Alere Health Announces Return of Celebrity Chef Carla Hall to Share Top Tips on Affordable, Nutritious Meals

ATLANTA, June 6, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Alere Health is announcing the return of Carla Hall, Bravo's Top Chef finalist, recently signed co-host of ABC's upcoming TV show The Chew, and advocate for healthy and balanced food, to the AHIP's Institute 2011 conference in San Francisco, Calif., June 15-17, 2011. Carla will offer cooking demonstrations, recipes and tips for living healthier, more nutritious lifestyles, with special consideration toward those living with diabetes. 

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"We are providing tools to help employers and individuals empower themselves to become more involved in their overall health," says Tom Underwood, CEO of Alere Health. "It's an obvious alignment to partner with Carla since she shares our vision to lead better, healthier lifestyles."

According to Underwood, increasingly, diabetes is crossing all levels of the demographic spectrum.   "About 2% to 10% of expectant moms have gestational diabetes and those who do, have up to a 60% chance of getting type 2 diabetes within 20 years," he says. "Troubling statistics like these, and the need for programs to help anyone with, or at risk for diabetes, is why we are focusing on diabetes at AHIP."

Hall specializes in cooking Southern, comfort foods that are healthy and balanced and infused with French inspirations. She believes a healthy diet and a balanced life starts at home by making nutritious choices that don't break the budget. "People often substitute easy, cheap fast foods and processed meals instead of making healthier choices," says Hall. According to Hall, health and wellness doesn't have to be complicated or inconvenient. She offers five simple steps to help families shop and prepare healthy meals that don't break the budget:

1. Plan! Plan! Plan! Planning doesn't need to be a burdensome chore if done once weekly. By planning meals and sticking to a shopping list, families can avoid unnecessary (and unhealthy) impulse purchases and save time and gas by making fewer shopping trips.

2. Buy in bulk. Buying large amounts of food at wholesale retailers can help families save money. Many communities are partnering with food co-ops that allow participating families to buy groceries once a month in bulk and save as much as 50 percent on grocery bills.

3. Get three or four meals out of one. Planning ahead allows a family to cook one large meal and enjoy it several times throughout the week. A roast chicken on Sunday can be used for quesadillas, chicken salad, tacos, or other meals later in the week.  

4. Avoid processed foods. Using raw materials is more affordable than buying more processed foods and will cut preservatives and additives from a family's diet. Plus, a more natural diet helps to battle off diseases such as diabetes if it runs in your family.

5. "Say 'no' to nothing, say 'yes' to moderation." That's one of Hall's favorite expressions for those seeking to live a healthy lifestyle. It's okay to give in to temptation, but indulge in moderation. Have one scoop of ice cream instead of the bowl or an entire pint. Or have a bowl of fresh fruit, topped with ice cream (as opposed to having it the other way around).

Hall will be sharing tips on eating healthy with natural foods, as well as sharing recipe cards she created exclusively for conference attendees. Alere will host a drawing for several chefs' jackets signed by Carla. Visit Alere Health and meet Carla Hall at booth 401 at the following times:

• Wednesday, June 15 at 5:45 p.m. and 6:30 p.m.
• Thursday, June 16 at 12:30 p.m., 5:15 p.m. and 6:15 p.m.

For more information about the conference, please visit the Institute 2011 website.  

About Carla Hall:

America fell in love with Hall's heart-felt approach as she cooked her way into the finals on season five of the award-winning Bravo show, Top Chef. Today, Carla continues to cook from the heart, and balances her Southern traditions, classic French training, and holistic approach to food as an entertaining expert, and Owner and Executive Chef of Alchemy by Carla Hall in Washington, DC.

About Alere:

Alere Health is the health management services business of Alere Inc. (previously Inverness Medical Innovations). Alere, a Latin verb, meaning "to care for" or "to support", offers the most patient-centered health management services available from a single provider in the industry. Alere provides health interventions that cover an individual's entire lifespan, from pre-cradle to end-of-life care, as well as the continuum from wellness and prevention, to total health management of the individual for those having chronic illnesses. Alere's continuum of services begins with preconception, pregnancy, NICU and first year of life services; continues with lifelong programs focused on health, wellness and the management of chronic conditions such as heart failure, COPD, and asthma, up to the complex care management required in end-of-life care. For more information regarding Alere, please visit www.alere.com.

SOURCE Alere Health, LLC