Change Your Thinking To Lose Weight

By Kim Beardsmore

Are you a 'look-and-lose' dieter? Have you studied every diet ever created, read a zillion diet books, and yet are still unhappy with your weight?

Do you look at yourself and say, "I'm fat", or "My hips are too big"? Many of us look in the mirror and immediately compare ourselves to those 'perfect' human specimens we see every single day on TV, in magazines and in the newspapers.

Often we talk to ourself and make excuses, "It's my genes", "I'm much too busy to get fit", "I like myself this", as a way of protecting yourself from the way we see ourselves now and the way we want to be.

If we were to be truly honest with ourselves most people actually want to lose a few pounds - if we only knew how. >

For many people, the quest of finding the holy grail of dieting may become a substitute for actually making changes required to take the ill health out of your current diet. I know this was me. It wasn't until I stopped and took stock of the way I thought about myself, my body and what it was I was trying to achieve that I realised, it wasn't a particular diet I needed. Rather, I needed a new way of thinking.

The good news is you CAN achieve your desired body shape with the right thinking about yourself, an understanding of how to get optimal nutrition, healthy eating habits and how to incorporate activity into your lifestyle to keep your muscles toned.

But most important of all, you need a regular mental workout to keep your self-image in shape.

Self-image is closely connected to the success or failure of any goal you choose to seek after, but none more so that the goal to get yourself fit and healthy.

So how do you go about strengthening your self-image? Well fortunately your self-image, just like your muscles, will respond well to a regular work out. You can actually strengthen your self-image with a few daily exercises.

Exercise One - Self Examination

Start by compiling a list of all those negative thoughts your have about yourself…I'm undisciplined, I can't manage my time, I let people down, I can't succeed, I don't exercise enough. You will need to decide before you start this process that you won't get discouraged….these are things that you will admit to yourself but they most certainly don't have to control your life.

Next, compile a second list including everything you LIKE about yourself. Keep going until this list is LONGER than the first list you compiled. You might include things such as, I am a good cook, I can make people laugh, I contribute to the soccer club, my daughter loves the way I decorate her room.

Then, take your 'negatives' list and turn it into your 'potentials' list. You do this by creating a positive self-image to every 'negative' you listed. Instead of "I can't succeed", write a counter belief, "I will succeed".

Ceremonially throw out the 'negatives' list - you are saying goodbye forever! Burn them, trash them, destroy them….they are no longer going to be a part of your thinking about yourself.

Now, keep your list of potentials in a prominent place. On your refrigerator door, in your daily journal, or in a picture frame on your desk. Make sure you have them in front on your every single day so that you are reading them constantly and reprogramming your daily thoughts.

Exercise Two: You Can Be What You Want to Be

Now that you have your list of potentials… run your own visualisation stories so that you can 'see' yourself in a new light. For example, if your list of potential includes "I eat just the right portions", visualise yourself with a moderate portion on your plate, and feeling completely satisfied at the conclusion of your meal.

Read through your list of potentials every day taking a few moments of personal quiet time to reflect strongly on your visualisations. Try starting your day first thing in the morning and finishing as the last thing at night with visualising yourself being the person on your list, and doing the things you want to do.

Exercise Three: Keep a Journal of Your Daily Successes

Keep a record of all the positive changes in thoughts you have about yourself. We all have triumphs and 'failures'. You must record and remind yourself of the positive changes because our human nature will replay the negatives - sometimes blowing them out of proportion. It's important to nurture and celebrate the small steps you make every day.

Exercise Four: Go Easy On Yourself - You Are Beautiful Work In Progress

Don't listen to the criticism…not your own nor that of others! Remember you are the designer of your self-esteem, do not hand this over to other people. You are way too important to give this away. Protect your role as creator of your own self-image and do not, take on board negative criticisms. We all make mistakes, and mistakes can be used to help us learn. Do not criticise yourself for being human and making a mistake. The only last mistake in the one from which we never learn to grow.

