Everything you should know about Fish Safety
Thursday, February 26th, 2009Something Smells Fishy: What you Should Know About Fish Safety
As I write this article I’m reminded of the fish I have to take out for dinner! OK-I’m back. By the way, I took out Mahi-mahi, one of the better choices, which I’ll explain.
Fish is one of the healthiest foods we can eat- Its low in unhealthy saturated fat, high in minerals and a terrific source of protein.
Unfortunately, over the years the fish industry has become extremely stressed. Certain types of fish such as tuna, swordfish and seabass are being “fished out”, tons of sea life is wasted in the process of catching large fish, reefs are being destroyed by large fishing vessels and nets, fish farms are getting contaminated by sewage run-offs and are sadly jam-packed with fish increasing the risk of infection and contamination to other fish, and some farms are not only contaminating the fish food with toxins such as PBB and PBB’s they are also giving fish that become infected antibiotics and hormones to grow large in a short amount of time in effort to increase their profits. Surprised? I certainly was too. A great place to educate yourself regarding this issue is http://www.seafoodwatch.org.
There are however some eco-friendly fish farms that are doing a terrific job of keeping our oceans stocked at the same time providing clean, heart-healthy fish for our dining pleasure. Some great choices for farmed raised seafood include catfish, trout, tilapia, caviar, striped bass, clams, mussels and oysters.
Other “best choices” include Alaskan wild-caught salmon and Pollock, halibut, herring, crab and cod. “Good alternatives” include wild caught cod, lobster, mahi-mahi, scallops, shrimp, sole, squid, swordfish and Albacore tuna. Seafood on the avoid list include Bluefin tuna, red snapper, shark, farmed salmon, Pacific rockfish, orange roughy, Atlantic cod, seabass, founder or sole and grouper.
The above list is categorized by how it was caught, where it is from, if it was farmed or wild and the level of contaminants it may contain.
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As mentioned- fish can contain an array of contaminants therefore fish oil can contain these same toxins that can potentially cause more harm than good. Check out the following link for high quality therapeutic grade fish oil supplements.
EPA/DHA Extra Strength Enteric Coated: http://www.metagenics.com/products/detail.asp?pid=33
Nicole Andrews, RD, LD/
Nutrition Therapist & Lifestyle Educator
Website: http://www.livingfresh.org
For order information on the supplements mentioned, visit http://www.livingfresh.meta-ehealth.com. Click Register Now to create a username and password and click Quick Order Form to find and order the desired supplement.
