Tag Archives: health

Huatulco

The Comfort Zone: Body Heat And The Snowbird Experience

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By Randy Jackson—

“It was one of those March days when the sun shines hot and the wind blows cold: when it is summer in the light, and winter in the shade.” From Great Expectations by Charles Dickens.

Even that image from Victorian London seems warmer than this. Here, no sun or shade, only grey and flurries, and it’s mid-April already. The steady heat of Huatulco is now a distant memory. Standing at the window watching snow that should have stopped weeks ago, the body does what bodies do in the cold. It complains. Specifically, and elaborately at the cellular level, and more ‘whiny’ at the snowbird level. Why is it such a struggle to stay warm?

HOW DO OUR BODIES CREATE HEAT?

In a nutshell, body heat is a waste byproduct of cellular activity. Those cellular activities are enormously complex and varied, like running our organs, firing our muscles and digesting our food. But they have one thing in common. Like a car engine that heats up trying to turn the wheels, our cells cannot do their job without generating heat.

The energy that drives all our cells to perform their different functions comes from the body’s universal energy packet, the ATP molecule. This molecule is produced by the digestive process, transferring energy from the food we eat into a fuel that every cell in our bodies needs to perform its function. But not all parts of the body generate heat equally. There are four functions that account for most of the heat generation.

MUSCLES: Even sitting idle, muscles have their engines running. They need to be ready for that dash to the bus or to get up to pee. For a muscle to fire, or remain ready to fire, muscle cells hold that ATP energy molecule in a primed state. When our brains send the electronic signal, the muscle-primed ATP molecule splits, releasing energy, and the muscle fires. But that muscle firing is not perfectly efficient, and some of that energy simply escapes as heat. At rest, muscles produce about 25% of our body heat. And WAY more when sprinting from a bear.

THE LIVER: Muscles may get all the headlines in the body gazette, but the liver is relentlessly busy in the background, processing food, filtering toxins and making proteins. Liver cells, like all cells, run on ATP, and all that constant consumption generates significant heat as a byproduct. But unlike the muscle cells, liver cells don’t perform a mechanical function, and so most of the ATP energy ends up as heat, about 20% of our body’s heat overall.

ESSENTIAL SERVICES – HEART, BRAIN, KIDNEYS: These organs run 24/7 and, as a result of their constant consumption of ATP, contribute about 10% each to our body’s heat generation

BROWN FAT: Unlike all those busy organs, doing stuff and accidentally creating heat, brown fat just hangs out and creates heat. Sort of like your nephew who plays computer games in the basement. Except when brown fat isn’t working, everyone notices. Our bodies need a certain amount of heat, and when we don’t have enough, things can go south quickly. Unlike other body cells, where heat is a byproduct of other functions, brown fat cells contain a protein that essentially converts all the ATP energy into heat. This is critical for newborns who are unable to shiver to create heat. And for adults who do not spend their winters in Huatulco, brown fat saves them from having to shovel the whole block just to keep warm.

WHY DO OUR BODIES REGULATE HEAT?

We all know that people can suffer and even die when their bodies get too much or not enough heat. It turns out our Goldilocks body temperature is 37°C (98.6°F), and our bodies have evolved to keep us at or near this temperature. There is a chemical reason for this. Back at the cellular level, the chemical processes cells use to produce proteins and enzymes are highly sensitive to temperature. Nudge that temperature a bit too far in either direction, and the whole system starts to break down.

So the body has a highly sophisticated heating and cooling system to keep us, like Goldilocks’s porridge, ‘just right’. Our body’s thermostat is the hypothalamus, a small region of the brain that constantly monitors our core temperature and triggers responses to keep it within range. Too hot, and it triggers sweating and redirects blood toward the skin to release heat. Too cold and it triggers shivering, ramps up metabolism and redirects blood away from the skin to conserve warmth.

LIVING OUTSIDE THE COMFORT ZONE

All this sophisticated biological body heat regulation can only do so much. Our bodies are happiest when our environment is in the Thermoneutral Zone of 20°C to 25°C (68°F to 77°F ). Moving further from this temperature range in either direction requires action on our part.

