BS"D

Anyone who wants to eat in a more spiritually refined way, to gain better control over his basic instincts and to elevate his experience of eating to a higher spiritual level, should consider a kosher diet. For a non-Jew, the transition certainly doesn't have to be all at once. One can start with some of the basics and progress as he sees fit.

Many people know about some of the basics of kosher eating, such as avoiding certain forbidden kinds of food--pork, shrimp, shellfish, etc. But did you know that a very important aspect of kosher eating is to avoid eating meat and dairy products together? Meals should be either meat or dairy or neither. This is not for physical health reasons, as many might think; it actually helps our spiritual health, refining our bodies to elevate our souls. By maintaining such stringencies, we change ourselves in very positive ways.

A good standard to follow is to avoid meat or meat-derived ingredients for at least an hour after eating any dairy products (or food with dairy ingredients). Dairy products or ingredients should be avoided for at least six (yes, six) hours after eating any meat or meat-derived ingredients. (If a food product is kosher and dairy, it should show a "D" next to the kashrus symbol on the package.)

The laws of kosher eating are many and very complicated, so if one wants to get serious about it, he should consult a knowledgeable orthodox rabbi. (Reform and Conservative "rabbis" do not follow the correct standards.)