大象传媒

It's the holy month of Ramadan and across Leicestershire Muslims are fasting from food and water from dawn to dusk every day for a month.

Fasting Ramadan is one of the Five Pillars of Islam, which lay the basis for how Muslims are required to live their lives.

The other pillars are the profession of faith, prayer five times a day, zakat - a form of charity, and making the pilgrimage to the holy city of Mecca once in their lifetime.

Fasting during Ramadan is meant to encourage spiritual reflection.

Our reporter Helen McCarthy, who's not Muslim, tried it for the first time, with the help of her colleague Khush Sameja, and recorded an audio diary of her day.