Exercise Five: Forget About The Past

The only moment you can live is the current one. You can't live in the future and you most certainly shouldn't live in the past….the challenge is to take charge of our thinking so that we think in the same time zone in which we live!

For example we may be tempted to think about yesterday's failures…"If only I hadn't eaten second helpings", "If only I didn't reach for the chocolate cookies". If we concentrate on the mistakes of yesterday this will our brains to replay our failures and reinforce them to us.

Yesterday is over, today is where you live….make sure that today you do NOT replay yesterday's failures and make your resolve to change TODAY.

Exercise Six: Resolve to Change Today

Just as you shouldn't live in the past, you can't live in the future. You can only live or change today. The oldest cliché in the world is perhaps one of the greatest truisms of all…'tomorrow NEVER comes!'

There is no better time than now. So, no matter what excuses you may have to wait to take those healthy steps you know you should take, none of them are valid. Do it now, do it today. Resolve to make a different in your own life before you go to sleep tonight.

Exercise Seven: Write a Plan For your Life

This is your success plan. If you have not already done so it is time for you to create direction and purpose in your plans for yourself. Review your list of potentials and record next to each potential when you want to achieve this by.

Exercise Eight: Carry Affirmation Cards About Yourself

This is one of the fastest tools for your success. You are what you think. Strengthen your self-image every day by reviewing your thoughts. One of the easiest ways to do this is to carry affirmation cards in your wallet and review regularly. Affirmation cards are short bursts of words in business card that prompt and remind your self-image of your intentions. An example might be:
I can achieve anything that I put my mind to.
I will be satisfied with single helpings.

Try it, you have absolutely nothing to lose and everything to gain!

Exercise Nine: Change Your Eating Habits

Now that you have set the groundwork in place, you are now ready to change your physical habits. You are ready to add a balanced nutritious diet, healthy eating habits, regular exercise and relaxation.

By using these nine exercises daily to change your thinking habits, you will be strengthening your self esteem and unlocking your internal power to make a change in your life. Before you can change lifelong eating habits, you must first change life long thinking habits. We are what we think. We can't be something other than what we believe we can be!

So, do yourself a favour, liberate your self-image and then, see how much more effective your healthy living plan becomes!

Kim Beardsmore enjoys the flexibility of working from home. Are you interested in earning money from home? We're looking for individuals who have weight to lose, to join our team of work-at-home-ers. If you're serious about earning money from home, are willing to work (this isn't 'get rich quick'), and have a desire to be healthy, then we'd like to help you grow a profitable business. We offer complete training, online and offline resources and a partnership for success. Visit today: http://free2liv.com/?refid=EA-567883377
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Natural Methods for Prevention of Osteoporosis

By Doug Bremner

Given the modest outcomes and risks of the bisphosphonate drugs it is natural that women would look to alternative approaches for bone density loss prevention. For a long time estrogen replacement therapy was hailed as a natural way to prevent bone loss associated with the loss of estrogen after menopause. The Women's Health Initiative (WHI) indeed showed that hormone replacement therapy (HRT) prevented bone loss and reduced the risk of osteoporotic fracture (WGWHII 2002). However HRT was found in this controlled trial to have unacceptable risks, including increasing the risk of breast, ovarian, and uterine cancer, as well as stroke, heart attack, and gall bladder disease. Overall the risks were greater than the benefits (Wassertheil-Smoller et al 2003).

Studies have shown modest increases in bone mineral density with soy but as yet have not evaluated effects on fractures. Observational studies have found a relationship between magnesium, which may be low in the diet of some elderly people, but as yet no randomized controlled studies of the effects of magnesium on bone density and fracture have been reported.

