Fish is one of the healthiest foods we can eat. It is an excellent source of protein, it is packed with the anti-inflammatory omega-3 fatty acids, and chocked full of many important vitamins and minerals needed to build a healthy body and stronger bones. However, there are some concerns about eating fish. The rising levels of contaminants such as mercury and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) in our waterways end up in our fish and can have adverse effects on our health when eaten. The advent of fish farming led to fish being raised in unhealthy environments and fed an unnatural diet that affects the nutrient quality of fish. There is also growing concern about the environmental sustainability of how seafood is caught and produced. That’s why it is important to know where your fish is coming from, which fish provide the healthiest and safest sources of nutrients and which fish to avoid.

Tying all the pieces together, when choosing what fish to dine on select fish that is:

• High in omega-3 fatty acids
• Low in mercury and other contaminants
• Sustainably sourced

With all that in mind, here are my top choices:

1. Salmon. Salmon is a fish favorite for many. It is not only high in omega-3 fatty acids, but is also an excellent source of vitamin B12, vitamin D, and selenium. Additionally, it has been found to contain beneficial bioactive peptides. These peptides are protein fragments that can protect joint cartilage, improve insulin sensitivity, and help control inflammation. Most of the salmon consumed in this country is farm-raised. The controversy about eating farmed versus wild salmon is too complex for me to address here. However, the quality of farming of salmon is improving and farmed fish are being fed healthier diets in an effort to improve their nutritional profiles. When choosing salmon, wild salmon should always be your first choice with farmed salmon as a good alternative. When purchasing farm fish, look for the Aquaculture Stewardship Council Certified label which ensures that the fish farms adhere to specific requirements for feed and the clean sea bed. Canned salmon is also a very affordable way to get more salmon into your diet and one of the best sources of non-dairy calcium.
   
2. Atlantic Mackerel. Right up there with the health benefits of salmon is Atlantic mackerel, another fish rich in omega 3 fatty acids, B vitamins, selenium, and vitamin D.  Mackerel is also a good source of magnesium, potassium, and zinc. However, don’t confuse Atlantic Mackerel with King Mackerel or Spanish Mackerel which is high in mercury and should be avoided. I often enjoy smoked mackerel on toast with a creamy nut spread as a quick lunch. 
3. Skipjack Tuna. Most tuna is high in mercury, however, Skipjack tuna tends to be lower in mercury, while still providing many nutritional benefits. Besides being a great source of protein and B vitamins, tuna also has a novel selenium-containing compound called selenoneine. Selenoneine acts as an anti-oxidant and may actually protect against mercury toxicity. Wild Planet offers the first sustainably caught skipjack tuna on the market, perfect for adding a punch of protein and nutrients to your salad. 
4. Rainbow trout. Rainbow trout is another excellent fish option due to its high omega 3 fatty acid content and low levels of mercury. It is also a rich source of potassium and phosphorus, both important to bone health, as well as several B vitamins and selenium. Rainbow trout are mostly farmed in this country, but using methods that have a minimal environmental impact and the industry follows best practices to minimize disease. 
5. Sardines. Sardines may not be your first choice of fish, but they provide an abundance of nutrition. They are rich in protein and omega 3 fatty acids, lots of essential vitamins and minerals and are a great source of calcium. I enjoy making a sardine salad, just like you would make a tuna salad, and add it to my lunchtime salad. 

Fish to avoid due to the highest levels of contaminants and overfishing

• King Mackerel
• Marlin
• Orange Roughy
• Shark
• Swordfish
• Tilefish
• Big Eye Tuna
• Bluefin Tuna
• Atlantic Cod
• Chilean Seabass
• Flounder
• Grouper

Honorable mention: Tilapia is one of the most commonly consumed types of fish in the United States. However, Tilapia’s skewed omega fat profile and reports around questionable farming practices is raising concerns. Unlike the fish listed above that are high in omega 3 fatty acids, Tilapia’s fat profile contains more omega 6 fatty acids and fewer omega 3s. Excess omega-6 fatty acids in our diet can trigger inflammation, as opposed to omega-3 fatty acids which can reduce inflammation. Another problematic issue with tilapia is how it is produced. Reports from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) have revealed some concerning details about tilapia farming practices, especially tilapia farmed in China resulting in the presence of antibiotics and high levels of contaminants. For this reason, if you are considering purchasing tilapia, the best sources include fish from the United States, Canada, the Netherlands, Ecuador, and Peru. 

When shopping keep an eye out for the following labels: 

When purchasing farm fish, look for the Aquaculture Stewardship Council Certified label which ensures that the fish farms adhere to specific requirements for feed and for clean sea bed:

When purchasing fish, look for The Marine Stewardship Council blue sticker which certifies the fish was caught using sustainable fishing practices.

You can also use the handy seafood guide from Monterey Bay Aquarium’s Seafood Watch to find more sustainable choices.

