Paleo Diet and Paleolithic Diet Questions & Answers

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I get it about 5 times at week at a Japanese restaurant.

Should I still take my Carlson's fish oil on those days?

Thanks.

flag	asked Nov 21 2011 at 20:03 Odin 91●1●6

here's a couple of posts on Fish Oil which may be of interest; perfecthealthdiet.com/?p=3287 & perfecthealthdiet.com/?p=55 – daz Nov 21 2011 at 23:38

Eugenia · Answer 1 · 2011-11-21 20:08:54Z UTC

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Sashimi is good for you, and very Paleo, but 5 times a week might be excessive, because of mercury in modern seas. If we were all living 300 years in the past, then sure, eat all you want. But these days, some fish aren't as safe, and we don't have many fish left in the seas anyway. Maybe you want to add a bit of offal instead, and reduce sashimi to 2-3 times a week (in addition to other meats/fish for dinner)?

Also you should bring to the restaurant your own Tamari sauce. The normal soy sauce they give you has wheat in it. Tamari one is pure fermented soy sauce, and it's the original recipe, so it's better than the usual soy sauce.

answered Nov 21 2011 at 20:08

Eugenia
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	It might be a good idea, if eating it frequently, to switch up the restaurant where you get it. Doesn't guarantee less contamination but on average perhaps. – Evelyn aka CarbSane Nov 21 2011 at 20:14
	I was trying to add some other kind of protein rather than just beef all the time, and occasionally chicken. Plus it tastes good. The cost will make cutting it back to 3 times a week a good idea in addition to the mercury levels. Thanks for the input on all answers. – Odin Nov 21 2011 at 20:23
	You don't have to eat just beef and chicken/turkey though. Add lamb, rabbits and goat! Deer, venison, pheasant if you find it too, or any other game. Rabbits are really yummy. Goat too if you know how to cook it properly. Maybe what you're looking for is cooking lunches at home and taking them at work with you. Save some money this way. – Eugenia Nov 21 2011 at 20:29
	Unless you're celiac or extremely gluten sensitive, I can't imagine the minute amount of wheat leftover after the fermentation processes in a few mL of tamari is going to be problematic on occasion. – Matt Nov 21 2011 at 20:29

Futureboy · Answer 2 · 2011-11-21 20:12:38Z UTC

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Agree with Eugenia. The larger predatory fish, such as king mackerel, salmon, and tuna have much higher levels of mercury as well.

Also it's a good idea, I think, to avoid farmed fish. Although I love it, most sushi places I go around here (NYC) use farmed salmon...bummer. I RARELY get salmon sashimi anymore.

answered Nov 21 2011 at 20:12

Futureboy
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Doesn't salmon(wild) have one of the lowest levels of mercury? – Jim Nov 21 2011 at 21:09

they can have high levels of dioxane – Sunshine Nov 21 2011 at 21:44

Salmon is a top-tier predatory fish, and as such has higher levels of mercury because of its long life. Supposedly farmed salmon have lower levels of mercury overall, but I'm not sure I would trust the research, as the fish farming industry involves alot of money. – Futureboy Nov 21 2011 at 22:51

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Salmon has very low mercury content, both wild and farmed. – Max B. Nov 22 2011 at 1:17

Kewpie · Answer 3 · 2011-11-21 22:43:35Z UTC

If you are eating fish five times a week I really don't think you need a fish oil supplement. Sashimi is theoretically healthy, but unless your restaurant uses wild caught fish (and most don't) it's not as healthy as it would have been ancestrally. Farmed fish have much, much, much lower levels of omega 3s. And, of course, the pollution levels of the oceans (and thus, the fish) are also concerns.

Have you considered sourcing wild caught fish at a local market and making sashimi yourself? It's certainly not difficult and, as an added bonus, it would be cheaper and better for you.

fitnessconsultant · Answer 4 · 2011-11-22 02:37:17Z UTC

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Chris Kresser wrote a good article on mercury and fish.

answered Nov 22 2011 at 2:37

fitnessconsultant
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Jay · Answer 5 · 2011-11-21 20:14:01Z UTC

It's pretty good, but definitely not ideal. First, it's hard to avoid farmed fish and they can have a decent amount of omega 6. Mercury can also be a problem. Plus, it's really just a protein meal. To address the last issue, why not add something else, like rice and seaweed?

As for the second question, I would avoid fish oil supplements altogether if you're eating this much fish.

Matt · Answer 6 · 2011-11-21 20:36:10Z UTC

Whether or not you skip a fish oil depends on: how much sashimi you're eating, what type of fish it is, what else you're eating that day, how big your usual fish oil dose is, etc...

Tuna isn't as fatty as salmon, and if it's mostly tuna sashimi, you might as well not skip your usual fish oil.

Is sashimi good for you?

6 Answers