Jumpstart Diet

A healthier planet starts with a healthier YOU!

 

The Rotary Club of St. Thomas East Eco is partnering with the Rochester Lifestyle Medicine Institute (RLMI) to offer a 15-day whole-food, plant-rich nutrition program to residents of St. Thomas and the broader VI community. As an eco-focused club, it is our mission to promote practices that support environmental sustainability by sharing information and programs that encourage people to develop a passion for caring for the environment in which we live. A plant-based diet is one way that we can promote climate friendly practices and avoid the high levels of greenhouse gas emissions associated with the animal raising food industry.  Our desire to share information with the community has led us to the RLMI program which not only has environmental benefits but also focuses on the measurable impacts on health.

Receive healthy and tasty recipes, expert-led sessions, and lab testing to witness real changes to your health.

The club is partnering with RLMI and following their Jumpstart on-demand option where participants visit the RLMI website to watch daily lessons, interact with medical professionals, and receive tips, recipes and shopping lists while eating a whole-food, plant-rich, low-fat diet for 15 days. In addition to the RLMI program as described on their website, the STT Rotary East Eco club will also offer bi-weekly zoom check-ins with fellow Virgin Islanders also involved in the program to share their thoughts, experiences, and challenges throughout the program.

Program Dates:

  • Wednesday Apr 22nd at 6pm AST- Red Hook Plaza Upper Level in the Rotary Club Meeting space
    • Rotary East Eco Earth Day Celebration: Movie Premiere of Feeding Tomorrow. This event is free of charge and open to the public. Make sure to RSVP!  
  • Thursday Apr 23rd at 6pm AST via Zoom: Program orientation (RSVP here!)
    • Participants will meet with STT East Rotary members and RMLI representatives via Zoom to discuss various aspects of the challenge, including sharing pre-program shopping lists, information about lab testing procedure, and answering any questions.
  • Apr 23rd - May 3rd: Complete Lab 1
    • Receive blood test results for accurate markers of cholesterol, diabetes, and other health metrics.
  • Monday May 4th: Day 1
    • Starting on May 4th and for the next 15 days, participants will receive daily emails and visit the RLMI website for lessons and tips while following the diet guidelines.
  • Tuesday May 12th at 6pm AST via Zoom: VI Group Meeting 1
    • Midpoint check-in for participants to come together, share experiences, reflect on challenges, and support one another as they progress through the program. This session will be facilitated by members of the Rotary Club of St. Thomas East Eco. 
  • Monday May 18th: Day 15 - Program End
    • Final day of the jumpstart challenge which includes a low-fat, whole food and plant-rich diet for 15 days.
  • May 18th - May 22nd: Complete Lab 2
    • Receive follow up blood test results to assess changes in cholesterol, diabetes, and other health metrics.
  • Friday May 22nd at 6pm AST via Zoom: VI Group Meeting 2
    • Expert-led session with doctors from RMLI program who are available to answer any questions participants may have about the program, their health or the benefits of a whole foods, plant-rich diet. At this time, those who wish to share their blood test results and improvements with RLMI medical professionals are encouraged to do so, but are not required.

Program Requirements

  • Access to the internet and a good comfort level navigating websites and access to zoom, as the core of the program will be zoom (or in person) meetings and content shared on the RLMI website  (https://www.rochesterlifestylemedicine.org/).
  • The ability to pay for the doctor’s visit to get referrals for the before and after blood test.
  • Two blood tests to measure cholesterol levels and other relevant biomarkers – the first is taken prior to starting the challenge and the second is taken after so participants can see their improvement. A letter to take to your physician will be provided by RMLI upon registration into the program.
  • Agreement to read daily emails sent by RMLI and visit their website each of the 15 days to view videos, demonstrations, food lists, recipes, and other motivating information.
  • Willingness to participate in the diet challenge which involves eating a whole food, plant-based diet, avoiding processed foods, and cutting out high-fat foods such as nuts, seeds and oils.
  • Ability to cook or to have someone cook according to the diet guidelines which is whole-food, plant-rich and low-fat.
Lab Work Requirements
We encourage patients participating in Jumpstart to work closely with their health care provider throughout the program to ensure safe and appropriate medication management. To help document the effects of the diet, we recommend a lipid panel and fasting glucose taken as close as possible to both the first and last days of the program. For patients with concerns about diabetes, an HbA1c test is also recommended. A high-sensitivity C-reactive protein test may also be considered to assess inflammation, along with any patient-specific lab work your personal physician feels is appropriate. To request a lab test, you will need to get a referral from your primary care physician.
 
 
 
 
 
Lab Test
Recommended For
Price
Lipid Panel
recommended for all participants
$66.31
Fasting Glucose
recommended for all participants
$23.34
HbA1c
for those concerned about diabetes
$49.07
C-reactive protein (CRP)
for those concerned about inflammation
$58.40
 
 
Visit Community Medical Lab Website

Program Costs

 

 

Register on RMLI website using the code USVIROTARY30

 

 

To make this program more accessible, the Rotary Club of St. Thomas East ECO covers part of the cost for participants.

This discounted rate is available to the first 40 registrants. Participants are responsible for their own lab work costs.

 
Concerned about the price but want to participate,
find out if you are eligible for our Low-and-Moderate-Income household program.
Please reach out to rotaryclubstthomaseast@gmail.com