Fish – The best protein

Fish is problem-free protein – particularly if you are looking to lose weight and pack yourself full of vitality.

Other major sources of protein, such as meat and cheese not only come with saturated fat, they also – unless you buy from reliable organic sources – may contain growth hormones and antibiotics, present both in the milk from which the cheese is made and in the meat itself.

By contrast, fish is the last food of the hunter. As such, it is free of the sort of growth hormones and antibiotics that farmed meat and poultry may contain. For the same reason, you should avoid farmed salmon and other fish.

However, our oceans are not now the cleanest of places, either, so although you should only eat wild fish, harvested from clean seas and rivers, you should avoid fish such as swordfish, marlin and tuna, which are long lived and may have, over a long period, ingested mercury and other pollutants.

On that cheerful note let’s look at some of the benefits including fish and seafood on your menu can bestow.

In a famous ten year study, some years ago, two Danish physicians studied the diets of the Eskimos in Greenland. They found that, despite having a diet devoid of virtually all fresh vegetables and fruit, the two thousand inhabitants in the study did not have a single incident of a heart attack during the whole ten years of the study.

Why was this? Their main – and virtually only - source of food was fish, particularly oily fish, such as herring.

Another study, in Japan, also showed the tremendous benefits of fish. The inhabitants of Okinawa live longer than any where else on earth – averaging 85 years. Apart from soya and other good things low on the Glycaemic Index, they consume an average of nearly half a pound (200 gms) of fish a day.

The list of vitamins and minerals contained in fish is a long one:

Selenium: Important for the immune system and fighting cancer, yet often missing from the normal western diet.

Zinc: An important mineral for the immune system and fish and seafood have plenty of it. For example, Pacific oysters have eight times as much as beef steak – Atlantic ones are only four times as good! The legendary lover, Casanova is reputed to have eaten as many as fifty oysters a night. Now you know why!

Phosphorus: Not only does this mineral aid bone structure, it is reputed to enhance cerebral functions.

Potassium: Which helps to regulate blood pressure, which is ofen a problem for  overweight people. Many white fish, such as cod, flounder and plaice are good sources.

Calcium: Soft bones in small fish, such as sardines are an important source of calcium. An added bonus is that the body needs vitamin D to properly absorb the calcium. Very helpfully, sardines also supply this!

Vitamins: Fish is an excellent source of the all the major vitamins, except C.

Do you dislike fish?
Many people say they find the taste of fish insipid and boring. That’s a great shame, because not only can fish taste great, fish and seafood have an almost endless range of taste and textures.

However, to maximize your eating pleasure with fish, you need fish that is very fresh and lightly cooked with minimal sauces. Anything too strong overwhelms the delicate, succulent flavor.

How can you tell if fish is fresh?
First of all, if fish smells like fish – it’s not fresh!  Fresh fish should smell like an ocean breeze. Sorry to wax so lyrical, but that’s the best description.

Also look at the eyes of the fish. These should be completely clear.

If you cannot get hold of really fresh fish, look for some that has been frozen at source. Quite often, because it is deep frozen on the trawler, right after having been caught, it is actually fresher than, so called, fresh fish which was caught some time before it was landed!

The other secret to really tasty fish is:
Cooking it very gently in a very special, but simple, way.  You can use this method for fish fillets, fish steaks or whole fish.

All it needs is a piece of aluminum foil and the fish! Oil the foil with a little olive oil, to prevent the fish sticking, and simply fold up the parcel, leaving some space for the steam, folding over the edges tightly.

Then put the parcel on the barbeque or in the oven (not a microwave!) and in about 20 minutes you will have the most delicious, moist feast of fish you have ever tasted. You will become an instant convert to one of the tastiest, healthiest foods on the planet. Watch the video of this right now