Eating fish everyday & get mercury poisoning OR die of a str

romeholiday
romeholiday Posts: 8
in Food and Nutrition
I'm 3 weeks in at MyFitnessPal, I've dropped 17/18 lbs since I joined in January - (27/28 total in a month and a half).

I eat fish once a day. It keeps me energized and on the go all day. I haven't felt "low blood sugar" or "anemic" or like I'm going "to faint" since I joined here and began having seafood once, sometimes twice a day. I have 2-4 ounces per serving usually.

I've been having fresh tuna steaks, halibut, wild salmon, cod, you name it. Whatever I can get fresh in New England right now. I also bring "canned tuna" or anchovy fillets to work... the whole foods "healthier?" version in spring water or the "fancy" jarred tuna bellies from Sicily in spring water or olive oil.

I also eat fresh vegetables every day and fresh fruit. A serving or two of high protein greek yogurt. A real oatmeal or whole grain (no chemicals or additives) bread or brown rice. Cooked veggies. One small yam/sweet potato. Olive oil. Real butter or soy free omega spread. A vegan brown rice protein shake with spirulina. A few raw brasil nuts or raw almonds or raw walnuts. Or make vegetable juices at home, dark leafy greens, golden beets, fennel, etc. I take vitamins and supplements and omega oil. I even have the odd crumpet and strawberry jam with tea or coffee and sugar and organic half and half, to not go crazy. I even enjoy (low calorie at 20 calories an ounce) prosecco on occasion. All weighed and measured, All in moderation.

I was completely addicted to heavy starchy fatty meals, but I do enjoy all this simple healthier food. Why am I posting this? Because I've been lectured by "helpful people" about the dangers of mercury levels in fish. I am not denying them BUT I can't do this without fish. I haven't eaten meat since 1993 and it doesn't agree with me, poultry included. I was a vegetarian for 10 years (it works for many many people) but for me it was an excuse to gorge on dairy and carbs. If I am not vigilant I will ingest 5000 calories in a day. 6000. Probably more on a really bready, sconey, cakey, pizza-ey, bagely, creamy, buttery, cheesy, sugary, chocolatey day. (You see what I did there)? I never realized I was ingesting 5K-6K-10K??? Because I was a mindless eater, a comfort eater, a compulsive eater. (I also attend Overeaters Anonymous and Al-Anon meetings for the WHYS and the psychology behind this condition).

So the fish is helping me right now. I feel once I hit maintenance I can not have fish every day, widen the gap, etc. But I look at it this way: a little extra mercury versus death or disability by worsening obesity in the form of cholesterol issues, development of diabetes, heart attack, stroke, you name it.

Also, everyone in New Orleans (I spend a good amount of time there every year) eats seafood every day and I don't see a huge problem)! Again, not denying the mercury issue, but I think it "outweighs" the risk of death or disability by obesity.
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Replies

  • KumariM
    KumariM Posts: 32
    What you are describing is roughly a mediterranean diet, with i've been following for all my life. My proteins come from lean meat and fresh grilled fish, which i eat usually once a day. I don't eat much carbs, and when i do it is usually whole grain pasta and bread. I don't sky away from vegetables, specially green leaf like kale or spinach and fruits.
    I don't see it as a way to loose weight, but as a way of life. :)

    As for the mercury problem, not all fish have high levels of mercury. Going by memory i think that tuna and swordfish are some with the highest levels of mercury, but some like cod, herring, salmon and sardines for examples have low levels despite being fat fishes (i don't know if this is the right designation in english :x)

    That being said, good luck on your new diet :)
  • hml1976
    hml1976 Posts: 64
    Here's a link to the various mercury levels of different fish.

    http://longevity.about.com/od/lifelongnutrition/a/fish_mercury.htm

    One thing, salmon is very healthy if you're eating wild salmon, but farmed salmon is pretty gross so I'd personally avoid.

