Ramadan & Diabetes Management!
By: Diksha Goyal
Tags: Ramadan, Health, Fasting, Diabetes, Medical

The holy month of Ramzan is going on, this year we not only need blessings from god but along with this, we need a lot of courage to fight this critical pandemic phase. As diabetics are more prone to COVID-19, the same way it is not safe for them to fast for long hours. Fasting for long hours can lead to low blood sugar levels (hypoglycemia) during the day time and high blood sugar levels at night time. If we are planning to fast during Ramzan, we need to keep a few things in our minds.

Consult your doctor:

Being diabetic we take multiple antidiabetic medicines or insulin to manage our blood sugar levels. Please visit or consult over phone with your doctor to get guidance regarding which medicine is to be taken or not. On general:

Your doctor might provide you with lesser units of insulin units on fast days

You will be asked to adjust your anti-diabetic medicines (when you are not eating anything)

Carry on with all of your cardiac medicines

If you are taking medicine for hypothyroidism (thyroid disorder), please take medicine one hour before Suhoor/ Sehri.

Dietary tips:

Avoid fried and sweet food completely like samosa, kachori, poori, jalebi, etc

For sweets — have home-cooked seviyan, halwa, kheer, mango yogurt. Avoid adding sugar to it instead, add a pinch of cinnamon, raisins, dates and dry fruits

Keep yourself hydrated, drink water and lemon water through the night

In non-veg, avoid mutton completely go for chicken and fish that too cooked in very less oil

Add lots of fruits, salads, nuts, and seeds in your meals to fulfill the fiber requirement of the day and manage blood sugar levels

Avoid outside food completely

How to manage your meals?:

To avoid fluctuations in blood sugar levels, we need to have proper balanced and small meals from evening to morning. Avoid overeating and do not starve yourself as this can lead to low sugar episodes and hyperglycemia. Divide your plate into portions of fiber, carbohydrates, protein, and fat. Break your meals into 2 main meals and 2 small meals as mentioned below:

Iftar: Break your Roza with a glass of milk (cold or at room temperature) with 2–3 dates (soak overnight). Having tea, coffee, sweets or any fried food after a long fasting hour leads to acidity, gas, heartburn and other digestive issues. Milk soothes our stomach lining and avoids acid production

Break your Roza with a glass of milk (cold or at room temperature) with 2–3 dates (soak overnight). Having tea, coffee, sweets or any fried food after a long fasting hour leads to acidity, gas, heartburn and other digestive issues. Milk soothes our stomach lining and avoids acid production Dinner: Start your dinner with a plate of salad (cucumber, tomato, kakdi) followed by rice or chapati with vegetable, dal, or non-veg curry. Add a glass of buttermilk or a bowl of curd to it. End it with a cup of fennel tea (saunf ka pani)

Start your dinner with a plate of salad (cucumber, tomato, kakdi) followed by rice or chapati with vegetable, dal, or non-veg curry. Add a glass of buttermilk or a bowl of curd to it. End it with a cup of fennel tea (saunf ka pani) Midnight: Have fruits, salads, sprouts, lemon water, buttermilk, etc

Have fruits, salads, sprouts, lemon water, buttermilk, etc Suhoor/ Early morning: Start your meal with overnight soaked almonds (6) + walnuts (2). Have any 1–2 fruits of your choice, chapati with dal or sabzi or egg bhurji and a glass of milk. End it with a cup of fennel tea (saunf ka pani)

Did you know? Fennel Tea or Saunf ka paani is rich in fibers that manage blood sugar levels, gas and acidity. Boil 1 teaspoon of fennel (moti saunf) in 1 cup of water for 2-3 minutes. Drink the tea and chew seeds.

Always plan your meals so that your body stays energised and you keep hydrated. Do not worry if your blood sugar levels are slightly high.

Happy Ramadan to you!

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