Health Benefits of Fish

JAYESH MODI 

Fish are aquatic vertebrates living in the sea water or fresh water. Most of them have well developed senses of taste, color vision, smell and etc.

Lateral line system found in their body acts as receptors and helps them to detect motion of currents and other nearby objects. They are used as very important, delicious and healthy protein rich food by the people around the world. Around 32,000 species of the fish are found however all of them are not eatable, only few species are eaten by the humans. Specially, fish are found of three types oily, white and shellfish which have their own health benefits.

BENEFITS OF EATING FISH

Fish are very healthy food eaten at many places in the world to get required body nutrients, proteins, vitamins and most importantly omega-3 fatty acids. It is very nutritious food can be eaten by any age group people to be healthy and get prevented from many diseases. Some of the health benefits of the fish are mentioned below:

Benefits of Fish for Cancer

Reduces Risk of Cancer

• Eating fish on regular basis for one or two times a week reduces the risk of cancer (esophagus, oral cavity, colon, breast) including prostate cancer and ovarian cancer as it contains omega 3 fatty acids. It contains selenium mineral which creates an enzyme to protect from cancers.

Benefits of Fish for Brain and Eye

Maintains Good Eye Sight

• It contains lots of omega-3 fatty acids which provides better growth and development to the brain tissues, nourishes the retina and maintains the good eye sight.

Reduces Risk of Dementia

• It reduces the risk of dementia and Alzheimer’s disease among elder people if eaten simple fish or seafood for at least once a week.

Prevents from Depression

• It lowers down the occurrence of depression among people when eaten fish on regular basis.

Good Source of Vitamin A

• It helps in maintaining the better eyesight among mothers and babies and prevents from the age-related macular degeneration (AMD) and retina degeneration as it contains retinol (vitamin A form).

Improves Concentration Level

• It improves the concentration level, promotes good behavior, reading skills and prevents from an Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD).

Induces Better Sleep

• Salmon fish contains a special amino acid called tryptophan acts as a natural sedative agent and induces better sleep thus relaxes mind.

Benefits of Fish for Heart Health

Prevents from Cardiovascular Diseases

• If it is eaten on regular basis it prevents from the cardiovascular diseases like heart attack, stroke, high blood pressure as it reduces blood clots formation in the blood vessels, reduces inflammations, improves blood vessel elasticity, lowers down blood pressure and reduces blood fats and bad cholesterol level.

Rich Source of Omega-3 Fatty Acid

• Omega-3 fatty acid lowers down the blood triglycerides level and blood pressure thus prevents from clotting, inflammations and abnormal heart rhythms.

Reduces Risk of Hypertension

• It decreases the growth of atherosclerotic (arterial) plaque on the blood vessels thus reduces the risk of high blood pressure.

Benefits of Fish for Diabetes

Regularizes Blood Sugar Level

• It helps in regularizing the blood sugar level among diabetic patients thus helps in managing the diabetes conditions and reducing side effects.

Benefits of Fish for Bone

Improves Bone Density and Strength

• Especially salmon fish has calcitonin protein which maintains the bone health by improving its density and strength and prevents from many bone and joints problems like osteoarthritis.

Relieves Rheumatoid Arthritis

• It has anti inflammatory properties thus helps in relieving the rheumatoid arthritis symptoms, psoriasis including other autoimmune diseases if taken on regular basis.

Source of Vitamin D

• Vitamin D found in it (tuna and wild salmon) has bone-building and anti-cancer property benefits.

Benefits of Fish during Pregnancy

Prevents Babies from Birth Defects

• It helps pregnant women by reducing the risk of occurrence of prematurity means eating fish regularly prevents from delivering the premature baby or baby with birth defects.

Prevents Post-Natal Depression

• It prevents pregnant women from the post-natal depression and Seasonal Affective Disorders (SAD).

Reduces Risk of Vision and Nerves Problems

• It reduces the risk of vision and nerves problems during pregnancy among both the mother and baby.

Provides Development to Infants

• It boosts the sensory, cognitive and motor development among infants if eaten by the mother during last trimester of pregnancy.