    Good luck, you're doing great!
  • chrisyoung0422
    chrisyoung0422 Posts: 426 Member
    The amount of fish you would need to eat to reach a dangerous level of mercury is pretty high. You seem to stick to higher quality so I would not worry.
  • romeholiday
    romeholiday Posts: 8
    Thanks so much, you are right, it is very mediterranean, isn't it?! Wish tomatoes in New England were as good as the real locale however! I appreciate you replying with your experience!
  • romeholiday
    romeholiday Posts: 8
    Thanks so much for the link! I'm bookmarking it. Yes, I agree, I avoid farmed fish! Not to get into TMI but I've suffered from bouts of IBS since I was a baby and I read I should never eat farmed fish especially salmon. I'm spending more money on the "best" fish but spending so much less on junk food / wasting food I'm spending less which is amazing!
  • chinamonkey
    chinamonkey Posts: 90 Member
    nah dont worry about mercury!!!
    the only fish pregnant women get told to avoid is shark, swordfish and marlin for mercury levels and thats them being very cautious...enjoy!
  • romeholiday
    romeholiday Posts: 8
    Thanks so much also! I think you're probably right, I'm not eating huge amounts plus I'm trying to stick with the best seafood. I'll take all of your advice everyone and make sure to vary it. Cod, haddock, pillock, scallops, etc... we do well in New England and I love halibut and artic char, pretty much everything except muscles, clams, squid and octopus ;)
  • soccerella
    soccerella Posts: 619 Member
    i live on the chesapekae bay and am a marine biologist - my family /friends and I all grew up eating fish and seafood all the time and no one seems to have any long term issues.....definitely agree with what the others said about the amount you would have to get to negatively impact yourself....and great site, whoever linked to the mercury levels! The only major concern with it would be if you were trying to get pregant you should cut down
  • halarson24
    halarson24 Posts: 23 Member
    Here is a small discussion and a link to a great reference card related to mercury levels in fish

    http://hollylarsonrd.blogspot.com/2012/07/holy-mackerel-how-much-mercury-is-in-my.html

    Hope this helps!

    Holly
  • ErinBeth7
    ErinBeth7 Posts: 1,625 Member
    I would love to eat fish or seafood here everyday. I live in Kansas...I'm surrounded by land so anything "fresh" is never fresh. Unless we catch fresh water fish from a lake or river nearby, we have nothing fresh.
  • Sidesteal
    Sidesteal Posts: 5,510 Member
    I may not be helpful here as this is a generalization but I believe this is a starting point:

    1) Mercury poisoning is a real issue that shouldn't be ignored.
    2) Dosage is key.
    3) You should research at multiple sources to find out the mercury content in your diet as well as the dosage limits at which problems can occur, and obviously make sure you are well under any hazardous dosage/frequency.
  • Onesnap
    Onesnap Posts: 2,819 Member
    Since you live in New England I would suggest a fish CSA (so direct with the fisherman). Kind of like a farm share, but only for seafood. Also, try to buy from small fish markets if you can.

    There's guidelines for each type of fish as for how many times per week it is safe to eat it. It also depends on the source. For example, I know canned tuna is 1 can/week.

    Do the research. If you're getting fish from farmed sources it would be good to research those sources as well. You can always go catch your own from mercury free sources. That's more effort of course, but you just have to research. The river near me has warnings posted to not eat the fish. :(
  • jynxxxed
    jynxxxed Posts: 1,010 Member
    I eat fish daily as well so this is an interesting topic.. I never even considered this as a negative thing. I'm happy to hear that it's not though, because I love salmon/tilapia/cod!
  • Onesnap
    Onesnap Posts: 2,819 Member

    Also, everyone in New Orleans (I spend a good amount of time there every year) eats seafood every day and I don't see a huge problem)! Again, not denying the mercury issue, but I think it "outweighs" the risk of death or disability by obesity.

    There's parts of the Gulf of Mexico called the Dead Zone (due to agriculture run off from the Mississippi River basin) where no fish or sea life can live. I think healthy fish from non-polluted areas (in that part of the south) is becoming more of an issue and challenge. :(
  • myofibril
    myofibril Posts: 4,500 Member
    I think it's about as much of a problem as water toxicity unless you are pregnant or a child.
  • Onesnap
    Onesnap Posts: 2,819 Member
    Here's a really helpful website!

    http://www.howmuchfish.com/

    How Much Fish?
  • Onesnap
    Onesnap Posts: 2,819 Member
    I think it's about as much of a problem as water toxicity unless you are pregnant or a child.

    This is from the website I posted above:

    "This calculator can also tell you how much fish is safe to eat, based on mercury standards from the Food and Drug Administration and Environmental Protection Agency. The level of naturally occurring mercury in ocean fish, for instance, is insignificant in the portion sizes that consumers typically eat."
  • Sidesteal
    Sidesteal Posts: 5,510 Member
    Here's a really helpful website!

    http://www.howmuchfish.com/

    How Much Fish?

    Checked out a few of the items here. I have no way of verifying whether it's accurate but based on the site, I would be inclined to agree with msf74.

    I still think dosage is relevant, but I'd say you'd have to eat a pretty large quantity of fish for it to become a concern.
  • MissyMissy18
    MissyMissy18 Posts: 315 Member
    Mmmm... New England... there's a good place for a fishy diet! I wish I had more sources of nice fresh fish here in DC! If I lived in New England I would be gorging on haddock, cod, and lobster for sure!
  • mandy_lee86
    mandy_lee86 Posts: 103 Member
    Do you have any suggestions for different ways to cook the fish? My PT has me on a fish for dinner diet and I am extremely burnt out on it already. I've been using tilapia and I may get some salmon to bake or pan fry?
  • Onesnap
    Onesnap Posts: 2,819 Member
    Here's a really helpful website!

    http://www.howmuchfish.com/

    How Much Fish?

