10 Health Benefits of Eating Fish

Not only is fish low in calories and high in protein, but fish contains readily available long-chain omega-3 fatty acids to which there are several health benefits when included in your diet 2 -3 times per week according to the National Health and Medical Research Council . So if you aren’t already including fish in your diet, here are 10 good reasons to start now:

1. Prevent heart disease and stroke by lowering triglycerides (fats) in the blood , lowering blood pressure, and reducing blood clots and inflammation
2. Improve brain development and function
3. Reduce the risk of developing Alzheimer’s
4. Improves shine to hair
5. Nourishes skin and may even help with treating Psoriasis
6. Aid in the treatment of depression (known to increase the brain chemical, serotonin)
7. Contribute to eye function by improving the health of the retina
8. Provide vitamin D known to help prevent disease and  promote bone health
9. Contains cancer-fighting properties (particularly prostate cancer)
10. Can help relieve or reduce inflammatory conditions such as arthritis

 

Although there are obviously many benefits to including fish in our regular diet, it is recommended we monitor our intake of fish containing mercury such as shark, swordfish / marlin, ray, gemfish, ling, orange roughy (sea perch) and southern blue fin tuna, as excess mercury ingestion may have negative effects on the nervous system.

Not sure how to add more fish to your diet? Try this healthy and delicious recipe from the CSIRO’s fast and fresh recipes.

THAI FISH BURGERS

Ingredients

• 400g boneless white fish fillets, coarsely chopped
• 2 spring onions, trimmed and finely chopped
• 1 small red chilli, finely chopped *
• 1 stalk lemongrass, trimmed and finely chopped *
• 1 tablespoon fish sauce *
• Small handful of coriander leaves finely chopped (optional) *
• Vegetable spray oil
• 4 x 70g wholegrain buns or bread rolls, split in half
• 1 Lebanese (small) cucumber thinly sliced
• Small handful Asian salad mix
• 1 avocado, halved, seeded and sliced
• ½ small red (Spanish) onion, thinly sliced
• 2 tablespoons sweet chilli sauce

If you’re short on time, substitute the chilli, lemongrass, fish sauce and coriander with 2 tablespoons of bought Thai red curry paste.

1. Place the fish in a food processor, then process until a coarse paste forms. Transfer to a bowl, then add the spring onion, chilli, lemongrass, fish sauce and coriander and stir to mix well. Season to taste, then divide into four even-sized portions
2. Spray a non-stick frying pan with vegetable oil and heat over medium heat. Add the fish cakes and cook for 5 minutes on each side or until golden and cooked through
3. Meanwhile, toast the buns or rolls on both sides and place the bases on four plates. Top each with one-quarter of the cucumber and salad mix. Place fish cake on top, then add the avocado and onion. Drizzle over the chilli sauce, place the lids on top and serve