When it comes to fish, stay with ocean-caught fish rather than farmraised fish
or fish from lakes in order to avoid ingesting mercury and other contaminants
that can throw your metabolism off balance. Don’t throw away fish heads, either,
as they are nutrient rich. Instead, use them to make fish broth. Fish broth is a
staple of the Japanese diet, which is rich in the minerals and iodine that are
essential for thyroid health.
Figure 4.7: Omega-3 Content per 6-Ounce Serving
USDA Nutrient Database for Standard Reference, Release 19 (2005)
EPA & DHA* Average of 5 speciesDOES FARMRAISED FISH CONTAIN HEALTHY OMEGA-3 FATTY
ACIDS?
Both wild and farmraised fish contain healthy omega-3 fatty acids. However,
some farmraised salmon are also fed dyes to give their flesh the orange tint of
wild salmon. Farmraised fish are fed soy. Choose fish that is labeled wild or
frozen, meaning it was ocean-caught, and stay away from fish without labels or
that’s labeled “fresh,” which means it was probably farm raised. You can easily
find wild fish in your local supermarket. (A list of wild fish suppliers is provided
at the end of this book.) SHELLFISH
The term “shellfish” applies to 2 different kinds of animals: crustaceans and
mollusks. Crustaceans include crabs, crayfish, lobster, and shrimp. Mollusks
include clams, oysters, mussels, scallops, octopus, and squid. All shellfish
provide the body with high-quality protein and contain healthy minerals and
vitamins. Shellfish also contain healthy omega-3 fatty acids (although in lesser
amounts than other fish).
Oysters are high in zinc, which plays a role in fertility by preserving the male
and female sex hormones (estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone). It’s no
wonder that oysters are considered to be an aphrodisiac in many cultures.
Oysters also contain vanadium, which helps improve sugar control.