Benefits of Fish Oil

Rich Source of Omega-3 Fatty Acids

60 g of Salmon fish contains around 1,200 mg of omega-3 fatty acids whereas Sardines fish (1,500 mg), smoked salmon fish (1,000 mg), canned salmon fish (500 mg), canned tuna fish (145 mg), Gem fish (300 mg), squid fish (250mg), Trout fish (350 mg), calamari fish (200 mg), sea mullet (170 mg), sea perch fish (7 mg) and many more.

Prevents from Ageing and Heart Diseases

Fish oil is especially rich source of the omega-3 fatty acids which has variety of health benefits and prevents from ageing and heart diseases. It cannot be manufactured by our body thus it is very necessary to fulfill its requirement through the special diet. Fish oil protects our heart from the air pollution.

Benefits of Fish for Weight Management

Loaded with Minerals and Vitamins

• Fish is a low fat and high protein diet loaded with all the minerals and vitamins which balanced the diet thus helps in managing the weight among really weight conscious people.

Benefits of Fish for Skin

Prevents Skin Damage

• Omega-3 fatty acid found in it protects from the skin problems and prevents from damage and harmful effects of UV sun rays.

Keeps Skin Healthy

• It also prevents from the skin conditions like eczema and psoriasis and makes the healthy, soft and glowing.

Makes Skin Firm and Flexible

• Protein found in it is the great source collagen which is a substance making skin firm, strong and flexible.

Benefits of Fish Oil for Digestive System

Protects from Digestive Problems

• Fish oil protect from the serious ulcerative colitis, inflammatory bowel diseases, Crohn’s disease and other digestive problems.

Benefits of Fish for Looking Younger

Rich Source of Antioxidants

• Astaxanthin is a powerful anti-inflammatory and antioxidant agent (carotenoid-class antioxidant) found in the salmon.

Prevents Early Ageing

• It maintains the cell functions, enhances cellular regeneration, reduces DNA degeneration thus prevents from early ageing.

Other health Benefits of Fish

Reduces Risk of Respiratory Problems

• Regular consumption of it reduces the risk of various diseases like asthma and other respiratory problems.

Contains High Quality Protein, Vitamins and Minerals

• Fish is a low-fat, high quality protein, minerals (calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, potassium, iron, zinc, iodine and etc), vitamins (A, D, E, B) and etc rich healthy food required to maintains the healthy body.

Maintains Functioning of Thyroid Gland

• Iodine found in it maintains the functioning of thyroid gland and prevents from the hyperthyroidism or hypothyroidism.

Keeps Lung Stronger and Healthier

• It helps in protecting from the lungs diseases and keeps lung stronger and healthier.

Nutritional Benefits of Salmon Fish per 100 g

(Source: USDA Nutrient database)

Energy: 142 kcal

Water: 68.50 g

Carbohydrate: 9 g

Dietary fibers: 8.4 g

Sugar: 0.1 g

Protein: 21.62 g

Amino Acids

Alanine: 1.21 g

Arginine: 1.21 g

Cystine: 0.24 g

Glycine: 0.97 g

Histidine: 0.97 g

Proline: 0.70 g

Glutamic acid: 2.85 g

Isoleucine: 0.99 g

Threonine: 1 g

Lysine: 1.82 g

Methionine: 0.66 g

Aspartic acid: 2.12 g

Phenylalanine: 0.80 g

Serine: 0.79 g

Tyrosine: 0.66 g

Total Fat: 5.93 g

Saturated Fat: 1.26 g

Polyunsaturated Fat: 1.992 g

Monounsaturated Fat: 2.134 g

Cholesterol: 45mg

Trans Fat: 0.2 g

Omega-3 Fatty Acid: 2 g

Omega-6 Fatty Acid: 1.3 g

Electrolytes

Potassium: 490 mg

Sodium: 44 mg

Vitamins

Vitamin A: 40 IU

Thiamin: 0.12 mg

Riboflavin: 0.05 mg

Pyridoxine: 0.55 mg

Vitamin D: 0.75 microgram

Vitamin E: 2.70 mg

Nicotinic acid: 8.10 mg

Vitamin C: 0.21 mg

Vitamin B12: 4.50 microgram

Minerals

Calcium: 12 mg

Iron: 0.80 mg

Magnesium: 29 mg

Phosphorus: 200 mg

Zinc: 0.64 mg

Chloride: 100 mg

Copper: 0.2 mg

How to Select and Store

Always buy fish from the nearest reputable markets looking bright with clear eyes as dull-eyed fish may not be safe to eat. Select fish having shined and vibrant skin, smelling fresh like clean water. Avoid buying nasty and pungent smelling fish; they may harmful to the health. Only buy for a day not for more days as it may spoil your health.

