Sounds like an easy thing to do, right? The problem is that in these days of overfishing, pollution, global warming, and coastal development, we all need to be aware of not only what fish are healthy to eat given our gender and age, but also what fish we shouldn’t eat. Not to be purchased due to overfishing by large fishing companies.
Many people believe that fish is healthier than beef or pork because…it is fish. It’s wild, living in the oceans or lakes around us, and therefore free of the antibiotics and hormones that big companies inject into our farm-raised cattle. It’s a good thought; but pretty bad.
It may sound complicated, but when you take into account where you are in life and the ages of those around you, it really isn’t that hard to determine which fish you should and shouldn’t eat. If you are pregnant or trying to become pregnant, or have young children, you will want to avoid certain species of fish due to their mercury content.
A little lesson here: many of us grew up with the good old mercury thermometer. He gave mom and dad an idea of how sick we were. Good thing we never broke one of those things. Mercury, even in small doses, is harmful to health; And because mercury can be absorbed through the skin, pharmaceutical companies have been perfecting thermometers that don’t require mercury.
So why eat fish with a mercury content that can harm you? There are some very healthy fish that you can eat as much as you want, and then there are fish to eat only occasionally. Here are some rules to follow when it comes to eating fish:
*Avoid farm-raised shrimp; especially farm-raised imported shrimp because they are associated with high levels of pollutants that harm the environment around the farms where they are raised.
*Avoid farm-raised salmon. Farm-raised salmon tends to be high in contaminants and honestly, it doesn’t taste very good. Pay the extra money to buy wild-caught Pacific salmon or Alaskan salmon.
*If you are pregnant or trying to become pregnant, avoid fish that are high in mercury, such as swordfish, sea bass, Atlantic halibut, and tuna. Honestly, if you’re concerned about mercury content, talk to your doctor about what kind of fish you can eat in limited amounts and what fish you should avoid entirely. This is also true for young children.
* Arctic char, sardines, squid, Atlantic flounder, and wild salmon have the lowest mercury content. Sardines are also high in calcium as their bones are also eaten. I know a lot of people don’t like sardines, but I started craving them when I was pregnant and I still love them today!
*Avoid shrimp caught with trawls. Trawling not only catches the shellfish the fisherman is trying to catch, but also catches and kills up to 15 times more by weight than other marine life. You will need to know your fishmonger at your local store well to get this information. If your fisherman doesn’t know, go elsewhere for not only your shrimp, but all your shellfish. If you like to eat fish, you’ll want the person selling it to you to know where it comes from and how it’s caught.
* Think of your fresh seafood the same way you think of the fresh produce you buy; buy what is in season in your area of the country.
* Just like asking your fishmonger about the fish you want to buy, don’t be afraid to ask your waiter the same questions. If your server can’t tell you where the fish on the menu came from, or worse, the chef can’t tell you, don’t order it! If the chef does not know the origin of the fish that he serves, he is not a very good chef. With that being said, he may want to consider finding a new restaurant.
You can eat fish and stay healthy, you just need to exercise caution and be aware of the environmental ramifications that come with harvesting each species of fish.
