More Fishy Stories: How to Tuna fish

An informative look at recent Holistic Fitness News

DR KAPLAN'S WEEKLY NEWSLETTER

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About a year ago, it was farm-bred salmon that the men in white coats put a question mark against although nothing was proved. The men in white coats typically hedged their bets and decided that two helpings of farm-bred salmon was safe enough. (not saying that 5 helpings a week was unsafe in any way you understand!)

Anyway a different fish came to the surface this week. Tuna, has long been in the news as a hazard to dolphins. Well it's not exactly the tuna that attack the dolphins, it's the nets they use to catch the tuna, that can 'do in' dolphins. This led to the offering of 'dolphin-friendly' tuna. Again this did not imply any socialization between mammals and fish. It meant that the 'dolphin-friendly' tuna was definitely caught by methods that were entirely non-threatening to tuna.

Now, however, there is a question mark about how much tuna we should be eating, or more specifically how much of the fish should be consumed by women who are pregnant or breast-feeding. It's all about pollution of the ocean which has resulted in tuna containing more mercury than the men in white coats feel comfortable about. So how much tuna can we eat without risking mercury poisoning? The Food Standards Agency recommends that we limit ourselves to one tuna steak or two medium tins of tuna a week.

All this talk of fish reminds me of a wry comment made by my friend, the stand-up comedian, Arnold Brown. He has noted that people swim with dolphins to feel better about themselves and laments the fact that nobody bothers to get the dolphins permission to do this. "How would you like to wake up one morning as a dolphin and see rows and rows of manic depressives waiting on the shore to swim with you?" he compassionately asks. Is that a 'dolphin-friendly' thing to do? "Besides which", asks the comedian, "why doesn't anyone swim with the tuna?"

Chicken Soup for Colds and 'Flu!
Tom Parker Bowles, in the Mail on Sunday, reminded us of a time-honoured remedy for the symptoms of colds and 'flu, chicken soup, otherwise known as the 'Jewish Penicillin'. This was previously thought to be complete nonsense until the men in white coats discovered that chicken soup actually had mucolytic powers. That means it can break up mucus and make you feel less congested. The moral of the story: Maybe our grandparents knew a lot more than we think? They used to love dispensing cod liver oil for just about anything and for a few decades we thought this was nonsense. Now we know that fish oils are very healthy for us in many ways. Anyway, it seems that chicken soup is not only good for the soul, it's also a tonic for colds.

N.B. No Smoking Day: Wednesday 12th March

Wednesday is No Smoking Day, a good day to give up smoking Everyone should note this, not only smokers planning to quit. Go to the website www.nosmokingday.org.uk and have a look. There are suggestions on how non-smokers and ex-smokers can help those who aspire to quit. The site is non-commercial and reflects the very best of the internet, a good community spirit. Go on. Have mercy on those poor people going cold turkey on Wednesday. Be a bit more tolerant. And you smokers, just think, you are soon to live in a world where you will no longer have to sneak around outdoors just to have a fag!

Homeopathic Tip of the Week

As we might be seeing a lot of irritable people on March 12, No Smoking Day, it's a good time to talk about the most famous homeopathic remedy associated with irritability and anger, Nux vomica. This is the homeopathic remedy that's often prescribed for 'Type A' individuals, high-powered, dominating business people and anyone with a short fuse. It's also the homeopathic remedy for a hangover. If you choose to be among the thousands of people who give up smoking on Wednesday, get hold of a bottle of Nux vomica 6c and take a dose every few hours if you start to get ratty. Who knows - you might even save a relationship or two.

Dr Kaplan's personal website is: www.drkaplan.co.uk and his practice website is www.140harleystreet.co.uk and he can be contacted on (020) 7487 3416