JAN 22 2008

今天聽了一個很有意義的演講。

這個演講的內容是關於如何評估並提出食用魚類的飲食建議，”Incorporating Fish Consumption Benefits into the Fish Advisory Process”，由加州政府 Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment 的 Susan Klasing 博士所主講。

「如何平衡吃魚的好處與壞處」，對於這個困惑了我許久的問題，今天的演講說不上提供了完全的解答，但是至少給了我一個思考的方向，和一些可供遵行的準則。

「吃魚有益健康」一直是大家熟知的觀念。但是，隨著工業、化學污染愈加嚴重，魚也成為人類攝入污染物的主要來源之一。在評估食用魚類的風險時，由於水銀的危害較大，經常被當作風險評估的主要指標 (水銀在生物體內常以甲基汞存在，甲基汞的毒性大於水銀，故一般討論水銀危害，泛指汞和甲基汞)。

幾乎所有的魚類都檢測得出水銀的存在，差別在於含量多寡。水銀在生物體內的半衰期約為兩年。因此，體型愈大的魚類，屯積的水銀量往往就愈高。Klasing博士報告，金礦業需要使用水銀，而加州在十九世紀盛行淘金，水銀被排放到一般水域。在五零到七零年代，日本和伊拉克曾有過重大的水銀中毒事件。水銀主要造成腦部的損害，早期症狀包含麻痺及口、手、足刺痛；嚴重者會有震顫，步伐搖擺，口齒含糊，視力損害等情形。

嬰幼兒對於水銀毒害特別脆弱。因為神經系統在發育階段非常敏感，所以孕婦腹中的胎兒很容易受到水銀的影響，就算母親本身尚未出現任何水銀毒害的狀症。一項針對亞太地區及經常食用魚類的族群調查顯示，有16.5%的適孕期婦女其血液含汞量高於安全標準；而美國婦女因為魚類攝取量轉低，使得她們處在安全範圍內。

科學文獻已有充分証據顯示食用魚類或魚油製品的好處：可降低心血管疾病的致死率達35%~50%，降低缺血性中風達30%。較新的研究亦提出其他好處，包括提升腦部功能，減少阿茲海默氏症，改善情緒失調等。魚類或魚油製品裡的主要有效成份是omega-3的長鏈脂肪酸，也就是DHA和EPA。要享受上面所提到吃魚的種種好處，每週要食用6盎司的魚類，或者每天24公克。換算成DHA和EPA的綜合攝取量，每天要達到300~650毫克。美國婦女目前的平均攝取量僅約100毫克。對一般美國人而言，魚類的攝取量只有建議量的一半；以DHA和EPA的有效攝取量來說，只有達到四分之一。因為經常食用的魚類除了鮭魚外，大都屬於DHA和EPA含量較低的魚類。

同時考量到吃魚的好處與壞處，加州政府建議懷孕婦女及十二歲以下的兒童，每週可攝取兩份三盎司的魚類；若選用含汞較低的魚類，則可增加到每週十二盎司。含汞量高的四種魚類應避免食用：鯊魚，旗魚，馬頭魚及國王鯖魚(shark, swordfish, tilefish, king mackerel)。

含DHA和EPA較高，同時含汞量低，適合全家大小食用的魚類有：
鯷魚，鯖魚，鰹魚，鮭魚，沙丁魚，鱒魚，鯡魚等 (anchovy, mackerel, pompano, salmon, sardine, trout, herring)。若將婦女、兒童排除在外，各種鱸魚也是不錯的選擇 (black bass, striped bass, seabass)。

如果，我們再納入永續漁獲的考量，根據加州蒙特利灣水族館的建議，上面的名單縮減成：鮭魚，鯖魚，沙丁魚，鱒魚，鯡魚等 (salmon, mackerel, sardine, trout, herring)，以及婦幼不宜的鱸魚 (striped bass，white seabass)。

註一：加州政府網站的投影片：www.oehha.ca.gov/fish/pdf/scales111407.pdf
註二：Seafood Watch，加州蒙特利灣水族館：http://www.mbayaq.org/cr/SeafoodWatch/web/sfw_regional.aspx?region_id=0

JAN 12 2008

今天中午有三位朋友來家裡吃飯，Masa，Yuki，和Angel。他們順道來看寶寶。

Masa和Yuki是我在05年暑假就讀語言班時的同學，現在都是UCD的學生。一樣來自日本，Masa是真正日本人；Yuki是日本韓僑，拿的是韓國護照。Angel是大學部新生，台灣女孩。

