Why You Should Eat Fish

Discover now seven compelling reasons why you should eat fish more often. Some of the health benefits of fish may surprise you.

1.       Fish Contains Nutrients You May Be Lacking

Fish is rich in calcium, phosphorus, Vitamin B2, and the minerals iodine, iron, zinc, magnesium, and potassium. Depending on your lifestyle and diet, you may not get enough of these essential nutrients from a regular Western diet. But when you add fish to the menu every week, you can take in all these important nutrients without having to take supplements.

2.       It’s a Great Source of Vitamin D

Fatty fish is one of the best sources of Vitamin D, a nutrient that is rarely found in other foods. Vitamin D is important for bone health and helps keep your immune system healthy. If you eat fatty fish several times a week, you may not need a Vitamin D supplement – consult with your doctor to be sure.

3.       Eating Fish Helps You Meet Your Omega-3 Requirements

Your body needs omega-3 fatty acids to function properly. Furthermore, these fatty acids can ward off heart disease. Eating at least two servings of salmon, mackerel, or sardines a week can help you maintain a healthy balance of omega-3 fatty acids.

4.       Lowers Your Risk of Heart Disease

The unsaturated fats of fatty fish reduce blood clotting and decrease triglycerides. Studies have found that eating fish every week reduces your risk of suffering heart failure. People who eat two to four servings of fish each week are less likely to die from coronary heart disease.

5.       Helps Prevent Depression and Improve Your Mood

If you eat fish regularly, you are less likely to become depressed. This is likely the effect of the omega-3 fatty acids in fish, which help to maintain brain health and are good for the central nervous system. A diet that includes fish wards off mental illness, and that’s yet another reason to eat fish.

6.       Keeps Your Brain Sharper

Adding fish to your diet helps prevent the slow cognitive decline that occurs with age. This may also help to reduce the risk of developing more serious neurodegenerative conditions, such as Alzheimer’s.

7.       Can Improve the Quality of Your Sleep

People living near fisheries may not entirely agree to this, but science brings good news to all others. A 6-month study found that middle-aged men who eat salmon three times a week saw improvements in the quality of their sleep. This has been associated with the high Vitamin D content of fatty fish.

Don’t Ignore the Health Benefits of Fish

From providing key nutrients and lowering your risk of heart disease to improving your sleep, fish has a host of benefits that can help you live a longer, healthier life. The best part is that to enjoy the health benefits of fish you don’t even have to eat fish every day – around 3 servings a week are enough.

So how do you choose one? It’s best to weigh the pros and cons before you make a decision.

Best Weight Loss Diets

Before you pick a diet, take a look at the list below:

1. The Paleo Diet

Eat like your hunter-gatherer ancestors? That’s what this diet claims you should do. The diet focuses on foods like:

• Lean protein
• Nuts
• Seeds

It discourages eating sugar, dairy, grains, and processed foods.

Pros:

• Studies support reduced waist size and substantial weight loss
• Reduced heart disease risk

Cons:

• Eliminates foods that are healthy and nutritious like dairy, legumes, whole grains
  
  

2. The Keto Diet

Ketogenic or “keto” diets are very trendy. This is a low-carb, high-fat diet. The idea is to deprive your body of glucose and force it to use alternative fuel, or ketones, from fat. The process is called ketosis.

Following a keto diet, you would eat less than 50 grams of carbs per day. The ratios generally look like this:

• 70-80% of fats
• 5-10% carbs
• 10-20% protein

There are different versions of the keto diet. Some restrict carbs completely, while others make small allowances.

Pros:

• Satiating effect
• Decrease in appetite
• Increased metabolism
• Promotes fat loss

Cons:

• Keto “flu”-like symptoms
• Potential damage to kidney and heart
• Side effects like fatigue, bad breath, constipation, sleep issues, and decreased bone density
• Potential long-term negative nutritional impact
  
  

3. The Vegan Diet

Veganism is a lifestyle choice, but it also forms the basis of one of the most popular weight loss diets. This diet simply restricts all animal products.

Pros:

• Effective as a weight loss program because it’s fiber-rich and low in fats
• Consistently linked to lower body weight and BMI
• Reduced calorie intake
• Reduced risk of heart disease, type 2 diabetes, premature death

Cons:

• The ingredients can be expensive or difficult to find
• Reduced intakes of minerals and vitamins
  
  

4. The Atkins Diet

This diet is synonymous with low-carb diets. The idea behind it is to eat as many proteins and fats as you want and entirely avoid carbs.

The diet is divided into 4 phases. During the first phase, carb intake is restricted to 20 grams per day. You do this for two weeks. Afterward, you slowly reintroduce healthy carbs into your diet.

Pros:

• Eat fewer calories without thinking about it
• May lead to faster weight loss than low-fat diets
• Reduces belly fat
• Reduces risks of major diseases
• Improved blood sugar

Cons:

• Some people experience discomfort, such as constipation
• Risk of developing yo-yo dieting patterns
  
  

5. Intermittent Fasting

Rather than restricting what you eat, following an intermittent fasting diet adjusts when you eat. Some popular ways to fast include:

• Eat-stop-eat method: fast for 24 hours once or twice a week, on non-consecutive days
• 16/8 method: skip breakfast, eating restrictions for 8 hours, fasting for the remaining 16 hours
• Warrior Diet: restrict eating to small amounts of raw vegetables and fruits throughout the day, follow with a large meal at night
• 5:2 diet: restrict eating to 500-600 calories on 2 non-consecutive days of the week, no restrictions on the remaining days

There are many ways to fast. Just make sure that you don’t fast for 48 hours straight.

