Dr. Weil On The Health Benefits of Fish + Cooking The Anti-Inflammatory Food Pyramid: Seafood
Find out what Dr. Weil thinks about fish, seafood, and healthy choices
Happy Monday!
As part of our Cooking the Anti-Inflammatory Food Pyramid Series, we are going through each section of Dr. Weil’s updated pyramid and explaining why we recommend the foods and spices in each section.
Today, we are taking a look at seafood - learn more about the types of seafood Dr. Weil recommends, lower mercury fish choices, frozen versus fresh, and more - including a grilled salmon recipe.
Then next week, put that knowledge to use with our VIP Seafood Grilling Guide and recipes!
Coming up later this week, we are covering overlooked nutrients moms need in Nourished Mama, should you drink coffee on an empty stomach in our In the News take, and on Friday we cover cooling foods and our favorite ice creams!
Share this post with anyone you know who may be interested in our anti-inflammatory food insight, recipes and cooking suggestions!
Cooking the Anti-Inflammatory Food Pyramid: Seafood
How much: 1 to 2 servings per day (one serving is equal to 4 ounces of fish or seafood)
Healthy choices: Wild Alaskan salmon (especially sockeye), herring, sardines, and black cod (sablefish)
Why: These fish are rich in omega-3 fats, which have strong anti-inflammatory properties. If you choose not to eat fish, take a molecularly distilled fish-oil supplement that provides both EPA and DHA in a dose of 2 to 3 grams per day. You can also take an algae omega supplement that’s vegan.
Interested in this topic? You may enjoy:
Dr. Weil on the Health Benefits of Fish
It’s now well known that populations that eat fish regularly live longer and have less chronic disease than populations that consume little or no fish. This may be because fish provides high-quality protein without the saturated fat present in meat and poultry, or that fish in a diet may replace at least some meat consumption.
Certain types of fish - specifically, fatty fish from cold northern waters - provide omega-3 fatty acids, the anti-inflammatory, unsaturated fats our bodies need for optimum health. Most American diets are high in omega-6 fats (from seed oils and processed foods) and deficient in omega-3s; as a result we are more likely to develop cardiovascular disease, cancer, inflammatory disorders, and mental and emotional problems.
Research suggests that supplementing the diet with omega-3 fatty acids not only can reduce these risks but can also help treat depression, bipolar disorder, autism, and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. Wild salmon, mackerel, herring, sardines, anchovies and bluefish are rich in omega-3s. These fish accumulate omega-3s through marine food chains, making them more potent sources of omega-3s than plant foods.
Dr. Weil’s Healthiest Seafood Picks
Want to know what Dr. Weil suggests when it comes to choosing healthy seafood? Upgrade to VIP to access his healthy choices, seafood to be mindful of, low-mercury choices, and whether fresh or frozen matters!
Keep reading with a 7-day free trial
Subscribe to WEIL Nutrition Corner® to keep reading this post and get 7 days of free access to the full post archives.