說起Masa和Yuki，都已年過三十五，藉著來美國留學的機會，努力開創新生涯。Masa之前作些什麼我不清楚。Yuki則是和加州酒商有來往，進口紅酒到日本。也許Yuki在工作之中，發現學識不足，遂興起了赴美進修的渴望。首先報名UCD的語言班課程，拿到F1的身份來到美國，目標是紅酒相關的研究所學歷。但是以她文科的背景，加上英文不是很好，要進研究所有困難。所以從05年的八月，她轉到沙加緬度的州立大學，從大一開始念起，學習生物、英文、數學、化學等基礎學科。那一陣子，她每天一大早就要起床趕公車，經過轉車才能抵達學校。由於英文程度的落差，年紀又比一般同學大，使她的學習加倍辛苦，還要面對美國同學的異樣眼光。後來兩年，比較沒有她的消息。直到07年的秋季，在圖書館前偶然相遇，才知道她已經轉到UCD，成為這裡的大三學生。

擠進了UCD，Yuki離她的研究所目標又近了一步。前面還有好幾道關卡，或許等她拿到研究所文憑時，已經四十歲了。不是所有人從小就知道自己這一輩子真正要做的是什麼。但是，只要開始投入，就沒有太遲的問題。我很佩服Yuki的勇氣和奮鬥精神，祝福她一路順利過關，實現她的夢想。

今天我們這幾個人有個共同點，都是05年來到加州，包括Angel。Angel是個可愛的台灣姑娘。才念大學一年級，已經出版了兩本中文書。她的心思細膩，情感豊富。反過來說，也比較敏感，對於一些情緒的感受會比較強烈，偶而會陷在其中。我似乎也是這樣的個性。我覺得像這樣，偏重精神層面，需要多看外面的世界，多了解別人的生活；然後，從文化層面，找到寄託。這些年來，漸漸覺得，一個人的個性和一生中的重大際遇，都是註定好的。逃避或是拒絕面對都於事無補，只能試著接受、珍惜，然後從中學習。孤獨與寂寞的感受，人人都有。用心體會，就會發現，其實別人和自己，沒有什麼不同。所以，幫助別人就是幫助自己。自己先堅強起來，在別人有需要的時候，伸出那隻手；不但可以忘掉自己的煩惱，還可以豊富彼此的人生。自立立人，自達達人。

On the last weekend of 2007 I took my family to Lake Tahoe.

I checked the snow report in advance and I decided to rent a SUV in a fear of bad weather. The weather forecast was precise for Saturday. We saw the rain turned into snow as the altitude went higher. My mother was happy to see the snow, but she said the snow wasn’t as heavy as what she saw in Hokkaido, Northern Japan. Fortunately, the road condition wasn’t too bad; chains were not required. However, it kept snowing and the road was wet all the time, and I had to concentrate on driving. In such a situation, a SUV offers better control. I would not have rented this oil-gulping monster if it’s not for my family’s safety.

It took us a little longer than usual to get to Truckee due to holiday traffic. We had pizza and hot chocolate for lunch, and then headed south along highway eighty-nine. Unlike my former Tahoe trips staying only in the ski resort, we traveled around the general Tahoe area this time. On the way, we stopped to enjoy the scene. The lake was surrounded by snow-covered hills, and the freezing-point temperature couldn’t stop tourists from appreciating the beauty of Tahoe.

Around four o’clock we arrived South Lake Tahoe. Tall buildings by the main street are hotels and casinos; restaurants and gift shops scatter around. We strolled in this area, chose souvenirs and lastly had some Italian food in a dim-light restaurant. After dinner, we drove to Crystal Bay.

It’s hard to drive in the dark. I doubted whether I was on the right direction several times. Finally, splendid casinos emerged from the far end of the road, and I realized we were close to our destiny. It is a hotel-casino combination. The hotel tower stands right by the lakeshore, so we had an excellent view of the lake. In the night my father and sister went to the casino. It’s small, so not many people were there. My father won $58 from his favorite table game, the roulette, and then he stopped.

The next day, we went west. After shopping at Safeway, we walked across the street to see the lake. To my surprise, the wind was strong and chilly in the lakeshore, so we could only have a short stay here. Our second stop was Squaw Valley. We arrived at noon, and it was too crowded to find a parking lot there, so I had to park on the roadside. I never saw the Squaw Valley parking this full. My sister and father went sledding in a play zone especially opened in the holiday. Not just only kids but also adults played sledding there. Every one seemed to be very happy. I brought my digital single lens camera this time and I took shots of the snow, skiers, lifts and buildings in the resort. These photos will be the proof, and the memories of our visit to the world re-known winter sport paradise. On the way back everyone fell asleep in the car. My job was , to escort them home, safely.