| Over the past few years there has been a real | | | | natural a source as possible (if I didn't have to |
| concern about the dangers of high mercury levels | | | | work as much as I do, I would probably be |
| from fish such as shark, mackerel, swordfish and | | | | growing and hunting my own food, to be honest.) |
| that mainstay of the traditional weight loss and | | | | But in spite of my own weaning off from tuna |
| fat reducing diets used by everyone from | | | | fish, for reasons of health being more important |
| individuals trying to lose weight to competitive | | | | than the convenience that this ready-to-eat |
| bodybuilders and fitness models. While seen as a | | | | protein source offered, my clients still looked to it |
| staple, it is always my preference for food that | | | | as a cheap and easy way to meet their protein |
| has not undergone as little processing as possible. | | | | requirements (especially given my stance against |
| That being said, and as inconvenient as it may be, | | | | the use of protein powders and the like). I cook |
| it is always best to have fresh fish as the | | | | everything that I eat, all six to seven meals, and I |
| mainstay of your required seafood. However, | | | | spend a significant amount of time doing so, |
| understanding the difficulties of always having | | | | however I was very much aware that it was |
| fresh food, choices like canned tuna are okay, as | | | | difficult bordering on impossible for many of my |
| long as it is consumed in moderation. | | | | clients to be able to do the same, so I always |
| This article gives some insight into the problem | | | | kept my eyes open for alternative solutions that |
| posed by mercury in popular canned tuna, and | | | | would help them achieve their goals. To simplify |
| also introduces tongol tuna fish; a low mercury | | | | life for most of them, I advised that if they did |
| tuna fish that is my strong recommendation for | | | | eat tuna fish that they choose the chunk light |
| anyone that has tuna fish in their diet. Mercury | | | | version over albacore, since it is actually an |
| levels aside, always be sure to choose canned | | | | entirely different species of tuna and has lower |
| tongol tuna that is packed in water and with no | | | | mercury levels, and stay within the recommended |
| added salt or high sodium vegetable broth. If you | | | | levels. |
| are unable to find a salt free variety, then be | | | | Tongol Tuna: A Better Choice |
| sure to wash your tuna thoroughly with hot | | | | One day, about a year ago, I happened to find |
| water to get as much of the excess sodium out | | | | tongol tuna fish at one of the local organic |
| as possible. That said, here is everything you ever | | | | markets that I frequent (my weekly shopping |
| wanted to know about tuna: | | | | usually takes me to about 3-4 different stores to |
| Nearly all fish contain some amounts of | | | | get everything I need, like I said my commitment |
| methylmercury, from both natural and man-made | | | | to getting the highest quality food is really |
| sources. Factory smokestack emissions are high | | | | something I take seriously). I picked up a can and |
| in toxic mercury emissions gets into rivers, lakes | | | | looked it up when I got home, as I had never |
| and oceans when it returns to the earth through | | | | heard of tongol tuna fish before. Tongol tuna |
| precipitation. The mercury is then broken down | | | | comes mainly from Thailand and Indonesia and |
| by bacteria into a form that's easily absorbed by | | | | has negligible mercury levels as it is a much |
| insects and other small organisms. In the | | | | smaller fish and thus further down the food chain |
| predatory cycle, the mercury moves up the food | | | | than its albacore and blue fin cousins. |
| chain as small fish eat the small organisms and big | | | | But what was really striking about it was the |
| fish eat the smaller fish. The higher up the food | | | | taste. I have done just about everything to scarf |
| chain, the higher the levels of mercury as | | | | down cans of tuna fish over the years and I |
| concentrations accumulate in large predators such | | | | always saw it as a necessary evil, as the taste |
| as shark, swordfish and our all time favorite, tuna. | | | | and the smell starts getting to you after a while. |
| In the year 2000 the FDA came out with the | | | | Tongol tuna, however, came packed in spring |
| first of several warnings about the significant | | | | water and didn't have the strong smell, nor the |
| mercury levels in canned tuna fish, especially for | | | | unpleasant taste. In fact it tasted pretty good- |
| children and pregnant women. Mercury, very | | | | something I never thought I would say about |
| much like lead, can cause severe neurological | | | | tuna fish at this point in my life, but it does. |
| impairment, inability to focus and pay attention, | | | | Not only does tongol tuna taste far superior than |
| delayed language development, impaired memory, | | | | albacore, but it is also cheaper (be careful here, as |
| vision and motor coordination, and problems | | | | we live in a demand driven market, and so as |
| processing information. It affects children and | | | | more people start consuming it, the value will go |
| pregnant women most severely as mercury's | | | | up). They even come in pop top cans, which |
| neurotoxicty can harm the fetus and negatively | | | | make opening and eating a breeze. There are also |
| impact the development of young children. | | | | no added ingredients to many of the brands, no |
| At the time of the warnings, I was a bodybuilder | | | | soy, vegetable broth or MSG additives, just |
| that consumed often as much as five cans a day, | | | | simply tongol tuna and water, which in turn keeps |
| and one that advocated tuna as a staple for my | | | | the sodium levels negligible as well. So at the end |
| clients preparing for contests as well, it was a real | | | | of the day, taking the lower mercury, cheap price |
| blow to my way of eating, and I lowered my | | | | and great taste, tongol tuna really is the informed |
| intake (although, stubbornly, I figured that with the | | | | choice for someone looking for a somewhat |
| number of tuna fish cans that I had eaten over | | | | wholesome quick and easy meal. |
| the course of my career, if mercury was a | | | | My clients cannot stop raving about it, and neither |
| problem, then I should pretty much be a | | | | can the members of some of the forums that I |
| thermometer by now), but not too drastically. | | | | have spoken to about it. I personally still prefer to |
| What made it worse was that albacore tuna (the | | | | limit my intake at this point for the most part, |
| better tasting one) had much higher levels than | | | | and get the vast majority of my fish from fresh |
| chunk light tuna and so tuna fish pretty no longer | | | | sources (I eat about 1-2lbs of fish a day, mostly |
| could serve as the staple that it once was, and I | | | | a variety of tropical fishes that I grew up eating |
| found other protein sources to supplement my | | | | in my adopted home in Trinidad, that are also low |
| intake. | | | | in mercury- it isn't always easy to find, but as I |
| As time went on and I became more and more | | | | said, I pull out all the stops). |
| health conscious, the idea of fish in a can itself | | | | That all being said, I encourage everyone to give |
| was not really a savory prospect. In keeping with | | | | tongol tuna fish a try. Here in New York City, it is |
| (what is now called) The Naturally Intense | | | | available at most of the better organic type |
| Approach to health and fitness, I saw the | | | | stores, but it is also popping up in regular |
| wholesomeness of foods as being far more | | | | supermarkets as well, I would imagine as the |
| important than convenience, and I made every | | | | demand grows. They fly off the shelves pretty |
| effort imaginable to only eat foods that were in | | | | quickly over here, so I would assume that this is |
| its natural form, and I would go to any lengths to | | | | very much the case. |
| ensure that my foods came from as safe and | | | | |