By TOM BONANTI
Athletes and bodybuilders concerned about getting enough high quality protein often grab first for chicken breasts and lean beef, leaving fish to flounder in their nutritional regiments. In reality, fish should be an essential part of any body building diet, because it is loaded with protein, nutrients and the world’s healthiest fat. Let’s take a look at this gift from the sea and how eating fish can leave you with bigger muscles and a healthier heart.
While it may be necessary to trim the fat from your beef, pork or chicken, with fish, it’s the fattier the better. The predominant fat in fish is the type that will keep your arteries clear and healthy. Fatty fish like salmon, sardines and mackerel are the only reliable sources of eicosapentanoic acid (epa),and docosohexanoic acid (dha), two important omega-3 fatty acids with a broad range of health benefits. Both of these miraculous omega-3’s help to lower blood triglyceride levels, making fish a heart-healthy choice in anyone’s diet. As an added benefit for those who work out, fish fat may also help to reduce the residual muscle soreness that accompanies working out.
For the protein punch your muscles crave, fish will give you more bang for the buck. Most fish is a lean protein source with a superb protein-to-fat ratio which will keep you in an anabolic state – key to muscle growth. Whenever possible, it is great to eat whole food protein an hour or two before your workout – and certainly within an hour following your workout. Guess what? Fish is digested and absorbed faster than beef, pork or chicken, and its amino acid profile makes it useful in muscle recovery as well as building mass.
Besides those tremendous omega-3 fatty acids and the rich source of clean, lean protein fish provides, there is more good news.
The iron in fish helps to carry oxygen to your working muscles; vitamin B6 assists in red blood cell formation; selenium can keep your prostate healthy; and zinc will boost your testosterone level.
The down side to fish is that it often contains mercury. This neurotoxin is deadly to pregnant women, children and even the toughest muscle head. As a general rule, the larger the fish (like shark, tuna, swordfish and king mackerel) and those that have longer lives (like grouper and sea bass) can accumulate plenty of mercury. Salmon, catfish, shellfish, pacific halibut, sardines, tilapia and rainbow trout are safer options. And remember: The American Heart Association recommends at least two 3- ounce servings a week, but no more than 12 ounces on a weekly basis.
Here are some healthy hints about cooking fish. A good filet will have no odor. Reputable fish markets are your best bet for the good stuff. Handle your fish as little as possible. Let it cook undisturbed for a few minutes and turn only once during cooking. This allows for browning of proteins on the surface, which contributes to its flavor.
When it comes to seasoning, a good quality sea salt and pepper rub is all that a filet really needs. If you marinate, do so only for 30 minutes. Fish is more tender and porous than meat, so it requires less time to soak up the flavor.
Over-cooking any food can rob it of important nutrients and vitamins. Delicate fish, like flounder, cook quickly (about two minutes per side if grilling or broiling). For thicker fish, like salmon and swordfish, just wait for the color to change from translucent to opaque, remove from heat and serve immediately.
For more nutritional tips to help your workouts, please send an email to TrainerTomB@aol.com.
Tom Bonanti, is a certified personal trainer and owner of Pump’n Inc gym at 1271 NE 9th Ave., Ft. Lauderdale, FL
Facebook: TrainerTomB. www.pumpnincgym.com