Pros:

• Very successful for weight loss
• Short-term metabolism boost
• Reduces inflammation, cholesterol levels, blood triglycerides, and blood sugar levels

Cons:

• May not be as effective for women
• Not always an option for people with blood sugar problems or other health issues
  
  

The Takeaway

There’s no one diet that’s suitable for everyone. The best diets for weight loss will be the ones that suit your lifestyle and taste. You may have to try a few before you find one that works. But when you do, make sure to stick with it.

One key way to preserve your hearing and fight hearing loss is to choose the right foods. Your diet plays a major role in improving your hearing.

The link between nutrition and hearing loss prevention is important to keep in mind. Your body gets vital nutrients from the foods you consume. That helps it improve or preserve your hearing functionality.

Best Foods for Your Hearing

If you’re worried about hearing loss, you can try these foods to improve hearing:

1. Potassium-Rich Foods

First, potassium is essential to your inner ear health, and its levels decrease as we age. That can play a part in age-related hearing deterioration.

For adults, adequate potassium intakes start at 3,400 mg for men and 2,600 mg for women. So make sure you’re eating enough potassium-rich foods. Here is how much potassium is contained in some everyday meals:

• 2 cups of spinach – 334 mg
• 1 medium-sized baked potato – 610 mg
• 1 raw tomato – 292 mg
• Half a cup of dried apricots – 1,101 mg
• 1 banana – 422 mg
• 6 ounces of non-fat yogurt – 330 mg
• 1 cup of low-fat milk – 366 mg
  
  

2. Foods Rich in Folic Acid

Next, you may know that folic acid is a necessary nutrient for pregnant women. That’s because it helps your body generate new cell growth. But folic acid can also contribute to the health of the hair cells in your inner ear. A deficiency may result in premature hearing loss.

Recommended daily allowances for adults is 400 mcg dietary folate equivalents (DFE). Here’s one example of how you can consume enough folic acid in a day:

• 4 boiled asparagus spears – contain 89 mcg of DFE
• Half a cup of boiled spinach – 131 mcg
• Half a cup of boiled black-eyed peas – 105 mcg
• Fortified breakfast cereal – 100 mcg
  
  

3. Magnesium-Rich Foods

Lastly, magnesium is an essential mineral to prevent or limit hearing loss, especially noise-induced hearing loss. One study revealed that people treated with magnesium, along with other vitamins, were protected from noise-induced hearing loss. Researchers believe that magnesium acts like a protective barrier for the hair cells in the inner ear. Deficiencies can cause the blood vessels to shrink and deprive the cells of oxygen.

The recommended dose for adult males is 420 mg for males and slightly less for females at 320 mg. Some foods to incorporate into your diet include:

• 1 ounce of roasted almonds – contains 80 mg of magnesium
• Half a cup of boiled spinach – 78 mg
• 2 tablespoons of peanut butter – 49 mg
• 3.5 ounces of baked potatoes – 43 mg
• 1 cup of avocado – 44 mg
  
  

The Takeaway on Foods to Improve Hearing

There’s a link between proper nutrition and hearing loss. In fact, deficiencies in certain minerals may lead to hearing loss conditions. By incorporating foods rich in potassium, folate, and magnesium into your diet, you can prevent serious hearing-related problems down the line.

According to the American Chiropractic Association, around 31 million Americans suffer from lower back pain. It’s the third most common reason for doctor visits. Non-specific back pain may appear for a variety of reasons, including:

• Muscle strain
• Muscle spasms
• Degenerative changes
• Nerve injuries

Most cases of lower back pain can be treated without serious intervention.

One of the ways that you can help with lower back pain is by doing back strengthening exercises. Weak muscles in your pelvis and core can contribute to low back pain. But research shows that exercising these muscles regularly can improve their function and minimize the pain.

To counteract your risk of lower back pain, it’s a good idea to make these a part of your routine.

Perform These Exercises to Lower Back Pain

Here is a list of some of the best exercises for lower back pain:

1. Drawing-in Maneuver

Improper spinal support can contribute to lower back pain. But this exercise works to strengthen the muscle that wraps around your lower torso. The transverse abdominis helps to support the abdomen and spine.

Exercise:

Start by lying on the ground. Place your feet flat on the floor at approximately hip-width apart. Keep your hands relaxed at your sides and take a deep breath.

On your outward breath, pull your belly button towards your spine. Make sure to engage your ab muscles, but don’t tilt your hips.

Hold the position for 5 seconds and release. Repeat this 5 times for a set.

2. Bridges

Next, it’s time to work the gluteus maximus. This is the largest muscle in your backside and it’s responsible for movements at the hip. Because the muscle stabilizes the hips, it can cause lower back pain if it gets weak.

Exercise:

Like most back strengthening exercises, this one starts on the floor. Lie on the ground with your feet approximately hip-width apart.

Keep your hands by your sides and press your feet into the ground. Slowly lift your buttocks off the ground. Your body should be one straight line. Remember to keep your shoulders on the floor while you do this.

Maintain this position for around 10 to 15 seconds and slowly lower back down. Repeat this action 15 times for a set. Do a total of 3 sets per workout, but make sure to rest a minute between sets.

3. Lying Lateral Leg Raises

The hip abductors help raise your leg away from the body. They’re also responsible for supporting your pelvis. Weak hip abductors affect your mobility and balance. This instability may cause low back pain.

Exercise:

With this exercise, start by lying on one side. Bend the lower leg slightly to provide stability. Activate your core and slowly raise your top leg. Keep the rest of your body stable.

Hold this position for a couple of seconds at the most. Repeat this action 10 times and then switch sides. Do 3 sets per side for each workout session.

The Takeaway

Some of the best exercises for lower back pain don’t exercise your back at all. Instead, they focus on the supporting muscles that stabilize the area around your low back.

These simple exercises can be a great starting point. But if your condition doesn’t improve, you may need to speak with your doctor to rule out more serious conditions.