record
Most wellness platforms are good at steps, sleep, and stress. Sugar and alcohol get a tip sheet, if anything. They're also personal habits, and most people would rather not talk them through with a coworker. And yet, their misuse is the leading cause of chronic disease. These programs give your members a private, judgment-free way to take a closer look.
Take a Break from Alcohol
A five-week program for anyone curious about their relationship with alcohol, whether they want to try a dry month or simply cut back. Short weekly videos and reflection prompts help members notice their own patterns and try alternatives, without labels or pressure to quit forever. Basically, it’s a guided (and optional supported) Dry January or Sober October that can happen during any month.
This program is offered two ways:
self-paced through an online (and mobile) gamified platform, or,
as a structured cohort with live coaching.
5 weeks · Trainings released each week
“Purposefully going a long period of time really showed me
how little I need alcohol and how much
better my body feels without it.” - Participant 2025
ReThinking Sugar
The starting point. Members learn what sugar does in the body, where it hides in everyday food, and why cutting back is harder than willpower alone can handle. It works for people who "could probably eat less" as well as those who know they have a problem.
This program is offered two ways:
as a 75-minute presentation or Lunch & Learn, or
as a self-paced through an online (and mobile) gamified platform.
Self-paced · one week · prerequisite for Breaking Free from Sugar
“This course opened my eyes to some of the issues I
have been having with my health, and how
sugar and starch are a big part of the problem.” - Participant 2023
Quit Sugar Bootcamp
(aka Breaking Free from Sugar)
The hands-on follow-up to ReThinking Sugar. Members spend a week preparing (clearing the pantry, planning for cravings) and then take a structured break from added sugar, with strategies for social events and a plan for what comes after. Includes recipes, meal planning, and reflection prompts)
This program is offered two ways:
self-paced through an online (and mobile) gamified platform, or,
as a structured cohort with live coaching.
2-week version and 4- week versions available - lessons released several times per week
“I have a new awareness of sugar: its impact on my life,
my health, and that I don’t need anywhere
near as much as I thought I did.” - Participant 2021
5-Day Cravings Reset
(aka 5-Day Breakfast Makeover)
A short, low-commitment entry point. Over five days, members rework breakfast to steady their blood sugar and notice how it changes their cravings for the rest of the day. Includes interactive workbook with journal prompts and 18 recipes.
Self-paced · 5 days - Trainings released daily, directly to email inbox (no platform login required)
"Our organization runs a statewide wellness program with over 12,000 active participants. We've been offering Andy's programs for five years — starting with sugar, adding alcohol cessation, and now expanding further. Our participants love these courses, and we regularly hear that taking one has been life-changing. Andy is professional, meets deadlines, and always brings the most current research. We've genuinely enjoyed working with her."
— Amy Gilbert
CWPM Wellness Program Coordinator, VSBIT Wellness
You choose the programs. I handle the build.
01
Choose your programs.
Start with one or offer the full set. ReThinking Sugar and Breaking Free from Sugar are designed to run as a two-step pathway.
02
Pick where they live.
I can build the courses into your own learning platform, or host your participants on my platform. The platform I use is Xperiencify, which is a gamified learning platform that uses best practices in learning design and is excellent for self-paced learning.
03
Launch.
You get ready-to-send announcement copy so your team isn't writing promotions from scratch.
04
See the results.
Every program ends with a short participant survey, and you receive a summary of what members said and what they plan to change.
What's included
Course setup on your platform or mine
Research-inspired multi-media curricula including videos, worksheets, and reflection prompts
A curated list of research and resources in each course
Announcement and reminder copy for your members
End-of-course survey and an annual results summary
Works with your wellness points or incentive program
Every number below comes from end-of-course surveys of Vermont public school employees in the 2025–26 school year, unless noted.
Program
What participants reported
Take a Break From Alcohol
93% would recommend it. Among members drinking 4–7 nights a week, 98% planned to cut back (2024–25).
Breaking Free from Sugar
98% would recommend it, and 93% said they cut back on sugar.
ReThinking Sugar
93% found it useful, and 77% intend to eat less sugar.
"I liked that there was no shaming or pressure about drinking. Just facts and ideas on why you may be consuming alcohol."
— Take a Break From Alcohol participant
How is it priced?
Each program has a fixed, all-in price that covers setup and launch materials. Updates to content are quoted separately when the knowledge base in this evolving field needs updating. Pricing depends on organization size, and starts at 10k.
Do we need our own learning platform?
No. If you have one, I'll build the courses into it so members never leave your system. If you don't, members get access on my course platform, Xperiencify.
Can we tie participation to our incentive program?
Yes. You can offer members wellness points for completing each course and its survey. Participation and completion data is submitted annually (or quarterly if requested).
What if our members don't drink, or don't think sugar is a problem for them?
That's a large share of who signs up. In 2025–26, 45% of ReThinking Sugar participants said they didn't have a big issue with sugar but could probably eat less. Some Take a Break From Alcohol participants enrolled to understand a family member's drinking.
Is the content evidence-based?
Each course draws on published research on nutrition, alcohol, and habit change, and links participants to the sources and further reading.
What happens to participant responses?
Worksheets and reflection exercises are completed by downloading docs or PDFs. No personal data is kept on the platform. Activity completion is noted by self-reported action buttons on the platform.
Can the programs be customized?
Yes. Many aspects of the programs can be customized for your organization’s learning platform (or mine), including branding, leadership welcome video, timing of cohorts, and topic inclusions.
Are the videos captioned?
Program videos are not currently captioned but can be. Transcripts are also available upon request.
I'm Andrea (Andy) Grayson, EdD, founder of Create Change Lab. I've spent more than 15 years in Vermont prevention work, and I teach in the University of Vermont's MPH program at the Larner College of Medicine. I'm also the author of The Sweet Tooth Dilemma.
Even though I had been working in public health for years, the powerful social and biological pulls of both sugar and alcohol kept me dependent (and in denial) for decades. The experience of overcoming those dependencies shapes every program: practical, honest about how hard change is, and free of shame.
Let's see if it's a fit
Tell me about your members and what you're already offering. In 20 minutes, we can figure out whether one of these programs fills a gap, and if it doesn't, I'll say so.
© 2026 Create Change Lab, LLC - All Rights Reserved - Privacy Policy