Cancuna, welcome back. One of the administrators of our condo owners' association works in DF as an account auditor of the government department that is involved with health. When I first met her, I asked: "Adrianna, what is the number one health issue in Mexico?" Without hesitation she replied, "Diabetes". Being from Canada where diabetes is not even close to being our biggest health issue, I said that I was surprised to learn this. Then she went on to explain. Your topic is a very interesting one! I have to admit that every winter (we hate the Canadian winter so we bought a place in the Riviera Maya) I put on weight. Reason #1: awesome pastries at every supermarket (Mexicans love them too.) #2: cheap, awesome cervezas (Mexicans love them too.) #3: cheap white-flour breads and tortillas (Mexicans love them too.) #4: delicious carnitas, burritos, enchilladas, tacos, hamburguesas (Mexicans love them too.) Ironically though, the salad-type of vegetables, mangoes, melons, and other fruits are cheap, as are the fish, so why don't I eat more of them, and less of the other things? They're much better for me, I realize! Because - when compared to the other options - I find them boring. I wish it weren't the case! I try to think about putting healthy things in my mouth for over 40 weeks of the year, but when I'm in Mexico for 12 weeks, somehow I give in to the temptations. I would probably have diabetes if I lived there year-round. And be an alcoholic. And a smoker. Here, the government has put such high "sin taxes" on booze and smokes that I avoid them both. Here, the supermarket bread shelves are stacked with multi-grain, flax, omega, ancient grain, etc options. Would these ideas work in Mexico? Not likely, voters, habits, and profit-margins being what they are. It's an interesting topic, a dilemma to be sure. I wish I had answers to the problem; I look forward to following this thread. And I sorry for rambling; I usually just post a sentence or two.
It is unbelievable how much soda is drank in Mexico. Workers are always drinking out of 2 liter bottles of soda and I have never seen anyone working for me drinking water. I haven't had so much as a sip of soda now for 18 months, which really slowed down the drinking for me. I will have a beer or 2 every now and then but hardly ever more than that. I drink more than a gallon of water everyday. I quit smoking about 5 years ago and I can say that almost 100% of the people that still smoke or are still fat do NOT want to hear anything at all about how they can quit smoking or lose weight. People get really defensive about both so it is easier to just let them go about their own business than trying to push my views on them. The only thing I am ever asked about losing weight or quitting smoking is "How did you do it?". Whenever I tell them that I just stopped smoking cold turkey and diet and exercise they usually will just say "Ohhh". Most people want the easy way out...a pill or some trick or a crutch of some sort, but nobody really wants to work hard enough to get it done. I am in the best shape of my life and I LOVE good food. I cook probably 90% of everything I eat and anyone that has eaten at my house can tell you that just because it is healthy doesn't mean it can't taste great too.
Yeah, the soda is a huuuge issue. During my diet this year (down 30 pounds! yay!), my Mexican husband's extended family was always pushing Coca Cola on me at family gatherings. "Why are you getting water? Did you know there's Coke?" "Are you sure you don't want Coke? No? Why not? I think there's Pepsi in the fridge..." "You want water? What for? To drink it?"
Congrats Laura....it is always good to hear when others take control of their lives by getting healthy!
The Cancun Fun couple are my BFFs and every word in this post is true. Mr Fun dropped around 30 kg, over time, not any crash diet and has kept it off seemingly by exercise and eating healthy. I am one of those who is lucky enough to eat at their home and meals often include incredible desserts. It doesn't have to be sugar to be sweet. And Mrs Fun can run 5 km in 26-27 minutes, haing virtually never run in her life and just giving it a try fairly recently. They inspire me daily. Love you guys.
Thanks for the kind words Mr Carter. BTW...thanks for the juicer...I am drinkin carrot,celery,watermelon,lime,apple,spinach for breakfast!
