Seafood for vegetarians?

Question
Hi
I recently stopped eating red meat when I discovered through an exclusion diet it was responsible for a lot of my digestive and weight issues.
I recently went full vegetarian and am feeling better and even losing weight.
I am also now in it for the moral and ethical issues.
But
I cant find a good reason NOT to eat seafood.
I am craving it as I was raised on the coast.
The only thing I can find is there might be mercury in fish, but I checked and all the fresh seafood here (not the canned stuff from China) is free of chemicals and very wholesome, and only the biggest fish are used-small one thrown back.
I have also not had a digestive problem with seafood.
Thanks fot your thoughts!

Answer
Hi Sue. Actually, seafood can be a great addition to your diet. Most is low in cholesterol and saturated fat and high in protein and omega 3 fatty acids, as well as antioxidants harder to get from plant foods. There is a term which started around 1993, pescetarianism, to describe vegetarians who eat seafood. Hardcore vegetarians do not accept/recognize the category as a true level of vegetarianism, but the term can be found in most dictionaries.  If you are looking for reasons not to eat seafood, larger fish (such as shark) can be high in mercury and other toxins, some areas/types of seafood are overfished, and nets can catch other sealife other than what is actually being collected.  Pregnant women are advised to eat 6oz or less of fish per week due to toxins. The Old Testament and Torah prohibit eating seafood without fins or that live in the bottom of water, mostly because they eat the "junk" in the water/from the floor and are considered unclean. On the other hand, most religions that limit meat consumption or obstain from it at certain times of the year do not consider seafood a meat.

I hope that helps you make a decision. It really is a personal decision and you can have a healthy diet with or without seafood.  

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