Sea Change is a term we can thank Shakespeare for, and that is widely used today in the business and IT world to represent a systemic transformation. It also happens to come in handy when the subject is using fish to bring about change.
Because I focus on mental health, I am always looking at research and ways to transform our brains so that we can be a better version of ourselves.
Fish and Depression?
Can eating more healthy fish bring on a Sea Change in depression, anxiety, ocd, or even schizophrenic symptoms?
The answer is a foghorn like “yeeees.” And it is because of the EFA’s (essential fatty acids) - mostly Omega 3 fatty acids - found in good quality fish that this occurs.
Finding Safe-to-eat Fish
Everyone is telling you to eat something different - drink more coffee, don’t drink coffee; drink red wine, don’t drink red wine; eat more meat, don’t eat meat, etc., but most health experts would agree that fish is good for you, if you can find it uncontaminated and wild-caught.
There is a lot of information out there right now about fish that is high in mercury, and even fish that have been found to have widely-used medications in their tissues. This is due to contaminated wastewater being dumped into waters like the Puget Sound. (This is disturbing on so many levels).
The safest fish to eat happens to also be the fish highest in Omega-3 fatty acids. That is, wild caught Alaskan sockeye salmon.
Sockey Salmon have a short life cycle and therefore do not accumulate as much mercury and also do not feed on fish that are likely already contaminated.
I recently had Sockey Salmon, direct shipped from the fisherman in Alaska, and I can tell you it is like NO FISH YOU HAVE EVER TASTED. Sena told me that it tastes so great because of the way Rich takes care of it.
I met Sena Wheeler from Sena Sea Wild Alaskan Fish last year at a conference in San Diego.
Sena Sea is a true family business. Her husband Rich catches the fish and Sena handles the business end of things. Both come from a long legacy of fishing families. During the fishing season, you can receive updates about what Rich is catching. Without the middle man, you receive your fish quickly and direct from the fisherman (or his wife in this case).
Sena includes recipe cards but when I received my fish I didn’t want to go to the store for ingredients so I used what I had on hand. Honestly the fish is so good, you do not need to add anything, but I had a meyer lemon, some good ghee and added a little dill.
Our Fat Brain
Your brain is 60% fat, so aside from it being common sense, who says Omega 3s help with mental health?
There have been many, many studies to back this up but I am only including reference to a few.
1) For major depression, as little as 1.5-2 g of EPA (found in Omega-3 fatty acids) have shown mood elevation, as reported by the Nutrition Journal (see full article at www.nutritionj.com/ content/7/1/2).
2) The National Institute of Mental Health has presented evidence of the roles omega-3 plays in ADHA, Depression and Schizophrenia.
3) A Harvard study has shown EPA and DHA supplements to be MORE effective than medications for bipolar depression. (both studies referenced at www.walshinstitute.org: Dr. Walsh has also contributed greatly to schizophrenia treatment from a biological perspective).
If you don’t suffer from any mental health challenges, (there are fewer and fewer of you out there), consider that Omega 3 fatty acids have been shown to increase grey matter in the brain, decrease cardiovascular health risks, act as an anti-inflammatory and an anti-oxidant, and even to raise test scores in children.
Anytime we can avoid adding another supplement and find food that contains what our body needs, it is best. If you have been looking for a trustworthy fish source, check out www.senasea.com and tell her I said “hello.”