A halal diet has nothing to do with calories or carbs, or nutrients or losing weight. It describes a way of eating that Muslims follow in accordance with the Quran, the holy book of Islam. The Quran does, however, caution against overindulging, urging Muslims to use self-discipline in all things including eating. As a result, Muslims who keep halal are less likely to overeat and become overweight.
Halal vs. Haram
The word "halal" in Arabic means "permitted." It can apply to anything -- dress codes, behavior standards -- but is most commonly associated with food. On the other side is "haram," which means "forbidden." Anything that isn't haram is halal. Obvious products that are explicitly haram include any kind of pork product and alcohol. Animals that can be eaten, such as cows, sheep and poultry, must be slaughtered in accordance with halal standards. Fish is generally halal among Sunni Muslims, but many Shia Muslims consider it haram, according to the Muslim Food Board.
The Gray Area
Some items aren't obviously halal or haram, leaving them in the category of mashbooh. The observant Muslim knows to watch out for certain ingredients; for example, shortening, cheeses and gelatin can be made with vegetable products, but they can also be made with products from pigs or from animals not slaughtered in accordance with halal standards. Products that meet halal standards often bear a symbol letting Muslims know that they are acceptable to eat. If a Muslim cannot be sure that a food is halal, he is not supposed to eat it.
Zabihah
"Zabihah" or "zibh" is the Arabic term for the Islamic slaughter of an animal that makes it halal. There are several standards that the slaughter must meet for the meat to be considered halal. The person killing the animals has to be an adult Muslim who understands the principles of the zabihah. He must use a very sharp knife and slit the animal's throat, cutting through the two jugular veins, the windpipe and the esophagus, preferably in one cut. The knife must not cut the animal's head off, and in fact should not deeply penetrate the spine. As the slaughterer kills the animals, the Muslim Food Board says he must invoke the name of Allah, usually by saying, "Bismillah -- Allahu akbar," which translates to "I begin in the name of Allah -- Allah is the greatest." If he uses someone else's name, or deliberately leaves out the name of Allah, the meat will be haram. However, if he accidentally forgets to call upon Allah, the meat will still be halal. Once the slaughter has taken place, the animal's blood must be drained completely. Throughout the procedure, the animal should be treated humanely with minimal suffering and no abuse.
Hidden Haram
Besides items that are mashbooh, Muslims also have to consider other haram products used in less obvious places. Alcohol is used to make vanilla extract, so that excludes many baked desserts. Whey often contains rennet, which could be taken from pork or non-zabihah cows. Some yogurts contain rennet as well. Basically, the observant Muslim has to be diligent about looking for the halal symbol, and if one is not available, reading ingredient lists.
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