As Ramadan nears, diabetic patients are now being told what meal regimen they should follow. The Saudi Diabetes and Endocrine Association (SDEA) has issued a set of guidelines for this particular segment of the local population to follow. The SDEA said that fasting during the holy month of Ramadan is a golden opportunity for diabetics to obtain better blood sugar control, in addition for overweight people to lose some weight, and for smokers to quit smoking. The society has come out with guidelines on fasting during the holy month. All diabetic patients must check with their physicians before fasting, according to the SDEA. “There are many types of diabetes. Some patients only need to follow a particular diet in order to control their blood sugar, while others may need pills and/or insulin in addition to their special diet Children and young patients with diabetes depend on daily insulin injections to control their blood sugar. The timing of insulin doses is scheduled to match the timing of meals. Generally, diabetic patients are advised not to fast in order to avoid high or low blood sugar levels, which may result in a coma,” the SDEA guidelines said. If a diabetic patient is fasting, the following meal plan has been recommended by the SDEA. • A snack may be eaten at midnight. • Iftar meal should be taken right after sunset to avoid low blood sugar. • Sahoor meal should be taken as close as possible to Fajr time. Fasting diabetics on pills or insulin are advised to avoid exercise during the day, especially in the afternoon (to avoid low blood sugar). Patients may exercise for 30 minutes one to two hours after the Iftar meal with their physician's approval. Pregnant diabetics are advised not to fast to avoid low blood sugar, ketosis and other health problems, which might be dangerous and may put them and their babies at risk. “All diabetic patients should consult their family doctors before fasting,” the SDEA guidelines concluded.
