The start of the holy month of Ramadan is August 11, 2010. I have observed and participated in the fast several times. Now being diabetic it has been hard. I do understand there are concessions for people that are pregnant or not in optimitum heath to perform the fast. Last year I lasted for about 2 weeks. I normally try to gorge myself right before sun up. Which would give me high BG and made me sluggish all during the morning.
For those diabetics that still try fasting what methods or tips do you to help you through this holy time. How successful have you been.
For those that don't know Ramadan is a time to practice self-restraint; a time to cleanse the body and soul from impurities and re-focus one's self on the worship of God.
Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic lunar calendar. During the blessed month of Ramadan, Muslims all over the world abstain from food, drink, and other physical needs during the daylight hours. As a time to purify the soul, refocus attention on God, and practice self-sacrifice.
My boss was Muslim, and she had a very bad stomach condition… so she would only have small amounts of juice here and there… 1/2 a cup of juice (15 grams of carb) every couple of hours should be ok, maybe.
I have done the full fast from sun up to sundown which was challenging. Since being diabetic…It was practically a nightmare getting cooperation from my job because all the work normally came in at sunrise ( I work nights). The early part of the day I had super high BS and the everything would go down hill. I would be forced into getting a little something toward the evening. I normally felt a little defeated that I couldn’t do the fast properly.
I have experiences with the Hunger Project and fasted for 24 hours , only H2O , even when I was just diagnosed with type 1
( one shot a day and possibly honeymooning) …working as a Food Manager made it a challenge as I was supposed to
" taste " …staff very accommodating in those days . I would not consider the challenge today …the then challenge had quite a different purpose …the purpose was " how it feels to be hungry " , not as you described , cleansing the body …be well Christalyn , what ever you choose to do .
You would seem to meet all the criteria for being able to conduct a modified fast. You are no less devoted, your intent is pure. But safety first. Alive and healthy makes worship much more satisfying. Your piety is admirable. Your body requires that you not strictly fast. Care for God’s creation, it shows great respect for his wonder and you are mindful of the purpose for the observance. You take it into your heart. Your creator could not be displeased – break your fast with simple fruits and veg and carb enough to keep you level. Peace be with you and yours.
I have done 24 hour fasts, but not without blood sugar problems. I ended up stressing so much on what I was not eating and what my bg was that I could not focus on what I should have been focusing on. I found for myself that eating a more wholesome diet enabled me to focus more on worship.
Especially when the days are really long and the days are really hot, I am not sure how you would do it. Maybe glucose tabs as needed? Only 4 grams wouldn’t raise the bg too much, and you wouldn’t be satisfying any carnal/mortal desire.
I will try the fast again. At least I can tell myself that I tried to do this. I don’t think I will be fully successful as I have been before but my intentions are in the right place.
thank you for your kind words…
I want to try and do this. Last year was a bust because of my job not being so cooperative with me. (I work the night shift) so I am constantly on the move.
Fasting for a diabetic is dangerous and potentially deadly. Is your god going to punish you for attempting to maintain your health and well-being? Is your god going to punish you for failure to participate in an activity that puts you in immediate physical danger? That doesn’t sound like someone that I would like to know…
Secondly, (and without trying to put words into anyone’s mouth) I got the impression from the original post that Christalyn was attempting to solicit exceptions from people. The only reason I can think of for this behavior is to justify qualified non-participation as participation so you can get…whatever it is people are supposed to get from fasting during Ramadan. If you get to decide what constitutes fasting, then what is the point of even going along with this?
Feel free to unleash the backlash on me, but I fail to see how in this age such dangerous (and arguably pointless) practices are encouraged and supported. You have diabetes. You need to test your BGs and eat regularly and wholesomely.
BTW - all the questions listed above are actual questions I have, and are not meant to be read in a condescending tone; if you have an answer for them, please let me know, as this is something that I obviously don’t understand.
Hello, don’t judge me. I don’t need to backlash at anybody since I am asking for advice and opinions. You are allowed to have one no matter how stupid or uninformed they may be.
I didn’t want this to be a religious posting…I do have a lot to say about several of your statements. I normally chose who I discuss religion with. From your writings I am not sure if answering your questions will help you or not. You have all ready made up your mind. I can not converse with a closed mind.
You should educate yourself on Ramadan. your questions suggest that you don’t understand the holy month in general. time time that is upon us is so much more than “just fasting on food.” You can read up on it if you choose to.
My purpose was only to ask other people more specifically other Muslims what tips and experiences have they incorporated during the fast. I have chosen for myself that I will participate as do many other believers with health ailments. Like I stated before, Islam does not require health impaired people to participate. There are many articles asking people not to participate if they have a condition. Each person has to make that decision for themselves.
The majority of Christian faiths undergo some for of fasting, body cleansing or weird rituals. What is the purpose to eat fish on Friday? If I am hungry I will eat the first thing in front of me. Lent is a fasting ritual. i dont see the difference except Muslims do it in a more strict way.
You should ask yourself could you perform the Ramadan rituals. I am sure you learn something about yourself in the same way as I did.
I want to respond with the best of intentions for you in regards to your well being and faith. I am a Muslim and a Typen1 diabetic. I have not fasted since diagnosis and I pay money to feed someone who needy. I will provide you a link to a website so you can read and make your decision.
From my knowledge…God has excused the sick from fasting. But our conditions are not simply a day or two but a chronic condition that if left uncared for could make us sicker. If you know that your blood sugars are high, then it is causing you harm. Therefore you should not fast.
There are many aspects to Ramadan and although fasting is the biggest one, we are also trying to be extra disciplined and good in our behavior, charity, and prayer. It does feel weird not to fast, but I try to make the most of everything else and also love the idea of feeding someone else.
I was going to write snappy quips on this topic, but seeing as how a few select questions can ruin an entire topic, I will stay my mouth, and hope that all goes well with Christalyn’s journey in faith. I dont need to add fuel to the fire…
I was raised Jewish. Yom Kippur is the holiest day, a day of atonement spent in contemplation. Yom Kippur is a fast from right before sundown to right after sundown the next day, about 25-26 hours. No food, of course, & no water either. In Judaism, people with physical conditions who cannot safely fast are exempt. As a child, I fasted half the day. Harder for me was not being able to drink anything. We were also prohibited from brushing our teeth in the morning.
I don’t follow the religion, or believe. But if I did, I wouldn’t fast.
I know we are excused but I still want to try. I tried last year and didn’t make it for whole month. Before diabetes changed my life I was able to do the fasting more strict than my counterparts. I respect and adhere to all other aspects to Ramadan which are just as challenging for me. I have read the warnings and articles about not doing the fast.
I remember the first time I did it… I learned so much about myself, my body and how food actually changes the way thought and think how our body reacts and responds. since I knew I was not going to eat it forced me to find other ways preoccupy my mind like reading or learning a new craft. Here in the USA we are slaves to our apetites. We are spoiled brats when we don’t get what we want in 2 secs. This is the time to put things in perspective and bring things back to basics. to me it is not just a religious ritual the idealism is very important and transcends everything. I chose to be apart of this.
I apologize if I made an assumption that you didn’t know if you could fast. Your decision is a peersonal one and yours alone.
I got to thinking last night after I posted and remembered about the lent season when I was a kid. (I was raised Catholic) I know you referenced this earlier too. Maybe you can do something like that where you give up something that you love most, or perhaps eat a very small snack midday. Or maybe fast half a day for the month.
I do have to say that in regards to eating earlier in the morning, I have found that I need more insulin than if I ate at my usual time. Maybe having more protein and restricting your carbs would help keep you in range later.
