{"id":13260,"date":"2016-05-16T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2016-05-16T04:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.diabete.qc.ca\/ramadan-et-diabete\/"},"modified":"2026-02-13T14:32:32","modified_gmt":"2026-02-13T19:32:32","slug":"ramadan-and-diabetes","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.diabete.qc.ca\/en\/diabetes\/living-with-diabetes\/events-parties-and-celebrations\/ramadan-and-diabetes\/","title":{"rendered":"Ramadan and diabetes"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>For the estimated 1.1 to 1.6 billion Muslims around the word, the observance of Ramadan is an important religious ritual and a time for communal celebration. However, it is not without risk for people living with diabetes. Here are some tips on precautions to take during Ramadan.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What is <mark style=\"background-color:rgba(0, 0, 0, 0)\" class=\"has-inline-color has-primary-color\">Ramadan<\/mark>?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Ramadan is a holy month in Islam during which fasting must be observed from sunrise to sunset each day. It corresponds to the ninth month of the Islamic calendar. Because this calendar is lunar, the period of Ramadan varies each year, as do the hours of abstinence.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">People with <mark style=\"background-color:rgba(0, 0, 0, 0)\" class=\"has-inline-color has-primary-color\">diabetes<\/mark> are exempt from fasting<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>According to the Quran, diabetes is one of the conditions that may exempt one from fasting, given the associated risks. Fasting is, in fact, discouraged for people living with diabetes, particularly if you:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-28f84493 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\" style=\"flex-basis:100%\">\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>You are at risk of dehydration: elderly individuals, those experiencing a heat wave, or those with blood glucose levels frequently above target;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>You are pregnant;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>You are taking insulin or medications that put you at high risk of hypoglycemia (*see below).<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><mark style=\"background-color:rgba(0, 0, 0, 0)\" class=\"has-inline-color has-primary-color\">Nevertheless, whether or not to observe Ramadan remains a personal choice.<\/mark><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Fasting and diabetes: What are the associated risks?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.diabete.qc.ca\/en\/diabetes\/diabetes-management\/hypoglycemia-in-an-individual-with-diabetes\/\" data-type=\"link\" data-id=\"https:\/\/www.diabete.qc.ca\/en\/diabetes\/diabetes-management\/hypoglycemia-in-an-individual-with-diabetes\/\">Hypoglycemia<\/a>, meaning blood sugar levels below target values, can occur if you are taking insulin or insulin secretagogues such as <mark style=\"background-color:rgba(0, 0, 0, 0)\" class=\"has-inline-color has-primary-color\">* gliclazide (<em>Diamicron<sup>MD<\/sup><\/em>\u00a0et <em>Diamicron MR<sup>MD<\/sup><\/em>), glim\u00e9piride (<em>Amaryl<sup>MD<\/sup><\/em>), la glyburide (<em>Diabeta<sup>MD<\/sup><\/em>),  r\u00e9paglinide (<em>GlucoNorm<sup>MD<\/sup><\/em>)<\/mark>;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.diabete.qc.ca\/en\/diabetes\/diabetes-management\/hyperglycemia\/\" data-type=\"link\" data-id=\"https:\/\/www.diabete.qc.ca\/en\/diabetes\/diabetes-management\/hyperglycemia\/\"> Hyperglycemia<\/a>, meaning blood sugar levels above target values, can lead to emergency situation in case of hyperosmolar hyperglycemia or diabetic ketoacidosis;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Dehydration could, among other things, affect your kidneys<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">The risks are even greater for people living with diabetes: <\/h4>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>having unstable glycemic control;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>experiencing frequent episodes of hypoglycemia and\/or having had a severe hypoglycemia episode in the last 3 months;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>can no longer experiencing symptoms of hypoglycemia<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>having complications of diabetes such as kidney damage;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>having an active acute illness such as an infection, the flu, a cold or a fever;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>having a particular situation that increases the risk of hypoglycemia, such as a physically active job and participation in moderate to high intensity sports.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-align-center\"><mark style=\"background-color:rgba(0, 0, 0, 0)\" class=\"has-inline-color has-primary-color\">To ensure safety in this festive period, it is essential to plan ahead and discuss certain points with your healthcare team or a healthcare professional<\/mark><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>Here is what should be discussed:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>general health;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>diabetes management;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>risks of fasting;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>medication;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>blood glucose monitoring.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><mark style=\"background-color:rgba(0, 0, 0, 0)\" class=\"has-inline-color has-primary-color\">The importance of maintaining healthy lifestyle habits<\/mark><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Beyond the daily fast, Ramadan leads to a drastic disrutpion of lifestyle habits, particulary regarding diet and sleep schedules. These changes significantly impact the management of diabetes and certain guidelines are essantial.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><mark style=\"background-color:rgba(0, 0, 0, 0)\" class=\"has-inline-color has-primary-color\">When you break the fast<\/mark>, you should: <\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Maintain a regular meal schedule;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Eat balanced meals;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Avoid constant snacking to prevent blood sugar fluctuations;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Choose nutritious snacks containing approximately 15 g of carbohydrates and protein, such as nuts, nut butter, Greek yogourt, eggs and cheese;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Drink plenty of water;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>At Iftar (the meal to break the fast at sunset), begin with foods containing fast-absorbing carbohydrates (fruits, dates), then switch to foods containing slow-absorbing carbohydrates;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>At Suhoor (the pre-dawn meal), prioritize foods containing slow-absorbing carbohydrates (harira, semolina, beans, bread, rice, dhal) and add a source of protein (meat, eggs, cheese).