My personal answers: At an individual level, we all have to struggle to ingest healthy foods and nourish our bodies adequately, regardless of our sociocultural environment. We-North Americans-are constantly bombarded with news of healthy diets and our consciousness is constantly alert to this global issue. Mexicans aren't, its poorer classes lacking diet consciousness as much as pesos. We all know that Mexico has no monopoly over obesity and poor diets. And where do they import food from? Yet Japan has lower cancer rates, Vietnam lower obesity, as does Italy,France,Uruguay,etc. Living in North America, I think, means that each of us has to love life and our bodies sufficiently, in order to get motivated to fight the bad eating habits and temptations around us. (I know how easy I can fall into chocoholism). I want to congradulate you Cancun Fun on your great determination and success! And I totally agree with my fellow Canadian, that changing country alters our habits and we give ourselves more excuses. Could it help us if we read more on the consequences of a poor diet? Would that stimulate us? It's now scientific evidence that people who consume less food are healthier and less cancerous-prone. That meat eaters have higher rates of colon cancer. That high cholesterol can be tackled with oats,garlic,flaxseed, etc. I've personally experienced the difficulty of altering/improving one's diet. I'm even convinced that it actually requires a total reconceptualization of meals. Is beans/spinach and nuts my image of supper? No. Because I'm brainwashed to see a meal like in the magazines or in restaurants. And then taste has a memory of its own. Mexicans too may conceive of a meal the fastfood stuff they consume on Palapas stalls. And if more of them ate spinach and brocoli the price might come down. But like Cancun Fun comments, if they ate out less, they'd have more control over their diet. Of course, what adds insult to injury is that the obese are the poorest. Who must work harder to subsist but can hardly move. Whose self esteem is lower and the chain reaction goes on and on. So, I think our issue is both individual and collective. We all struggle with it. It's a pleasure to have us share here our efforts and challenges with maintaining a proper diet, so that when we go out we can then also share with the locals around us. Thanks TJ! Thanks to all others who welcomed me. flaxseeds sesame seeds oats beans greens bran soya fruits whole foods no salt no sugar no fat etc.etc.etc. m o d e r a t i o n
My personal answers: At an individual level, we all have to struggle to ingest healthy foods and nourish our bodies adequately, regardless of our sociocultural environment. We-North Americans-are constantly bombarded with news of healthy diets and our consciousness is constantly alert to this global issue. Mexicans aren't, its poorer classes lacking diet consciousness as much as pesos. We all know that Mexico has no monopoly over obesity and poor diets. And where do they import food from? Yet Japan has lower cancer rates, Vietnam lower obesity, as does Italy,France,Uruguay,etc. Living in North America, I think, means that each of us has to love life and our bodies sufficiently, in order to get motivated to fight the bad eating habits and temptations around us. (I know how easy I can fall into chocoholism). I want to congradulate you Cancun Fun on your great determination and success! And I totally agree with my fellow Canadian, that changing country alters our habits and we give ourselves more excuses. Could it help us if we read more on the consequences of a poor diet? Would that stimulate us? It's now scientific evidence that people who consume less food are healthier and less cancerous-prone. That meat eaters have higher rates of colon cancer. That high cholesterol can be tackled with oats,garlic,flaxseed, etc. I've personally experienced the difficulty of altering/improving one's diet. I'm even convinced that it actually requires a total reconceptualization of meals. Is beans/spinach and nuts my image of supper? No. Because I'm brainwashed to see a meal like in the magazines or in restaurants. And then taste has a memory of its own. Mexicans too may conceive of a meal the fastfood stuff they consume on Palapas stalls. And if more of them ate spinach and brocoli the price might come down. But like Cancun Fun comments, if they ate out less, they'd have more control over their diet. Of course, what adds insult to injury is that the obese are the poorest. Who must work harder to subsist but can hardly move. Whose self esteem is lower and the chain reaction goes on and on. So, I think our issue is both individual and collective. We all struggle with it. It's a pleasure to have us share here our efforts and challenges with maintaining a proper diet, so that when we go out we can then also share with the locals around us. Thanks TJ! Thanks to all others who welcomed me. flaxseeds sesame seeds oats beans greens bran soya fruits whole foods no salt no sugar no fat etc.etc.etc. m o d e r a t i o n
......"I'm brainwashed to see a meal like in the magazines or in restaurants. And then taste has a memory of its own." Doesn't "brainwashing" leave you with a much cleaner - brain..???? :aktion060: Because brainwashing is such an invasive form of influence, it requires the complete isolation and dependency of the subject, which is why you mostly hear of brainwashing occurring in prison camps or totalist cults. The agent (the brainwasher) must have complete control over the target (the brainwashee) so that sleep patterns, eating, using the bathroom and the fulfillment of other basic human needs depend on the will of the agent. In the brainwashing process, the agent systematically breaks down the target's identity to the point that it doesn't work anymore. The agent then replaces it with another set of behaviors, attitudes and beliefs that work in the target's current environment. ­While most psychologists believe that brainwashing is possible under the right conditions, some see it as improbable or at least as a less severe form of influence than the media portrays it to be. Some definitions of brainwashing require the presence of the threat of physical harm, and under these definitions most extremist cults do not practice true brainwashing since they typically do not physically abuse recruits. Other definitions rely on "nonphysical coercion and control" as an equally effective means of asserting influence. Regardless of which definition you use, many experts believe that even under ideal brainwashing conditions, the effects of the process are most often short-term -- the brainwashing victim's old identity is not in fact eradicated by the process, but instead is in hiding, and once the "new identity" stops being reinforced the person's old attitudes and beliefs will start to return.
Its just as easy to eat healthy as unhealthy, once you have the inventory. I am nowhere near a vegan but today's lunch was lightly steamed carrots, raw organic spinach, fresh strawberries and blueberries and a slice of whole grain bread. I told my friend the other night that I could not remember the lasts time I ate red meat, and I love arrachera. She reminded me that we had tacos al,pastor one night a a torta de lechon one weekend for breakfast. I had to inform her that those things don't count as red meat, nor does choir pan during baseball season. But at least I did good for lunch today.
