Why Does Blood Sugar Go Up During Navratri Vrat? A Diabetic’s Guide to Fasting Safely

Here is a strange fact about Navratri: many people with diabetes see their blood sugar go up during the fast, not down. You eat fewer meals, skip rotis and rice, and still the glucometer shows 220 in the evening. How?

The answer lies in what fills the vrat plate. Sabudana, aloo, sweet fruit, fried kuttu puris, sugary lassi and milk-based sweets are some of the fastest-acting carbohydrates in the Indian kitchen. Combine them with long gaps between meals and you get the worst of both worlds: dangerous lows in the afternoon and sharp spikes after the evening meal.

I don’t believe diabetes should take faith or tradition away from anyone. But a fast with diabetes needs a plan. So here is my practical guide to Navratri fasting for diabetics, with the Ayurvedic perspective woven in.

First, a conversation with your doctor

Before you fast, speak to your doctor, especially if you take insulin or tablets such as glimepiride or gliclazide. These medicines can push sugar too low when you eat less. Your doctor may change the dose or timing for the fasting days. Never adjust medicines on your own.

People with type 1 diabetes, those with kidney problems, recent heart issues or frequent hypoglycaemia are usually advised against strict fasting. A partial fast, such as one meal of vrat food and the rest as normal, may be a safer alternative.

How Ayurveda looks at diabetes and fasting

Ayurveda describes diabetes under prameha, and the advanced form as madhumeha. It is linked largely to excess kapha and weakened metabolism, made worse by heavy, sweet, oily food and inactivity.

Interestingly, Ayurveda does not see fasting as starving. Langhana, or lightening, means giving the digestive system rest with light, easy food. That is very different from a day of fried sabudana vadas. Seen this way, a well-planned vrat can actually suit a person with prameha, while a festive feast disguised as a fast does the opposite.

Sugar patient Navratri vrat kaise rakhe: the vrat foods ranked

Better choices

Rajgira (amaranth) and kuttu (buckwheat) flour: more protein and fibre than most vrat options. Make rotis or cheela, not puris.
Samak rice (barnyard millet): a millet that releases sugar more slowly than sabudana. Great as khichdi with vegetables.
Makhana: roasted with a little ghee, a filling, low-sugar snack.
Paneer, curd and buttermilk: protein that slows the rise of glucose.
Lauki, kaddu, cucumber, tomato and spinach: allowed in most traditions and good for bulk.
Nuts and seeds: a small handful of almonds, walnuts or peanuts.

Limit or avoid

Sabudana: almost pure starch, with a high glycaemic impact. If you must, keep it to a small portion with peanuts and curd.
Aloo: fine in small amounts, boiled, with protein and vegetables; not as fries or chips.
Fruit juice, sweet lassi and sherbet: liquid sugar, the fastest route to a spike.
Banana, chikoo and grapes in large portions: choose guava, apple, pear or papaya instead, a small bowl at a time.
Kheer, halwa and vrat mithai: the real festival trap.

A sample day for a diabetic on Navratri vrat

Time	What to eat
Morning	Tea without sugar, 5–6 soaked almonds
Mid-morning	Small apple or guava with a few walnuts
Lunch	2 rajgira rotis, lauki sabzi, bowl of curd
Evening	Roasted makhana, buttermilk
Dinner	Samak khichdi with vegetables, cucumber raita

Keep the gaps to three or four hours. Drink water often; dehydration itself can raise blood sugar.

Check, don’t guess

Test your blood sugar more often during the nine days: before breakfast, two hours after lunch and before bed is a good start. Know the signs of low sugar:

Shakiness, sweating or a pounding heart
Sudden hunger, dizziness or blurred vision
Confusion, irritability or a headache

If sugar drops below 70 mg/dL, break the fast with glucose, juice or a sweet. Your health matters more than finishing the fast. Equally, readings above 300 mg/dL mean you should contact your doctor.

Ayurvedic herbs traditionally used for blood sugar support

Ayurveda has a long list of herbs used in prameha. A few are well studied:

Gudmar (Gymnema sylvestre), called the “sugar destroyer”, because chewing the leaf briefly dulls the taste of sweet. It is traditionally used to support healthy glucose levels.
Vijaysar (Pterocarpus marsupium), a heartwood traditionally used in cups made from the wood, with water left overnight.
Methi (fenugreek), whose soluble fibre slows carbohydrate absorption. Soaked methi seeds are a common Indian habit.
Karela (bitter gourd), eaten as sabzi or juice.
Bael and Neem, bitter herbs used to balance kapha.
Giloy and Haldi, used for overall metabolic and immune support.

Our Madhumeha Avrodhak capsules combine many of these herbs, including Gudmar, Vijaysar, Methi, Karela, Bael, Giloy, Neem, curcumin and Shilajit, to support healthy glucose balance alongside diet and medical care. There is also a stronger Madhumeha Avrodhak Plus. One important point: if you already take diabetes medicine, adding herbs can lower sugar further. Monitor closely and tell your doctor.

Keep moving during the fast

Don’t treat the vrat days as rest days. A 15 to 20 minute walk after lunch and dinner helps your muscles use glucose. Avoid intense workouts on an empty stomach, which can trigger a low. Sitting in Vajrasana for a few minutes after meals is a simple traditional habit. Sleep well too, because a poor night’s sleep raises the next day’s sugar.

Beyond Navratri: Karva Chauth and Diwali

The festive season doesn’t end with Dussehra. Karva Chauth is a nirjala fast, without even water, which is risky for many people with diabetes. Discuss it with your doctor well in advance. Then comes Diwali, with weeks of mithai. A simple rule helps: one small sweet, after a meal, never on an empty stomach, and a 15-minute walk afterwards.

Quick answers

Can diabetics eat sabudana during vrat? Occasionally and in a small portion, paired with protein. It is not a good everyday vrat food for diabetes.

Which vrat flour is best for diabetes? Rajgira and kuttu, as rotis or cheela, are usually better choices than sabudana or singhara puris.

Can I do a nine-day fast with diabetes? Many people can, with a doctor’s guidance and medication adjustment. Those on insulin or with complications should be extra careful.

The bottom line

A diabetic-friendly Navratri is entirely possible. Choose protein and fibre over starch, keep meals small and regular, test more often, and treat herbs like Gudmar and Methi as support, never as replacements for prescribed medicine. Celebrate fully, and keep your numbers celebrating with you.