Doctors routinely recommend supplementation with calcium and Vitamin D to prevent osteoporosis and bone fractures in postmenopausal women. Taking calcium increases calcium in the blood, making more available for uptake into the bone. With normal aging, there is a decrease in calcium absorption by the stomach. Vitamin D (cholecalciferol) is known increase calcium absorption in the gut, as well as acting synergistically with calcium to promote bone density. This has led to the common practice of prescribing calcium and Vitamin D supplementation for the prevention of hip fractures. It sounds so good and all makes logical sense, and it can't hurt, so why not go ahead and do it?

However, just because you become deficient in something with aging, doesn't mean that supplementation will correct the problem. Studies have shown that calcium and vitamin D supplementation in people over age 65 increased total bone density, but not necessarily in areas that matter, like the femoral neck, which causes hip fracture (Dawson-Hughes et al 1997). Moreover, the changes in bone mineral density in areas like the femoral neck, were present only for men, and not women. This is important since osteoporotic fractures primarily affect women. The only studies which showed that calcium and Vitamin D prevented hip fractures were done in French women who had osteoporosis and were living in nursing homes (Chapuy et al 1994). However these women may have calcium and/or Vitamin D deficiency due to diet or lack of sunlight from being in a nursing home.

Other studies in individuals outside nursing homes found no beneficial effects from Vitamin D and calcium supplementation in terms of hip fracture prevention (Porthouse et al 2005). One study of patients who had a fracture and became immobile did not find any benefit of Vitamin D and calcium in the prevention of secondary fractures (RECORD 2005). The Women's Health Initiative (WHI) included 36,282 premenopausal women age 50 to 79 who were randomly assigned to receive 1000 mg of calcium with 400 IU of Vitamin D-3 or placebo with a follow-up of 7 years for assessment of bone fracture. Supplementation did not reduce the risk of hip fracture. Although there was an increase in hip bone density, there was also an increase in kidney stones (Jackson et al 2006). Since increasing hipbone density has no practical benefit and is not related to reducing the risk of hip fracture, while increasing kidney stones is definitely negative, I do not recommend these supplements.

Eat a well-rounded, balanced diet with fruits, vegetables, and a moderate amount of cheese, yogurt and other dairy products, and you should get enough calcium in your diet to minimize bone loss with aging.

In the wintertime take long walks in the sun-this will stimulate Vitamin D production (most Vitamin D is generated internally after exposure to the sun). If someone in your family is elderly and doesn't get out much or is confined, wheel them out of doors so they can get some sun exposure.

Physical activity and exercise plays a dramatic role in prevention of fractures. Studies have shown that the simple act of aging is ten times more important in terms of fracture risk than bone mineral density.

The most critical thing to do to prevent fractures is to keep active. Loss of muscle strength is part of aging, but we can profoundly delay these effects through active exercise. It is clear from the studies that the people who get hip fractures are those who become frail and inactive, and more likely to fall.

In fact, osteoporotic fractures of the hip are inversely related to exercise. Furthermore, although bone thinning contributes to the risk of fracture, it is primarily related to a loss of balance and falling, which is also maintained by exercise in old age. In fact, there is no difference in bone density between those with and without fractures.

The best exercise for increasing bone-mass is strength training. Numerous studies demonstrate that engaging in regular resistance exercises increase bone mass, most especially spinal bone mass. A research study by Ontario's McMaster University found that a yearlong strength-training program increased the spinal bone mass of postmenopausal women by nine percent. And it found that women who do not participate in strength training lose bone density.

The good news is that you do not have to become an Iron Man to derive benefit from resistance and weight training. A whole variety of exercises yield bone-building benefits, although working with weights at a gym with a trained professional is one safe way to get into this form of activity, especially if you have never done it before. Weight lifting, even with as little as 2, 5, or 10 pound weights to start, dancing, stair-climbing, walking on an incline (uphill), and brisk walking are all weight-bearing exercises, which promote mechanical stress in the skeletal system, can contribute to the placement of calcium in bones.

