Be your best self this Holy Month with OneTouch®
When you are caught up in Ramadan it can be difficult to balance your fast and your blood sugar levels.
Planning ahead is always good and when you plan to fast with diabetes it is essential. Your blood glucose level changes throughout the day, affected by food, exercise and medication, but mostly by food.
After a gradual decline during fasting hours, blood glucose levels rise rapidly after Iftar9.
We have put together some low carb recipes for you to try this Ramadan, which are so tasty the whole family will love them too!
Planning ahead is always good and when you plan to fast with diabetes, it is essential. Your blood glucose level changes throughout the day, affected by food, exercise and medication, but mostly by food. The makers of the OneTouch® brand are here to help.
Check with your diabetes team several months before fasting and follow their recommendations to help you manage your diabetes. Self-monitoring of blood glucose can motivate people with diabetes to become active participants in their own care. Every OneTouch® meter is designed to make it easy to test your blood glucose and help you manage your diabetes.
YES, testing your blood glucose levels regularly, according to your healthcare professional’s recommendations is important. This will help you to manage your blood glucose level and recognize when your blood sugar levels are high or low.1
Testing your blood glucose while fasting does not break your fast
YES, consumption of 100 g of dates provides 50–100% of the recommended dietary fiber Intake. Dates are high in fructose which is a more powerful sweetener than glucose and it is less rapidly absorbed than sugar, which results in a relatively low glycemic index.1
YES, Taraweeh prayers should be considered as a part of the daily exercise program but, you should monitor your blood glucose period.
Choose to eat starchy foods with Iftar, which are digested slowly, and to drink plenty of water before prayers period.1
YES, you must eat a meal at Suhoor just before sunrise and not at midnight as this will help to keep your blood sugar levels more balanced through fasting.2
• Drink a lot of water at Suhoor and Iftar, and during the hours in between.
• Fruit juice is best avoided but if you choose to have juice, just drink a small glass(120ml).
• Avoid soft and fizzy drinks as they are high in sugar. It is best to even avoid the diet varieties as they contain caffeine.
• Avoid drinking tea or coffee, these contain caffeine and can make you dehydrated.
• Iftar should begin with plenty of water to overcome dehydration from fasting, and 1–2 dried or fresh dates to raise blood glucose levels
• Fat as olive oil or oily fat from tuna and sardines and salmon are recommended. (2 teaspoons only)
• When breaking the fast you are hungry and so tend to eat fast, which can lead to overeating as it takes time for your stomach to signal to your brain that it is full. Try to enjoy your meal slowly and stop as soon as you feel full.
Your Iftar meal should be a healthy, well balanced meal that may consist of:
Normal levels of physical activity may be maintained. However, excessive physical activity may lead to higher risk of hypoglycemia and should be avoided, particularly during the few hours before the sunset meal.3
Taraweeh prayers, such as bowing, kneeling and rising, should be considered part of your daily exercise activities.4
Eid is a time of celebration and feasting. While we all deserve to enjoy this time, be aware of the risk of overindulgence that Eid presents
OneTouch® is the only brand of meter to offer ColourSure™ technology, that instantly shows when your blood glucose numbers are in range or not.
Patients are advised to talk to their healthcare professional about the low and high range limits that are right for them. The low and high range limits you set in the OneTouch Verio ReflectTM and OneTouch Select Plus Flex® meters apply to all glucose test results. This includes tests taken before or after mealtimes, medications and around any other activities that may affect blood glucose.
References
1. Ibrahim M, Abu Al Magd M, Annabi FA, et al. Recommendations for management of diabetes during Ramadan: update 2015. BMJ Open Diabetes Research and Care 2015;3: 1-10.
2. The Muslim Council of Britain. MCB. Ramadan and Diabetes: A guide for patients. June 2013. Available at: http://www.mcb.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/Ramadan-and-diabetes-A-guide-for-patients-2013.pdf. Last accessed on: 16/05/2018.
3. Ahmad J, Pathan MF, Jaleel MA, et al. Diabetic emergencies including hypoglycemia during Ramadan. Indian Journal of Endocrinology and Metabolism. 2012;16(4):512-515.doi:10.4103/2230-8210.97996.
4. International Diabetes Federation, IDF. Diabetes and Ramadan International Alliance, DAR. Diabetes and Ramadan: Practical Guidelines. April 2016. Available at: http://www.daralliance.org/daralliance/wp-content/uploads/IDF-DAR-Practical-Guidelines_15-April-2016_low.pdf. Last accessed on: 16/05/2018.
5. Ali S, Davies MJ, Brady EM, et al. Review Article Guidelines for managing diabetes in Ramadan. Diabet. Med. 2016; 33: 1315–1329.
6. Ibrahim M, Abu Al Magd M, Annabi FA, et al. Recommendations for management of diabetes during Ramadan: update 2015. BMJ Open Diabetes Research and Care 2015;3: 1-10
7. The Muslim Council of Britain. MCB. Ramadan and Diabetes: A guide for patients. June 2013. Available at: http://www.mcb.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/Ramadan-and-diabetes-A-guide-for-patients-2013.pdf. Last accessed on: 16/05/2018.
8. International Diabetes Federation, IDF. Diabetes and Ramadan International Alliance, DAR. Diabetes and Ramadan: Practical Guidelines. April 2016. available at: http://www.daralliance.org/daralliance/wp-content/uploads/IDF-DAR-Practical-Guidelines_15-April-2016_low.pdf. Last accessed on: 16/05/2018.
9. Diabetes and Ramadan: A Challenge and an Opportunity? Dr. Mohamed Hassanein.
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