The Truth About Tilapia – Pros and Cons of Eating Tilapia

Click HERE to Discover these 80 Keto-Friendly and Healthy Slow Cooker Recipes

Tilapia: It’s mild, inexpensive, and easy to cook. But does it have a place in a healthy diet? 

This humble seafood has a way of dividing the Paleo community. Some people love it and can’t stop raving about the health benefits. Others think it’s dangerous, and they do everything they can to avoid it.

The truth?

Like so many things, it lies somewhere in between.

Keep reading to find out what you need to know about tilapia before deciding to make it a regular part of your diet.

What Is Tilapia?

Let’s start at the beginning:

Tilapia is an inexpensive white fish—one of the most popular seafood choices.

Watch this video – 3 Healthy Fish Recipes | Dinner Made Easy

They’re native to Africa and the Middle East, but they’ve been distributed across the globe. And they’re farmed in over 80 countries, including Asia and the Americas.

”Tilapia” is actually a general term, which refers to nearly 100 species of Cichlid fish; the vast majority are freshwater fish.

Some people call tilapia the “aquatic chicken” because it breeds easily and has a bland taste. That mild taste is actually what attracts many people to the fish, but it drives plenty of others away.

From Obscurity to One of the Most Consumed Types of Seafood

Just a few decades ago, tilapia was basically unknown throughout much of the world. It certainly wasn’t one of the most popular seafood options around!

But things have changed drastically. Tilapia has skyrocketed to the #4 most popular seafood among American consumers. In fact, it had a per capita consumption of 1.436 pounds in 2014!

Tilapia farming is predicted to increase as global population grows, and people look for inexpensive, sustainable food sources.

What to Think About Before Eating Tilapia

There are plenty of things to think about when deciding whether or not to make tilapia a regular part of your diet.

Here’s a rundown of some of the biggest pros and cons:

Pros

• Inexpensive. Pound for pound, tilapia is one of the cheapest seafood options around— especially if you buy frozen tilapia fillets in bulk!

• Mild taste. Depending on your taste buds, this aspect can be a pro or a con. If you don’t like “fishy” seafood, tilapia is very mild, and it usually assumes the flavor of the sauce you cook it in. So it’s popular among parents and schools looking to appease picky kids, but it still gets recommended by the American Heart Association every week.

• Low mercury exposure. When eating certain species of wild-caught carnivorous fish (i.e., fish that feed on other fish), you have to watch out for mercury. Because tilapia are vegetarians, there’s much less of a risk.

The American Pregnancy Association lists tilapia as fish that has lower mercury content, and it recommends that expecting mothers eat more of it than other types of seafood.

• Low in calories and high in protein. 100 grams of cooked tilapia only have 128 calories —but a whopping 26 grams of protein. The caloric ratio is 19% fats to 81% protein. So you can eat tilapia to help build muscle, stay full, and avoid the insulin spikes that come after eating a ton of carbs.

• Nutrients. Tilapia is high in key vitamins and minerals like B vitamins, Phosphorous, Potassium, and Selenium.

Cons

• Not nearly as many omega-3 fatty acids as other fish. Tilapia’s vegetarian diets make them inexpensive to raise and buy, but they also result in fewer omega-3 fatty acids in the end product. 100 grams of Tilapia have about 200 milligrams of omega-3 fats. On the other hand, the same amount of wild-caught salmon has over 2,000 milligrams—10 times the amount.

• Corn and soy diets. Farmed tilapia subsist on a diet of corn and soy pellets, which helps these fish put on weight quickly and keeps down costs. But it’s not the best diet for our health.

Tilapia don’t eat corn or soy; they prefer algae and marine plants in their natural environment. Humans shouldn’t eat much corn or soy either, so when we eat farmed tilapia, we have to deal with the inflammation and other health consequences that result.

• A higher omega-6:omega-3 ratio. Another consequence of tilapia’s vegetarian diets is a higher omega-6 fatty acid content. While we need omega-6’s to survive, the typical American diet already provides us with way more than a healthy amount. Ratios too far out of balance lead to inflammation and other potential health issues.
  
  One Wake Forest University study provided an interesting finding about tilapia’s omega-6:omega-3 ratio. It could be “potentially dangerous” for some people with heart disease, arthritis, asthma, and other allergic and autoimmune diseases—who are especially vulnerable to an “exaggerated inflammatory response”.

