As stated previously, I’m an advocate of eating less animal protein (see my Free Report to learn why), but of the animal protein I do eat, I choose that which is the least evolved, such as naturally raised, local eggs and wild caught fish.
Wild caught is important; it’s not just about sustainability, but even more so about health. Farm raised fish are treated similarly to factory raised cattle and chickens – conditions are crowded, disease is likely and their feed is contaminated with high levels of PCB’s, dioxin and mercury. Additionally, they are intentionally fattened to increase weight and therefore market price. When you consider that contaminants accumulate in fat, farm raised fish offer double jeopardy.
Statistics indicate that farmed fish contain as much as 40 time more PCB’s than any other protein source, including dairy, beef, pork or poultry and 5-10 times more PCB’s as wild caught fish.
This because wild caught fish have less fat to store contaminants in and because their food is less contaminated than that utilized in farms.
Additionally, the beneficial omega 3 fatty acids for which fish are appreciated are better quality and more plentiful in wild caught fish.
So when you go to the market to buy fish, you could be doing yourself more harm than good to buy the more affordable farm raised options. Yes, the wild caught is generally quite pricy, but considering it too has some natural contamination, the price helps to space consumption!
The next dilemma is determining whether or not it has been labeled “wild caught” with integrity. Unfortunately, there is a reasonable amount of misrepresentation going on, according to the Environmental Working Group. In my humble opinion, the EWG is a trustworthy source of information regarding levels of toxins in differing types of fish and articles on where to find the safest source.
If you are eating fish even once per week, it is advisable to investigate methods for removing the toxins from yourself, before they accumulate in your fatty tissue. There are many natural ways to remove toxins, some more laborious than others. I like this one.
Love sushi? ME TOO!!! So I limit my indulgence to once or twice a month. You can bet that the majority of sushi grade fish, is going to be farmed because “fat is where the flavor’s at”!
If you think “Organic” farmed fish is the answer, this article may change your mind.
Perhaps it’s time to turn the family vacation into a deep sea or Copper River fishing expedition and savor the souvenirs all year long from your freezer…..
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