List of Safe Fish to Eat While Pregnant

by SANDI BUSCH  

Some fish are safe to eat in moderation during pregnancy. Photo Credit Fuse/Fuse/Getty Images

Don’t stop eating fish entirely during pregnancy due to concerns over contamination. The omega-3 fatty acids you’ll get from the fish in your diet are vital for the normal development of your baby’s eyes and nervous system. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists recommends consuming 8 to 12 ounces of fish weekly during pregnancy. You can safely keep fish on the menu by choosing those with the least mercury, limiting portions and always eating it cooked.

Concerns Over Contamination

How you prepare fish is important while pregnant. Photo Credit AlexPro9500/iStock/Getty Images

While fish may become contaminated with bacteria or parasites, you’ll kill most pathogens by cooking it to 145 degrees Fahrenheit, according to FoodSafety.gov. Another type of contaminant -- mercury -- is the reason pregnant women have to watch their fish intake. Nearly all fish and shellfish contain some mercury, but it doesn't pose a health problem for most adults. Pregnant women, however, must restrict the amount they consume because mercury harms the baby's developing nervous system. Unfortunately, mercury works its way up the food chain. As it reaches oceans and waterways, it's absorbed by bacteria that serve as food for small fish, which are eaten by larger fish, then it's passed along to anyone who eats the fish.

Safe Fish to Enjoy

Tilapia fish. Photo Credit peredniankina/iStock/Getty Images

You can safely eat two 6-ounce servings weekly of fish with the lowest amount of mercury, according to the American Pregnancy Association. This list includes flounder, haddock, tilapia, sole, ocean perch, catfish and pollock, which all contain about 0.2 gram of omega-3 fatty acids for every 100 grams, or 3.5 ounces, of fish. You can also enjoy canned salmon, sardines, trout and anchovies. They’re some of the best sources of essential fatty acids, supplying about 1 to 2 grams of omega-3s in a 3.5-ounce serving. You’ll find mackerel on this list, but be careful about which type you choose. North Atlantic and chub mackerel are safe; other types contain significantly more mercury.

Fish to Limit

Sea bass. Photo Credit indigolotos/iStock/Getty Images

Fish with higher levels of mercury may be included in your diet but only in very limited amounts. Halibut, carp, snapper, Alaskan cod, freshwater perch, striped and black bass should be limited to no more than six 6-ounce servings in one month. Lobster, mahi mahi and monkfish are also included in this group. Other types of fish contain even more mercury, so you should not eat more than three 6-ounce servings per month. This group includes sea bass, grouper, bluefish and Spanish mackerel. Skipjack tuna is limited to no more than six servings monthly, while you should only have three servings or less a month of yellowfin tuna. You can eat 12 ounces weekly of canned light tuna but should only have 6 ounces of white albacore tuna each week.

Do Not Eat These

Avoid eating swordfish. Photo Credit adlifemarketing/iStock/Getty Images

Do not eat shark, swordfish, tilefish or king mackerel because they're high in mercury, reports the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. The American Pregnancy Association adds orange roughy, marlin, bigeye tuna and Ahi tuna to the list of fish to avoid. Never eat any type of raw fish or refrigerated brands of smoked seafood because they may contain live bacteria. You should also skip fish caught in local streams and lakes that may be contaminated with polychlorinated biphenyls.

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Is it Safe to Use Steam Therapy When Pregnant?

Massage is OK during pregnancy, but heat-related treatments are unwise.Photo Credit Steve Mason/Digital Vision/Getty Images

As important as it is to pamper yourself during pregnancy by eating well, getting regular exercise and even taking an occasional trip to the spa, steam heat can be dangerous for your baby. This is a rather “hot” topic in some circles, given the popularity of hot tubs, saunas and steam rooms. But the National Institutes of Health and the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists discourage steam therapy during pregnancy.

Effects of Steam Heat

Exposure to hot steam increases a pregnant woman’s body temperature. To try to cool it down again, vessels near the surface of the skin dilate or expand to dissipate excess body heat by sweating. The heart needs to work harder to pump blood to the skin surface faster, which can quickly cause dehydration and overheating. But the heart is also supplying oxygen to the developing fetus. High heat from a sauna or steam room could place an extreme burden on the mother’s heart and circulation at a time when her heart is already working hard. A pregnant woman with undiagnosed heart disease could quickly be in trouble.

Possible Permanent Damage

A pregnant woman risks her baby’s health as well as her own by taking steam, according to the March of Dimes, which warns against any spa treatments that raise body temperature–from hot tubs, saunas and steam rooms to mud baths and hot wax and seaweed wraps. A 1992 study published in the "Journal of the American Medical Association" suggests that pregnant women exposed to steam heat in hot tubs or saunas during their first trimester of pregnancy–when women may not even be aware they are pregnant–risk serious brain and spinal cord abnormalities, known as neural tube defects, in their babies.

