Stop The Fish Confusion. (2)

I think it's clear that farm-raised fish, especially farm-raised salmon, shouldn't be a part of your healthy diet. Always buy wild-caught!

Now, fish in the wild will also have some amounts of PCBs and mercury. But, it doesn't mean you should give up fish altogether. There are ways to avoid your exposure:

• Choose your wild-caught fish carefully. Larger fish and those at the top of the food chain (like shark and swordfish) are more likely to have higher accumulations of PCBs and mercury. Select smaller fish, like wild-caught Pacific halibut, mackerel, Alaskan salmon, sardines, herring, rainbow trout and flounder.Most of the pollutants found in fish are concentrated in the skin and organs. So, remove the skin and organs before cooking.
• Both green tea and green vegetables have been shown to flush PCBs from the body in animal studies. If you're concerned you already might have a build-up, try drinking three cups of green tea a day. Adding a green drink, especially one with a high chlorophyll content, can also help remove these fat-soluble toxins.
• Increase your fiber intake. This will help increase clearance of PCBs from your body. But I'm not talking about eating more bran cereal or downing a glass of Metamucil. You can get plenty of fiber from chlorophyll-rich green vegetables. Beans, apples and other fruits are also great sources of fiber.

If you're not a fish-lover, you still need to get plenty of omega-3s in your diet. And a good fish oil supplement can provide them.

But don't buy just any fish oil supplement. They aren't all created equal. Look for one that contains oil from fresh, wild-caught, deep sea fish. And make sure it's been molecularly distilled and tested for purity. It should include at least 600 mg. of EPA and 400 mg. of DHA.

By the way, getting plenty of omega-3s can also preserve – and even extend the length of – your telomeres. These are the protective caps at the ends of your chromosomes that control how quickly you age. To get the added benefit of telomere preservation, I suggest upping the dose to 1,200 mg. of EPA and 800 mg. of DHA.

Remember, the information herein is not to treat and should first consult with your health care provider before following through with any of these suggestions.

Enjoy your day.