DEARBORN HEIGHTS, Mich. (WXYZ) — Muslims in Metro Detroit are observing Ramadan, the holy month of prayer, charity, and fasting from sunrise to sunset — and medical professionals say the practice can provide meaningful health benefits.
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Yasser Hashwi, owner of Booza Delight in Dearborn Heights, has been fasting during Ramadan since he was a kid. His shop, which started with making ice cream at home, has grown into a new brick-and-mortar location with plenty of dessert options.
"I do avocado ice cream, I do some weird flavors you can't find anywhere else," Hashwi said.
Working in the food industry while fasting presents its own challenges.
"I always want to eat, so the first day or two days you make a mistake, you're like, ' Oh, I want to taste something because I'm making a recipe, and like 'Oh my God, fasting,'" Hashwi said.
But after years of observance, Hashwi says his body and mind have adjusted to the demands of the fast.
"Like I had my employee, she was drinking water next to me, and she goes, 'Yasser, I'm sorry.' I'm like, no, you're fine, it doesn't bother me," Hashwi said.
For Hashwi, he noted that the purpose of fasting goes beyond the physical.
"The whole experience of why you fast is really to feel about the people who are poor, who have no money to eat. So that gives you the feeling of how those people feel," Hashwi said.
Dr. Zafar Shamoon with Corewell Health is also observing Ramadan. He says fasting can have positive physiological effects — a key reason intermittent fasting has grown in popularity.
"We go to ketosis phase, where instead of your body burning glucose, we're now burning stored fat, and what happens with that is obviously not only some weight reduction, but also it helps the gut rest, which also allows healing," Shamoon said.
Shamoon says fasting can also have positive mental effects.
"The brain itself is also more alert," Shamoon said.
For those continuing their fasts, Shamoon offered practical advice.
"Try not to eat too sugary foods in the morning, because you can have a crash later, and also the important thing is try to hydrate as much as you can in the morning," Shamoon said.
Above all, Shamoon and Hashwi say it is important to keep the spiritual meaning of Ramadan at the center of the observance.
"It's meant to bring you closer to God and remind you of those less fortunate," Shamoon said.
"Hopefully you follow that month for the next year until you do it all over again, so you stay in the right path of what God wants you to do," Hashwi said.
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