"Fatty" fish, rich in essential fatty acids (omega-3 fats) which help to lower cholesterol and prevent blood platelets from sticking to artery walls, have gained much positive attention as health-promoting foods.  Some fish should be avoided due to high levels of the potential cancer-causing agent, methylmercury.  To shop smart for fish, heed the following:

• Salmon (both farmed and wild) is especially low in methylmercury.  However, farmed salmon (due to the feed they receive) may contain as much as 16-times the level of PCBs, an industrial polllutant linked to cancer, neurological impairment, and developmental delays in children, as the wild version.

• Flounder, cod, and haddock are also low in methylmercury, and also great sources of lowfat protein and high in B vitamins. 

• Trout, tuna, and halibut, while rich in omega-3s, iron, and magnesium, are also fairly high in methylmercury.  Limit your consumption.

• Swordfish and shark are extremely high in methylmercury.  Best to be totally avoided.

"Govern a great nation as you would cook a small fish. Do not overdo it." ~  Lao-Tzu