October is National Seafood Month!

This is a great opportunity to take advantage of the tremendous health benefits that seafood has to offer.  Nervous about cooking fish?  Haven’t enjoyed seafood in the past?  Now is a good time to try something different – if you always stick to canned tuna or frozen shrimp because they’re easy and quick, take a look through our recipes for halibut, scallops, or cod.  There are hundreds of ways to prepare each of these foods, and they can be just as simple as your old standbys.

Health experts and dieticians recommend that you eat fish at least twice a week to get the full benefits of seafood’s protein, minerals, vitamins, and Omega-3 fatty acids.  If you’re not familiar with the ways in which fish can boost your health, here are a few reminders.  A diet rich in seafood can:

• reduce depression
• reduce the risk of Alzheimer’s disease
• promote vision development
• fight the effects of asthma and bronchitis
• build muscles and tissues
• help relieve symptoms of Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis
• prevent skin damage due to sun and aging
• combat symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis
• prevent cardiovascular disease, strokes, and heart attacks
• decrease blood pressure
• improve circulation
• lower blood triglycerides and increase HDL (good cholesterol)

Take advantage of National Seafood Month – increase your fish intake, and try at least one new recipe each week!

(Note: to be fair, October is also Celebrate Sun Dried Tomatoes Month, National Pretzel Month, and National Toilet Tank Repair Month.)

Sources:

1.  The National Fisheries Institute: http://www.aboutseafood.com, retrieved 10/13/08.

2.  http://www.foodreference.com/html/html/octoberevents.html, retrieved 10/13/08.