Healthy eating and cutting calories the seafood way
It’s about time for the usual question…which diet should you go on this year? Weight Watchers? Keto? Noom? We’ve got a solution — don’t “diet”, eat seafood!
You have probably heard the old joke, “I’m on a seafood diet…I see food and I eat it!” Well, don’t laugh yet, because a seafood diet might be just what you need to make this year’s diet resolution one you can obtain.
Weight loss plans need three things to work:
- They need to taste good and have lots of variety to keep you satisfied
- They need to be healthy so that you feel good and have plenty of energy
- They need to be sustainable for both the environment and your lifestyle
Gone are the days of the “food triangle” that most of us learned in school, the “New American Plate” calls for higher plant-based portions at every meal. There are many proven benefits to a plant-based diet. BUT WAIT! Don’t click away yet. We’re not talking about rabbit food all day, every day; We’re talking about a pescatarian diet.
A pescatarian is someone who chooses to eat a vegetarian diet but incorporates seafood and fish as a protein source. It might be important for some to know this: They are not vegetarians — true vegetarians do not eat fish. Think of this more like being a FLEXITARIAN!
| PESCATARIANS EAT | PESCATARIANS DON’T EAT |
| • Whole grains and grain products
• Legumes including beans, lentils, tofu and hummus • Nuts and nut butters including peanuts • Seeds like chia, flax, and hemp • Dairy including yogurt, milk, and cheese • Fruits • Vegetables • Eggs • Fish and Shellfish — oysters, trout, tuna, bass, salmon, sardines…the list goes on and on. |
• Beef
• Chicken • Pork • Lamb • Turkey • Wild game |
So you can see the sacrifice is pretty minimal, especially when you’re talking about a weight loss campaign. and the pescatarian diet works well for those of us who don’t want to be — or can’t stomach the idea — of being a full-time vegetarian.
Since we know fish is lower in both fat and calories than other meats, and scores high in protein, it just makes sense that vegetables and fish are a great combination for both weight loss and to obtain healthy eating habits. There are also so many different delicious varieties of fish and shellfish, you won’t get bored! With the emphasis on nutrient-dense plant foods along with fish, you are able to eat larger, more filling meals while still cutting calories and keeping you full of energy.
There’s more to this dietary plan than just weight loss though. Studies have shown that people who eat this way have a 4.8 percent lower risk of developing diabetes and a 22 percent lower risk of dying from heart disease compared to meat-eaters.
There doesn’t seem to be too many drawbacks to this way of eating. As described in an article in HEALTHLINE, the biggest problems are overeating carbs — especially pastas, and a lesser issue is the presence of mercury, which can be found in bigger fish. That’s why the US Food and Drug Administration says to limit albacore and yellowfin tuna to a serving or less per week. Light tuna can be eaten 2-3 times weekly. They also recommend that young children and pregnant or nursing women should avoid fish like swordfish, shark, and mackerel.
So, as you move into the New Year, consider substituting seafood in place of meat on a more regular basis, or maybe even making a full jump into a full pescatarian lifestyle.
