When it comes to fishing, it's important to pay attention to what you eat before you go. Eating the wrong foods can cause stomach and digestive system discomfort, as well as dizziness and fatigue. To stay calm and energized, it's best to stick to light and soft foods that are freshly prepared and nutritious. Think oatmeal, fruits and vegetables, along with lean proteins.
Don't skip breakfast; if you have an empty stomach, you'll feel worse. Stay away from spicy or acidic foods, as well as processed and greasy foods. Dry, salty foods such as crackers can be eaten after a couple of hours in the water. Fish can be an energy food or an inflammatory and toxic nightmare for the body, depending on the type of fish you choose.
It's incredibly important to get plenty of omega-3 fatty acids, but certain fish should be avoided due to contamination from heavy metals such as mercury. Tilapia is one of the most consumed fish in the United States, but it contains very low levels of beneficial omega-3 fatty acids and very high levels of inflammatory omega-6 fatty acids. If you must eat this fish, avoid tilapia from China, where farming practices are particularly worrisome. Wild-caught tilapia is preferable to farmed fish, but it is very difficult to find. Atlantic cod is currently considered vulnerable to extinction due to historic overfishing and high levels of pollution. If you're a fan of cod liver oil, make sure it doesn't come from Atlantic cod.
Instead, opt for Alaskan cod caught with a longline, pot or jig. Flatfish such as halibut should also be avoided due to unsustainable fishing practices. About 75 percent of king crab is sold in the United States and imported from Russia, where unsustainable fishing practices are common. If you can't give up caviar at all, Seafood Watch recommends blue sturgeon caviar raised in recirculating aquaculture systems in the United States. Orange roughy is another species that should be avoided due to its slow growth rate and long lifespan. Sharks are commonly found on lists of fish you should never eat due to their high place in the food chain and higher levels of mercury. Atlantic bluefin tuna has been overexploited to the point of almost extinction due to high demand for sushi.
Unfortunately, bluefin tuna figures represent only 2.6 percent of historical population levels. Royal mackerel should be avoided completely by women and children due to high levels of mercury. Spanish mackerel has also been shown to contain high levels of mercury. Grouper is on the list when it comes to fish that you should never eat due to its moderately high levels of mercury and vulnerability to overfishing. The best fish options are those that come from sustainable fisheries, are low in pollutants and high in omega-3 fatty acids. Sardines are one of the highest sources of omega-3 fatty acids on the planet with low contamination levels. They are also packed with essential nutrients such as vitamin B12, vitamin D, calcium and selenium.
