Fish

Get the Dish on Fish
Over the past few years, there's been a lot of discussion about fish and its toxicity. The question is whether the benefits of the omega-3 fatty acids in fish outweigh the dangers of mercury, PCBs, and other chemicals detected in various fish species from waters around the world.
Although you need to protect yourself from harmful substances in the foods you consume, fish can still be a good catch.You just need to be aware of advisories about the safety of fish caught in your local lakes, rivers, and coastal areas. My advice is to always buy wild-caught salmon — farm-raised salmon are fed a diet that raises their omega-6s, not their omega-3s. Farmed fish also have higher levels of PCBs than wild-caught fish. In addition, you should trim the fat of any fish away because fish fat contains the PCBs, which have been traced to lower IQ scores, poor memory and attention, and thyroid dysfunction.
As for mercury, albacore tuna, also known as white tuna, contains more than "light" tuna, so the FDA suggests that you eat only as much as 6 ounces of albacore tuna each week, as opposed to 12 ounces of fish that are lower in mercury, such as clams, Pacific pollock, and canned Alaska wild salmon. Children should be served smaller portions of fish in general.
Are there any fish you should steer clear of? Yes — the FDA currently recommends that you avoid shark, swordfish, king mackerel, and tilefish because they contain dangerously high traces of mercury. The Monterey Bay Aquarium Web site is an excellent resource for information on the safety of regional seafood. You can check out the best fish, for both environmental and health reasons, in your area.
Don't lose sight of the fact that fish is an excellent power nutrient. When you eat protein and fat, especially the omega-3s found in fatty deep-sea fish, ghrelin (the hunger hormone) levels drop, slowing your digestion and lowering your appetite. Were it not for the toxins, you could eat fish every day of the week and I'd be happy — and so would your hormones. And remember, when preparing fish stick to grilling; avoid frying fish or adding creamy or buttery sauces. If you enjoy going out for Japanese food, sashimi is the healthiest option — and order your favorite rolls with brown rice to avoid the processed carbs in white rice.

Other Sources of Omega-3s

If you hate fish or want to avoid worrying about toxicity, you can find omega-3 fatty acids in flaxseed, walnuts, and pumpkin seeds. Or take a daily fish oil supplement.. Like monounsaturated fat, omega-3 fat improves heart health by helping to keep cholesterol levels low. It can also aid in stabilizing an irregular heartbeat and reducing blood pressure, and it acts as a natural blood thinner, reducing the risk of blood clots and stroke. You can't live without omega-3 fat, either — your brain, which is 60 percent fat, needs it to function properly. So eat it up!