Sun Life Financial, Fitbit and new rewards for daily steps contribute to app's growth
Canada's celebrated wellness incentives app, Carrot Rewards, recently introduced new initiatives and partnerships as part of its long-term growth strategy.
A new daily step tracker feature allows users of the popular free app to earn rewards for achieving their personalized walking goals. A large majority of BC users are already earning daily rewards for walking and nearly ten billion steps taken by British Columbians this summer have been tracked and rewarded through the Carrot app.
Starting today the Carrot app will also be integrated with the industry leading activity tracking device, Fitbit. BC residents will now have one more convenient option for connecting and earning daily activity rewards through Carrot (in addition to Health Kit and Google Fit).
Also starting today Sun Life Financial, in close collaboration with the Canadian Diabetes Association, is proudly joining the broader Carrot coalition in British Columbia as the sponsor of all the Steps rewards that BC residents earn through the app.
"Thousands of British Columbians have already taken steps toward a healthier lifestyle with the Carrot Rewards app," Government of British Columbia Health Minister Terry Lake said. "We know that increased activity can have positive benefits for our health and, thanks to these new partnerships, there are now even more incentives to get people moving and receive rewards for healthy behaviour."
"We're proud to be expanding the Carrot eco-system and functionality so significantly again," says CARROT insights (developer of Carrot Rewards) CEO Andreas Souvaliotis. "By joining hands with genuine game-changer organizations like Sun Life, Fitbit and the Canadian Diabetes Association, we are further enhancing the effectiveness of our powerful program and we're helping build an even healthier Canada."
"One in three Canadians is affected by diabetes or prediabetes," says Rick Blickstead, President and CEO, Canadian Diabetes Association. "The good news is that in many of the cases, type 2 diabetes can be delayed and/or prevented with healthier eating or increased physical activity. By partnering with Carrot and Sun Life, we hope to encourage people to take charge of their health and be rewarded for achieving a healthy lifestyle."
Sun Life is committed to the prevention of diabetes and its related complications. Since announcing support of the cause in late 2012, Sun Life has proudly committed over $13 million towards diabetes awareness, prevention, care and research initiatives.
"Sun Life is proud to partner with CARROT Insights and the Canadian Diabetes Association in supporting this unique health initiative in British Columbia," says Chris Denys, SVP Possibilities, Digital Health Solutions, Sun Life Financial Canada. "It aligns with our mission to proactively engage Canadians and empower them to take a more active role in managing their health and well-being."
The Carrot Rewards app has seen significant success since it launched in BC six months ago. To date, nearly 2% of British Columbians have downloaded the app and have earned over a hundred million loyalty points just for learning how to live healthier and for achieving simple daily activity goals. Carrot is now being rolled out across the rest of Canada with similarly impressive results.
The Government of Canada, through the Public Health Agency of Canada, invested $5 million over five years in the Carrot Rewards app project. The Government of British Columbia provided $2.5 million to support the early launch of the app in B.C. Including contributions from the private sector, a total of more than $15 million has already been invested in this world-leading program.
Learn More:
Carrot Rewards: https://www.carrotrewards.ca/
CARROT insights: www.carrotinsights.com
Sun Life: https://www.sunlife.ca/diabetes
Public Health Agency of Canada: http://www.phac-aspc.gc.ca/
Canadian Diabetes Association: www.diabetes.ca
Heart and Stroke Foundation: www.heartandstroke.com
YMCA Canada: www.ymca.ca
Recap of the TELUS Walk to Cure Diabetes for JDRF
What a great event for support of Diabetes and the JDRF. The walk was so unique you even got your own FITBIT! Thank you for the invite TELUS!
The Background
This was the 8th year of TELUS’ title sponsorship of the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation’s (JDRF) signature, nationwide fundraising event, the TELUS Walk to Cure Diabetes. As you likely know, the walk raises money for JDRF to continue funding critical research to find a cure for diabetes and its complications. This research helps develop advanced treatments to improve the lives of people living with Type 1 Diabetes.
