Why You Should Eat Fish

Some fish have much less toxins than others.

Generally, I think natural food, unprocessed, isa the healthiest. But in this case, fish oil capsules are defintiely a wise choice. (They are fractionally distilled, so the toxins are removed).

I love fish. I would eat it even if it were not a healthy choice =0, I just worry about all the toxins it could be swimming in before it is caught. I seriously could live off of just salmon, shrimp, crab, lobster, clams and scallops.

There is a tremendous difference in the amopunt of toxins in different species. While you can find charts that list all fish, the general rule is-- eat lower on the food chain. That means that, generally, the smaller the fish the less the toxins. Large predatory fish are the worst-- small ones best. Swordfish have amongst the highest toxins-- smaller fish like Sardines and herring are amongst the best. geenral rukes for avoiding toxins:

1-Ocean fish better than freshwater (rivers and lakes, etc more polluted).

2-Smaller fish generally better than larger ones.

3-Salmon-- wild caught best. Farm raised is bad-- has toxins.

4-Mussels, clams, etc-- the opposite of Salmon-- farm raised is better-- they monitor levels of toxins carefully.

You eat fresh caught, and it's probably more polluted and contributes to depeleting supplies.

From everything I've read, farm-raised Salmon actually has more toxins. (Don't have time now, but will look for links later to back that up-- or refute it).

Take your pick, but I like eating fish, so I'll continue to do so, but if you're REALLY after Omega 3's, you should be consuming extra virgin olive oils

Omega 3's-- in Olive oil? I know its a great source of Monos-- but Omega 3's? Do you have a source for that?

You are the third person in the last couple of days I have read, that has brought up EVO as a nutritional supplement or has data supporting that adding it into your diet is a pro.

Here's "the skinny on fats":

1. Worst= Transfat. -- avoid at all costs! Bad even in small quantities: Transfat. Anything that says "hydrogenated' or "partially hydrogenated". Mainly added to baked goods. This stuff is so bad for you that some localities have started to ban it altogether!

2. Limit= Saturated fat. Red Meat mainly.

3. Omega 6 fatty acids. OK but needs to be balanced by eating more Omega 3's.

But these two are great:

1. Monosaturated ("Omega 9): Great! best sources: EVO (should be cold pressed); Almonds (preferably organic). Avocadoes. Most nuts.

2. Omega 3: Salmon is the best source. other cold water fish: Sardines, herring. Fish oil caps from a reputable company are just as good if not better (no toxins). Vegetarian sources are generally not as good as the type they have isn't fully utilized (there's some in Walnuts, Pumpkin seeds, some sea vegetables-- best to get most of it from fish caps).

1. Monosaturated ("Omega 9): Great! best sources: EVO (should be cold pressed); Almonds (preferably organic). Avocadoes. Most nuts.

2. Omega 3: Salmon is the best source. other cold water fish: Sardines, herring. Fish oil caps from a reputable company are just as good if not better (no toxins). Vegetarian sources are generally not as good as the type they have isn't fully utilized (there's some in Walnuts, Pumpkin seeds, some sea vegetables-- best to get most of it from fish caps).

Interestingly, some of the recent reseach has indicated that adding "good fats"-- Monos (and possible Omega 3's) may actually help in weight loss!

I understand what she says about fish, but not everyone can get excited about sardines. And if you were to live exclusively on wild caught salmon, 1. it would be prohibitively expensive, and 2. you could inadvertently contribute to over fishing.

Do you by any chance work for or represent the farmed fish industry?

Do you have a source for that?

The only thing that I could find when trying to check out the recomendation was that the Omega 3 amount in most Olive Oils is less than 1.5%.

I have spoken to some cutting edge nutritionists. I have never heard any recommend EVO as a source of Omega 3's! Every one of them recommends it highly-- but for Monos, not Omega 3's. They recommend getting your Omega 3's from Salmon (Wild caught only!!!), as well as other cold water fish such as Sardines.

(I love Sardine sandwiches-- mash with mayo and chopped onion!)

Coloring is added to farm raised salmon to make it more appealing looking

More on food colouring: CSPI urges ban of 3 common carcinogenic food dyes

2. Omega 3: Salmon is the best source. other cold water fish: Sardines, herring. Fish oil caps from a reputable company are just as good if not better (no toxins). Vegetarian sources are generally not as good as the type they have isn't fully utilized (there's some in Walnuts, Pumpkin seeds, some sea vegetables-- best to get most of it from fish caps).

