Manage your Diabetes during Festive Fasting

Diabetes has been seriously underrated as a global public health issue and the world can no longer ignore the biggest epidemic in human history. And with spiritual fasting – Diabetes adds up to the danger it brings for a patient. In India, festivities are filled all throughout the year.

Most often these festivities are accompanied by extensive fasting, to- over indulgent-feasting which tend to botch with the healthy dietary plan.

People with diabetes become more visible to the dangers of fasting or excessive feasting.

According to Dr. S. Arun,Consultant Physician & Diabetologist, Royal Care Super Specialty Hospital, said, “During fasting our body’s system goes through a lot and that depends on the length of the continuous fasting. When we fast the body initially uses stored sources of glucose and then later it breaks down body fat to use the next source of energy.

It is important to keep a tap on your blood glucose levels as the chances are that during fasting your blood glucose levels may drop too low. It is advisable to keep your doctor informed if you decide to fast.”

In case the fasting period is longer than 12 hours, then there can be a state of intermittent glycogen depletion and repletion. In practice, most patients who take their first meal at dawn are in a state of glycogen depletion by late afternoon, at which point ketogenesis occurs. If a meal is skipped, then it can further lead depletion of glycogen stores and ketosis much earlier in the fasting day.

Dr. S. Gokularamanan, Consultant Diabetologist GRN Diabetic Centre, said “In Type 2 diabetes you see that people are generally obese and have large abdomens. As the patient gain weight, it gets worst. There is a need to take more insulin, which means to gain more weight.

Resulting in a vicious cycle. A moderate and properly consulted intermediate fast can be good got diabetic patient for losing weight, and help control the blood glucose, blood pressure, and cholesterol levels.

However, fasting should not be done without consulting a doctor. Patient should plan a visit to the doctor 6 – 8 weeks ahead to get an overall assessment to decide his or her risks during fasting.It is important for Choosing healthy options while breaking fast, regular monitoring of sugars at home with a glucometer, learning to identify symptoms of high or low sugars are crucial during the fast.”