Being Cautious

The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists advises against the use of saunas during pregnancy with the proviso that if they are used, women keep their steam exposure as short as possible. This is to prevent overheating and raising the core body temperature, which could affect the developing fetus. According to the American Pregnancy Association, a body temperature above 101 or 102 degrees Fahrenheit raises concerns. It takes only 10 to 20 minutes in a hot tub for a pregnant woman's core body temperature to rise that high.

Safe Spa Treatments

Doctors consistently warn pregnant women against getting overheated, whether through hot water or steam exposure, during exercise or from using electrical blankets. Extending that caution to temporary abstention from steam therapy–only during the nine months of pregnancy–seems consistent. But that doesn’t mean pregnant women can’t enjoy other spa services. Full or partial prenatal body massage is safe, usually done when the woman is lying on her side, and offers some relief for the aches and pains of pregnancy. And consider leg massages, to target tired, achy legs. Facials, manicures, pedicures, acupuncture and reflexology are all OK too–even warm baths. Just don’t take hot baths. Any bath that causes facial sweating is too hot.

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How to Replace One Meal With a Protein Shake

Protein shakes come in a variety of flavors. Photo Credit Starcevic/iStock/Getty Images

Although it's often best to get your essential nutrients from eating whole foods, protein shakes can offer a quick, low-calorie option, which is better than skipping a meal. Although most protein shakes contain between 200 and 400 calories, they aren't a magic bullet for weight loss. Losing weight requires that you burn more calories than you consume, and an additional 400 calories a day from a shake won't necessarily help. Thus, it's best to use the protein shake as a meal replacement.

Step 1

Replace breakfast with your protein shake. Many people skip breakfast perhaps in an attempt to cut calories or because mornings can be hectic and they may not feel hungry. Eating breakfast gives you energy, wakes up your metabolism and decreases hunger later in the day. A study from the "Journal of Adolescent Health" found that skipping breakfast can actually lead to weight gain in people ages 11 to 27 years old. Consume your protein shake for breakfast, and you'll be on track to make healthier choices the rest of your day.

Step 2

Choose a protein shake that doesn't contain added sugars. Because your shake is replacing a meal, you want to make sure that it has the same nutrients that you would otherwise get from a well-balanced meal. Protein shakes that are dairy-based, from milk or whey, will contain natural sugars, which your body responds to differently than added sugars. Read nutrition labels carefully. Shakes should not contain trans fats, and they should have very little cholesterol. Check the sodium content, especially if you are on a low-sodium diet for high blood pressure.

Step 3

Make healthy food choices the rest of the day. Both lunch and dinner should consist of lean protein, high-fiber complex carbohydrates and healthy fats. According to the American College of Sports Medicine, a woman needs to eat at least 1,200 calories and a man needs at least 1,800 calories to keep the metabolism functioning. Eating too few calories will make your body think that there's a food shortage, which will cause your metabolism -- and your weight loss -- to slow down.

Tips

• If you find yourself ravenous at dinner, it's often because you didn't eat enough during the day. Add a couple of healthy snacks in between meals, and you'll be able to control your appetite better later in the day.

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Benefits of Perilla Frutescens

Perilla leaves were traditionally used to treat inflammatory disorders. Photo Credit PLANT image by brelsbil from Fotolia.com

Perrilla frutescens, commonly referred to as perilla, is an annual plant that is native to eastern Asia, and it is a member of the mint family. The perilla plant has a long history of use in traditional Chinese medicine. Today, perilla seed oil and extracts of the dried leaves are used for a variety of health-promoting purposes. As with any herbal supplement, you should talk to your doctor before taking perilla.

Perilla Leaf and Seed Properties

Perilla leaf extract and seed oil both contain a wide variety of flavones, states "Natural Medicines Comprehensive Database." Flavones are plant compounds that have potent antioxidant activity and help to prevent free radical-induced damage to your cells and DNA. Flavones also bind to heavy metals and help to remove them from your body. Perilla seed oil and leaves both appear to have tumor-preventing properties, according to Drugs.com. In addition, the seeds of perilla have cholesterol-lowering properties and extracts of the leaves demonstrate anti-inflammatory properties, states Drugs.com.

Leaf and Seed Uses

Traditional Chinese medicine practitioners use perilla seeds and leaves to induce sweating and to help treat nausea, allergies, sunstroke, muscle spasms and allergic rhinoconjunctivitis. In addition, Drugs.com states that perilla leaves are used to prevent food poisoning and perilla seed oil is used to prevent age-related learning deficiencies. These uses are based primarily on anecdotal reports however, not solid scientific evidence.