It can be stored in the refrigerator by keeping in the airtight container or covering it with cling film. Do not store live fish into airtight container as they need to breathe, it can be placed in a bowl in the coolest place.

How to Enjoy Fish

Fish can be enjoyed in many ways such as fish curry, fried fish, boiled fish, grilled fish, fish pakaude, fish sticks with sauce, fish with chips, fishcake and etc. It tastes very nice and delicious if prepared using right techniques.

Disadvantages, Side Effects and Precautions

Though fish have lots of health benefits, it has various health hazards as well. Eating fish more than the recommended amount on daily basis or weekly lead to the mercury poisoning. Some of the disadvantages, side effects and precautions of the fish are mentioned below to be well conscious before eating more fish:

• Mercury poisoning can affect nervous system with symptoms of numbness means tingling sensation in fingers, lips, toes, developmental delays among children, muscle pain, joint pain, occurrence of heart attack and many more.
• Some of the fish (tilapia and catfish) are not good for the heart health as they have high level unhealthy fatty acids.
• Some of the cooking techniques make it unhealthy for the health such as roasted or baked fish are healthier than deep-fried fish.
• Inorganically grown fish are more dangerous as they are produced on the farms using variety of antibiotics, pesticides or other chemicals which have harmful effects on the human body when eaten.
• Pregnant or lactating women must take care while eating fish and do not consume more than 150 g a week.
• Fish are highly exposed to the environmental pollutant called dioxins which may cause skin lesions, harmful effects on the immune and reproductive systems and etc.
• Person having heart problems must consult his physician before eating fish.
• Raw fish have lots of parasites which may cause parasitic infections of gastrointestinal tract so, it should be washed well before cooking.
• Some people have allergy to the fish thus it should be taken care of.

How much fish should you eat?

Eating fish more than the limit may cause lots of health hazards which have already described in the above part. Eating how much fish on daily basis or weekly depends on the age, sex, weight and health conditions of the person. However, the amount of fish one (healthy person) can eat is 1-2 times (3-4 ounce) a week to get free of the harmful effect of the mercury.

10 Health Benefits of Mangos

Mangos taste so good that people forget they are also healthy!  Discover how the “king of fruits” can help you, plus learn fascinating trivia facts and a few mango cautions and concerns.

Health Benefits:

1.  Prevents Cancer:

Research has shown antioxidant compounds in mango fruit have been found to protect against colon, breast, leukemia and prostate cancers. These compounds include quercetin, isoquercitrin, astragalin, fisetin, gallic acid and methylgallat, as well as the abundant enzymes.

2.  Lowers Cholesterol:
The high levels of fiber, pectin and vitamin C help to lower serum cholesterol levels, specifically Low-Density Lipoprotein (the bad stuff)

3.  Clears the Skin:
Can be used both internally and externally for the skin. Mangos clear clogged pores and eliminate pimples. (Read more on page 5.)

4.  Eye Health:
One cup of sliced mangoes supplies 25 percent of the needed daily value of vitamin A, which promotes good eyesight and prevents night blindness and dry eyes.

5.  Alkalizes the Whole Body:
The tartaric acid, malic acid, and a trace of citric acid found in the fruit help to maintain the alkali reserve of the body.

6. Helps in Diabetes:
Mango leaves help normalize insulin levels in the blood.  The traditional home remedy involves boiling leaves in water, soaking through the night and then consuming the filtered decoction in the morning. Mango fruit also have a relatively low glycemic index (41-60) so moderate quantities will not spike your sugar levels.

