Faith and fasting with diabetes
Minority Diabetes Reports Wednesday, July 25th, 2012by Constance Brown-Riggs |
Many religious faiths recommend spiritual strengthening through periods of prayer and fasting — a sacred time to commune with God while abstaining from all food, drink, or both. Today actually marks the first day of the month of Ramadan, where Muslims worldwide begin fasting during daylight hours.
While fasting is a commendable spiritual practice, it’s one that could come with major health risk when you have diabetes.
Fasting can last from one day to a month or longer. People of the Jewish faith fast for 25 hours from sundown to sundown during Yom Kippur. Muslims fast during daylight hours for the entire holy month of Ramadan. And many Christian religions call for it when there’s a need to reinforce spiritual discipline, put a situation under concentrated prayer, or experience divine intervention. During the Lenten season Christians fast and pray for 40 days.
Fasting during Ramadan
Ramadan represents more of a challenge than other spiritual fasts — particularly when you have diabetes. During the month of Ramadan, Muslims abstain from all food, drink, use of oral medications and smoking from sunup to sundown. Christians experience a less restrictive fast during the 40-day Lenten season. You may give up eating certain foods or meals throughout the season, but not all food is forbidden. You can usually continue taking your daily medications. Read more