No food is perfect.  All food contains varying amounts of contaminants, pesticides, herbicides as well as varying amounts of nutrients.  That is why it is best to eat a varied diet to ensure you are not only getting a wide variety of nutrients but also to ensure an excess of any potential contaminants. 

Susan Brady
is a Physical Therapist,
Nutrition Consultant and
Doctor of Integrative Medicine.
She has been treating women with osteoporosis for over 30 years and is dedicated to helping people achieve
lasting good health and vitality.

Two weeks ago, in my Breakfast Makeover blog, I suggested that it was not “when” you broke your overnight fast that was important but “how.” Several wrote to me asking about my “take” on Intermittent Fasting. So, I am going to give you some insight on intermittent fasting, its potential health benefits, whether or not its right for you and how to get started.

Intermittent fasting is a pattern of eating which includes cycles of fasting and feeding. 

It differs from what you typically think of as fasting where you go numerous days refraining from food. In intermittent fasting, there are certain hours during the day when you eat and certain hours when you refrain from consuming any food, or fasting.  

For example, many will stop eating immediately after dinner and then won’t eat again until late the next morning, fasting for 14-16 hours. 

How does intermittent fasting work?

At its very core, intermittent fasting gives your body a break from digesting and absorbing food and allows the body ample time to repair and rejuvenate. This happens through a process called autophagy. Autophagy literally means the consumption of the body’s own tissue. It is the body’s way of cleaning out old, damaged cells so it can rejuvenate itself with newer, healthier cells. 

I like to use the analogy of changing your engine oil in your car. If you don’t change your car’s motor oil on a regular basis, over time the oil breaks down and accumulates contaminants, leaving your car’s engine at risk of overheating and failing.    

Autophagy is one of the most important bodily functions for rejuvenating our cells and promoting health and longevity. However, when we are eating every 2-3 hours, our body is constantly putting time and energy into digesting food instead of cleaning our body. So, giving our body a break from digestion and allowing it to undergo autophagy is crucial for our health.  

Intermittent fasting is one of the most effective ways of achieving autophagy. During your period of fasting, the body takes a break from digestion and goes into starvation mode. I understand that the word “starvation” has a negative connotation, representing a bad feeling that needs to be immediately fixed because we fear being hungry. However, to achieve true autophagy, you need to reach starvation mode. Once you achieve starvation mode, your body can stop being consumed with digestion and focus on replenishing and rejuvenating your body. In a society with an abundance of food, a healthy period of starvation is nothing to fear. 

The Benefits of Intermittent Fasting

Here are several reported health benefits of achieving autophagy through intermittent fasting:

1. Aids in weight loss because it gives your body the opportunity to burn stored fat
2. Can help to lower cholesterol and blood pressure and improve blood sugar control
3. Improves the efficiency of the immune system by cleaning out toxins and enhancing the cells ability to protect against incoming microbes
4. Helps to reduce the risk of neurodegenerative diseases like Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s disease
5. May help to prevent cancer by slowing tumor growth 
6. Improves body composition by reducing fat and increasing muscle mass

All of these benefits undoubtedly will also contribute to healthy aging and longevity.

Different Methods of Intermittent Fasting

There are a couple of different protocols for implementing an intermittent fast:

1. Daily intermittent fasting where you follow the Leangains method, also known as the 16/8 intermittent fasting protocol. This method has you fasting for 16 hours and eating all your meals during an 8-hour window.  When following this protocol, most people choose to fast from 7-8 pm in the evening after consuming dinner until 11-12 the next day.
2. Alternate day fasting where you alternate “fast” days and “eating” days. With this protocol, you can choose to completely abstain from eating food on the fasting days or consume a single low-calorie meal once a day.
3. Fasting 2 days a week is another option.  On fasting days you eat 500-600 calories and the other 5 days you eat a normal diet. 

Is Intermittent Fasting right for you?

Intermittent fasting appears to be safe and effective for most people. However, if you are underweight, have unstable blood sugars (hyper or hypoglycemia), low blood pressure, are prone to eating disorders, or have recently undergone surgery, intermittent fasting might not be appropriate for you. Fasting does stress the body, so it also may not be beneficial for those who are already dealing with significant stressors, such as an illness. Although intermittent fasting can be beneficial for diabetics, please find a qualified health care practitioner that can guide you through the process. I also do not recommend intermittent fasting for women with osteoporosis who are underweight. 

How to get started

First and foremost, if you decide to try intermittent fasting, keep in mind that maintaining a good diet is crucial. You can’t binge on junk food during the eating periods and expect to gain the benefits of fasting and/or boost your health. 

I generally recommend you start with the daily fasting method. I find this is the easiest way for most people to faze into fasting and follows our body’s natural daily circadian rhythm. Start by finishing up your dinner by 7 or 8 pm and then not consuming anything but water until 7-8 the next morning. This means once you have finished dinner, the “kitchen is closed” until the next day. No bedtime snacks or nightcaps.  From there you can gradually extend your fasting period until later in the morning. Lengthening your fasting intervals over a week or more will help you to adjust and accept the feelings of hunger and make intermittent fasting more sustainable. You should expect to feel hungry, and that is OK! Remember the goal is to go into a brief period of starvation. 

