Karwa Chauth fast 2022: Tips for women with diabetes to control blood sugar

Karwa Chauth fast 2022: For women with diabetes who are fasting, it is advised to monitor blood sugar levels at regular intervals and eat healthy foods items in sargi.

Karwa Chauth fast 2022: Karwa Chauth is just a day away and married women across the country who observe the fast are busy making preparations for the festival with great enthusiasm and fervour. Fasting for 12-15 hours without food and water isn't easy; for women with diabetes, it is all the more challenging and poses a health risk. It is important to consult from diabetologist beforehand who may also suggest some additional medicines and tips for blood sugar control. Eating healthy food items in sargi or pre-dawn meal before the fasting begins, can also help. For diabetics who are fasting it is advised to monitor blood sugar levels at regular intervals and in case of any worrying symptoms of hypoglycaemia (low blood sugar), dehydration, vomiting, headache, one should take immediate medical help.

"While fasting is a fantastic way to detoxify the system and condition the body and mind, it is also crucial to think about the risks it may present for women with diabetes. While there are some risks to it, you can still embrace to fast considering a few things in your mind," says Palak Midha, Dietician and Founder Palak Notes.

Shruti Bharadwaj, Senior Clinical Dietician, Narayana Hrudayalaya, says diabetic women who are fasting on Karwa Chauth should make sure to eat healthy items in Sargi and focus on foods combination of carbohydrates, fibre and protein.

You must consider these points if you are suffering from diabetes and want to fast during this Karwa Chauth.

● Take Himalayan pink salt along with water first thing in the morning as it helps you against issues caused by hypoglycaemia, says Palak Midha.

● "In sargi, add foods like nuts with one cup of milk and roti or parantha. You can also have milk porridge with added nuts and fruit, an ideal meal for a diabetic. Another option could be a stuffed parantha made with little oil and curd or paneer-stuffed paratha," says Shruti Bharadwaj.

● Avoid foods that are rich in trans-fat just after you break your fast. You can add soaked nuts like soaked almonds and walnuts to your diet instead, as they are rich source of Omega-3 fats, says Midha.

● Consume a diet rich in protein and carbohydrates like chapati, vegetables, and lentils, as per Midha.

● Avoid taking maida related items or Sooji in Sargi. Take 2-3 dates, have breakfast with plain water. Coconut water is optional, says Bharadwaj.

● In breakfast one can have wheat roti or paratha or kuttu atta cheela or besan cheela with fruit and nuts or porridge Dalia or oats, adds Bharadwaj.

● Take your multivitamins supplement in the morning along with sargi, says Midha.

● Consume healthy fats like ghee as it helps in metabolizing and controlling high blood sugar, according to Midha.

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