Tuesday, October 23, 2007 10:57 AM

Should you eat fish if you're pregnant or breastfeeding?

There seems to have been a lot of confusing information about that question recently. So, I've spent the last couple of weeks talking to scientists about the issue. Learn what they had to say in today's Lean Plate Club column.

You can also read a backgrounder on the joint advisory issued in 2004 by the Food and Drug Administration and the Environmental Protection Agency. As you'll see from this advice written in 2004 by then acting FDA director Lester Crawford, the confusion about fish goes back a ways. And here's what the American Heart Association recommends to help reduce your risk of heart disease. This is what National Healthy Mothers, Healthy Babies Coalition released earlier this month.

And for those of you who like exotic seafood--puffer fish, for example--the FDA has new advice on how to choose safe sources.

Also, if you eat fish that you catch yourself, it's a good idea to check the latest advisories for the region where you fished, which are issued by local or state agencies, such as these issued by California, Florida, New York, Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia and other states.

How has the flap about fish affected your eating habits? Tell us now. Or join the Lean Plate Club Web chat live from 1 to 2 p.m. ET. You can also e-mail me anytime at leanplateclub@washpost.com.

Just expecting an afternoon nap--whether you actually take one or not--appears to lower blood pressure, as this new report notes.

This Saturday, Oct. 27, I plan to be at the St. Petersburg Times Festival of Reading book fair which takes place from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at 140 Seventh Avenue South, St. Petersburg. I am scheduled to speak at 3:15 p.m. and plan to sign copies of Secrets of the Lean Plate Club after that. Look forward to meeting some of you there in person at this great event, which features lots of well-known authors and books.

And on Thursday night, I look forward to being at Temple Rodef Shalom in Falls Church, Va. If you'd ever like me to speak at an event, please send me an e-mail to leanplateclub@washpost.com.

The Journal of Sport Behavior reports that kids who are less athletic are at greater risk of experiencing sadness, isolation and social rejection at school. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention offers ways to help parents be more active with their kids. And here's a site that teaches kids how to build skateboards and then use them--with helmets, of course!--when they're done.

It's always fun to look for new ways to stay active. Here's one you might not have heard about: bike polo. (And like humorist Dave Barry likes to say, I swear I am not making this up.) Check it out yourself on You Tube. If you try it, be sure to wear a helmet.

Graceful Edge is a site that lists plenty of activities for women thought the country.

Step Out is a program that helps you walk for a good cause: the American Diabetes Association.

How are you getting activity? Have you ever walked, run, jogged or done another activity for a charity? How did it work? Tell us about it now. Or join the Lean Plate Club Web chat live from 1 to 2 p.m. ET.

Turkey Pot Pie is one option from Eating Well magazine.

Meatless Monday features Hopi Vegetable Stew--a hearty meal that clocks in at less than 400 calories per serving and has five grams of saturated fat--with just one gram of unhealthy saturated fat. For lunch (or as a side dish at dinner), you might also want to try Cree Bean Salad.

Cooking Light magazine took a 30-year-old recipe for enchiladas from a reader and made it healthier.

Woman's Day magazine has 30--count'em-- slow cooker recipes to help you put dinner on the table without standing over a hot stove for hours and hours. Among them: Chicken and Vegetables with Creamy Mustard Herb Sauce.

Also my food find of the week: Jocolat from Larabar.

What are you cooking this week? Got a healthy recipe to share? A delicious, great tasting--and of course healthy--food find? We'd love to hear about that and more now. Or in today's Lean Plate Club Web chat from 1 to 2 p.m. ET. E-mail me anytime at leanplateclub@washpost.com.