companion guide
welcome to the 2 1 DAY JUM PSTART CH AL L EN G E ! Welcome to the 21 Day Jumpstart Challenge! We’re extremely excited that you decided to join us on this journey toward better health, and we can’t wait to get started.
Smart Diabetes Solutions developed this challenge for a few reasons: First, transitioning to better health does not happen overnight. We want to work with you during the next 21 days to introduce you to simple, healthy habits and tips that will get you moving in the right direction towards longterm health and well-managed diabetes symptoms. Second, we created the Facebook group so we can all support each other through this challenge. It’s a great place to discuss successes, challenges and ideas for completing the challenge successfully. During our research we came across one amazing fact you might like to know. It came from an article in the May 2005 issue of Fast Company magazine that presented studies conducted with patients who had severe medical conditions that required lifestyle changes in order to live. The study had two groups of patients, one that would go about the lifestyle changes on their own, and the other would go about their lifestyle changes with peer support. The group implementing lifestyle changes without peer support showed only a 10 percent success rate or a 90 percent reversion to their old lifestyles within 12 months! 21 Day Jumpstart Challenge Companion Guide
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So, if you were ever wondering why past diets didn’t work, this statistic could be part of the reason. The second group of patients with peer support showed an 80 percent success rate after 12 months of implementing lifestyle changes.
VS.
Lifestyle change: no peer support 10% success rate
Lifestyle change: with peer support 80% success rate
The Facebook group you joined for the challenge is your peer support system (click here if you still need to join it). It’s there for you to interact with not only the Smart Diabetes Solutions team, but also your peers who are going through the same thing you are and need your support as much as you need theirs. Finally, the 21 Day Jumpstart Challenge is for you to gain confidence in your ability to alter the way you eat, adjust your mentality toward health and become a little more physically active. We understand the toll that diabetes takes on your life. Of course there are physical issues, but it can also put a lot of stress on your relationships, emotions, and more. Completing this challenge will help you gain the skills you need to begin to relieve all of this. This challenge is only the first step in taking control of your type 2 diabetes symptoms. Don’t get discouraged or feel guilty if you don’t follow this first challenge to a “T.” We will be running this challenge each month, and because you took the first challenge, you will always be invited to join future challenges. 21 Day Jumpstart Challenge Companion Guide
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how to use the COMPANION G UI DE pre-challenge STEP 1: REVIEW THE CHALLENGES
STEP 2: READ THE SUCCESS GUIDES
STEP 3: TAKE THE EVALUATION
On the next pages, you’ll find the rules for the three weeks of challenges. Read through these first.
After the challenge rule pages, you’ll find Success Guides for each of the three weeks. Read these next to get a solid foundation for the challenge.
Open your Workbook to the Challenge Evaluation. Take the survey to get an understanding of your “starting point” so you can compare your results after the challenge.
challenge - daily to-do’s STEP 1: COMPLETE THE CHALLENGE Complete the challenge items as outlined. You may want to print out the challenge rules and keep them handy as a reminder.
STEP 2: VISIT THE GROUP FOR SUPPORT Visit the Facebook Group to ask questions, connect with other participants, and stay well supported.
STEP 3: FILL OUT YOUR JOURNAL Open your Companion Guide Workbook and fill out the day’s checklist and journal items.
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WEEK 1 challenge H YDR AT ION
Proper hydration is one of the absolute simplest and healthiest ways to get started on the track to better wellness and better managed diabetes!
Week 1 Challenge Rules: Drink water for 80% of your daily drinks for the next 21 days. Reach goal: Drink 8 or more 8-ounce drinks per day. Enjoy Freely: water (tap, spring, sparkling etc.), fruit infused water. Enjoy in Moderation (20% of drinks): lowfat milk/nut milk, coffee or tea with lowfat milk/nut milk, fresh squeezed juice with no added sugar. Avoid Entirely: regular and diet soda, high sugar juices, Frappuccinos/other sugary coffee drinks, any drinks containing high fructose corn syrup or added sugar.
Why Hydration? .. Eliminating sugary drinks
and replacing with water will keep blood sugar levels more stable .. Significantly decreases
risk of dehydration (including symptoms of lethargy, dry mouth, headache, and more) .. Aids in weight loss by
minimizing your intake of liquid calories and allowing your body to work more efficiently .. Enables you to feel more
energized, improves digestion, boosts immune system, improves skin complexion, and more!
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week 1: hydration CH A LLENG E SUCCESS GUID E Drink a glass of water right now… I’ll wait! See how simple that was? And although this is a challenge, drinking water regularly instead of soda, juice or sweetened coffee drinks is very simple. It’s all about how you approach the challenge and set yourself up for success. According to a study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, almost half of Americans don’t drink enough water, which is especially true for adults older than 55. 43 percent of adults drink fewer than four cups of water a day. This includes 36 percent of people who drink only one to three cups, and 7 percent who drink none. So, if you’re one of the many people who don’t drink enough water or drink too many high-sugar drinks, it’s time to change this! Hydration is important for everyone but even more so for those with diabetes. Since high blood sugar levels draw water from the body, people with diabetes are at high risk of dehydration. Not only will drinking plenty of water keep you hydrated, but there are also a multitude of great benefits that come along with drinking more water and fewer sugary drinks such as: .. Eliminating sugary drinks and replacing with water keeps blood sugar
levels more stable .. Significantly decreasing risk of dehydration (including symptoms of
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lethargy, dry mouth, headache, and more) .. Aiding in weight loss by minimizing your intake of liquid calories and
allowing your body to work more efficiently .. Feeling more energized .. Improving digestion .. Boosting the immune system .. Improving skin complexion, and more!
When it comes to successfully completing this challenge, convenience is the key. One of the biggest reasons many people choose drinks other than water is because other beverages are readily available and tempting. Throughout this challenge, we need to make water and healthy beverages so close by that you don’t have to think about the liquid choices you’re making.
How to make proper hydration convenient Start by having a reusable water bottle on you at all times. Try to find a 20 to 24-ounce water bottle with a wide twist-off top of flip-top. If you’re interested in making your water more exciting, choose an infuser water bottle that allows you to add fruit inside the center area. A reliable water bottle should cost only about $8 to $15. Make this your companion throughout the day and end up paying for itself within a week. For instance, prior to doing this myself, I would purchase bottles of water or soda while I was out of the house, whether it was with a meal or from a vending machine or gas station. Now that I carry my reusable water bottle with me, I save the $2 to $3 for a water or soda I was spending each day. Another great way to ensure you have a successful challenge is to always have a glass of water on your nightstand. I like placing a full glass of water or my water bottle on my nightstand before I got to bed. This serves as an 21 Day Jumpstart Challenge Companion Guide
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stay hyrdated! OU R FAVOR ITE WAT E R B OT T L E S Investing in a sturdy, reusable water bottle can help you stay hydrated while saving money in the long run. Here are some of our favorite options - all are BPA free and come in a variety of color options!
Ello Este
H20 Infuser
This glass water bottle is as fashionable as it is functional!
This plastic & silicon bottle makes infusing citrus a breeze with its built in citrus press!
$13 | Holds 20 oz.
$16 | Holds 21 oz.
GET IT HERE
GET IT HERE
CoolingTech
Colorful Infuser
This simple fliptop pastic bottle is convenient and leak-proof.
This plastic water bottle contains a large infuser and flip top for ease of use.
$8 | Holds 18 oz.
$11 | Holds 23 oz.
GET IT HERE
GET IT HERE
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