Concerns about toxic fish

[Lisa2]

Hey everyone,

Just wanted to get your thoughts on eating fish...knowing that most of it comes from polluted waters. I guess that's why I never ate fish in the past as a vegetarian. I'm also wondering about the best sources of vitamin B-12 in the macrobiotic diet. I used to take supplements. Finally, does anyone have any suggestions on types of sweetners I can use in grain coffee? I had a habit of drinking black coffee with Equal before starting this transition, and it's been hard for me to give that up. Thanks.

Lisa

[Roy Collins]

Hi Lisa2: Good question in that recent findings of toxic chemicals have been found in high concentrations and have been connected to fetal damage and the under-development of children's brains and can hurt adults as well. Researh in Finlad is pointing to cardiovascular disease as an adult risk from consuming fish with high mercury levels. It appears that methyl mercury damages hear muscle.

The Food and Drug Administration has issued a warning to pregannt and nursing women to avoid high risk speciese such as tuna, swordfishm shark, tilefish, king mackerel and recreationally caught fish. Other toxins also exist in fish such as the chemical pollutants, PCBs and dioxins. SO be sure to know the waters from whence your fish was caught.

The safest to eat varieties of fish include farm-raised trout, catfish, as well as shrimp, flounder and wild-caught Pacific salmon, croaker, haddock and mid-Atlantic blue crab. The FDA recommends up to 12 ounces per week of cooked fish including shellfish, some canned fish, smaller ocean fish and farm-raised fish. The most toxic fish are caught in polluted waters and fish that are eating at the higher levels of the food chain.

Fish is a good source of omega-3 fatty acids and b-12 and is high in iron, zinc, magnesium and phosphorous as well as other minerals and vitamins. It is easier to digest than meat or poultry. You may also want to consider buying frozen fish (I can hear the seers from the ridgid macro camp...) that choose eco-friendly varieties. You can check out more about ecofish by going to www.ecofish.com

Happy fishing.

In peace, Roy

[Dawn]

According to Dr. Sherry Rogers farm raised fish have almost no Omega 3s because they are fed some kind of pellet food. Also, I suppose you should check where farm raised fish come from. The coastal waters of the US (especially East Coast) are often very polluted. I eat wild caught salmon from a can. I'm not happy about eating canned food, but no fresh fish in central Arizona!

[Lisa2]

Hi, thanks guys. Now I have another question. I read in The Macrobiotic Way that Salmon, Swordfish, Tuna, Bluefish, Mackerel, and other red-meat or blue-skin fish should be avoided. Does anyone know why? I think salmon is much higher in B-12 than other types of fish. Just curious.

Lisa

[Roy Collins]

Lisa2. I'm not too sure about this but I am thinking that some of the red meat fish are too yang (salmon). Some are too big and not economical because you are eating only a part and not the whole (tuna). The bluefish is one of my favorite species to catch here in RI and to eat. They have a very gamey taste and feed well a family of two/three. They are however, VERY OILY. The blueskin ones, are supposedly more yin (?) Try to take all these suggestions and guidelines from books with a grain of sea-salt.

If you feel you need the fish then eat it. Always follow moderation idea and acoid over-eating, and excess on yin/yang scale. I know, another rule...

In peace, Roy

[mistry]

Hi....new here
My husband and I were taking cod liver oil capsules as well as consuming fish, but got concerned about pcb's.
see "are fish oil supplements safe?" at:
http://www.nutrition.cornell.edu/nut...t/fishoil.html
"Consuming vegetable oil instead of fish oil may decrease your exposure to PCB contamination. However, keep in mind that plants contain compounds which can affect adult hormonal status -- and in particular thyroid and sex hormone status -- directly or indirectly, in what appears to be much the same way as PCBs."

So we decided to use flax seed oil, but found that ground flax seeds sprnkled on food is recommended over oil.
see: http://www.go-symmetry.com/flax-seed.htm
"Flax seed oil is the world's richest source of omega-3 fatty acids at a whopping 57% (over two times the amount of omega-3 fatty acids as fish oils)."
"Dietary essential fatty acids common to flax seed oil are ultimately converted to hormone-like substances known as prostaglandins,"
"The combination of both flax and borage seed oil ....providing nature's best of the omega-3 fatty acids in flax with the best of omega-6 fatty acids in GLA rich borage oil."

All this gives me a headache...
LOL
Mistry

[Gankaku]

Hi Lisa2! I was a student of Michael Rossoff. In one of his classes, he said not to worry too much about fish. Fish from the ocean live in an environment that is very cleansing, naturally cleansing. Of course, if you can get it from deep ocean it's better.

