5 Reasons You Should Eat More Fish

Image:Reavel

"Chance is always powerful. Let your hook always be cast; in the pool where you least expect it, there will be fish"
Ovid

I have a new found love of fish, having grown up hating it with a passion, it was difficult for The Boy to get me interested, but he eventually succeeded. I now proudly get it, the flavor, the texture the freshness. I'll eat it raw, dried, fried, grilled, poached you name it, the only problem is, I forget. Maybe it's because it's not part of my hardwired food repertoire, maybe because it's not as easy to get as a chicken breast or a lamb chop. Whatever the excuse, it's time to get over it and start getting into it, and here's why:

1. Consumption of fish reduces the risk of cardiovascular disease, heart attack and stroke.
   
   
2. Eating fish regularly has shown to reduce inflammation.
   
   
3. Essential fatty acids found in fish improve cholesterol levels, decreasing triglycerides and increasing HDL (the good cholesterol)
   
   
4. The addition of fish to your diet could assist in weight loss and blood sugar control
   
   
5. It's been shown that eating fish on a weekly basis reduces the risk of Alzheimer's disease
   

Most of the studies done on the benefits of fish in the diet relate to the consumption of Omega 3 fatty acids. These fats are found in highest amounts in certain fish such as:

• Herring
  
• Mackerel
  
• Salmon
  
• Tuna
  
• Anchovies
  
• Sardines

Sustainable fishing techniques as well as endangered species may be things you want to take in to consideration when buying fish. Check out the Australian Marine Conservation Society for more info. This article also gives you a good snap shot at types of fishing and what species to avoid. Passionfish is an organisation based in the US, committed to providing up to date information on sustainable fishing and aquaculture. They have a great blog over at Ocean Commotion with more news and happenings.

Last but not least there has been much concern about the inadvertent consumption of mercury when eating fish, especially for pregnant women. The Food Standards Australia and New Zealand suggest eating 2-3 serves of most types of fish per week as safe.

Certain species of fish tend to have higher levels of mercury due to their position in the food chain, size and age, and should be eaten less frequently. It is suggest that the following fish should only be eaten once a week, and if consumed, no other fish should be eaten that week.

• Shark/Flake
  
• Orange Roughy- Deep Sea Perch/Sea Perch (identified as an over fished species)
  
• Billfish- swordfish, marlin and broadbill (identified as an over fished species)
  
• Catfish

So there you have it, why to eat fish and some issues that might be of interest when you are standing at the fish market wondering what to get.

How do you enjoy fish on a regular basis? Do you love it/hate it? Any good recipes? Please do share in the comments.......