re: fasting & diabetes
Hi,
would like any advice anyone can give on fasting & diabetes.
My mother wants to do a fast for religious reasons next week for 8 days. She
will only be able to eat fruits, milk, cassava and potatoes. She has type ii
diabetes.
What are the dangers to her blood sugar levels as her food intake will be
drastically lowered over this period.
March 8th, 2003 at 12:34 am
Hi Jeff,
I’m not familiar with cassava?
It’s like a potato but tougher texture usually fried and chips are made with
it. They are often also called mogo chips.
<She has type 2 diabetes.>
What kind of treatment program is she on? Pills ? Injections? Some
combination?
She is on tablets . gliclazide 80mg & metformin 850mg - both twice a day.
Also she takes gopten to reduce blood pressure and on top of this she is on
2 aspirin a day.
>What are the dangers to her blood sugar levels as her food intake will be
drastically lowered over this period.>
Reading the list of foods above, the only thing that appears to be missing
is from that food intake list is protein… but I’m still not sure what
cassava is, so even that could be a mistaken perception.
True there is not much protein taken - but am told she can have milk/yoghurt
as well as fruits and potato + cassava.
I would not want to STAY on that ~eating plan~ forever, but, it sounds quite
reasonable. It’s truly only a question of portions… what kinds of portions
are we talking about re: those foods? 1 whole potato or a spoonful of
potatoes? What kinds of quantities how many times per day are we talking
about during this fast ?
Not sure about portions yet but maybe 1 whole potato (boiled) or fried
cassava either luch or dinner and then fruits and milk in between when
needed during day. so therefore not a total fast but a restrictive one on
what foods cannot be eaten such as meat, eggs and flour.
But judging solely on the kinds of foods on the list, unless your mother is
especially physically active, the kinds/types of foods you suggest, appear
initially NOT to be that serious a problem for blood sugar numbers
~dropping through the floor~.
It will all depend on the quantities she’s eating, in relation to the other
"typical factors" being activity level & insulin dose.