Seafood: What's ethical, what's not

As far as high quality proteins go, fish is a really good choice. It's low in saturated fat and helps you meet your quota of omega-3 fatty acids. But deciding which fish to eat, these days, is no easy task. Mercury, PCBs, pollution, overfishing -- these are all issues to consider when you choose a fish to put on your plate.

Taras Grescoe, author of a new book titled Bottom Feeder: How to Eat Ethically in a World of Vanishing Seafood recently answered some questions for Salon, and there's a lot of really good information for people who care about where their food comes from.

For instance, salmon is wildly popular and many people eat it for its high omega-3 content. But unless it's wild-caught Alaskan salmon, it's not an ethical choice. Atlantic salmon are highly over-fished, the numbers of Chinook salmon are way, way down, and farmed salmon takes an enormous toll on the environment.

Seafood caught in an ethical, sustainable manner is a high quality protein that's a welcome addition to any weight loss plan. Read more about how protein and other healthy living tips can boost your metabolism at AOL Body's Summer Quick Fix.

According to Grescoe, humans need to stop feasting on fish at the top of the food chain -- shark, tuna, swordfish, and yes, salmon -- and start focusing on the feeder fish that are in much less danger of overfishing and ultimately, extinction. These fish include pollock, trout, whiting, sardines, tilapia, and mollusks.

Habits are hard to change, but when the stakes are so high, there's little choice but to try. Who's up for pollock for dinner?