Once again it is the holy month of Ramadan. During this month, Muslims fast for thirty days. But we still get many questions about how and why we do it.

"Wait...so you don't eat the ENTIRE day?"

No, not the whole day. We do eat before dawn (sehri/suhoor) to start our fast and then break our fast at sunset (iftar). We refrain from eating during the day.

"You can't drink any water either?"

Nope, not even water.

"You can eat in front of me, I won't tell"

This statement isn't necessarily rude. But, we do fast for religious purposes and for ourselves, so if we ate, we would still be breaking our fast wrongfully.

"Why aren't you fasting?"

I see this statement said a lot by non-Muslims to Muslims. There are reasons people don't have to fast. If they are sick, elderly, pregnant, or traveling. Additionally, people with eating disorders and other mental health problems may refrain from fasting if they have to take medication during the day. Muslim women on their periods don't have to fast during that week.

"Is it like a diet?"

It's not a diet, but intermittent fasting has been shown to be helpful in aiding in weight loss. Although with the amount we eat during iftar, I'm not sure anyone is losing weight.