Once you start to learn about diabetes (and this should continue indefinitely), it’s time to establish five essential habits that will provide the foundation for your success. Regardless of your dietary lifestyle (vegan, vegetarian, or “Adventist non-vegetarian”) or diabetes dietary protocol (ADA, LCHF, WFPB, etc.), it is vital that you establish these daily habits:

Master these five essential habits in consecutive order for best results. However, no matter in what order you do them, they must be cumulative. Once you master one habit, it must continue while you add all the other habits.

We recommend spending one week to master each essential habit, though you may find you need less time or more time. You may combine No. 2 with No. 3 (especially if you are replacing sugary drinks with water), or you may combine No. 3 with No. 4. But we strongly advise that No. 1 should be the first one to master!

Start a journal (paper or digital) unless you have a photographic memory and can keep all the data in your head. You can use a pen and notebook, an Excel spreadsheet or Word table, or a computer or phone app (of your choice). My favorite app is MyFitnessPal, although there are others. Now get out your notebook and pen (or open a new document on your laptop or an app on your phone or computer) and begin writing!

Supporting Articles

3 Simple Things You Can Do Right Now to Build Better Habits
By James Clear
https://jamesclear.com/good-habits

How to Make Good Habits Stick: 7 Secrets From Research
https://liveboldandbloom.com/12/habits/how-to-make-good-habits-stick

How the 21/90 rule helps you build good habits and a better life
https://www.capespace.com/how-the-21-90-rule-helps-you-build-good-habits-and-a-better-life/

Why everyone should keep a journal — 7 surprising benefits
https://thrive.kaiserpermanente.org/thrive-together/live-well/everyone-keep-journal-7-surprising-benefits?wt.tsrc=email_pih&cat=l