7. Improved Sex:
Mangos are a great source of vitamin E. Even though the popular connection between sex drive and vitamin E was originally created by a mistaken generalization on rat studies, further research has shown balanced proper amounts (as from whole food) does help in this area.

8. Improves Digestion:
Papayas are not the only fruit that contain enzymes for breaking down protein. There are several fruits, including mangoes, which have this healthful quality. The fiber in mangos also helps digestion and elimination.

9. Remedy for Heat Stroke
Juicing the fruit from green mango and mixing with water and a sweetener helps to cool down the body and prevent harm to the body. From an ayurvedic viewpoint, the reason people often get diuretic and exhausted when visiting equatorial climates is because the strong “sun energy” is burning up your body, particularly the muscles.  The kidneys then become overloaded with the toxins from this process.

10. Boosts Immune system
The generous amounts of vitamin C and vitamin A in mangos, plus 25 different kinds of carotenoids keep your immune system healthy and strong.

Love feeling healthy and living well? Follow Care2′s Pinterest boards for more inspirational tips and recipes.

Facts and trivia:

·         According to some, more mangos are eaten fresh than any other fruit in the world.

·         Originated 4,000 plus years ago.

·         Biologically a close relative with other flowering plants like cashew and pistachio.

·         Originated in sub-Himalayan plains.

·         In India where they are most heavily grown and eaten, mangos are known as “safeda.”

·         There are over 1,000 different varieties of mangos.

Nutrition by the Numbers
One cup (225 gms contain) contains the following. Percentages apply to daily value.

·         105 calories

·         76 percent vitamin C (antioxidant and immune booster)

·         25 percent vitamin A  (antioxidant and vision)

·         11 percent vitamin B6 plus other B vitamins (hormone production in brain and heart disease prevention)

·         9 percent healthy probiotic fiber

·         9 percent copper (copper is a co-factor for many vital enzymes plus production of red blood cells)

·         7 percent potassium (to balance out our high sodium intake)

·         4 percent magnesium

How to Prepare a Raw Mango Fancy Style

1. Hold the mango on its side and cut down on either side of the central seed. You will end with two big “halves” plus the central seed.
2. Place each half on the cutting board with peel facing down and cut the exposed flesh in a horizontal and vertical pattern, taking care not to cut deep through skin.
3 Then invert the whole half to push out the cubes as shown in the photo above.

Mangos for the Skin:

Externally:
Just blending up the mango and applying to the face is fast and easy. Mangos contain beta-carotene, which is converted by your body to vitamin A. That and vitamin C are crucial to skin self-repair.

Follow this link to see a more complete recipe: Mango Mud Mask. This has all the benefits of mango plus the exfoliating benefits of oatmeal and almonds.

For a less serious treatment of this mud mask, you can watch me making my own at…Randy’s Homemade Mango Mud Mast

Internally:
When eaten, mangos help resolve all skin problems including pimples. Extract the large pit or seed from green mangoes. You can eat this seed raw or cooked, or try a recipe like this Cucumber-Mint-Mango Lightness.

Do Monkeys Know Something We Don’t?

Monkeys choose to eat the seed from the green mango. Ayurvedic healers suggest that it is the seed that gives the monkey its energy and powerful strength to jump in the tress.

Cautions:

1.    If you have a latex allergy, a reaction is possible with mangos and particularly green mangos. This reaction develops because of anacardic acid.

2.    Mango peel and sap contain urushiol, the chemical in poison ivy and poison sumac that can cause an allergic reaction in susceptible individuals.

3.    Mangos are ripened by some dealers using calcium carbide which can cause serious health problems (one more reason to buy organic).  If you do have inorganic mangos, do wash them properly before consuming or soak overnight in water.

4.     

Mango Recipes:

Deluxe Mango Crumble: Something about mangos makes them luxurious, and when made into a crumble they become divine.

Cucumber-Mint-Mango Lightness: A cooling and refreshing drink using green mangos.

The mango is so delicious and healthy we consider it a Powerfood.

Health benefits of cycling exercise daily

Jayesh modi

The benefits of exercising daily are immense on our body and mind; cycling can give you all these benefits and even some more when done regularly. Cycling helps in working the muscles of your lower body as well as the muscles of your abs, back, shoulders and hands. It also works out your brain and can be an ideal way to revive your mood quickly releasing stress and tension. This article will discuss the health benefits of cycling daily, and you will know why as a kid we all were pushed by our parents to ride the bicycle.

