Muslims in some countries of the world fast for long hours, exceeding 16 hours and up to 20, so what are the tips that help them fast in a healthy manner for this long period?
The answers are here, with tips on diabetic fasting, blood glucose measurement times, and glucose numbers.
We start with long fasting, and among the countries in which Muslims fast for long hours, according to Anatolia:
Finland, Norway, Greenland: 20 hours
Poland, Switzerland, Scotland: about 18 hours
Denmark, Britain: about 17 hours
Pakistan, Canada, Japan: about 16 hours
Tips for a long fast in Ramadan
If you suffer from any acute or chronic illness, consult your doctor first.
If you are pregnant or breastfeeding, consult your doctor first, as you may not be advised to fast.
If you are taking any medications, be sure to ask your doctor if they can be changed to accommodate fasting. If the answer is no, then most likely you cannot fast.
Stay hydrated. Drink fluids several times throughout the night. Even if you don't feel very thirsty, thirst is a sign that your body is already dehydrated.
Choose fluids that do not contain caffeine, as caffeinated drinks can cause dehydration.
Drink water for breakfast, but be careful not to drink too much at once.
Eat a variety of foods during the evening.
Whole grains, vegetables, fruits, lean proteins and healthy fats from plants like olive oil are all important for providing your body with all the nutrients it needs.
Do not overeat during breakfast.
Eating thoughtfully reduces stress on your body and gives you more energy than eating large amounts at once.
Don't eat salty nuts. Eat nuts that have no added sodium or salt.
Reduce or stay away from pickles.
Limit ready-made seasonings, as they are high in salt and sodium and can stimulate thirst.
Make sure to eat the Suhoor meal.
Among the foods suggested for suhoor, according to a report in Weill Cornell Medicine, are the following:
Whole grains, whole grain bread, brown rice, and oatmeal.
fruits and vegetables.
Protein such as milk, yogurt and eggs.
A bowl of wholegrain low-fat milk topped with fruits and nuts without sodium.
A piece of whole-grain toast, a boiled egg, and a piece of fruit.
A bowl of vegetable soup, a piece of whole-grain toast, and a glass of low-fat milk.
It is recommended to include fruits and vegetables full of water in breakfast, such as:
the strawberry
watermelon
cantaloupe
Option
Courgettes
sweet spicy
tomatoes
Maintaining good digestive health during Ramadan fasting
Paying attention to the suhoor meal and not neglecting it to avoid low blood sugar levels, especially after long hours of fasting, according to statements by the Turkish doctor at Elgiye Hospital, Ayman Sakli, reported by Anatolia.
Eat unsalted or roasted nuts.
Eating more vegetables that contain fiber, to improve digestion and increase the rate of satiety throughout the fasting hours.
Focus on eating protein-rich foods, such as eggs, yogurt and kefir (fermented milk also known as kefir).
Eat light meals immediately after breakfast, such as soup, then wait about 15 minutes before starting to eat, to avoid indigestion.
Avoid eating high-calorie meals, such as rice, pasta, fried foods, and sweets, to reduce the risk of weight gain and indigestion.
Replace food cooked with hydrogenated ghee (margarine) with its counterpart cooked with olive oil.
Replace red meat with white meat (poultry and fish).
Avoid eating fatty sweets immediately after breakfast.
Replacing one heavy meal with several small, light meals at intervals between breakfast and constipation.
Consuming an amount of water not less than two liters.
Drink healthy drinks, such as dairy, mineral water and chamomile drink, to replace the fluids that the body lost during the fasting period.
Do light home exercises an hour or two after breakfast.
Avoid excessive consumption of tea and coffee, as they contain a high percentage of caffeine.
Fasting and diabetics
Can diabetics fast or not from a medical point of view?
According to nutritionist Nisrin Yavuz - in statements to Deutsche Welle - it depends on the type of diabetes. People with type 1 diabetes should avoid fasting, and the same for those who suffer from kidney damage or who take medications to eliminate water in the body, according to Yavuz member In the German Diabetes Association.
On the other hand, people with type 2 diabetes can fast if some conditions are met, explains nutrition expert Yavuz, “Even for diabetic patients who do not take insulin injections, it is important that they have stable blood sugar levels. As for those who take insulin injections, they should be very careful so that it does not happen They have a sharp drop in blood sugar."
From the principle of health safety, Yavuz stresses that the diabetic patient should agree with the specialist doctor about the rate of insulin dose and eating times, and it is also important to regularly measure the level of sugar in the blood.
And if the fasting person feels the danger of a drop in the sugar level during fasting, he should stop fasting immediately, in order to control the blood sugar level and raise it by eating a little “grape sugar”, for example, says the expert Yavuz.
One of the nutritional steps recommended by doctors for diabetic patients in Ramadan is to replace sweets that are eaten between Iftar and Suhoor with healthy foods such as fruits or vegetables.
And delaying the Suhoor meal as much as possible so as not to extend the fasting period.
Time to measure blood glucose for diabetic patients in Ramadan
According to Prof. Abdel-Badi’ Abu Samra from Hamad Medical Corporation in Qatar, the blood sugar level should be measured at least 4 times per day during the fasting period, for example at 11 am, 1 pm, 3 pm and 5 pm.
And if any of these tests showed signs of hypoglycemia, then the patient must break the fast.
Normal blood sugar level in a fasting diabetic patient
Hypoglycemia is a drop in blood sugar level below (70 mg/dL-3.9 mmol/L), and may lead to severe hypoglycemia (glucose) and loss of consciousness.
On the other hand, high blood sugar is also dangerous. If the level of glucose in the blood rises to more than (200 mg/dL-11.1 mmol/L), this may lead to a severe case of hyperglycemia, dehydration and diabetic ketoacidosis, especially in patients with type 1 diabetes. .
Professor Abu Samra added, "When the cells of the body do not get enough glucose, this leads to the body burning fats for energy, and this process results in what are known as ketones or ketone bodies. Ketone bodies can increase the acidity in the blood to a degree that may lead to Death".
Symptoms and signs of diabetic ketoacidosis usually appear and worsen quickly, sometimes within 24 hours.
The most important symptoms of diabetic ketoacidosis include feeling very thirsty, frequent urination, nausea and vomiting, abdominal pain, feeling weak and tired, and the smell of breath turning into a fruity smell.
A patient with type 1 diabetes who decides to fast during Ramadan is at greater risk of developing diabetic ketoacidosis, especially if he developed hyperglycemia during the weeks preceding Ramadan.