Low Carb Dietitian
  • Home
  • Book
  • About Me
  • Blog
  • Contact
  • Research
  • Links
  • My Diet Doctor articles

Seafood: Keeping It Healthy and Sustainable 

6/23/2012

7 Comments

 
Picture
I love seafood. With the exception of a brief period of veganism, I have consumed fish and shellfish for nearly all of my 45 years. I eat all kinds of seafood prepared in just about every way, including raw, although of course I don't eat the battered "fish and chips" type anymore.  (From what I remember, it tasted really good, though!)  As a dietitian I advise my patients to consume fish at least twice a week, preferably three times for most.  Seafood is low carb, high protein, and loaded with many vital micronutrients. Eating fatty fish like salmon is a great way to get the right amount of omega 3 fats that so many people are deficient in. I've been eating some sort of seafood almost every other day for at least a year, and enjoying every bite.

Recently, however, I read a great Newsweek article that left me thoroughly depressed about our overfished waters.
While I knew that many popular types of fish -- including red snapper, swordfish, and Chilean seabass --- were close to being endangered, I had no idea of the extent of the problem. We're truly in danger of running out of many types of fish if we keep going at our current pace. The changes in marine life populations are creating a huge amount of stress on our delicate ocean ecosystems. 

Another issue is the mercury content of seafood. Mercury has profoundly negative effects on the body at toxic levels, including kidney damage, memory impairment, and neurological symptoms such as lack of coordination and pain or loss of sensation of the extremities. Although mercury poisoning  is especially of concern for pregnant women, it can occur in anyone who eats a lot of seafood high in mercury. In general, the fish that contain the most mercury are larger varieties like shark, swordfish, orange roughy and, unfortunately for me, Ahi tuna. In addition to mercury, there's cause for concern over fish contaminated by other heavy metals as a result of Japan's nuclear plant damage following the devastating earthquake and tsunami  last year.

Sprout and Press has an excellent free, downloadable pocket guide to make choosing seafood easier. However, it's not always easy to determine exactly where the fish you're eating came from, and as you can see from the guide, fish such as salmon range from "best choice" to "avoid" based on where they originate and whether they are wild or farmed.  Some farmed fish are actually better than fresh-caught, but not salmon. Confusing, isn't it?

How do we choose fish that are both environmentally friendly and healthy?  Selecting small fish is a good start. Sardines, herring, shrimp, and most non-farmed salmon  are low in mercury, sustainable, and highest in omega 3 fats.  Fish that are not as high in omega 3's but still good choices include flounder, sole, squid, farmed tilapia, and farmed trout. All canned salmon is wild-caught. It's something I eat often and recommend to my patients as an inexpensive source of high-quality protein and healthy fat. Sardines and herring are other excellent canned fish choices.

Seafood has a lot of things going for it, but it's important to make the right choices. I still recommend eating fish three times a week but hope to do so in a way that makes sense from both an environmental and health perspective. 
If you haven't tried sardines or herring in a while -- or ever -- why not give them a try?  I think you'll be surprised how delicious they can be.  And if you end up not liking them,  I'm willing to bet you can find  a grateful cat (or family member) who'd be happy to take them off your hands. 








7 Comments
Gina Whiteley
6/25/2012 06:42:09 am

That was a great article! Thank you! Although I do not eat sea food because of my vegetarian lifestyle, I also give the recommendation to consume seafood 2 times a week to my patients. I have been increasingly concerned about the endagerment of our oceans too and now I know the best fish to recommend from both a health and environmental perspective.

Reply
Franziska
6/25/2012 10:56:47 am

Thanks so much, Gina! Glad you found the information helpful. I really like the pocket guide and appreciate that a separate one was created for each geographical region.

Reply
Alice Zogg link
6/26/2012 12:38:40 pm

As your mom I don't always agree with you on every topic, but when it comes to diet and nutrition my motto is: "Franziska knows best." I will try to follow your advice and eat more of the healthy fish varieties.

Reply
Franziska
6/26/2012 12:47:07 pm

Thanks, Mom! :)

Reply
NurseBob link
7/10/2012 01:44:35 am

Hi Franziska,
I enjoyed the post.
I struggle with seafood; not from a health perspective, but due to a strong, lifelong aversion to any "fishy" flavor. However, over the years I've learned that I can enjoy those fish which don't have a lot of oil in their flesh (and, of course, that are "fresh"). I do love shrimp and lobster, but am aware that those critters don't really fit into a low cholesterol diet. Bummer...
Thanks for reminding me to keep some kind of fish on my home menu!
NurseBob

Reply
Franziska
7/10/2012 12:28:53 pm

Thanks, Bob! You're certainly not alone in not liking "fishy" fish. So sardines really aren't your thing, then ;) Glad there are some types of seafood that you find palatable. Shrimp and lobster are fairly high in cholesterol, but dietary cholesterol has less of an impact on heart health than previously thought. They're also low in calories and rich in iodine, so feel free to enjoy them occasionally.

Reply
Mark Preston link
10/4/2013 08:00:44 pm

Very valuable and useful article.I will give information regarding this to my friends.
Thanks for posting it.

Reply

Your comment will be posted after it is approved.


Leave a Reply.

    Author 

    Franziska Spritzler, RD, CDE

    Categories

    All
    Academy Of Nutrition And Dietetics
    American Diabetes Association
    Answers.com Articles
    Authority Nutrition Articles
    Bone-health
    Bpa
    Calories
    Cardiovascular Disease
    Dairy
    Diabetes
    Dietetic Associations
    Fiber
    High Fat
    Hyperinsulinemia
    Inflammation
    Insulin Resistance
    Introduction
    Ketogenic Diets
    Low Carb
    Muscle Mass
    Net Carbs
    Paleo
    PCOS
    Primal
    Protein
    Quick Low Carb Treats
    Quick Low-Carb Treats
    Recommended Reading
    Restaurants
    Reviews
    Saturated Fat
    Seafood
    Sugar Addiction
    Thanksgiving
    Thyroid
    Veganism
    Weight Management
    Weston A. Price Foundation

    Archives

    July 2019
    March 2019
    January 2019
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013
    February 2013
    January 2013
    November 2012
    October 2012
    August 2012
    July 2012
    June 2012
    May 2012
    March 2012
    January 2012
    December 2011
    November 2011
    October 2011
    September 2011
    August 2011
    July 2011

    RSS Feed

  • Home
  • Book
  • About Me
  • Blog
  • Contact
  • Research
  • Links
  • My Diet Doctor articles