Consuming non-caloric beverages throughout the morning can help stop the pangs of hunger. However, adding sugar or cream to your morning hot beverage will cause you to break your fast. If you are thinking no way can I go without consuming my morning Latte or Cappuccino, believe it or not, intermittent fasting will help you curb cravings for these beverages and other nutrient-poor foods and reduce hunger over time. 

I am also not a fan of using artificial sweeteners. Even though they have no calories and won’t break your fast, they are linked to a variety of health issues. If you need to sweeten your morning beverage you can use a naturally occurring non-caloric sweetener like stevia or Monkfruit. 

Exercising in the morning during the fasting period can also help to curb hunger and can actually increase your body’s rate of fat burning.  

Once you get accustomed to fasting, you can experiment with the other types of intermittent fasting to see if they are better suited to your lifestyle. 

Signs that intermittent fasting isn’t for you

Intermittent fasting isn’t right for everyone. If while following an intermittent eating protocol you find that you aren’t sleeping well, have fatigue or low endurance, feel more stressed and anxious, or experiencing hair loss, then intermittent fasting isn’t benefiting you. Everyone needs to listen to their bodies and find an eating approach that works and is sustainable for them.   

Lastly, whenever you are looking to make changes to your dietary or exercise routine, it is best to seek guidance from a qualified healthcare professional. 

Susan Brady
is a Physical Therapist,
Nutrition Consultant and
Doctor of Integrative Medicine.
She has been treating women with osteoporosis for over 30 years and is dedicated to helping people achieve
lasting good health and vitality.

Want to learn more about how you can improve your bone health? Contact me for a free 15 minute phone consult to learn more about the BONES Method™ and how it can help you achieve strong, healthy bones for life!

We have been long told that breakfast is the most important meal of the day.  For years, experts have talked about how eating breakfast can jump-start your metabolism, help you control your weight, and energize you for the day ahead.  But now some new information coming out suggests waiting to eat later in the morning or even skipping breakfast, as is done with intermittent fasting, may be equally beneficial. However, in my opinion, it is not when you break your overnight fast that is important, but how.

The foods you consume for that first meal of the day have a tremendous impact on your metabolism, your energy levels, and your mood.

The typical modern breakfast foods of cereals, bagels, muffins, sweetened yogurt, orange juice, and toast are loaded with sugar, white flour, and processed ingredients. In fact, many of these foods will have you consuming more sugar in one meal than is healthy for you to consume in an entire day!  You may get an immediate surge of energy as the sugar hits your bloodstream, but this will, in turn, leave you feeling fatigued, mentally sluggish, moody, and even hungry as the day progresses.

After an overnight fast, our body is depleted of fuel and it is important to provide it with a composition of nutrients that can give us both the short-term energy we need to jump-start our day along with nutrients that will deliver sustained energy.

When preparing a balanced meal that will both nourisd sustain you, I like to use the analogy of building a fire in your fireplace. When you build a fire, the first thing you do is put down the logs. The logs are going to burn steadily and give off heat for hours.  However, to get those logs to burning, you need some kind of kindling like newspaper, twigs, or kindling sticks.  The kindling burns very hot and ignites the logs, but also burns out very quickly.

You can view proteins and fats as being your logs.  Because of the complexity of these two nutrients, proteins and fats take longer to digest and breakdown so they provide a steady and continual source of energy over several hours. Additionally, they don’t have an impact on our blood sugar levels. Carbohydrates can be viewed as your kindling.  They are digested very rapidly, they help provide that spark to your metabolism, but if eaten alone can set off a blood sugar roller coaster. Eating a breakfast high in simple sugars and carbohydrates can cause a surge of sugar into the bloodstream. This may give you an immediate boost of energy but will leave you feeling fatigued and hungry again an hour or two later when your blood sugar comes crashing down. 

Combining a protein, a fat, and a carbohydrate in your first meal of the day will build a lasting metabolic fire that will fuel your brain and your body and allow you to meet the ongoing energy demands of your day.

And not only that, but the composition of your breakfast meal also plays a role in what you eat later in the day.  When you feel better, have more energy, and are in a better mood, you are more likely to make healthier food choices for the rest of the day.

Humans are creatures of habit and sometimes it is hard to change our ways, so I have provided you with a Breakfast Makeover. Here you will find suggestions on how you can increase the nutrient complexity of some of your favorite breakfast foods so they fuel, not douse, your metabolic fire.   

Susan Brady
is a Physical Therapist,
Nutrition Consultant and
Doctor of Integrative Medicine.
She has been treating women with osteoporosis for over 30 years and is dedicated to helping people achieve
lasting good health and vitality.

Want to learn more about how you can improve your bone health? Contact me for a free 15 minute phone consult to learn more about the BONES Method™ and how it can help you achieve strong, healthy bones for life!