Tuna really is chicken of the sea!

It's recommended that we eat at least 8 ounces of fish or two servings a week, to get our required amount of Essential Fatty Acids (EFAs). Though you want a healthy heart and body, eating all that fish every week can give some people problems. These problems are:

1)You may not like to eat that much fish in a week.
2)Fish has been found to be contaminated with mercury, with the amount varying depending on the type of fish.
3)When you cook fish it stinks up your house.

But to get your weekly allotment of fish, there are ways around the three problems I listed above. I take fish oil supplements and sometimes eat canned tuna on crackers. By doing this you can reduce the amount of fish you consume, you can minimize the amount of mercury you take in your diet and you do not stink up the house.

Buying supplements is easy; all you need to do is look for fish oil supplements made from cold-water fish, such as anchovies. But when it comes to selecting canned tuna, you have a lot to choose from, but which one is the right one.

Here are the facts to help you choose the right canned tuna for you:

Types Of Canned Tuna - Tuna comes in two types, solid and chunky. Chunk tuna is cheaper than solid tuna and consists of small pieces, while solid tuna comes in larger pieces. I like the chunk tuna that is easier to spread on crackers.

Omega - 3 - When selecting tuna, you want to get the benefits of Omega -3. Though tuna is not the number one source of Omega - 3, it generally has more than other fish. The tuna that has the most Omega - 3 are the white tuna and is packed in water.

Tuna In Water Or Oil - One of the first decisions you need to make is whether to select canned tuna that is packed in water or oil. You may not like the taste of tuna packed in oil, and tuna packed in water has less-calories and has more Omega -3 than the tuna packed in oil.

Sodium Content - Most manufactures add sodium to their canned tuna. In some cases it could be up to one-third of the daily limit of 1,500 milligrams. You can get around this by buying low-sodium cans of tuna or draining and rinsing the tuna before consuming.

Mercury Contamination- All fish have varying levels of mercury contamination. If you are pregnant or a young juvenile, it is recommended you minimize the amount of fish you eat per week.
James F. Mitchell
562-253-3502