Is Lobster A Healthy Or Unhealthy Food?

In our modern day, it seems that nearly everything we eat carries the risk of being unhealthy. Eating fish has known health benefits, yet some species of fish may contain unsafe levels of mercury and PCB's. Eating fresh fruit is known to be healthy, yet many fruits are sprayed with chemical pesticides the residues of which are of questionable risk. The same can be said of vegetables.

Whether the above mentioned food items are healthy or unhealthy is beyond the scope of this article. It does point out, though, that the debate continues on which foods contribute to good health, and which foods pose a health risk. This article will present information for the reader to determine which camp lobster belongs in: healthy or unhealthy.

Let's start with the few arguments that put forth the case that lobster is unhealthy. There are not many. We've read that one doctor advises against eating lobster because it may contain parasites and viruses. Nothing like pointing out the obvious. Every living creature on Earth may contain parasites and viruses, which is why any animal-based food product should be cooked before being eaten. Cooking eliminates this risk. One risk that cooking will not eliminate is excess levels of mercury. No matter how much you cook any fish or seafood item, it will not remove mercury. How much mercury does lobster have?

Before we answer that question, we need to look a little at mercury and the reasons it is in seafood to begin with. The FDA states in their report 'What you need to know about mercury in fish and shellfish' that 'nearly all fish and shellfish contain traces of mercury' and that 'Mercury occurs naturally in the environment and can also be released into the air through industrial pollution. Mercury falls from the air and can accumulate in streams and oceans.' What can be gleaned from this report are two facts. One, that all fish and shellfish contain traces of mercury. Two, Mercury occurs naturally as well. If mercury occurs naturally, it is probably safe to assume that all fish and shellfish have always contained traces of mercury. Which begs the question: are mercury levels in fish and shellfish any higher now than they were 50 or 100 years ago? The answer is that scientists do no know for sure, as tests for mercury in fish were not done back then.

Regardless, the FDA lists four fish varieties that have higher level of mercury than all others: shark, swordfish, king mackerel, and tilefish. They also list five that are very low in mercury: shrimp, canned light tuna, salmon, pollock and catfish. Lobster is closer to the 5 on the low end than the 4 on the high end. Even the 4 fish varieties that have higher levels of mercury are safe to eat in moderation for all people other than pregnant mothers, and mothers nursing infant children. It is only these 4 varieties that should be avoided in the two circumstances just mentioned. Lobster is not included in the list of fish to avoid when pregnant.

The final argument against lobster that we have heard is not based on science at all. The argument is that lobsters are bottom feeders and eat decaying and rotting fish that sink to the bottom. The logic of the argument is that since lobsters are eating these things that aren't healthy for people, people shouldn't be eating lobsters. The problem with this argument is that it is not based on facts. The fact is that lobsters eat mainly live food. Their primary diet consists of live fish, clams, crabs, mussels and sea urchins. Lobsters do eat dead bait in traps, but humans eat dead fish too! Ask any lobsterman, and they will tell you: the fresher the bait, the better it will 'fish.' This is trade language which, when translated, means that if you put fresh bait in your traps it will attract more lobsters. Old bait does not attract many lobsters at all.

When fish gets old and borderline saleable at a seafood market, it begins to emit an ammonia smell. At that point, which can be about 5 to 7 days after being caught, it is no longer appealing to humans. It is the same for lobsters. They prefer live, fresh food, but will eat dead bait in traps if it is fresh and not old. This last argument against lobster as a healthy food is the weakest and not based upon fact at all, but rather on fallacy: lobsters eat primarily live food, not decaying, rotting dead fish.

Now we'll look at the factors in favor of lobster being a healthy food. There are several health reasons that lobster should be eaten. The first comes from the American Heart Associations Page on Fish and Omega-3 Fatty Acids which recommends eating fish at least 2 times per week. A quote from the American Heart Association is worth sharing here, 'Fish is a good source of protein and doesn't have the high saturated fat that fatty meat products do.'

Lobster is indeed an excellent source of lean protein. 100 grams of lobster meat contains 98 calories, 21 grams of protein, and only 0.6 grams of fat. Contrast that to 100 grams of white, skinless chicken meat which has 168 calories, 31 grams of protein, and 3.6 grams of fat. Gram for gram, even skinless chicken contains in excess of 500% more fat than lobster. Lean beef contains more than 10 times as much fat as lobster. Obviously, lobster is an excellent source of lean protein.

