Now that David Letterman is retiring, more of us will have to provide the world with Top 10 lists - not that we couldn't survive quite well without them. This isn't going to be funny, mostly just factual with an occasional wry grin.
10: Variety - there are dozens of fresh fish choices, all with varying tastes and textures. If you like a steak, ahi tuna is red, comes in steaks, it's great grilled, and should be served very rare. Bonus: it won't clog your arteries. Our most popular fish is salmon, but if you like fish that tastes more mild, choose halibut, whitefish or lake perch - whatever your preference, there's something you'll like.
9. Heart Health - The American Heart Association wants all of their patients to eat fish at least twice a week - because the omega 3s in fish, plus the other trace minerals, contribute to heart health. Heart disease is the #1 killer in America, and diet has a direct effect on why this is true. In countries where seafood is a bigger part of the diet, people tend to live longer, healthier lives. In Japan, where red meat barely existed before WWII, there was very little heart disease until they started adopting a more western diet, consuming more red meat and processed foods.
8. Brain Boost - Those omega 3's again - they're good for brain development in fetuses, good for those of us out of the womb as well. The scare stories about mercury in fish are causing pregnant women to stop eating fish, which is a terrible consequence - all the longitudinal studies done on women eating fish while pregnant, (Seychelles Study, UK Women's Study et al) show that children whose mothers regularly ate fish during pregnancy had children who performed better on both mental ability and agility tests. We're dumbing down our children with poor pre-natal diets. And making them less coordinated.
Proper brain function, as well as the rest of our nervous system, depends on us having enough DHA, one of the omega 3s. Our brain is 60% fat, and DHA makes up between 15 to 20% of the fat. Put together, this means that 9 to 12% of our brains are DHA. (Must be what the zombies are looking for...) Drops in DHA in brain levels are associated with both cognitive impairment and slower neurological development in children. DHA deficiencies are also associated with neurological diseases like Parkinson's and the severity of multiple sclerosis.
7. Colon Care - As reported in a recent post, clinicians who did a study of nearly 78,000 people, comparing three diets - vegan, ovo-lacto (eggs & dairy) vegetarian and pesce (fish) -vegetarian with a regular meat-eating diet were surprised to find that the group with the smallest incidence of colon cancer was the pesce-vegetarian group: People who eat fish as well as fresh fruits and vegetables were 43% less likely to develop colon cancer than people who eat red meat. (They thought it would be the vegans - this is why they do the studies! Even scientists assume things that aren't necessarily true.)
How it stacked up:
Vegans: 16% less likely to get colon cancer than meat-eaters
Ovo-lacto Vegetarians: 18% less likely to get colon cancer than meat-eaters
Pesce-vegetarians: 43% less likely to get colon cancer than meat eaters
6. Eye Sight Enhancement - Omega 3's are also shown to be good for the prevention of macular degeneration, dry eye problems and the development of fetal eye tissue. According to the American Optometric Association: "DHA and EPA are concentrated only in a small number of less-frequently consumed fish-based foods. It is possible that increasing the intake of these nutrients can reduce the risk of vascular and degenerative retinal diseases. This can be achieved through higher consumption of fatty fish" such as salmon, tuna, mackerel, anchovies, sardines, halibut, trout, scallops, snapper & shrimp. See your way to the fish counter.
5. Arthritis Assuager - Omega 3s also take the bite out of arthritis. From the Arthritis Foundation web site:
"A study at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston revealed that omega-3s actually convert into compounds that are 10,000 times more potent than the original fatty acids themselves. So what does this mean to us? These compounds include resolvins, which help bring an inflammatory response in the body to an end, says the study’s lead researcher, Charles Serhan, PhD, director, Center for Experimental Therapeutics and Reperfusion Injury at Harvard Medical School, Boston.
"In a healthy immune system, the normal inflammatory process repairs damage and protects the body from infections. But in arthritis and inflammatory diseases, an overactive immune response leads to tissue degradation. Serhan’s research showed that the same pathway that signals the start of inflammation also includes an off switch. Omega-3s convert into these more powerful compounds, putting the brakes on this active process and causing it to screech to a halt.
"What is not yet known is how much omega-3s are needed to optimize the body’s conversion from omega-3s into resolvins, says Serhan. Both Serhan and the American Dietetic Association (ADA), however, recommend food over supplements to reap omega-3 benefits. The best source: fish."
4. Cooks Really Fast - We recommend the Canadian cooking method: 10 minutes per inch of thickness at medium high heat. So when you saute perch, it takes about 3 minutes, shrimp 4 minutes, a 3/4" fish steak or fillet on the grill 7 or 8 minutes. With no connective tissue, fish cooks fast. The biggest worry is cooking it too long, not too little. Fish even keeps cooking when you take it out of the oven - so err to the rare.
3. Less Waste - A fillet of fish is pretty much totally edible, unlike poultry or meat roasts that contain bones - you're paying for those bones. Six ounces of fresh fish is a decent portion of fish, so 12 oz. will feed two people. When did you ever feed two people on 12 oz. of beef, other than hamburger, which is full of the wrong kid of fat.
2. Tastes Terrific - Whatever flavor you favor, there is a fish or preparation that will please your taste buds. Ask us for ideas.
1. Sends the Right Message - When your serve really fresh, delicious fish and shellfish to your family and friends, it tells them you care about their welfare. And who doesn't want to be beloved by family and friends?
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