January 18, 2018
Halal simply means food that is allowed in Arabic: it is the diet and lifestyle of all followers of Islam, but few people know that the diet can be hugely beneficial in helping reduce high levels of cholesterol, saturated fat, and the negative effects of high levels of alcohol intake.
Under Halal restrictions a range of foods are off the menu; pork and alcohol being the most notable. Taking up a Halal diet may lessen the risk of certain health problems.
Eating healthy, alongside following the rules of a Halal eating regime, can be beneficial to a person’s health. A Halal diet removes pork and pig by-products, food that still contains animal blood, predatory birds, and animals that died under any circumstances that were not religious slaughter. Land animals that don’t have visible ears are also prohibited.
Avoiding pork and its by-products can greatly reduce the cholesterol levels – a main factor in the development of heart disease – from our diets. Pork also contains high levels of saturated fat. The pork by-product lard, used in a number of baked and pastry goods, contains large amounts of both saturated fat and cholesterol. Those who substitute lard with plant based fats, such as olive oil, sunflower oil or canola oil will be much less likely to suffer from the negative effects of pork.
The prohibition of alcohol may not seem an attractive offer for most of Britain. But when alcohol is consumed in excess it can have very serious effects on the liver, pancreas and brain. Over consumption of alcohol causes cirrhosis of the liver and can even cause fatal strokes.
Removing alcohol from a diet ensures none of these ill-effects can occur and people will see a notable improvement of health even after the first week. Alcohol also adds a lot of extra calories to our weekly intake. This is adding to a rising obesity crisis in the UK, and for those wishing to lose weight, reducing their alcohol intake, if not completely, but slightly, will make it much easier to lose those extra ponds.
Changing to a halal diet doesn’t mean you can’t eat out, you can try a halal restaurant. Manchester based Royal Nawaab specialise in delicious food that is entirely Halal.