How does this work? When you are doing weight bearing exercise, you are exerting force on parts of your bones. The body reacts to this by stimulating osteoblasts, those cells that are responsible for laying down calcium in the bone and building up the bones. The body is in effect responding to the message that more bone strength is needed, much as it does when it increases muscle mass and tone with exercise. And the good news is that it builds up bone strength in a better way than bisphosphonates. Rather than randomly laying down calcium in parts of the bone that may not greatly enhance the strength of the bone, like bisphosphonates do, exercise results in a laying down of calcium in parts of the bone that matter. And what is more, the effects don't wear off after five years.

While good for your cardiovascular system and overall health, aerobic exercises such as biking and swimming do not strengthen the bones. If you can do both forms of exercise, good for you! If not, and you are heading toward menopause, or are menopausal, focus on strength training - it does give you some aerobic benefits. A moderate investment of time is all that's needed - 15 to 30 minutes of weight training, two to three times per week provides the bone density you need to prevent osteoporosis if you work all your different muscle groups and let your muscles rest for a day between workouts. Of course, it's great if you can start resistance training before you enter menopause, but even if you start later you will avoid the expected loss of bone and even increase bone density slightly.

So what is the bottom line for preventing osteoporosis without prescription medications?

First things first, diet and exercise.

Based on the evidence I also do not recommend getting BMD or screening X-rays for vertebral "fractures" which you don't know about, since I don't think these represent fractures in the way you and I think of them, more than a settling of the vertebrae, which is part of normal aging.

Instead of getting screenings I recommend that you follow my advice for prevention.

Men should not be treated for osteoporosis.

If don't have a history of fracture, you shouldn't get your bone mineral density checked and you shouldn't consider treatment for osteoporosis.

Don't ever use raloxifene, teriparatide, or calcitonin for osteoporosis treatment. The risks outweigh the benefits.

Women who have a painful fracture can consider getting your bone mineral density checked. If you are found to have osteoporosis you can talk to your doctor and consider taking bisphosphonates. Think about what I have said here, put that together with your own situation and make your own decision.

Don't feel like you have to take drugs. If you do take them don't do it for more than five years.

Chapuy MC, Arlot ME, Delmans PD, Meunier PJ (1994): Effect of calcium and cholecalciferol treatment for three years on hip fractures in elderly women. British Medical Journal 308:1081-1082.

Dawson-Hughes B, Harris SS, Krall EA, Dallal GE (1997): Effect of calcium and vitamin D supplementation on bone density in men and women 65 years of age or older. New England Journal of Medicine 337:670-676.

Jackson RD, LaCroix AZ, Gass M, et al (2006): Calcium plus vitamin D supplementation and the risk of fractures. New England Journal of Medicine 354:669-83.

Porthouse J, Cockaynes S, King C, et al (2005): Randomised controlled trial of calcisum and supplementation with cholecalciferol (vitamin D 3) for prevention of fractures in primary care. British Medical Journal 330:1-6.

RECORD (2005): Oral vitamin D3 and calcium for secondary prevention of low-trauma fractures in elderly people (Randomised Evaluation of Calcium Or vitamin D, RECORD): a randomised placebo-controlled trial. Lancet 365:1621-1628.

Wassertheil-Smoller S, Hendrix SL, Limacher M, et al (2003): Effect of estrogen plus progestin on stroke in postmenopausal women: The Women's Health Initiative: A randomized trial. Journal of the American Medical Association 289:2673-2684.

WGWHII (2002): Writing Group for the Women's Health Initiative Investigators. Risks and benefits of estrogen plus progestin in healthy postmenopausal women: Principal results from the Women's Health Initiative Randomized Controlled Trial. Journal of the American Medical Association 288:321-333.

Learn more about alternatives to medications and hidden risks of prescription medications in
'Before You Take That Pill: Why the Drug Industry May be Bad for Your Health: Risks and Side Effects You Won't Find on the Label of Commonly Prescribed Drugs, Vitamins and Supplements', by researcher and physician J. Douglas Bremner, MD.

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Drink Up! Your Weight Loss is Waiting

Dr. Susan Flowers, Phd

Are you aware that water is the number one element needed during any weight loss program? Without consuming adequate quantities of water, your success will be slow and arduous.