• Huge variations in quality. While a small tilapia farmer might be careful to keep densities low and supplement their feed with fishmeal and fish oil (which raise omega-3’s), large operations might stuff tilapia into crowded spaces and be less scrupulous about avoiding pesticides, chemicals, and waste. One of the biggest challenges is knowing exactly what you’re getting!

Frozen Tilapia vs. Fresh Tilapia vs. Live Tilapia

Tilapia comes in three varieties: 1) frozen, 2) live, or 3) fresh.

Each variety means a difference in quality and environmental impact.

Frozen Tilapia

The vast majority of frozen tilapia you’ll find in U.S. supermarkets is imported from Asia (China or Taiwan).

So while it’s definitely the cheapest way to buy tilapia (especially if you buy a ton in bulk), the Monterey Bay Aquarium Seafood Watch recommends not eating it too often—due to poor farming conditions and environmental damage.

Fresh Tilapia

Fresh tilapia typically comes from the United States, Canada, or Central or South America.

Buying your tilapia fresh generally means getting higher quality and less environmental damage. For those reasons, it gets good reviews from the Monterey Bay Aquarium Seafood Watch.

Live Tilapia

In the United States, live tilapia come from U.S. farms. Environmental impact is minimal, but quality can vary. At least you get the chance to examine the health of the fish first-hand before deciding whether or not to buy!

Live tilapia can be hard to find. Check out your local Asian supermarkets; they’re your best bets.

Sourcing Your Tilapia: What You Need to Know

You don’t just have to consider how to buy your tilapia (e.g., live or fresh). You also have to think about where it comes from.

Less than 5% of tilapia eaten in the United States are farmed within its borders. Of that tiny percentage, most are sold as whole fish.

So where does the rest come from? And does it matter?

Definitely.

There’s always the environment to consider. Tilapia farming in other countries (especially Asia) can be more damaging to the environment than farming in the United States—due to oversights and a lack of regulations.

Tilapia farms in the U.S. and Canada typically use closed, recirculating tanks; they help avoid water pollution and the possibility of fish escaping.

In Central and South America, tilapia is usually farmed in lakes, which can result in some pollution (like fecal matter). But the farming occurs at low densities. There’s little transparency about how tilapia are farmed in Asia, so buying can feel like a crapshoot.

The Monterey Bay Aquarium Seafood Watch recommends choosing tilapia from the U.S. first, then buying from Canada, Ecuador, Taiwan, and China.

How to Get the Highest-Quality Tilapia Possible?

According to the USDA, there is no single definition or standard for “organic” seafood.

That leaves it up to you to pay close attention about how you buy tilapia—and where it comes from.

Frozen tilapia fillets usually come from Asia, and they tend to be the cheapest option.

But there’s also less regulatory oversight, and we can’t know their diets—or the environment has impacted them.

Buying fresh tilapia from the Americas is a safer bet. It ensures quality tilapia with minimal environmental damage.

Tilapia sold at grocery stores are required to have country-of-origin labels. They indicate whether fish was farm-raised or caught wild, though there are issues with labeling exceptions and a lack of enforcement.

Don’t be afraid to ask your fishmonger whether their tilapia are farmed or wild-caught—and where they come from. Many suppliers publish this information on their websites.

As more suppliers get third-party certifications from organizations like Naturland, the Global Aquaculture Alliance, and the Aquaculture Stewardship Council, there have been exciting developments. These groups help set the standards for animal welfare, food safety, and environmental issues.

Some grocery stores (e.g., Whole Foods) have taken it upon themselves to check seafood quality. They developed a “Responsibly Farmed” logo, which is supported by yearly third-party audits of their suppliers.

Should You Eat Tilapia?

Eating tilapia in moderation is okay. It’s low in calories, and it’s a good source of lean protein and other nutrients.

But there’s no compelling need to eat it either. If you also like fattier seafood (like salmon or cod), you’re better off eating those because you’ll get more brain-boosting, inflammation-fighting omega-3’s. And you can get the nutrients and protein you need elsewhere in a balanced Paleo diet.

If you’re just eating tilapia for health (and because it’s the only seafood you can stomach), consider a high-quality fish or cod-liver oil supplement.