CYCLING FOR WEIGHT MANAGEMENT

How to lose weight with cycling

Putting on unwanted weight is one of the major concerns of a huge population in the society. In the current lifestyle, where our physical activities have been minimized keeping the weight in check can be a real trouble. Increasing weight invites all the diseases and hence keeping your weight in check is very important to enjoy a healthy life. Daily cycling can be highly effective to keep your weight in check. Cycling increases the metabolic rate of your body which helps in burning up more calories.

According to researches a person needs to burn out at least 2,000 calories in a week to maintain a healthy body weight when he/she is on a proper and nutritious diet. One hour of steady cycling burns around 300 calories and hence you can understand how immensely it can help you to manage weight.

CYCLING FOR A TONED BODY

Weight loss does not necessarily relate to body toning. When you are looking for a well-sculpted figure what you have to do is to concentrate on building the muscles. The only and most effective way for muscle building is exercising and as cycling involves more or less all the big muscles of the body, it is one of the most effective exercises to get a sculpted figure.  Toning the muscles of the thighs, calves and the hips are not easy, but through daily cycling you can actually get those perfect legs.

CARDIOVASCULAR HEALTH AND CYCLING

Heart diseases and other cardiovascular problems have become very common in our society. Regular cycling can be effective to ensure a better heart and cardiovascular health for everyone. As cycling helps in burning fat, automatically it promotes a better cardiovascular health. In addition to that it also improves blood circulation in the body and helps in stimulating the heart muscles.

CYCLING IN CONTROLLING DIABETES

Best healthy diet foods

Diabetes is quickly taking the shape of a global disease and it is the high time when we should start adopting every measure to control it. Type 2 diabetes is often related with lack of physical activity and obesity. Regular cycling ensures that you maintain a healthy body weight which can be highly helpful to keep type 2 diabetes at bay. According to a research, people who cycle daily for over 30 minutes are at 40% lesser risk of developing type 2 diabetes.

CYCLING FOR RELIEVING STRESS

Stress is a common problem in our daily life and fighting it is essential to lead a healthy life. Regular cycling works both ways to reduce stress. At one hand it boosts your mind by producing the feel good hormone through working of the muscles and on the other hand the feel of cycling can actually boost your mood. When you are feeling stressed out, just going out on a bicycle ride for 30 minutes can relax your senses preparing you to get back to the problems of daily life with a better approach.

CYCLING FOR A SHARP MIND

Cycling can be really effective to give you a more active brain. It increases blood circulation not only to the muscles, but also to the brain which naturally results into better nourishment of the grey matter. Moreover, studies have proved when you pedal, the neurons light up and they increases creation of proteins like the BDNF and noggin that can encourage the growth of fresh neurons. So, by daily cycling you can actually increase the amount of your brain cells and enjoy a sharper memory.

CYCLING CAN GIVE YOU STRONGER BONES AND BETTER JOINT MOBILITY

Health benefits of cycling for women

Weak bones and reduced joint mobility is not anymore a problem that affects people only in old age. Sitting on the couch for the whole day staring at the computer screen has made these bone and joint problems common even amongst the people in their 30s and 40s. Cycling can be highly helpful to ensure better mobility of your joints and better strength of your bones. It can be even effective to deter arthritis.

REGULAR CYCLING CAN HELP YOU LIVE LONGER

Cycling does not only make you healthier, it can also add to your lifespan. According to a study conducted in Norway, elder men of the age group 70 and 80 who cycled regularly for 30 minutes lived up to 5 years more than their counterpart who did not cycle daily. So, yes, cycling is actually something that can give you a healthier body and mind helping you to live longer.

Cycling is often preferred over many other types of exercises due to several reasons. Cycling involves a minimum risk of injury or sprain compared to other major impact exercises. It is easy to perform and along with your body it also works immensely on your mind.  So, if you find exercising at your home or hitting the gym regularly really boring, just pick your bicycle and go out on daily rides to give a boost to your mood and health.