Top 5 Most Nutritious Seafood and Health Benefits

What do you think of when you hear “you must eat healthy”!?! Do you see yourself surrounded by vegetables and fruits!?! If so, you should know that having a healthy life in terms of eating habits does not involve a focus only on vegetables and fruits. There are a lot of other interesting food categories and mixes that have a positive impact on your health and, therefore, should definitely be tried on a regular basis.

One of these categories is SEAFOOD. Although some of you might consider this as only an “exotic” food, proper only for special occasions, you should know that seafood could be a very good ingredient if introduced in your daily diet.

Seafood, besides the fact that is delicious, is a very good source of minerals, vitamins and proteins. Many seafood categories are low in cholesterol and sodium, low in fat (most of this fat is unsaturated – like omega -3 fatty acids – which is a good type of fat), rich in vitamins like A, B6 and B12 and minerals like phosphorus, iron, zinc and potassium.

Just to get you attention, I will next point out the 10 MAIN EXTRAORDINARY BENEFITS that seafood can have on our health:

1. Lower Blood Pressure
2. Reduce the Risk of Heart Diseases and Improve Heart Functions
3. Support Optimal Brain, Eyes and Nerves Development for Children
4. Provide Protection Against Bronchitis
5. Provide Protection Against Emphysema (associated with smoking)
6. Help People in Depression
7. Boost Immune System
8. Prevent Cancer
9. Prevent Osteoporosis and Arthritis
10. Lose Weight

As we can see, the influence seafood can have on our health is extraordinary. However, as for vegetables and fruits, some categories of seafood are better than others. This is why I made a selection of 5 of the most nutritious seafood out there:

1. Salmon

Salmon is a great source of the popular omega-3 fatty acids. This helps reduce risk of heart disease and prevents cancer. These types of acids also have anti-inflammatory functions, help the immune system and the brain. Half a fillet of cooked salmon (175 grams) has about 350 calories and 10 grams of fat. Other cold-water fish like mackerel and tuna are also a great source of omega-3 fatty acids.

However, when buying your salmon, keep in mind to choose the eco-friendly and sustainable option. Avoid the Atlantic farmed one and go for the wild-caught Alaskan salmon.

2. Shellfish (mussels and oysters)

Shellfish are rich in Vitamin B12 which helps the nervous system. They also provide the body with iron and important minerals like potassium and magnesium. Three ounces (about 90 grams) of mussels give you 700 mg of omega-3 fatty acids. The same amount of oysters gives you 44% of the daily recommended value of iron. Three ounces of shellfish also contain about 130 calories and 3 grams of fat.

3. Pink Shrimps

Shrimp are rich in tryptophan and selenium. They are also a great source of protein, having a much better ratio of proteins gained with fats and calories than most foods. Four ounces of shrimp have 23 grams of protein, 112 calories and less than a gram of fat. Shrimps also provide the body with vitamins D and B12. All of these benefit the cardiovascular system and, believe or not, help reduce anxiety and depression.

4. Crabs

Besides the omega-3 fatty acids, protein, selenium and natural sodium, crabs are a great source of vitamin B12 and Zinc, which helps the immune system. Crabs are also low in calories and fat.

5. Sardines

The plain sardines just had to be in our top 5 list. They are the perfect example that your food doesn’t have to be expensive in order to be nutritious.

Sardines have more omega-3 acids per serving than any other food! 3 ounces (approximately 90 grams) of sardines are packed with almost 2 grams of these miracle-acids. These make them great for brain memory and performance. Also, sardines have a high level of vitamin D, which is essential in making your bones stronger.

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7 Most Important Nutrients To Boost Your Memory

Memory is the mental activity of recalling learned and/or experienced information.

There are 2 types of memory:

1. Short-term memory
2. Long-term memory

In short-term memory information is stored for a few seconds or a few minutes. Such memory is fragile and is able to hold an average of seven items (phone numbers, credit card numbers, etc.).

In long-term memory we store information for our life / jobs / etc. Sometimes, accessing information stored in long-term memory requires a conscious effort to recall: personal memories related to our experiences (episodic memory), factual data not connected to time or place (semantic memory), skills and performed routines (procedural memory).

The most important areas of the brain for retention and formation of memory are:

1. CEREBRAL CORTEX: the outer layer of the brain; stores most long-term memory
2. HIPPOCAMPUS: transforms information into memory
3. AMYGDALA: processes emotions and imprints the memories involving emotions
4. NEURONS: form a network into our brains used for communication

The connection between our memory and food is extremely complex. Researchers are still trying to figure out how memory is affected by what we eat.

Still, researchers indicate that the following 7 nutrients are some of the best when speaking of brain functions stimulation and nurture:

1. Vitamin B1 – best sources: grains, sunflower seeds, beans and even pork;

2. Vitamin B3 – best sources: peanuts, mushrooms, chicken, tuna and beef;

3. Vitamin B6 – best sources: broccoli, spinach, bananas;

4. Vitamin B12 – best sources: animal products;

5. Folic acid – best sources: green leafy vegetables, sprouts and oranges;

6. Vitamin C and E, beta caroten – these antioxidants fight free radicals (atoms formed when oxygen interacts with certain molecules). Free radicals are highly reactive and can damage cells. Antioxidants neutralize them and also improve the flow of oxygen through the body and brain. These antioxidants can be found in berries, tomatoes, spinach, broccoli, nuts, citrus fruits, liver, etc.;

7. Omega 3 fatty acids – these acids are concentrated in the brain and are associated with cognitive function. The best sources for them are: fish (like tuna, salmon, herring, mackerel, etc.) and walnuts.

Do not forget that nutrients are best assimilated and most effective when they are extracted from food products.

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