Eat more fish.
Why? Just look at the Japanese. Widely regarded as one of the healthiest people on the planet, they live longer than the rest of the world and their rate of obesity is just 3% compared to over 30% in the US.
They drink a lot of tea (which I've already extolled the virtues of), eat a lot of rice (Carbs!?! A lot of them? And they live longer? Have American nutritionists gotten this memo yet!?!) and a ton of fish. The Japanese people make up just 2% of the world's population, yet consume over 10% of the fish.
The American Heart Association recommends eating two servings of fish a week because of the benefits of Omega-3 fatty acids, which:
- decrease risk of arrhythmias, which can lead to sudden cardiac death
- decrease triglyceride levels
- decrease growth rate of atherosclerotic plaque
- lower blood pressure (slightly)
Of course, not all fish are created equal. It's the "fatty" fish that contain the highest concentration of Omega-3 fatty acids. These include mackerel, lake trout, herring, sardines, albacore tuna and salmon. Halibut, flounder and cod are not as Omega-3 rich, but contain higher levels than "lean" fish like snapper and catfish.
But just like everything that's supposedly "good" for us, there is a flip side. Fish can contain large amounts of contaminants, most specifically mercury. Some skinny people even go so far as to advocate avoiding fish altogether (although, this guy admits his real concern is for the "poor fish" being eaten). According to Walter Willett, professor of nutrition at the Harvard School of Public Health, the benefits of eating seafood "are likely to be at least 100-fold greater than the estimates of harm, which may not exist at all."
Good enough for me - I'm adding at least one serving of fish a week. And no, fried catfish does not count. I already checked.
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