Is That Healthy Fish Really So Healthful?
Margot B

Is That Healthy Fish Really So Healthful?
By Margot B

ELLE Magazine’s April issue explores how the most health-conscious eaters may be exposing themselves to dangerous levels of mercury. For years fish has been a dietary staple among weight-watchers and the most health-conscious consumers. Many believe that the omega-3 fatty acids in salmon and tuna can prevent heart disease and wrinkles as well as make their brains both brainier and less susceptible to depression.

However, Dr. Jane Hightower, [an Internal medicine specialist] reports in ELLE’s April issue, that a dangerous level of mercury is found in some very common types of fish: swordfish, shark, ahi, canned tuna. She discusses the three-year study that led to her concluding that too much of the wrong kind of fish can give you a nasty case of mercury poisoning.

Hightower reports the symptoms of mercury poisoning to include fatigue, headaches, hair loss, and neurological problems, ranging from numbness, muscle weakness, altered vision and hearing, slurred speech, to convulsions and dementia.

Hightower’s claim has touched off controversy from nationwide, pitting federal agencies and fishing industry against environmentalists and health enthusiasts. ‘Virtually all fish contain traces of methyl mercury’ Hightower reveals. ‘In lakes and rivers, where pollution is often quite concentrated, even small fish can have large amounts.’ ‘In oceans, it’s the big predatory species at the top of the food chain that ends up with

the most mercury; these fish may feast for years on smaller fish before becoming fillets themselves. Swordfish, which may be among the largest sea creatures regularly consumed by humans, may accumulate several million times the amount of mercury found in the surrounding water, according to the EPA.’
Some healthy hints from Dr. Hightower:

* Eat more salmon – the fish highest in omega-3-like salmon and

sardines, contain very low levels of mercury.

* Limit fish if you are pregnant [or trying]. Eat no more than 12-ounces

a week, and avoid swordfish, shark, king mackerel, and tilefish.

* Go for variety – eat different kinds of fish.

* Think small – little fish tend to be lower in mercury. Eating smaller

portions also helps.

* Don’t be afraid – occasionally bingeing on sushi or eating

swordfish all week on vacation won’t hurt you.

Source: ELLE
Web site: http://elle.com/
Mar 14, 2003 09:23 ET

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Margot B
mailto:[email protected]
Web site: http://margotb.tk

About the Author

Margot B is the author of a book and 100s of articles, specializing in health and the environment….and is a Web site designer. Samples:
http://margotb.tk
http://nuchatlaht.tk
http://margotbworldnews.tk
http://websitebldg.tripod.com/

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There are so many different diets to lose weight out there that trying to figure out the best one for you is absolutely mind-boggling. There’s the milk diet and the chocolate diet and the soup diet and other extreme diets that will help you lose weight, some very quickly, but, they just do not teach you how to eat better for the rest of your life.

One of the best diets to lose weight is not a diet at all. It is a lifestyle change. If you just make some simple changes with the types of food you eat, watch your portion sizes and get a little exercise everyday you will lose weight.

Here are some simple guidelines. If you drink a lot of pop, stop. Switch to water or green tea. If you switch to green tea get the flavored stuff, it just tastes better. Flavor your water with a little lemon or lime juice. Not only will this give the water some flavor, citrus is a natural diuretic and will help with any and all water weight you have.

If you eat out a lot, stop. Start cooking for yourself more. If you do not consider yourself a good cook then learn a few simple meals and practice. The more you do it the better you will get. Eat a lot of salads, too. They are easy to make, you can just go buy a bag of pre-washed salad greens and add what you want. Throw in 3 ounces of grilled chicken breast, canned tuna or salmon fillet and you have a great meal.

A secret…try a Greek, raspberry or balsamic vinaigrette. They are all very low in carbs just be sure to measure out the correct serving size. A little vinaigrette goes a long way. Or learn to make your own low-fat, low-carb salad dressing. It is totally up to you.

Eat five or six small meals a day. This may seem like a real big pain in the backside but if you plan things out and do it right it will make putting these meals together a snap. Just cook a bunch of chicken all at once and portion it out or buy the small cans of tuna. They are already three ounces, hey, look ma, no measuring!

Keep the already portioned chicken in the freezer and just thaw it out in the microwave when you need it. I would not recommend pre-cooking fish though, it takes no time to cook and is much better if you eat it right after it is cooked.

If you eat a lot of bad carbs, stop. Bad carbs come in the form of all the processed food you see on the shelves at the market. Breads, cereals, anything made from white, flour, white sugar, and even white rice are all considered to be bad carbs. all they do it raise your blood sugar and then add to the fat around your middle.

Like I said, making small changes in the way you eat and what you eat is one of the best diets to lose weight that I have found. Follow these tips and you will soon be losing weight, too.

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