On a normal day, everyone has heard that drinking 8 glasses of water is important for proper bodily function. However, on any weight loss regime, that total should be increased by 12-16 glasses, especially if exercise is a part of the program. As the body rids itself of fat and toxins, water is needed to remove both from your system through you digestive tract and skin. Initial weight loss is almost always water, so be mindful of dehydration. Conversely, if there is no loss initially, your body may be retaining fluid due to lack of water consumption. By increasing your water intake during proper dieting and participating in a good exercise program that includes something aerobic/cardio at least 3 times per week, the pounds will begin to melt away.


Good health begins with knowing that your body is comprised of mostly water. We can survive for over a week without food, but generally no more than 3 days without water. Our bodies use it for every function that it performs, including the involuntary blinking of your eyes. Water is lost through your digestive tract, skin and lungs. There is no way to voluntarily reserve water in your body. Your kidneys are the only organs assigned to regulate fluids in your body and if they begin to hold on to water, your body is dehydrated and can be in peril. So do your health a favor and Drink Up!


Dr. Susan Flowers has been a registered nurse and healthcare executive for 23 years in various parts of the country. She is currently retired at 42 and pursuing her passions as a motivational speaker, success coach and syndicated writer.

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Cold or Flu - Which One Does Your Child Have?

By Dreama Kirby

Both the cold and the flu are respiratory illnesses, but they are caused by different viruses. Typically, the cold is milder than the flu and generally doesn't result in serious health problems.

Sometimes it may be difficult to tell the difference between the two, but according the National Institutes of Health there are some obvious differences in symptoms.

Symptoms the cold and flu may have in common:

General aches & pains - colds sometimes have these, but they are common and often severe with the flu

Fatigue & weakness - colds are sometimes associated with this, but it usually occurs with the flu and can last up to 2-3 weeks

Stuffy nose & sneezing - common with colds and sometimes occurs with the flu

Sore throat - common with colds and sometimes occurs with the flu

Chest discomfort & cough - mild to moderate with a hack for colds, but can be more severe with the flu

Symptoms that are not shared by colds and flu's:

Fevers - rare in colds, while usually occur with the flu (100°F-102°F, occasionally higher in younger children)

Headache - rare in colds, but common with the flu

Extreme Exhaustion - never occurs with colds, but it usually occurs with the flu, especially at the beginning of the illness

Complications of the cold vs. the flu:

The Cold - sinus congestion, middle ear infection, and asthma

The Flu - Bronchitis, pneumonia, and can be life threatening

If you think your child is suffering from the flu be sure to contact your child's pediatrician right away.

If you're still not sure, play it safe and talk to your child's pediatrician.

This article was brought to you by ReliaDose® - The Easy & Accurate Way to Give Medicine to Your Baby.

Source: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, National Institutes of Health, and National Institutes of Allergy & Infectious Diseases - September 2005.

Dreama Kirby is the Chief Marketing Officer of Blaine Pharmaceuticals, maker of ReliaDose. Invented by a mom, ReliaDose is a baby health care product which takes the stress out of giving medicine to your baby. It's accurate because you control the dosing while your baby feeds naturally.

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Fitness for Kids - Top 10 Tips

By Daniel Remon

1) Learn a New Sport

With the grown in status and awareness of sports such as golf and tennis, get your kids involved in a new sport. In addition to increasing activity and creating a spark of interest, sports will always increase a child's coordination, movement patterns and build confidence with their peers. Sports such as golf, tennis, basketball, badminton, martial arts are great at keeping them interested and you will find aspiring champions in every child! Kids are great dreamers!

2) Set a Good Example

If you want your kids to be active, you MUST be active yourself! Lead by example, park the car away from the entrance of the supermarket, use the stairs instead of the escalator, get the kids up early and go for a walk before you go to work, do some exercise drills before dinner like push ups, lunges, squats, or jumping jacks.

