Tip Of The Week - Go Fish!

Main Category: Nutrition / Diet
Article Date: 15 Jul 2008 - 2:00 PDT

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Are you getting your two portions of heart-healthy oily fish a week? A great source of protein, vitamins (especially vitamin D) and minerals, like selenium and iodine, oily fish also provides those essential long-chain omega-3 fats, known as DHA and EPA for short. DHA and EPA are an important part of the nervous system, brain and retina and are good for heart health as they prevent your blood from clotting and regulate your heart's rhythm.

- There is plenty of oily fish to choose from to keep your diet varied and benefit from the range of vitamins and minerals they provide; salmon, fresh tuna, mackerel, trout, kippers, herring, pilchards, sardines and eel all provide omega-3.

- Buy them whole or filleted, fresh or frozen or in ready-made meals (just check the food label as sauces can be high in fat and salt).

- Marinade them in lemon or lime juice and herbs and grill or barbecue them; bake them in the oven, fry them gently or poach them.

- For tuna, enjoy it on wholegrain toast, a bed of salad or added to pasta as tinned oily fish still contains omega-3 fats and is a good source of calcium.

- Oily fish like mackerel go well with spinach, watercress and even fruity sauces like rhubarb or gooseberry.

There are 21 meals in a week, so make sure you get your two portions of oily fish - think of it as one lunch time and one evening meal and give your heart, arteries, brain and other parts of your body the long chain omega-3 fats they need for optimum health.

http://www.heartresearch.org.uk

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