The Hemp Connection:
shrimp

In the spirit of Mardi Gras week, I thought I'd highlight a kissin' cousin of that Cajun crawfish…shrimp.

Shrimp are one of those foods people love…and they have learned to be afraid of. When I started out in this field, I was taught to teach patients to avoid shrimp because of their high cholesterol content.

Turns out, dietary cholesterol in foods such as eggs and shrimp do not influence our own cholesterol nearly as much as pro-inflammatory fats, saturated fats, and trans fats. Some researchers even suggest that shrimp consumption may IMPROVE cholesterol and triglyceride levels!

In addition shrimp, lucky for a shrimp lovin' woman like myself, is extremely low in fat! A 3.5 oz (deck of card-sized) serving of fish has about 1 gram of fat…whenever I'm questioned about shrimp I always remind the person with the question that shrimp is so low in fat, it almost squeaks from lack of lubrication against your teeth when you bite into it.

Shrimp is also a great source of protein, vitamin B12 (crucial for mental health), tryptophan (needed to make serotonin), and vitamin D (thought to be important in managing PCOS). In addition, shrimp helps omega-3 balance by contributing a moderate amount of DHA. And, when you're replacing red meat with seafood, you're exchanging pro-inflammatory omega-6 fats with healthier fats, which ensures that your omega-3's are not metabolically destroyed before they have a chance to benefit you.

So if you see shrimp cocktail, shrimp fajitas, grilled shrimp on the menu…go ahead! Enjoy! It's contributing to your health while providing a tasty adventure.

I've been working on my home study course for the past week, and one of the topics I spent quite a bit of time on…was my frustration about the misinformation we spread about fish. (I guess you could say"fish" is something I have a"beef" about…)

We have this tendency as nutritionists to create the perception that the only fish that has any omega-3 content…and therefore worth eating…is salmon.

I live in Phoenix. We love salmon here as much as anyone, but it's not a local fish. It's seasonal. And it's expensive. It's not the greatest choice if you have trouble with the"fishiness" of fish. And for many of the people I work with, it's simply not an affordable option.

And this idea that you have to eat salmon to get your omega-3's is simply not based in fact.

A few years ago I did an analysis of all seafood. And it turns out, whether or not you eat clams, shrimp, salmon, catfish, or mussels, you're getting omega-3's in your diet. So eat what you can get locally at an affordable price, and enjoy it!

I have a particular fondness for tilapia because it is a mild fish, it's affordable, available in most locations, and very doable for someone who's not a big fish lover. Secondly, I love this fish because it is farmed, which means it has the potential to feed a lot of people yet be a sustainable resource.

Have you considered what we do to the poor wild salmon population when we all quit eating other fish and eat this one and this one alone? It's not really logical or rational to assume that there are enough wild salmon in the Pacific to feed every person on the planet.

If you're not a tilapia fan, do take the time to visit this website: www.montereybayaquarium.org. They have a great list of seafood choices that are sustainable and therefore the ones to gravitate toward in the grocery store and in restaurants. I was surprised at what popular species are overfished and my shopping habits have changed to reflect what I learned.