Navratri has begun yesterday and is in full swing. The festival is celebrated in various ways in different parts of the country. Fasting is usually done during this festival to please Goddess Durga and seek her blessings. Its scientific benefit is that fasting flushes out the toxins from the body.
However, diabetic patients, who wish to keep fast, must take special care. Dr. Pankaj Aggarwal, senior homeopathy physician from Agrawal Homeo Clinic shares some tips to control diabetes in Navaratri(Hindustan Times):
1. Take something after short intervals, do not keep long gaps between meals. Have some fruit after short durations to maintain body glucose level.
2. Keep checking your blood sugar level many times during the day. If it reaches below 70 mg per percentage in the first few hours after the start of the fast, then you should probably break your fast.
3. Before beginning the fast, you can have some low absorbing foods which have low glycemic index. They keep your blood glucose level even during the fast.
4. If you are feeling less energetic or fatigue during the fast, instead of having coffee or tea, go for sugar-free drinks like lemonade, coconut water, buttermilk, etc.
5. Diabetic patients should eat these foods during the fast – roasted phool makhana, roasted peanuts, paneer, water chestnuts (singhara), pumpkin raita, kheera raita. Amaranth flour can be used for making chapati. Potato should not be consumed.
6. If you are taking insulin, then you need to reduce your dose for the day as the requirement is reduced to 4%.