Btw, there are hens that are raised with feed that is rich in Omega 3's, and therefore is in their eggs. Another good xource of Omega 3's = eggs that say "Omega 3 eggs" on the box. Should also be "Organic" and "free range". (These cost more but its not a major expense-- after all, how many eggs do you eat? :-)

Grass fed beef also has some Omega 3's I believe-- I've never tried it but I believe its very expensive.

Lol, I'm going to have to take your word on that one buddy! =)

Btw, if you're really into health-- use healthy bread.

There are numerous great breads (mainly not found in ordinary supermarkets)-- but the Ezekial line is one of the very best. Its sprouted, no flour. But it doesn't have preservatives, (which is great)-- so it must be refrigerated, even frozen. (Nope-- I have no affiiaition with the company-- just that I researched it, they're one of the best. There are other good brands as well-- look for labels that say "organic' for starters-- and "sprouted" is a plus. Preferably no preservatives-- keep it in the frig-- no artifical colours, etc).

As also pointed out, carnivorous fish, like salmon, aren't so healthy because they are fed fish with toxins,

Yes-- thta's the reason one should avoid farmed Salmon.

...... and you missed that part where wild salmon is overfished too....

No-- I saw what you wrote. But I chose not to reply as the information you supplied is incorrect and totally misleading. (Just curious-- do you represent the Salmon farming industry? Because either you have some sort of business agenda you are pushing here-- or else you are merely uninformed. I wonder...which is it?).

...... and you missed that part where wild salmon is overfished too....

No-- I saw what you wrote. But I chose not to reply as the information you supplied is incorrect and totally misleading. (Just curious-- do you represent the Salmon farming industry? Because either you have some sort of business agenda you are pushing here-- or else you are merely uninformed. I wonder...which is it?).

Your comment that Salmon are over-fished is simply...false. Perhaps this will help:

Wild Salmon vs. Farmed: The Real Story

Everywhere you look these days, you see another story about dwindling fish populations and destructive fishing techniques and ten more reasons why avoiding certain fish is the eco-politically correct thing to do. But what's the real story behind the fisheries that harvest salmon from the wild and the booming, worldwide salmon farming industry? You might be surprised to learn that it's more ecologically sound to eat certain stocks of wild salmon than it is to eat the ubiquitous farmed variety. Salmon farming is doing more to threaten our native salmon populations than well-regulated harvests from the wild.

Farming is Big Business
Salmon farming as practiced today usually involves thousands of fish crowded into net-sided pens positioned near shore in cold salt water. Just like cattle that are raised in stockyards, these fish are pumped with growth hormones, antibiotics, and medications to allow them to grow quickly in spite of the stressfully crowded conditions.

A host of other problems has also beset the salmon farming industry, but the industry's focus has always been on the bottom line. No matter what the consequences, the mandate is to increase production and maximize profit. When environmental restrictions threaten the bottom line, salmon farms routinely just move to a new place where regulations are lax.

Here's the most important part:

The Wild Alternative
The alternative to farm-raised salmon is wild salmon harvested from a well-regulated fishery. The best choice today is wild Alaskan salmon. The state of Alaska took over management of its fishing industry after declining harvests signaled that commercial overfishing threatened to eliminate the salmon populations in certain rivers. Thanks to initiatives like monitoring the number of fish breeding successfully each year and limiting the commercial catch to a level that allows the wild population to sustain itself, wild Alaskan salmon populations are healthy.

Ah, well, what do you do if you have an allergy to fish as I do?

I'm 62 and have been allergic to fish since childhood. I was about three yrs old when my sister slapped my little fat belly with a blue gill. It only took a few seconds till you could see the shape of the fish as a rash. If I eat fish my throat swells and I have trouble breathing along with stomach aches and variuos other maladies.

So, what do I eat?

A lot of the health benefits of fish come from the fats (Omega-3 fatty acids). You can get these in capsule form ("fish oil caps"). But you should probably try a few before buying-- you may or may not be allergic to them as well. (They are fractionally distilled which removes impurities-- this may or may not remove the allergen that bothers you).

Some plant sources have Omega 3's-- while they have cardiovascular benefits, they don't have all the benefits of those from animal sources. Best cource-- ground Flax seed. Walnuts also good for this.

You can buy vegetarian source of complete Omega 3's as a supplement -- but I beleive its quite expensive.

I don't eat fish often, too difficult for me to cook, but I like to eat it with mixed veggies.

How about canned (Tuna, Salmon) or frozen?