Kosher food is prepared in line with Jewish law, but it is eaten by people of many religions for its health benefits. Although the diet restricts you to certain foods, losing weight and conforming with Jewish law simultaneously is easy. Also, a kosher diet plan forbids you to eat dairy and meat at the same time, so cheeseburgers and meat pizzas are off the menu, and this helps your digestive system and reduces cholesterol levels.
History
Thousands of years ago, the founding Jewish rabbis came up with a complex set of rules on how animals should be slaughtered, explains JewishFederations.org. People on a kosher diet use separate utensils for dairy and meat. There are some ambiguities in the diet: only fish with fins and scales are allowed, but as a swordfish ages it loses its scales, so its kosher status is open to debate. Meanwhile, ancient laws regarding the use of metal and earthenware cooking utensils do not take into account modern Pyrex technology. According to HalalJournal.com, in the United States the kosher diet industry is worth $100 billion a year, and Muslims account for 16 percent of this, because their religion encourages similar laws.
Restrictions
Pork and rabbit are forbidden in a kosher diet. Instead, eat chicken and turkey, which are leaner, with the same amount of vital protein but with far less of the saturated fat that clogs your arteries and leads to weight gain. Fish like sturgeon, shark, and marlin are banned, but these are not the healthiest fish because of their mercury levels. Fish high in protein and containing the unsaturated fat that stimulates weight loss by ridding your body of "bad" cholesterol are allowed, such as salmon and mackerel. Either chicken, turkey or fish should be eaten every day, or if you are vegetarian, eat beans, peas, or lentils for protein. All fruits and vegetables are kosher, and you should eat eight portions a day to give you the nutrients that stimulate digestion. Most cereals are considered kosher. Processed cereals such as white bread are non-kosher. This is helpful for weight loss because processed carbohydrates are full of sugar and your body cannot break them down quickly enough, leading to weight gain.
Preparation
It is a grave sin for a Jewish person to eat non-kosher food. While chicken, turkey, cows and sheep are considered kosher, they have to be slaughtered in a particular way. A trained, skilled individual cuts cleanly through the animal's esophagus and trachea with a sharp, flawless knife. The animal supposedly feels no pain because it loses consciousness quickly.
Benefits
Your body finds it difficult to digest meat and dairy at the same time. It turns them into glucose but it cannot flush this glucose out quickly enough and it is stored as fat. This also raises your cholesterol levels and makes exercise difficult. You are more susceptible to heart disease, heart attack, and stroke. Because you cut out foods like cheeseburgers and focus on lean meats like turkey, your cholesterol levels should decrease along with your weight.
Considerations
To lose weight, you must create a calorific deficit by burning off more calories than you eat. Get regular exercise, eat healthy kosher food and avoid saturated fat, even if it is kosher.
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