Benefits of Becoming Pescetarianism

According to some studies, the average American should eat at least two 3.5-ounce servings of fish per week and nine servings of vegetables and fruits daily. Many Americans do not even come close to reaching these numbers, however. This is why the pescetarian diet has started to become increasingly popular. The pescetarian diet is essentially a vegetarian diet, only pescetarians choose to eat seafood. Many people use a pescetarian diet as a stepping stone on their way to becoming a vegetarian or vegan, although some people are just looking for a change in their diet to improve their lifestyle.

Physical Benefits

The biggest physical benefit of switching to a pesceterian diet is the weight loss that comes with it. Studies have shown that red meat and processed meat both have negative impacts on your weight, even more so than calorie intake. By eliminating these meats from your diet, you will not only start to lose weight, you will also find it much easier to keep the weight off. Seafood is also an excellent source of protein. If you go to the gym or exercise, eat a piece of salmon with a side of vegetables. You will get the same protein benefits while also reducing your cholesterol, saturated fat, and fat intake.

Health Benefits

There are many health benefits to switching to a pesceterian diet. Red meat and processed meat has been shown to increase the risk of heart disease and certain cancers, include colon, prostate, and breast. By removing this from your diet, you are instantly becoming healthier. Pesceterians keep seafood in their diet, however, which is the best source of the two omega-3 fatty acids, EPA and DHA. A high intake of these fatty acids has been proven to reduce the risk of high blood pressure and heart disease. A pescetarian diet also doesn’t have the same pitfalls that a vegetarian or vegan diet has. For example, these diets tend to be lacking in iron and vitamin B12. Pescetarians, however, are able to easily attain these and other important nutrients by eating seafood, fresh produce, and whole grains. Seafood is also an excellent source of protein. In fact, according to one study, people who get their protein from plant- and fish-based sources were significantly less likely to die prematurely than those who got it from red meat. If your diet involves eating seafood only once or twice a week, however, you may want to consider taking supplements just so you don’t become deficient in important nutrients. Just because you have switched to a pescetarian diet, however, doesn’t mean you will instantly become healthier. If you still snack on cake, cookies, ice cream, and chips, your calorie intake will be extremely high. These types of food also tend to be high in saturated-fat, which increases the risk of heart problems. If you are making the switch to a pescetarian diet, you need to make sure you are changing your entire diet, not just eliminating meat. Instead of snacking on junk food, eat fruit and vegetables, or make healthy vegetarian snacks