I have probably eaten more fish since I started Tony Horton’s P90XÂ about a year ago than I ate my entire life before that.
Early on in life, I just didn’t really like fish. I don’t think I’d been exposed to it much, outside fish sticks and smoked salmon, so I really had no experience with fish. Probably I’d had fishy tasting fish like salmon or something and didn’t like it because of that. Who knows?
I do, however, remember going to Long John Silver’s one day when I was in college in Tennessee and ordering the fried fish, just to see what it was like. I really liked it.
Still, though, I thought I only liked the fish at LJS, so I never really ate it anywhere else. Until many years later when I visited Seattle. It’s right on the ocean. I had to try fish there, right? And I was hooked — on fish straight from the ocean.
Of course, I have never lived on the ocean, and pretty much any fish that travels more than an hour from the ocean has been frozen, so it’s just not the same. So fish remained a special treat for me, to be eaten only from time to time.
When I started P90X, though, I went on their recommended diet plan, and the only way to really get all the protein I needed was to eat lean meats. As it happened, Costco had a sale going on some kind of frozen whitefish, so I tried it and LOVED IT! Wow, I was blown away by the texture and mild flavor of that fish.
Since then, I’ve bought fish by the frozen bag, always getting a whitefish of some kind like tilapia or cod or swai. And I eat three to six pounds of it a week.
You may realize that fish naturally has Omega 3s, which are important for general wellness. What you may not realize is that really only applies to wild-caught fish. Farm-raised fish tend to be fed a diet that increases their Omega 6s. Now, Omega 6s are not poisonous — we consume plenty of them via other sources and they are essential fatty acids — but it’s nice to balance them out with Omega 3s. (Here’s an article about it from Mark’s Daily Apple.)
As I often mention, I am not a nut about this stuff. I still eat farm-raised fish, because I just don’t like spending the extra money and it tastes great, plus it gives me the protein I need. Now, there are claims that farm-raised fish also have increased toxins and carcinogens. Okay. Still, I am not going to be an alarmist about this. Probably true, but….
I still eat a lot of fish. I buy ocean-caught when I can get it for a good price.
I guess the point of this post is to get you to try fish. I went many years thinking I didn’t like it only to discover quite the opposite. It’s easier to make than chicken breasts, and it goes great on a salad. Give it a try!