Lobster is more than just a lean source of protein. Lobster also contains Omega-3 fatty acids, which are associated with good heart health. There are several valuable benefits from a diet which regularly contains Omega-3 fatty acids. Again quoting from the American Heart Association, 'The ways that omega-3 fatty acids reduce CVD (cardio-vascular disease) risk are still being studied. However, research has shown that they decrease risk of arrhythmias, which can lead to sudden cardiac death, decrease triglyceride levels, decrease growth rate of atherosclerotic plaque, and lower blood pressure (slightly).' The report further states, 'Large-scale epidemiologic studies suggest that people at risk for coronary heart disease benefit from consuming omega-3 fatty acids from plants and marine sources.' Lobster does not contain as much Omega-3 fatty acids as salmon, which has the highest content, but is a good source nonetheless. In summary, lobster is high in protein, extremely low in fat, is a beneficial source of Omega-3 fatty acids which are healthy for the heart and reduce the growth rate of plaque.

Lobsters feed primarily on live food: fish, crabs, clams and mussels. Lobster have a very healthy diet which would be beneficial to humans, not harmful to them. There you have the arguments for and against lobster as a healthy food source. The evidence suggests lobster is a very healthy food choice. Not only is it very healthy, it tastes absolutely extravagant. Enjoy your lobster!

About Author: G. Roy is a former recreational Maine lobster fisherman and owner of the site Lobster-s.com. If you enjoy this article, Please stop by for a vist. You'll find everything you ever wanted to know about the king of crustaceans, including many lobster recipes.

Article Source: ArticlesAlley.com

Healthy Meal Delivery - Is it Your Magic Weight Loss Bullet?

Healthy meal delivery... meals prepared by chefs and dietitians and delivered straight to your door.  It sound pretty great, doesn't it? But is it the magic weight loss bullet you've been looking for?  Let's take a look.

Healthy meal delivery may be right for you if you hate dieting (who loves it?), you don't particularly care for or have time for cooking, and you want to lose weight.  Here are some things to think about.

What healthy meal delivery won't do for you.

Getting your meals delivered directly to your door will help you a lot with making good choices about what to eat, but it won't clean out your cupboards for you in advance, and keep you away from your "downfall" foods. 

Don't feel bad we all have them.  My downfall foods are Oreo cookies and any kind of potato chips.  I've learned to keep them out of my house, because I can eat a whole pack of Oreos or chips in one evening. 

Before you get your first shipment of healthy meal delivery go through your cupboards and get rid of your "downfall" foods.  Donate full packages to charity and don't let your kids or spouse talk you out of it.  You deserve to be healthy and you can do it!

What healthy meal delivery will do for you.

When you are trying to lose weight one of the hardest things to deal with is all the choices you face in your eating.  Even if you are following a plan the choices can be overwhelming.

One of the best things about healthy meal delivery is that it takes a lot of the hard choices away.  You eat what is delivered, and even if you go off plan for a day, it is really easy to go back to eating right, because your food is right there waiting for you. 

Weight loss can be a lot easier using healthy meal delivery. It's a great way to go if you don't like cooking or if you are just too busy to deal with making good food choices, or even if you just want to lose weight the easiest way possible.

For my favorite healthy meal delivery option check out [http://www.gourmetdietdelivery.info]

Healthy Meals To Lose Weight

Eating healthy meals to lose weight that also are tasty doesn't have to be an elusive proposition. It does take a strong determination on your part to resolve to do so. There are tons of recipes out there, healthy and not healthy. It is sometimes time consuming to weed through to the ones you really enjoy plus are healthy meals that will help you lose weight.

Having healthy meals helps you to lose weight partly by decreasing the desire to eat unnecessary calories. Our bodies often signal our brains that we need to eat because it is missing a certain nutrient. If we answer that signal by eating more of the wrong things devoid of nutritional value, your body will signal again. This can contribute to continual weight gain. Of course, our body doesn't plainly say, "hey, I really need some vitamin C in here, could you eat an orange please?" We need to be aware of the value of our choices. We need to make a conscious effort to provide our bodies with well rounded meals. If we don't do this, our bodies can't be expected to function at their best. We will likely at some point develop health problems either from poor nutrition, weight gain or both. This affects our overall enjoyment of life.

Simple Changes To Make Meals Healthier

Changing your daily habits to include healthy meals each and every day may take some effort at first, but once you slowly change these habits, it will get easier. There are a few simple changes that will automatically cut out a lot of extra calories. These are minor changes that can have a major impact. They are things that should be considered in your overall plan to lose weight.