Although the Wake Forest study needs additional research to flesh out its claims (about tilapia’s “potentially dangerous” omega-6:omega-3 ratio), you’re probably best off avoiding tilapia if you’re dealing with allergies or other autoimmune conditions.

Watch these 2 videos below –

Top 3 Best Fish vs. Worst Fish to Eat: Thomas DeLauer

Is Tilapia Unhealthy? The Truth About This Farmed Fish

Over to You

A little tilapia every now and then won’t kill you, but it won’t transform your health either. You’ll find more omega-3’s in fattier fish like salmon and mackerel, especially if you buy them wild-caught.

Quality matters. If you do choose to eat tilapia, pay close attention to where it’s coming from to ensure the most nutritious (and least environmentally destructive) choices possible.

Written by Corey Pemberton

Author Bio:

Corey Pemberton is a freelance writer, Brazilian Jiu Jitsu practitioner, and Paleo health enthusiast. Ever since he discovered the ancestral health movement five years ago, he has explored different ways to incorporate ancestral wisdom into his nutrition, exercise, and lifestyle at large. One of his favorite topics is challenging long-held nutrition myths. Feel free to stop by his website or say hello on Twitter.

A lot of people have gotten results from the Keto diet, and enjoyed the foods that it has to offer. However, many of the people who are following this diet have a hard time finding the recipes that they need, especially ones that are quick and easy to complete.

Fortunately, Kelsey Ale, noticed this problem, and decided to do something about it. She’s found that making recipes in a slow cooker gives you meals which are not only delicious, but also take very little time to make. Mostly you just put a few simple ingredients in the slow cooker, and let it do the rest.

To find out more, click on – Keto Slow Cooker Cookbook

Is Yogurt Paleo? Pros and Cons of Eating Yogurt

 

Click HERE to Discover these 80 Keto-Friendly and Healthy Slow Cooker Recipes

Is yogurt Paleo? Here are the pros and cons of eating this probiotic-laden treat.

When you’re trying to get healthy, some choices are easy.

A side salad beats french fries. Fruit and vegetables trump ice cream and pizza. But what about yogurt?

It’s one of those “gray area” foods in the Paleo world. It has a great reputation among mainstream nutritionists, and people buy it in the grocery store in droves.

Yet not everyone in the Paleo community is on board. For every expert singing yogurt’s praises, there seems to be another one telling you to avoid it.

If you’re tired of the confusion, you aren’t alone. It’s time to get to the bottom of this.

Is yogurt Paleo? Should it have a place in your diet? Keep reading to find out.

Yogurt: A Hot Button Issue in the Paleo Community

The yogurt most people are buying and eating is a dairy product.

That means it isn’t allowed on the strictest versions of the Paleo diet (like the one created by Dr. Loren Cordain).

Anti-dairy people in the Paleo community argue that dairy consumption didn’t start until the Neolithic period, which happened after the Paleolithic. The nutritional model many base their diet on is that of hunter-gatherers before widespread animal domestication and agriculture. So dairy doesn’t have a place there.

Anti-dairy Paleo voices also bring up health issues linked with consuming it, like digestive issues, lactose intolerance, and a significant insulin response. More on those in just a second.

But others in the Paleo community (like Mark Sisson from Mark’s Daily Apple) argue that dairy can fit well in an ancestral approach to health.

They emphasize quality dairy products, which come from organic, full-fat and unsweetened milk. The general consensus is that most commercial dairy is loaded with hormones, antibiotics and other harmful chemicals.

Using Your Own Body as a Guide

The dairy issue is one of the most controversial ones in the Paleo community.

It can be tough to know who to listen to. That’s why it’s important to point out that people don’t respond to dairy the same way across the board. There’s a spectrum.

Dairy might be bad news for your brother but not a huge deal for you.

You don’t have to eat dairy or yogurt specifically. As Dr. Cordain points out, you can get all the nutrients you find in dairy from other foods – like vegetables, fruits, meats, seafood, and nuts.

Ultimately, it’s a personal choice. If you aren’t sure how well you tolerate dairy (a lot of people never find out because they’ve had dairy all their lives), the best way to find out for sure is to cut all dairy for at least a month. Then, gradually introduce it into your diet and track the effects. You might be more sensitive than you think.