    Checked out a few of the items here. I have no way of verifying whether it's accurate but based on the site, I would be inclined to agree with msf74.

    I still think dosage is relevant, but I'd say you'd have to eat a pretty large quantity of fish for it to become a concern.


    It's based on Food and Drug Administration and Environmental Protection Agency data.
  • myofibril
    myofibril Posts: 4,500 Member
    I think it's about as much of a problem as water toxicity unless you are pregnant or a child.

    This is from the website I posted above:

    "This calculator can also tell you how much fish is safe to eat, based on mercury standards from the Food and Drug Administration and Environmental Protection Agency. The level of naturally occurring mercury in ocean fish, for instance, is insignificant in the portion sizes that consumers typically eat."

    Yeah, but, but....did you know smartypants that shellfish is an abomination according to Leviticus 11:12:

    "Whatsoever hath no fins nor scales in the waters, that shall be an abomination unto you."

    Nice site. Thanks for the link ;)
  • jynxxxed
    jynxxxed Posts: 1,010 Member
    Do you have any suggestions for different ways to cook the fish? My PT has me on a fish for dinner diet and I am extremely burnt out on it already. I've been using tilapia and I may get some salmon to bake or pan fry?

    Have you tried smoking it? Smoked fish = AMAZING. I don't have a grill, so I bought a ton of fish and had my dad smoke it all for me to eat throughout the week. It has a great flavor.
  • Onesnap
    Onesnap Posts: 2,819 Member
    Mmmm... New England... there's a good place for a fishy diet! I wish I had more sources of nice fresh fish here in DC! If I lived in New England I would be gorging on haddock, cod, and lobster for sure!

    The frozen fish at Trader Joe's and Whole Foods is an environmentally friendly choice and very highly rated. It's in the clear packages right out side the fish section (Whole Foods) and in the freezer section in Trader Joe's (also clear package). Whole Foods has very strict sourcing guidelines for Seafood. Because it's flash frozen on board the ships it's considered a very environmentally friendly option (versus the expense and fuel used to ship fresh fish).

    I know it's not the *same* as fresh. It is just another good option to consider and it's nice to always have fish on hand. :)
  • Onesnap
    Onesnap Posts: 2,819 Member
    I think it's about as much of a problem as water toxicity unless you are pregnant or a child.

    This is from the website I posted above:

    "This calculator can also tell you how much fish is safe to eat, based on mercury standards from the Food and Drug Administration and Environmental Protection Agency. The level of naturally occurring mercury in ocean fish, for instance, is insignificant in the portion sizes that consumers typically eat."

    Yeah, but, but....did you know smartypants that shellfish is an abomination according to Leviticus 11:12:

    "Whatsoever hath no fins nor scales in the waters, that shall be an abomination unto you."

    Nice site. Thanks for the link ;)

    You're most welcome.

    All of the Jews in my family eat shellfish, abomination or not. :)
  • myofibril
    myofibril Posts: 4,500 Member
    I still think dosage is relevant, but I'd say you'd have to eat a pretty large quantity of fish for it to become a concern.

    Yeah, pretty much.

    Some people go to crazy lengths so it's always worth highlighting the issue. At the same time discouraging people from eating fish isn't what we want to achieve.
  • Crochetluvr
    Crochetluvr Posts: 3,238 Member
    I admit to cutting back on canned tuna and eating wild canned red salmon instead. But I also like swordfish, so I guess its a trade off.
  • BarreGirl
    BarreGirl Posts: 11 Member
    Tuna fillet is as delicious as steak and I don't miss the steak.

    For Salmon I like to use a bit of butter/margarine/whatever you use and sprinkle lemon pepper on it. Broil/bake at 30 until pinky/brown. Very delicious.
  • mandy_lee86
    mandy_lee86 Posts: 103 Member
    Do you have any suggestions for different ways to cook the fish? My PT has me on a fish for dinner diet and I am extremely burnt out on it already. I've been using tilapia and I may get some salmon to bake or pan fry?

    Have you tried smoking it? Smoked fish = AMAZING. I don't have a grill, so I bought a ton of fish and had my dad smoke it all for me to eat throughout the week. It has a great flavor.

    I have not! My dad also has a smoker, good idea.
  • jesspi68
    jesspi68 Posts: 292
    You can always go catch your own from mercury free sources.

    This is what we do! Salmon, perch, crappie etc. yum.

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