3) Head to the Park

Parks are the perfect solution for your children to run around and enjoy themselves with their friends. Load bearing exercise like running and jumping keeps their bones and muscles strong and helped them to develop good motor control and co-ordination skills.

4) Kids Fitness Boot Camp

A totally new fitness experience for kids, Kids Boot Camp allows children to exercise in a fun and effective gym environment run by fitness professionals. Kids learn how to move safely and challenge themselves using only their body weight, exercise tubes, bands, and medicine balls. Created and run by the professionals at Fitcorp Asia (http://www.bangkokbootcamp.com).

5) Home Duties

Give some responsibilities around the home while are on school break, such as walking the dog, vacuuming and dusting. Not only will this help to develop a sense of responsibility, it will help build strong bonds with your children.

6) Family Fitness!

Get the entire family involved for weekend activities. Play catch, or tag around the back yard or in the park. Make exercise fun, and something you enjoy as well. If you show that you enjoy the exercise, they will to.

7) Fun Parks

In addition to having a fantastic time on all the rides, a day at the fun park such as Dream World will require hours of continuous walking from ride to ride. Fond memories and great for the whole family.

8) Ask and You Will Receive

Ask your kids what 'they' would like to do! More often than not there are influences from school or from friends which has sparked some interest. Ask and you will be surprised.

9) Fun Activities at Home

Crab Soccer, tag, jump rope, Hide and Seek or set up a fun circuit for your kids and their friends to do. Stair running, hoola hoops, hopscotch, skating, jumping jacks, balance drills, frog jumps, arm circles and skipping ropes make for a fun and very effective workout!

10) Set up a Rewards System

Create a points system for exercise that encourages your kids to exercise regularly. Use rewards such as trips to the movies, tickets to sporting events, new sporting equipment like jump ropes, roller blades, exercise tubing. Never use food as a reward.

Daniel Remon is the founder and Managing Director of Fitcorp Asia, an innovative health, fitness and performance company specializing in fitness for kids and healthy education programs as well as personal training, fat loss, golf fitness and corporate health programs. http://www.fitcorpasia.com, http://www.bangkokbootcamp.com, http://www.golffitnessu.com . Tel: 02 661 7900.

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New Study Offers Hope for Heart Patients

(NewsUSA) - A recently completed clinical trial showed that patients suffering from advanced congestive heart failure (CHF) exhibited significantly improved heart function after supplementing with ubiquinol, a newly available and highly absorbable form of CoenzymeQ10.

In the first clinical trial evaluating ubiquinol's effects on late-stage CHF, cardiologist Peter Langsjoen found that critically ill patients who supplemented with this nutrient for just three months experienced a substantial increase in their hearts' ability to pump blood. Furthermore, patients' plasma levels of CoQ10, which are key to overall heart health, significantly increased -; an indication that they were absorbing more of the nutrient.

Langsjoen's study, although an early-stage trial, offers hope to many Americans. According to the American Heart Association, an estimated 5.3 million Americans currently suffer from CHF. Roughly 550,000 people are diagnosed with heart failure every year, and it is the leading cause of hospitalization in people older than 65.

Heart failure does not mean the heart has stopped working. Rather, it means that the heart's pumping power is weaker than normal. With CHF, blood moves through the heart and body at a slower rate, and pressure in the heart increases. As a result, the heart cannot pump enough oxygen and nutrients to meet the body's needs.

Ways of combating CHF usually include a treatment program of rest, proper diet, modified daily activities, transplants, valve replacements and drugs, such as beta blockers, digitalis and vasodilators. CoQ10 has been used as a dietary supplement for cardiac patients for 40 years. Ubiquinol, the active antioxidant form of CoQ10, has only been available in supplement form for the past year.

"The effects of ubiquinol on late-stage heart failure patients resulted in striking improvements beyond anything I've seen in 25 years of cardiology practice," said Dr. Langsjoen, who conducted the research in Tyler, Texas. "It is my strong feeling that this ubiquinol product is a major breakthrough."