Assuming you can tolerate dairy and like the taste, yogurt can definitely have a place in your diet. Here are the major pros and cons:

Yogurt Pros:

1. Probiotics

A lot of people follow a diet and lifestyle that causes their gut bacteria to become unbalanced. We end up with too many harmful bacteria and not enough “good” bacteria to stay healthy. Unbalanced gut flora has been linked to health issues like asthma, allergies, and inflammation, among many others.

Yogurt contains probiotics (the “good” bacteria) that can help restore balance in your gut. To make it, bacteria cultures – like Lactobacillus acidophilus – are used to start the fermentation process and convert lactose (milk sugar) into lactic acid. Some manufacturers also add more good bacteria (like Bifidobacterium) later on in the fermentation process.

Getting enough of this good bacteria is proving to be more important than previously thought. One UCLA study found that healthy women who ate yogurt experienced “altered brain function,” both while resting and responding to an emotion-recognition task, compared to women who didn’t. And taking probiotics has already been shown to reduce anxiety and depression.

2. Healthy Fats

Yogurt from grass-fed, pasture-raised cows is also packed full of omega-3 fatty acids and CLA (conjugated linoleic acid). These are mostly found in the fat of the dairy product, so you won’t get many of them if you eat low-fat (or fat-free) yogurt.

Animal studies found that CLA helped prevent plaque from forming in the arteries of rodents. And that’s not all. CLA also helps reduce belly fat, increases the metabolism, and strengthens the immune system.

Yogurt from grass-fed cows is much richer in omega-3s and CLA than the factory farmed stuff.

3. Vitamins and Minerals

The nutritional profile of organic, grass-fed yogurt is pretty solid. You’ll find plenty of B-vitamins and phosphorus, as well as 30 percent of the federal government’s recommended daily amount of calcium in a single serving.

Yogurt Cons:

Organic, full-fat yogurt definitely isn’t a junk food, but it’s not perfect.

The biggest issues why yogurt might not be right for you are the same issues you’d find with milk, cheese or other dairy products:

1. Digestion Issues

Lactose is a sugar found in milk and dairy products. A big chunk of the world’s population – about 65 percent – don’t have the gut enzyme (lactase) needed to break it down.

Consuming lactose causes them to have gas and stomach issues. Fermenting the yogurt helps, but the lactose that remains can still cause trouble for people sensitive to it.

Casein, the main protein in dairy, is another potential issue. Its structure is similar to gluten’s, and some people in the Paleo community claim it causes similar effects on our digestion and guts.

Lactose intolerance and casein intolerance are two completely different issues, though people sometimes confuse the two. If you can’t handle casein, Greek yogurt is an especially bad choice because it’s concentrated there.

2. Raising Insulin Levels

In the Paleo community, we’re always avoiding foods that spike our insulin levels. The typical modern diet is full of things that send your insulin on a rollercoaster ride. Your body adapts by becoming resistant to insulin. And insulin resistance has been linked to Type 2 diabetes, obesity, and other health issues.

Dairy products can have a serious insulin-boosting effect. One study found that eating full-fat fermented milk products or regular full-fat milk boosted insulin almost as much as white bread.

As Mark Sisson pointed out, an occasional insulin spike isn’t always a bad thing. A lot depends on your current health. An occasional insulin spike from dairy is no big deal if you’re healthy and have followed Paleo long enough to restore insulin sensitivity. But it might not be a great idea if you still have weight to lose or are struggling with a serious health issue.

3. Acne

Studies as far back as 1949 have raised the possibility that consuming dairy may cause acne.

However, three studies within the past 10 years found connections between dairy products and acne. The strongest relationship between dairy and acne breakouts came when study participants drank skim milk.

The quality of the dairy consumed also probably plays a role, thanks to the hormones in factory-farmed milk. If you’re struggling with acne, cut dairy from your diet for a while and watch the effects.

What About Greek Yogurt?

Greek yogurt is one of the trendiest health foods around.

It’s a popular alternative to traditional yogurt, and contains much more protein per serving than the usual stuff you’d get from Dannon or Yoplait.

Greek yogurt is still a dairy product. So if you’re avoiding dairy or don’t tolerate it well, you’ll want to avoid it too.