The TELUS Walk to Cure Diabetes is also a signature event in our TELUS Days of Giving initiative. In its 10th year, TELUS Days of Giving brings together 16,000 team members, retirees, family and friends across Canada and around the world to volunteer for local causes of their choice to make positive, heartfelt and lasting connections within the community. As a company that is dedicated to health and technology, the Walk to Cure Diabetes is a cause that’s especially close to our hearts.
The Challenge
The challenge, if you were keen to accept it, is to sign up for your local walk and encourage your friends, family and online community to join you. But that’s not all. We also want to provide you with a Fitbit, courtesy of TELUS, so you can prepare for the walk and track your progress.
The hashtags used were #actsofgood and #TELUSWalk hashtags and the @telus handle.
The Goal
The goal is simple –they wanted to get as many Canadians as possible walking for a cure and helping raise to awareness for the amazing work being done by the JDRF. They also encouraged people to donate to this very important cause.
We believe a cure will be found within our lifetime, but we must work together to be successful. Your help will bring us one step closer to finding a cure.
Check out some of the photos from the event below:
Overweight and Pregnant - You Risk Gestational Diabetes
If you are overweight, pregnancy can be a challenge at times. You can be prone to many complications. This can include complications not just for you but your baby as well. Your baby could be at risk for gestational diabetes.
According to research you are at risk of developing gestational diabetes if:
- You're obese (your body mass index is over 30).
- You've had gestational diabetes in a previous pregnancy.
- You have a strong family history of diabetes.
According to The Canadian Diabetes Association“all pregnant women should be screened for gestational diabetes within 28 weeks of pregnancy” So make sure to check with your physician that you have been checked.
What exactly is gestational diabetes? The Baby Centre describes gestational diabetes as “a type of diabetes that some women get during pregnancy.” It has been estimated that between 2 and 10 percent of expectant mothers develop this condition. This type of diabetes can occur during pregnancy when your body cannot produce enough insulin to handle the effects of a growing baby and changing hormone levels. Insulin helps your body to control the level sugar in your blood. If your body cannot produce enough insulin, your blood sugar levels will rise and result in negative side effects.
If your blood sugar levels are too high, too much sugar will end up in your baby's blood. When this happens, your baby's pancreas needs to produce more insulin to process the extra sugar. All this excess blood sugar and insulin can cause your baby to put on extra weight, particularly in the upper body. This is not something you want to happen.
The good news is women who do develop gestational diabetes can go on and give birth to perfectly healthy babies if they properly manage their condition. Healthy dietary changes and exercise may be enough to keep your blood sugar levels under control. However, sometimes medication is needed, too. The American Diabetes Association recommends the following:
1. Eat three small-to-moderate-size meals and two to four snacks every day, including an after-dinner snack.
Your meal plan may contain fewer carbohydrates than you normally eat. It's best to include complex carbs (contain more fiber) Pair lean protein with carbohydrates at all meals and snacks. Protein helps to make you feel fuller, sustain energy, and give you better blood sugar control.
2. Don't skip meals and eat breakfast. Be consistent about when you eat meals and the amount of food you eat at each one. Your blood sugar will remain more stable if your food is distributed evenly throughout the day and consistently from day to day.
3. Include high-fiber foods, such as green vegetables and fruit, whole grain breads.
4. Stop snacking on foods and beverages that contain simple sugars such as soda, fruit juice, flavored teas and flavored waters, and most desserts – or avoid them altogether.
Remember being active and exercise helps. Make sure to check with your physician if it is ok for you to exercise. Once you are make sure to exercise within your ability. If you are unfamiliar with exercise or what you should be doing when you are pregnant seek out a proper fitness expert for a consultation.
Alicia Bell
@trainitright
www.trainitright.com
BSc Kinesiology
Precision Nutrition L1
