To Eat Fish or Not To Eat Fish
Category: Random Talk
Laying awake in bed one morning, I stared at the back of my closed eyelids thinking to myself, “I’m a pescetarian, right?”. Seems like a question that could be answered with a simple, “yes, I eat fish,” or “no, I don’t,” but for some reason, it just didn’t shake down so easily for me.
At the time, I’d been vegetarian for about a year. I loved the lifestyle, but decided I hadn’t been the healthiest variety. I knew I wasn’t getting all the protein I needed, and I wasn’t actively seeking out supplements for iron, zinc , fatty acids and all my B vitamins. In the interest of my heath, I decided to take [what I considered to be] the easy way out: I started eating fish.
I called fish consumption the easy way out because its been proven that you don’t need to consume creature-based proteins to get all the vitamins, nutrients, and amino and fatty acids you need to live. Eating animals makes it easier.
“While seafood offers a wealth of health benefits, you can circumvent it and go straight to eating what the fish eat.”
In July, I had my first sushi in 10 or 12 months, give or take (I don’t quite remember when I completely stopped eating fish). It was a spicy salmon roll. It wasn’t what I’d consider delish, but it was pretty good. Later that week, I got another sushi meal, only this time it was non-spicy salmon and tuna. Then, I got sick. Granted, I didn’t actually retch, but I thought I was going to. I remember sitting in my cubicle—the sushi was a work-day lunch— staring into the expanse of my desktop, making a concentrated effort to ignore my intensifying nausea, while simultaneously mapping a game plan of how I could run to the bathroom in time to inconspicuously puke and run back to my desk with no one being the wiser.
In a moment of rashness, I decided I was swearing off of fish. I thought, “Screw this. I probably shouldn’t be eating fish anyways—I’ve been fine thus far without it.” It probably took another 4 months before I took another bite of seafood, though I was never fully opposed to the idea of it.
From a heath perspective, eating fish makes sense:
- Fish and many shellfish are protein and iron rich
- Seafood has high levels of bio-available omega-3 fatty acids, essential fatty acids which help fight heart disease, inflammation, and may help prevent certain cancers.
- The brain needs to maintain a high concentration of essential fatty acids, which help prevent degeneration of brain function; ergo, ingesting convertible fatty acids like omega-3s is GOOD FOR YOUR BRAIN.
Also, according to a University of Maryland Medical Center study, severe deficiencies in omega-3s may result in immediately tangible side effects, like dry skin, fatigue, depression and poor circulation—who wants that?
“I’d never felt that eating any creature, raised in proper conditions, was wrong.”
That said, while seafood offers a wealth of health benefits, you can circumvent it and go straight to eating what the fish eat. Sea vegetables are ripe with bio-available essential fatty acids, vitamins and minerals. Compliment deep-sea-dish-diving with land sources like fruits, veggies, whole grains and nut and olive oils, and you’re all set.
I regularly asked myself whether, knowing that I can get everything I need without eating fish, I really wanted to start eating it again. Was my sloth when it came to establishing a complete, nutritionally sound diet really an excuse to eat another living creature? On the other hand, I’d never felt that eating any creature, raised in proper conditions, was wrong. Cognitive dissonance much?
After a few months, I decided I was pescetarian, and so I remain. Even if I don’t regularly eat seafood—which I don’t—I’m open to eating it, and appreciate its health benefits. In reality, even if I developed the perfect diet of land and sea based plants, and never touched a fish again, I’d still be a pescetarian, for the simple fact that I’m OK with the idea of eating fish.
Point of clarification: my rationale does not make me an omnivore. Though I don’t think it’s necessarily wrong to eat beef/pork that’s been raised legitimately free range, I think it’s a bad idea, and I’m pretty grossed out at the concept. Figured I’d point that out before I got a slew of comments calling me a hypocrite or whatever.
Now you have my take on the matter— what are your thoughts?