1. Use olive oil as much as possible when needing oil or a vegetable oil. No lard or saturated fats.

2. Avoid frying foods whenever possible. Baking is much healthier.

3. Avoid pure butter and even margarine (as most are full of chemicals). Use a butter specially made without transfat whenever possible. It is much more healthy for your heart.

4. Avoid meats with a lot of fat in them. Cut off the fat whenever possible.

5. Sit down when you eat. If your family resides with you, sit down together for meals.

6. Eat slower, chewing each bite at least 15-20 times before swallowing. This will help you enjoy your food more and give your body a chance to know when its full, avoiding overeating.

7. Limit your intake of sugary drinks like sodas and juices. They add unhealthy calories and actually cause you to want to eat more due to the fluctuation in blood sugar levels. Alcohol can have a similar effect.

Healthy Meals, Healthy Snacking, Healthy Lifestyle

In addition to choosing healthy meals, to lose weight will include watching your snacking habits too. Healthier snacks between meals will help you feel better and keep your blood sugar level more balanced. These are all lifestyle changes. It doesn't mean you can't have a piece of cheesecake or a bowl of ice cream now and then. On the contrary actually. If your daily nutrition level is good, then it will actually allow an indulgence now and then in a snack that is less than nutritious.

Healthy Meals Begin With Your Resolve

Deciding that you are going to have healthy meals to lose weight is half the battle. Some days you will be tempted to revert back to maybe some unhealthy habit, but resolve that you will find healthy meals that you enjoy. This will likely require some trial and error, but you will find them. Same thing goes with your snacking choices. Many diet plans out there can help you lose weight, but most diets are not healthy and they aren't a plan for lasting weight loss. Only a lifestyle change that you make enjoyable will do that. So deciding on healthy meals to lose weight will be part of that overall health plan for your whole life.

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Healthy Meal Plans - Helping Your Family Lose Weight

In many countries world over, especially in the United States, the rate of obesity is rapidly increasing. It has led to many people and families in general to look for healthy meal plans to help stay healthy and lose weight.

A sudden change in the routine of a family, especially the diet may seem overwhelming. However, simple changes in the planning of the meals and the meal itself can make a great difference and ultimately lead to weight loss for the family.

Make a Weekly Menu You should make time to plan meals and the menu for every week. It is important that menus be part of all family meals of the week. It should also be important to keep in mind your time schedule so that you can tell how much time you have to prepare a meal each day.

Make Extra Dishes For those days that you are not as busy, prepare extra dishes to compensate for the days when you do not have enough time. This will cut out the need to make fast and unhealthy last minute solutions. Having a schedule allows the family to control the meals.

Have Balanced Ingredients When making healthy meal plans, make sure you go for balanced ingredients. Avoid eating foods such as red meat on a daily basis. Other foods that you should cut out are fried and processed foods as these contribute greatly to weight gain. Be sure that every meal contains vegetables and proteins. Dessert should be fruits instead of ice cream or cake.

Use Healthy Ingredients Oils such as olive oil are the best for cooking vegetables and meat. These oils contain high levels of polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats that help to lower cholesterol. You can also use other substitutes that contain olive oil and fish oil.

Avoid These Ingredients Avoid items that rely on partially hydrogenated oils such as margarine as these oils increase the harmful LDL cholesterol counts. They also account for overall weight gain. Others are white rice, white bread, refined sugar and white pasta, as these refined ingredients will clutter your diet with empty calories that do not provide nutrition.

Use Lean Meats Trying to eat healthy does not mean you get rid of all meat products. While making burgers, use low fat meats and whole-wheat buns. The types of meat preferred are reduced fat ground beef or ground turkey breast and even bison that tastes like beef and provides all the protein but contains less fat and caloric content.

The best-known fish that contain low levels of harmful fat and provide the body with healthy omega-3 fatty acids are tilapia and salmon. Omega-3 fatty acids help the body by increasing metabolism and they fight heart disease as well.

For those families that prefer poultry, them you should choose the part of the bird that contain low fat. The best part with low fat is the breast. The parts of the poultry that are dark contain more fat and calories. In addition, remove the skin of the chicken before you cook to lower the overall amount of fat.

Enjoy Your Family Meals These tips should help you get started on your journey to create healthy meal plans. Your family will be eating better and losing weight at the same time.

Betty Fellows is an internet marketer with a passion for helping others.

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