Ubiquinol and CoQ10, both found in every cell in the body, are essential to generating cellular energy and sustaining life. However, as the active antioxidant form of CoQ10, ubiquinol protects cells from free radical damage. KanekaQH is the world's only supplemental ubiquinol.

For more information on the clinical research conducted on ubiquinol and CoQ10 over the past 50 years, visit www.KanekaQH.com.

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Tips to Prevent Backaches From Ruining Your Day

(NewsUSA) - As temperatures increase, so do our activity levels. Often we find ourselves performing tasks we've done our entire lives. Activities that require bending and wrenching the lower back may not have affected us in the past years, but they can sneak up quickly. They can easily become painful and, in some cases, keep us from doing the things we enjoy so much.

Besides surgery, there are few treatments that can cure back pain, but there are preventive measures that can be taken to keep the aches and pains from occurring:

- First, you may want to check with a physician to see if you have pre-existing conditions.

- If you sit for extended periods of time at work, interrupt your sitting to get up and move around. Try sending a fax, making a copy or even taking a walk on your lunch break.

- Be certain you have a good sitting position at work or in your car. Your knees should not be higher than your hips. Make a habit of keeping your hips towards the back of your chair.

- If you're gardening or performing any other activity that requires prolonged or repeated bending at the waist, straighten your back often and walk around. Intermittently stretch by performing a standing backward bend by placing your hands in the small of your back and bending backward five to 10 times.

- When lifting an object from the ground, get as close as possible to the object; bend your knees while you keep your back erect as you squat; straighten knees, not your back, as you lift the object upward; pivot your feet and do not twist your back as you move the object to another location; and as you lower the object to the ground or other surface, get as close as you can to the surface.

- Avoid slouching postures immediately following a physical activity while your body cools down. Often this is the time that back pain develops -; not during the physical activity itself.

If you do have pain and need temporary relief for muscles or joints, apply ice and an over-the-counter medication like Absorbine Jr. pain-relieving liquid. Menthol, along with a proprietary blend of natural herbal extracts, penetrate into injured tissue to relieve backaches.

For more information, visit www.absorbinejr.com .


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Navigate the Waters of Seafood Consumption

(NewsUSA) Whether it's salmon, shrimp or another delectable ocean dweller, Americans are hooked on seafood -; and it's not necessarily a bad thing. Seafood is a high-protein, low-fat food that provides a wealth of health benefits, and some fish contain substantial quantities of Omega-3s -; the "good" fats in the human diet that boost heart health.

But despite the many benefits that fish offer, they can also pose a considerable health risk when contaminated with harmful substances found in their living environments, such as mercury, PCBs and pesticides. Additionally, some of the most frequently eaten fish in the United States suffer from overfishing, which leaves fewer fish in the water than is necessary to keep stock levels consistent. While fish farms have been established to provide more seafood to consumers, these farms often pollute surrounding waters, negatively impact the health of wild fish and result in overuse of pesticides and antibiotics.

While the news is enough to leave seafood lovers wondering if their favorite foods may be hurting their health or the environment, knowing which kinds of fish are healthy to eat can give you confidence that your seafood is safe. The following tips, provided by Environmental Defense, will help you choose healthy seafood that not only benefits your health and tastes great, but also helps the planet:

* Be aware of risky seafood. Some of the worst offenders when it comes to unhealthy seafood are also the most frequently sold in grocery stores -; including farmed Atlantic salmon, imported shrimp and grouper.

* Look for "green" fish. For healthy, sustainable seafood options, try wild Alaskan salmon, blue mussels and U.S.-farmed catfish. By visiting
* Read the label. After arming yourself with the knowledge of what kinds of fish to avoid, read the label. Labels on all fresh and frozen seafood in supermarkets are required to include whether it is wild or farmed and the country of origin. If you are confused or unsure, ask a store associate to help you find the information.


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