Also regarding grain coffee: I also like grain coffee...but I never use sweetner. However, I do use flavored rice/soy/almond milks in vanilla. Or try some amazake - they have several flavors now - pecan, hazelnut, almond...in the refridgerated section near juice, etc. Also, have you tried Teechino? Vanilla Nut is wonderful...I can drink it plain. It's not got that bitter taste that Roma can sometimes have.

[Lisa2]

Hey Mistry, thanks for the info. Before I went back to eating fish, I was taking a combo flax and borage seed oil supplement. One of the doctors that I was doing a rotation with recommended it to me. But now with macrobiotics, I've been trying to get all of my nutrients from food instead of supplements. I think that I'm eating too much fish though (2-3 times/week), and now I'm a little more concerned about the build up of toxins. When I have some more time, I think I'll research the fish/toxin connection a little more in depth. Welcome to the board. How long have you been involved with macrobiotics? It's all still pretty new to me.

Gankaku, thank you as well. Are there any particular types of ocean fish that you would recommend? The sweetener suggestions for grain coffee sound great. I will definitely try them. Coffee has been the hardest thing for me to give up since starting my transition to macrobiotics. I'll let you know how breaking this habit goes for me. Thanks again.

Lisa

[Gankaku]

Lisa2 (my name is Lisa, TOO!)

Regarding the fish, if you are seeing a macrobiotic counselor, they'd be able to tell you better what kind of fish you should have/avoid. For me I could have salmon-o-plenty...and white fish--several times a week. But no dark fish (mackeral, tuna) Which was good because I don't care for dark meat or dark fish anyway.

If you're not on a healing diet, or have a particular issue you're trying to heal, many fishes can be good, but I particularly think white fish and salmon are very healthy.

Regarding the grain coffee - yeah I tried many things over the years, and those were the best. I think you'll like the teechino alot. I even sent some to my sister to try - she's trying to break the caffeine habit, but needs the rich warmth that coffee gives. I think that will help...

Lisa

[mike chen]

the caffeine may be superfluous. when craving strikes, it may simply be for bitter taste. so, try chicory instead! you can try it 50/50 with regular coffee. or try it by itself, black. or with rice milk. or soy milk. vanilla! yum!

[Gankaku]

Hi Mike,

Is there a brand you like? Most of the things I've tried are mixes of different things...Roma, Teechino, and some others....please share!

Lisa

[mike chen]

lisa, just ordinary roasted dark chicory. just boil it up! just steep it! just drip it! molasses! maple syrup! your sister will have the time of her life! get it unpackaged, in bulk.

[Gankaku]

OOK well I must try it myself first then!! Maybe it will be too good and I'll just keep it to myself! :-D

[rebeccag]

Hi!

We like the chicory around here too. You can put a little dandelion root in the water - bring to boil and then pour through "coffee" filter that has the chicory in it. Just don't do what I did years ago- thought I hated chicory cause I made it like coffee- 3-4 T per pot. If you use that much chicory it's ....not so good! Now I use 1 big Tablespoon for a quart of water! Experiment!

~Rebecca

[mistry]

Originally posted by Lisa2
Hey Mistry, ....... Welcome to the board. How long have you been involved with macrobiotics? It's all still pretty new to me.

Gankaku, thank you as well. Are there any particular types of ocean fish that you would recommend? The sweetener suggestions for grain coffee sound great. I will definitely try them. Coffee has been the hardest thing for me to give up since starting my transition to macrobiotics. I'll let you know how breaking this habit goes for me. Thanks again.

Lisa

I married into the macrobiotic scene. My hubby and I met on the internet, him in the USA and me in Canada. We decided to meet and get married during four days in May 2001. Then we went our separate ways until Feb.2002 when he moved here. I was going to visit him in Sept. but the dreadful 9/11 events took place. He had expounded the virtues of macrobiotics and Zen and other great and wonderful concepts to me and I looked forward to them. However, he has not started this faithfully yet with me and I am more anxious than him now about it. I read that it can make you weak. But I hope I don't find that.

Quitting coffee is one of the best things I did. When I have the odd one now I hate myself for it....feeling the ill effects of it immediately.

So, hopefully I'll learn the menu, and stick with it. I want to feel at one with nature, lose anxiety, lost 5 or 10 pounds, gain stamina, etc. What motivates you Lisa?