Tag Archives: Health & Fitness

The Heroes of Health: 10 Lifesaving Superfoods

By Carole Reedy

There is no pill or medicine that can miraculously grant you good health and an ideal weight. But there are powerful foods to help you on your quest. These superfoods contain disease-fighting nutrients that bolster your immune system, thus preventing illness. They also lower cholesterol and reduce your risk for heart disease and cancer.   At the same time, they provide all the building blocks you need to stay healthy, maintain a healthy weight, and put you in a better mood.

How can they accomplish all this? Here’s a list some superfoods and what they can do for you. All are readily available at your supermarket. No need to search for specialty shops or health-food stores. Continue reading The Heroes of Health: 10 Lifesaving Superfoods

The Heroes of Health: 10 Lifesaving Superfoods

By Carole Reedy

There is no pill or medicine that can miraculously grant you good health and an ideal weight. But there are powerful foods to help you on your quest. These superfoods contain disease-fighting nutrients that bolster your immune system, thus preventing illness. They also lower cholesterol and reduce your risk for heart disease and cancer.   At the same time, they provide all the building blocks you need to stay healthy, maintain a healthy weight, and put you in a better mood.

How can they accomplish all this? Here’s a list some superfoods and what they can do for you. All are readily available at your supermarket. No need to search for specialty shops or health-food stores. Continue reading The Heroes of Health: 10 Lifesaving Superfoods

Fighting Obesity

Screen Shot 2016-04-04 at 12.57.35 PMBy Julie Etra

Mexico has finally surpassed the United States and has achieved the ignoble title of fattest population in the Western Hemisphere with 32.8% of the adult population deemed obese (as compared to 31.8% in the US). It is, however, surpassed by several Pacific Island countries including Nauru (71.1 percent), the Cook Islands (64.1 percent) and the Marshall Islands (46.5 percent). Seventy percent of the population is now overweight. This is due, in large part, to the exponential increase in consumption of sugared soft drinks, particularly Coca-Cola, and junk food. Add an increased sedentary lifestyle and poor diet, which includes malnutrition. Continue reading Fighting Obesity

Maguey

Screen Shot 2016-04-06 at 4.48.24 PMBy Julie Etra

Magueys are monocots in the sub-family Agavoideae, previously classified in the family Agavaceae. Agave comes from the Greek word Agavo, which means magnificent, noble, admirable and was called the tree of miracles by the conquistadores. Other common names are sosquil, pita, cabuya, fique, mescal, toba (in Zapotec) and ki (Mayan). One of the 9 bays of Huatulco is named for this plant. They are abundant in the Mexican landscape and form a dominant portion of the vegetation in many parts of Mexico, especially in semi-arid regions. Distribution is from the Canadian-US border to Bolivia, including the Caribbean. The greatest diversity is in Mexico, home to 76% of the world’s population or 157 species of which 71% (111) are endemic, meaning they occur no where else. Fifty-two species occur in the state of Oaxaca. The origin of this group of plants dates to the Miocene or about 15 million years ago. They flower only once, after about 10-12 tears and also reproduce vegetatively which is how they are generally cultivated. They have lifespan of about 25years and are pollinated by bats and hummingbirds. Continue reading Maguey

Huatulco’s New Organic Market

Screen Shot 2016-04-06 at 4.50.08 PMBy Kary Vannice

Huatulco has a new organic market! Officially known as el Mercado Orgánico de Huatulco or MOH. It is held in the park at Santa Cruz, from 8:00am to 2:00pm the first Saturday of every month, until November when it will become a weekly event!

A few months ago a small group of friends were enjoying an evening drink in the cool night air at Café Huatulco when someone mused, “You know what Huatulco really needs? …An organic market”. To which another friend responded, “Well, let’s make one”. Continue reading Huatulco’s New Organic Market

Huatulco’s Autism Clinic

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By Vivien Hoyt

I have a cockatoo, Juliette, and she has this amazing ability to see a good person from across the room.  If you believe in angels, you will find some of them work at Clinica de Autismo /DIF here in Huatulco.   I have had the fortunate experience of volunteering for them the last few months and let’s just say that the DIF staff have received Juliette’s approval.  They are the most loving, kind, compassionate people you could ever meet. Continue reading Huatulco’s Autism Clinic

A Sobering Comment for Reflection on Life, Living & Death in Oaxaca

By Alvin Starkman, M.A., J.D.

When I first learned that the January theme for The Eye is new beginnings and birth I spoke with my wife, both our minds immediately refocused on the theme of death; initially to the four infant deaths which have touched our lives since our regular visits to Oaxaca began over 20 years ago, and then to the seven adult Oaxacans we had counted as friends or acquaintances, who had died of unnatural causes. Continue reading A Sobering Comment for Reflection on Life, Living & Death in Oaxaca

Midwives in Oaxaca

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By María Cristina Galante Di Pace and Araceli Gil Archundia

“Midwives are the inheritors of the pre-Hispanic medicine woman, the spokespersons of the gods, the priestesses of life, the protectors of health, the counselors of couples, the ones who scold, the ones who are not silenced by men, the ones who know the secrets.”

In rural Mexico, midwives still attend almost 50% of the births and are preferred over the doctors because they themselves are women; because they charge less; because they go to the woman’s home, are available, speak the same language and share the same culture; and because they treat women with warmth and emotion. Neverthless, traditional midwives recognize their limitations in intervening in grave situations of obstetric emergency. Continue reading Midwives in Oaxaca