The Healthy Facts About Seafood
by Felicity Yarrow
http://www.fyfood.com
People everywhere are beginning to realize what scientists
have known for some time, that fresh seafood is both great-
tasting and good for your organism. Especially in this era
when it seems that everyone has sworn off carbohydrates the
solution of eating fresh seafood represents a healthy
alternative to red meats.
You can buy fresh seafood either frozen or unfrozen in most
supermarkets. Although technically, the term fresh actually
means that it was recently caught, in practice, freezing
often comes into the equation. Fresh supply without
freezing is nearly impossible with most types of seafood.
While a trout can often be caught locally anywhere, another
species of fish such as a flounder requires a harder to
find sandy-bottomed saltwater environment. Without
freezing it, people living in the Midwest part of the
country would almost never be able to experience the
delicate and perfumed flavor of flounder.
Why is fish so good for you? The reason that it's causing
the kind of stir that it is recently is all the research
about omega 3 essential fatty acids. Omega 3 is a fatty
acid that's found in fresh fish and shellfish, and few
other foods. Over the past ten years or so, scientists have
discovered that not getting enough omega 3 has a serious
effect on the human body. Because it's one of the fats that
your body needs to build new cells of all kinds, not having
enough of it can affect everything from your mood to your
skin.
Fresh seafood is high in protein and usually low in fat.
There are some types of seafood that contain high fat
contents of about 10 to 30 percent but they are rare. Fish
contains omega-3 fatty acids that are essential to life and
that have been scientificly proven to actually prevent
disease and treat certain illnesses.
In study after study, scientists have confirmed that fresh
seafood has health benefits far beyond being a low-fat,
low-carb alternative to red meat. Among the conditions that
have shown improvement - in carefully controlled clinical
trials - are depression, bipolar disorder, prediabetes,
neurological myopathy and eczema. That's just the start.
The actual list of conditions that benefit from either a
diet that includes a lot of fresh seafood or the inclusion
of a fish oil supplement would fill a full page.
The benefits of a diet that contains a lot of fresh
seafood are especially important to women. In countries
where the diet is naturally high in seafood, there's a
lower incidence of breast cancer. Fish is one of the
highest sources of iodine, essential to thyroid function.
It's an excellent source of iron, which is necessary for
the creation of red blood cells.
There are dozens of varieties of fish, and every one of
them has a unique flavor. There are even 'new' varieties
that are being sold in supermarkets for the first time.
Need more convincing? If you're trying to lose or control
your weight - and who isn't? - seafood has a fraction the
calories of red meat while providing all the high quality
protein, zinc, iron and magnesium your body needs. Love
lobster? The meat in a pair of claws and tail of a lobster
has about 150 calories. A 3 ounce piece of halibut has less
than a hundred. Skip the butter and prepared tartar sauce,
and you have a low-cal meal fit for royalty.
Frozen seafood needs to be either cooked in its frozen
state or first thawed and then used immediately. You should
never refreeze seafood. If the fish is cooked frozen it is
usually better when it is prepared broiled, baked or
another solution is to cook it en papillote.
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