The difference is in the preparation. Greek yogurt is strained during production, which removes a lot of the whey, lactose (milk sugar), and water. You end up with a creamier yogurt that can keep you feeling full for a long time.

Just like with regular yogurt, there’s a huge range of options to choose from at the grocery store. Some are a lot healthier than others.

Speaking of that…

Finding the Best Yogurt at the Grocery Store

If you’re going to eat yogurt, focus on top-quality products.

There’s a huge difference between 100 percent organic yogurt and the “yogurts” manufacturers churn out by the millions. Those are often made from a weird mixture of low-fat (or fat-free) milk that’s loaded with antibiotics and hormones, as well as plenty of other artificial sugars and flavorings. Some commercial yogurts don’t even contain any probiotics!

It all starts with the cow’s diet. Cows produce much healthier milk (and yogurt) when they’re fed their natural diet: grass. Organic milk has 62 percent more healthy omega-3 fats than non-organic milk – the type that comes from factory-farmed cows fed corn and soy.

Watch this video – The Healthiest Yogurt to Buy

The best yogurt option?

Yogurt with “100 percent grass-fed” on the label.

“Certified organic” yogurt is the next best choice. Certified organic cows must spend at least 120 days a year grazing on pasture for companies to be able to label their dairy products that way.

Organic yogurt is an important step, but it doesn’t get you completely out of the woods. Sometimes manufacturers “heat treat” their yogurt to kill off live cultures and extend their products’ shelf life. But you want yogurt with active cultures to reap the most nutritional benefits.

Fortunately, the FDA requires manufacturers to label which yogurts are “heat-treated after culturing.” Go for containers labeled with “active cultures,” “contains active cultures,” or “living yogurt cultures.”

Another area where yogurt manufacturers come up short: quick fermenting times. Fermenting yogurt quickly (many companies do it in less than one hour) lets companies produce more, but forces them to add other ingredients (like whey concentrates and modified corn starch) to give their yogurt a thicker texture.

Finally, watch out for low-fat/fat-free yogurts or yogurts with added sugar. If you don’t, you’ll miss out on many of yogurt’s benefits.

Bottom line: go for organic, full-fat, plain yogurt. Milk and living cultures are the only two ingredients you need!

Making Your Own Yogurt: A Simple (and Tasty) Alternative

Finding quality yogurt at the grocery store can be tricky.  Having to look through all those food labels to find something halfway decent can seem like more trouble than it’s worth.

Ever thought about making your own?

You can, and it’s a lot easier than you might think.

All you need is some milk, a starter culture (or other yogurt), and access to a stove.

The cool thing is that you aren’t just limited to cow’s milk if dairy is a problem for you.

You could also make yogurt from coconut milk, almond milk and others.

Here’s a simple recipe to make homemade yogurt from coconut milk.

A Personal Decision

Because yogurt is a dairy product, it isn’t Paleo in the strictest sense…

But that doesn’t mean you should automatically eliminate it from your diet.

It comes down to how well you tolerate dairy products and whether you like the taste.

You don’t have to eat yogurt if you don’t want to because you can get the nutrients from other foods. But it can be a tasty treat… and an effective way to add probiotics and healthy fats to your diet.

If you choose to eat yogurt, sticking to top-quality milk will really make it count. It doesn’t matter if you’re eating regular yogurt, Greek yogurt, or making your own. The less processing and ingredients, the bigger the health benefits.

Written by Corey Pemberton

Author Bio:

Corey Pemberton is a freelance writer, Brazilian Jiu Jitsu practitioner, and Paleo health enthusiast. Ever since he discovered the ancestral health movement five years ago, he has explored different ways to incorporate ancestral wisdom into his nutrition, exercise, and lifestyle at large. One of his favorite topics is challenging long-held nutrition myths. Feel free to stop by his website or say hello on Twitter.

A lot of people have gotten results from the Keto diet, and enjoyed the foods that it has to offer. However, many of the people who are following this diet have a hard time finding the recipes that they need, especially ones that are quick and easy to complete.

Fortunately, Kelsey Ale, noticed this problem, and decided to do something about it. She’s found that making recipes in a slow cooker gives you meals which are not only delicious, but also take very little time to make. Mostly you just put a few simple ingredients in the slow cooker, and let it do the rest.

To find out more, click on – Keto Slow Cooker Cookbook