Potential Perilla Seed Oil Uses

Perilla seeds contain a high amount of the omega-3 essential fatty acid alpha-linolenic acid, or ALA. Due to the high content of ALA present in perilla seed oil, the oil is thought to decrease serum cholesterol and triglyceride levels. According to the University of Maryland Medical Center, preliminary research suggests that ALA may also help to prevent and treat depression, reduce menstrual pain, reduce the risk for fatal heart attacks, prevent breast cancer and treat autoimmune diseases such as lupus and rheumatoid arthritis. ALA may also help to treat inflammatory bowel disorders such as Crohn's disease. Although ALA may help with these conditions, it should be noted that no research has been done directly on perilla seed oil for these purposes.

Perilla Seed Oil and Asthma

Perilla seed oil is thought to increase lung function and it may be beneficial to asthma sufferers. A four-week placebo-controlled study published in the June 2000 edition of "International Archives of Allergy and Immunology" examined the effects of perilla seed oil on asthma sufferers. At the end of the four weeks, the patients taking the oil experienced a notable increase in lung capacity and enhanced air-flow capabilities. The exact mechanism of action is unknown, but researchers suspect that perilla seed oil benefits asthma suffers because the ALA in it suppresses the production of leukotriene, which is an inflammatory substance associated with reduced respiratory function.

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Adhesion and Adhesives:Interactions at Interfaces

Published Date

Volume 3 of the series NATO Conference Series pp 91-111

Title 

Adhesion and Adhesives:Interactions at Interfaces

• Author 

• H. Schonhorn

Abstract

This paper describes some personal ideas concerning adhesion that have evolved over a period of years. Further, by posing several important questions, we shall highlight some current areas of interest in adhesion science:

1. 1.
   Why do we surface treat polymers in order to join them adhesively?
    
2. 2.
   What happens when a polymer is surface treated?
    
3. 3.
   Do we have to surface treat a polymer in order to adhesively bond it, or is it that we don’t know enough about how to form a surface?

References

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   H. Schonhorn and L.H. Sharpe, J. Polymer Sci. [B] 2,719 (1964).CrossRef
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   L.H. Sharpe and H. Schonhorn, in Contact Angle, Wettability and Adhesion, No. 43 in Advances in Chemistry Series, American Chemical Society, Washington, D.C., 1964, p. 18.
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   H. Schonhorn and L.H. Sharpe, J. Polymer Sci. [A] 3,3087 (1965).
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   W.A. Zisman, in Ref, 2, p.1.
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   H. Schonhorn, H.L. Frisch and G.L. Gaines, Polymer Engr. Sci. 17, 440 (1977).CrossRef

1. R. Houwink and G. Salomon, eds., Adhesion and Adhesives, 2nd ed., Elsevier Publishing Co., New York, 1965.
2. D.E. Eley, ed.. Adhesion, Oxford University Press, 1961.
3. J.J. Bikerman, The Science of Adhesive Joints, 2nd ed., Academic Press, New York, 1968.
4. I. Skeist, ed.. Handbook of Adhesives, Reinhold, New York, 1962.
5. P. Weiss, ed.. Adhesion and Cohesion, Elsevier, Amsterdam, 1962.
6. F.P. Bowden and D. Tabor, The Friction and Lubrication of Solids, Part I, 1st ed., 1950; Part II, 1st ed., 1964; Clarendon Press, Oxford University Press.
7. Contact Angle, Wettability and Adhesion, No. 43, in Advances in Chemistry Series, American Chemical Society, Washington, D.C., 1964.
8. R.L. Patrick, ed.. Treatise on Adhesives and Adhesion, Marcel Dekker, New York, 1966.
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The Forests as a Source of Natural Adhesives

Published Date

Volume 3 of the series NATO Conference Series pp 67-88

Title 

The Forests as a Source of Natural Adhesives

• Author 

• P. R. Steiner

Abstract

Natural adhesives are appealing to our present industrial society because they conjure up thoughts of products derived from completely renewable resources, thus offering solutions to the price vulnerability and diminishing availability of the petroleum resource. Sometimes, however, our thought processes are inhibited by the rapid scientific and industrial changes which have occurred over the last few centuries. Going back in history, we soon realize that natural materials have been used as adhesives since at least the time of the Pharaohs. Only in the last hundred years have synthetic-based materials made a significant impact. In fact, it should be remembered that these so-called synthetic materials, which are produced from petroleum or coal feedstocks, in themselves originate from plants and animals. Under the influence of pressure, time and an anaerobic environment, they decomposed to these hydrocarbon sources. This process required tens of thousands of years. Our current energy problems arise because this resource is being depleted in the relative short time period of a few hundred years. By using plant products, the growing cycle can be matched to the time of man’s utilization. If planned carefully, these products then become renewable (in our lifetimes) chemical and energy resources.

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