<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><mark style=\"background-color:rgba(0, 0, 0, 0)\" class=\"has-inline-color has-primary-color\">Despite adequate preparation, certain situations require breaking the fast:<\/mark><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Hypoglycemia (blood glucose below 3.9 mmol\/L);<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Severe hyperglycemia (blood glucose above 16.6 mmol\/L);<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Vomiting, diarrhea, or dizziness (consult your pharmacist or call Info-Sant\u00e9 at 811 immediately for advice).<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><mark style=\"background-color:rgba(0, 0, 0, 0)\" class=\"has-inline-color has-primary-color\">Our additionnal tips:<\/mark><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Be sure to monitor your blood glucose 2 to 5 times a day: morning, noon, evening, and night. Check your blood glucose immediately if you experience symptoms of hyperglycemia or hypoglycemia;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Be extra vigilant if you are taking insulin or insulin secretagogues;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Consider using a continuous glucose monitoring system with low and high blood glucose alarms;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Opt for low- to moderate-intensity physical activity and avoid high-intensity activities.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n  <section  class=\"block-accordions-group theme-block theme-block--innerblock aligndefault\" >\n        \n    <div class=\"acf-innerblocks-container\">\n    \n<section class=\"accordion\">\n  <div class=\"accordion__table\">\n    <div class=\"accordion__accordion\">\n          \n      <button class=\"accordion__header-row accordion-toggle\" id=\"accordion69eb72d4b02bbid\" aria-controls=\"sect69eb72d4b02bb\" aria-expanded=\"false\"\n        aria-label=\"Open or close accordion &quot;Take this month of festivities to better understand diabetes with our informative videos in Arabic&quot;.\">\n                  <span class=\"accordion__header__title\">Take this month of festivities to better understand diabetes with our informative videos in Arabic<\/span>\n                <span class=\"accordion__header__icon\" role=\"presentation\">\n          <i class=\"icon icon-arrow-down\"><\/i>\n        <\/span>\n      <\/button>\n    \n        \n      <div class=\"accordion__sub-rows wysiwyg\" id=\"sect69eb72d4b02bb\" role=\"region\" aria-labelledby=\"accordion69eb72d4b02bbid\">\n        <div class=\"acf-innerblocks-container\">\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/universi-d.com\/ar\/formations\/le-diabete\/\" data-type=\"link\" data-id=\"https:\/\/universi-d.com\/ar\/formations\/le-diabete\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Information videos in arabic<\/a><\/p>\n\n<\/div>      <\/div>\n\n    <\/div>\n  <\/div>\n<\/section>\n\n<\/div> \n  <\/section>\n  \n\n  <section  class=\"block-accordions-group theme-block theme-block--innerblock aligndefault\" >\n        \n    <div class=\"acf-innerblocks-container\">\n    \n<section class=\"accordion\">\n  <div class=\"accordion__table\">\n    <div class=\"accordion__accordion\">\n          \n      <button class=\"accordion__header-row accordion-toggle\" id=\"accordion69eb72d4b0916id\" aria-controls=\"sect69eb72d4b0916\" aria-expanded=\"false\"\n        aria-label=\"Open or close accordion &quot;See also our leaflets in Arabic on diabetes&quot;.\">\n                  <span class=\"accordion__header__title\">See also our leaflets in Arabic on diabetes<\/span>\n                <span class=\"accordion__header__icon\" role=\"presentation\">\n          <i class=\"icon icon-arrow-down\"><\/i>\n        <\/span>\n      <\/button>\n    \n        \n      <div class=\"accordion__sub-rows wysiwyg\" id=\"sect69eb72d4b0916\" role=\"region\" aria-labelledby=\"accordion69eb72d4b0916id\">\n        <div class=\"acf-innerblocks-container\">\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.diabete.qc.ca\/en\/resources\/documentation\/?_documentation_target_audiences=grand-public-documents-en-arabe\" data-type=\"link\" data-id=\"https:\/\/www.diabete.qc.ca\/ressources\/documentation\/?_documentation_target_audiences=grand-public-documents-en-arabe\">Documentation in Arabic<\/a><\/p>\n\n<\/div>      <\/div>\n\n    <\/div>\n  <\/div>\n<\/section>\n\n<\/div> \n  <\/section>\n  \n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center\"><mark style=\"background-color:rgba(0, 0, 0, 0)\" class=\"has-inline-color has-primary-color\">Ramadan Moubarak!<\/mark><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>For the estimated 1.1 to 1.6 billion Muslims around the word, the observance of Ramadan is an important religious ritual and a time for communal celebration. However, it is not without risk for people living with diabetes. Here are some tips on precautions to take during Ramadan. What is Ramadan? Ramadan is a holy month&hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":25111,"parent":24322,"menu_order":155,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_relevanssi_hide_post":"","_relevanssi_hide_content":"","_relevanssi_pin_for_all":"","_relevanssi_pin_keywords":"","_relevanssi_unpin_keywords":"","_relevanssi_related_keywords":"","_relevanssi_related_include_ids":"","_relevanssi_related_exclude_ids":"","_relevanssi_related_no_append":"","_relevanssi_related_not_related":"","_relevanssi_related_posts":"7588,12718,10630,9690,9849,16710","_relevanssi_noindex_reason":"","footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-13260","page","type-page","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.diabete.qc.ca\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/13260","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.diabete.qc.ca\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.diabete.qc.ca\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.diabete.qc.ca\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.diabete.qc.ca\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=13260"}],"version-history":[{"count":8,"href":"https:\/\/www.diabete.qc.ca\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/13260\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":37319,"href":"https:\/\/www.diabete.qc.ca\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/13260\/revisions\/37319"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.diabete.qc.ca\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/24322"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.diabete.qc.ca\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/25111"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.diabete.qc.ca\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=13260"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}