In May, Keep Seafood in Mind
May is Mental Health Month, and nothing does more to enhance mood, boost energy, and protect the brain overall than good nutrition. Yet when caring for your mind (and body), certain foods are better than others, and few can top with seafood.
Seafood is like taking a multivitamin for your brain. In addition to being a great source of lean protein, fish and other seafood is high in essential omega-3s and vitamin D, zinc, and magnesium—essential vitamin and minerals that are proven to detour depression and help maintain good mental health. Over the past two decades, numerous studies have found that eating two to three servings of fish weekly significantly reduces the risk of anxiety and depression. Eating high-nutrition foods like seafood has also been proven to increase energy, enhance sleep, and encourage connecting with friends and family—all of which are major components of good mental health.
And, seafood’s positive impact on the human brain, including relieving stress and anxiety, isn’t all an inside job. It can also help create a more relaxed external atmosphere:
Easy prep. Studies show that meal preparation is often the most stressful part of a holiday or other important gathering. What to serve, how it will come out, will people like it…. The list of anxiety-producing doubts is virtually endless. Quality frozen seafood can ease these troubled minds! For example, shrimp or pre-portioned fish like branzino can be grilled, sautéed, or otherwise cooked in a matter of minutes. Meanwhile, delectable, lightly dusted calamari can go from freezer to plate in 90 seconds or less! Best: the consistency is virtually foolproof. How’s that for stress relief?
When company calls. We’ve all experienced it. The doorbell rings, and the three you invited for dinner “hope it’s OK” that they brought a few cousins who happened to stop by. Or you and your friends were having such a good time you didn’t realize it was dinner time. There’s no need to panic. Last time you were at the store, you picked up some packages of flash-frozen seafood just for this kind of situation. Just take out what you need, and in minutes, you’ll have enough for all. And the cousin who’s a big eater? You can add more to his plate in minutes without missing a beat.
The matter of meat. You’ve got some great-looking steaks sizzling on the grill—when you find out your daughter’s boyfriend doesn’t eat meat. No worries! Unfazed, you whip out some pre-portioned branzino. When the steaks are grilled to perfection, so is the fish—just as you planned!
Saucy solutions. You are trying a new ethnic recipe that calls for zesty sauce, but you didn’t realize just how spicy—or thick—it would be! Relax! Top quality frozen seafood has a firm texture and subtle, yet flavorful, taste that can stand on its own—or hold its own—no matter its surroundings!
Not guilty. With summer on the horizon, few things are more stressful for some people than the thought of donning skimpier clothes when all that great summer food and drink is at hand. Relieve the anxiety of overindulging by stocking your freezer with seafood. Enjoy its high nutrition and low calories a few times a week, then go ahead and make that ice cream cone a double—guilt-free. (We all know why dessert is stressed spelled backward!)
So, this month, practice good mental health. Exercise, sleep well, enjoy family and friends, and eat seafood to put your entertaining and your mind at ease.