Fasting Advice for Diabetics
Religious Ramadan Fasting entails refraining from eating and drinking water/liquids from sunrise to sunset, and it generally leads to the consumption of larger meals at night.
This can affect blood glucose levels adversely!
Due to having evolved as day active beings, our innate clock and delicate endocrine function behaves accordingly: it performs best in-between sunrise and sunset.
Therefore blood glucose levels are considerably better balanced by consuming food during the day, whilst being active.
A Ramadan Diabetes Diet should be simple and basic.
During Ramadan the early morning Sahar meal is unlikely to contribute to poorly balanced blood glucose levels, especially if whole grain preparations are consumed in combination with high fibre vegetables and moderate, sensible servings of protein.
Food intake after sunset requires balance and some restraint.
It is best to keep a close check on blood glucose levels during Ramadan (glucometer self-monitoring) in order to be aware of blood glucose fluctuations.
Remember that frequent blood glucose spikes do have a negative effect on overall health.
Health Tips for Diabetics during Ramadan:
Don’t s:
- Sugary drinks, ‘soft’ drinks, fruit juices, liquidized fruits [sweetened, unsweetened, even home-made]
- Highly processed foods
- Junk foods
- Oily, fatty foods, ‘rich’, processed foods at night [Iftar]
- Bananas, very sweet fruits
- Excessive intake of fruits, dried fruits
- Overeating
- Sedentary lifestyle
Do s
- Increase the consumption of high fibre vegetables, green leafy vegetables
- Eat plenty of vegetable salads, whilst avoiding/minimizing mayonnaise, salad cream. Use traditional salad dressing
- Include more fresh foods
- Consume fibre rich starch/complex carbohydrates at Sahar (meal before sunrise), i.e. red rice, upuma, rotti prepared with whole grain varieties of flour, combined with above
- Increase water intake at permitted times
- Moderate fruit consumption (semi-sweet only!)
- Eat slowly and chew well to aid digestion and prevent overeating
- Reduce salt/sodium intake to minimize thirst, to maintain well balanced blood pressure and to preserve kidney function
- Maintain moderate activity levels
- Drink only water and moderate quantities of tea, herbal tea, green tea/coffee without sugar.
If diabetic control is poor prior Fasting, further damage to overall health is possible due to changes of meal timing, wake/sleep pattern and decreased levels of activity.
Please consult your healthcare specialist if/how your blood glucose can be managed satisfactorily during Ramadan Fasting to be able to maintain best possible Diabetes Wellness.
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