I want fish: what the body lacks

Why do you want fish in any form? Because she has what you lack.

What microelements are deficient in the body if you are haunted by the desire to taste a fish dish:

• Phosphorus is required. In this case, the following manifestations are possible: physical fatigue, mental fatigue, nervous exhaustion, increased oily skin, delamination of nails.

• Not enough iodine. This is indicated by a decrease in brain activity, a dysfunction of the thyroid gland.

You may notice hair problems (breakage, hair loss), mood swings, drowsiness, and seizures.

• You need potassium and magnesium. B vitamins will help the rapid absorption of these elements. You may have disturbances in the work of the heart and blood vessels.

• Vitamin A deficiency. Associated symptoms: vision or skin problems.

• Vitamins A and D in the complex are required. With a shortage of them, hair splits, nails break, joints crunch. The body absorbs calcium poorly.

What is missing if you want salted fish? This may be a sign of metabolic disorders or malfunctioning of the genitourinary system.

Do you want some smoked fish? You may have a weakened immune system. Craving for oily or red fish is a lack of vitamin D, for white or lean fish – you need phosphorus.

There may be several reasons for such an addiction to food in pregnant women:

• Toxicosis is often accompanied by vomiting, diarrhea. In addition, women in position suffer from frequent urge to urinate. All this causes a violation of the water-salt balance in the body. Eating fish, especially salted fish, in this case helps to solve the problem.

• Hormonal changes cause loss of palatability. There is a desire to improve the taste of food, so pregnant women love salted and smoked fish.

• The growing fetus lacks vitamins and minerals, as well as the need for fluid (sodium and chlorine retain it).

The consequence of a lack of minerals and violations of water metabolism can be fetal hypoxia.

Expert Opinion

Eating Disorder Specialist, Nutrition Consultant, Psychodietology

– Fish and seafood is practically the only food included in all diets. It is preferred by vegetarians, lovers of protein diets, and fasting on Thursdays, because the benefits are obvious: it is the protective, hormonal, building functions of protein, as well as essential amino acids that can only be ingested with food: lysine, isoleucine, leucine, methionine, tryptophan and others.

Let’s dwell on other facts about seafood:

•  DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension — nutritional approach to the treatment of hypertension) the diet includes fish as a mandatory item at least 2 times a week, with 1 time necessarily fatty (such as salmon). We are not talking about biological additives, but about fish.

• The American Heart Association (AHA) recommends eating at least 200 grams per week of fish (100 grams twice), rich in omega-2s: oily sea fish (salmon), mackerel, tuna, sardines.

• In order to regularly eat seafood, it is not at all necessary to live on the Mediterranean coast, as many people think – frozen foods are in no way inferior in usefulness.

• Canned tuna is also a great source of essential micronutrients. Choose the natural option (no oil) and rinse with water before drinking to get rid of excess sodium.

• Mercury content. The principle works here: the more fish, the more mercury. Try to avoid king mackerel, shark, marlin, swordfish, mullet, bigeye tuna.

Remember that excess protein also leads to weight gain. The recommended consumption rate is no more than 25% of the total daily diet, with 50% of animal protein, 50% of vegetable protein (as recommended by Russian nutritionists).

Despite the obvious benefits of fish, for some reason this particular product causes difficulties when included in the diet. But do not let your conscience torment you, if you buy it frozen or in the form of canned food – there will be benefits! And traditional trout in the oven can be replaced with simple dishes, such as:

• Vegetable puree soup with shrimp;

• Pasta with seafood: squid, scallops, tuna;

• Salad with tuna, squid, scallops;

• Bruschettes with lightly salted salmon / arugula / vegetables;

• Grilled / pan-fried tuna;

• Paella with seafood in a slow cooker;

• Oven baked salmon;

• Fish cakes.

A strong urge to eat a piece of fish is often a harbinger of impending health problems. Don’t neglect the signals your body sends you.