TOO COLD: It has been said that one of the most important inventions in human history was the sewing needle. Fifty thousand years ago, needles enabled the making of fur clothing, thus enabling humans to adapt to climates colder than those in tropical Africa. As with most important things, this was both good news and bad news. The good news is that the vast majority of Earth’s landmass lies north of the tropical zone, opening up entire continents for human expansion. The bad news was that humans needed parkas. Yes, chafing was involved, but it also left humans, to this day, spending a great deal of time and energy just trying to stay warm.

Besides clothing and huddling around whatever could be burned, the ‘endurance option’, nature offered warm-blooded creatures just two alternatives: get out or go unconscious. Migrate or hibernate.

The ‘get out’ option came naturally to birds. Birds also have a hypothalamus, which, in migratory species, contains photoreceptors that detect day length. This triggers a hormonal release that drives the migratory instinct. When the days shorten, the hypothalamus sounds the alarm, and the bird heads south. In the highly evolved ‘snowbird’, their computer calendar reminds them to book airfare. Hormones kick in, and they find themselves inexplicably drawn to bathing suits, suitcases, and Huatulco Facebook posts.

Unconsciousness, nature’s only other winter coping option, requires hibernation. Hibernation works reasonably well for bears, chipmunks and squirrels, who don’t have Netflix. Again, the hypothalamus is involved, triggering hormones that dial down metabolism, heart rate and core body temperature to the minimal levels required for survival. During hibernation, an animal’s body is too cold to produce the electrical currents required for dreaming, and that just sucks.

TOO HOT: Options for regulating body heat when temperatures exceed the thermoneutral zone are far less onerous than those on the too-cold end of the spectrum. The body’s cooling mechanism triggers sweat glands on the skin, and blood vessels near the skin surface dilate to bring more warm blood to the surface for cooling. Shade, water and moving air all accelerate exactly these processes.

Water, pool, ocean or shower is the most immediate solution, pulling heat from the body twenty-five times faster than air alone. Moving air, whether breeze or ceiling fan, amplifies the cooling effect by accelerating evaporation from the skin, the same process your sweat glands are already working hard to achieve. Using wind-chill calculations as a rough approximation, a light breeze or a moderate ceiling fan speed in a 30°C (86°F) environment reduces your felt skin temperature to around 28°C (82°F), nudging your body back toward the thermoneutral zone while you possibly enjoy a margarita.

Randy Jackson blends local reporting from the perspective of a seasonal Huatulco resident with explorations of life and change in Huatulco, Oaxaca and Mexico. Email: box95jackson@gmail.com

Huatulco

Chronic Silent Inflammation: The Real Enemy of Modern Aging

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For decades, aging was considered an inevitable process determined exclusively by genetics. Today we know that this vision is incomplete. One of the most decisive factors in the speed at which we age is not visible to the naked eye, does not always generate immediate pain, and is rarely detected in its early stages: chronic silent inflammation.

Unlike acute inflammation — a natural and protective response to injury or infection — chronic low-grade inflammation operates in a constant and subtle way within the body. It is a persistent inflammatory state that can be maintained for years, affecting tissues, metabolic systems, and cellular functions without obvious symptoms until the damage becomes significant.

In physiological terms, it represents prolonged activation of the immune system. Factors such as chronic stress, poor sleep quality, ultra-processed foods, exposure to environmental toxins, and a sedentary lifestyle contribute to keeping the body in a continuous state of alert. This phenomenon has been scientifically associated with cardiovascular disease, cognitive impairment, insulin resistance, metabolic disorders, autoimmune conditions, and degenerative processes related to aging.

At the cellular level, chronic inflammation directly impacts mitochondrial function. Mitochondria — known as the “power plants” of the cell — are essential for energy production and tissue repair. When exposed to a persistent inflammatory environment, cellular energy efficiency decreases, oxidative stress increases, and tissue wear accelerates. The result may be persistent fatigue, slower recovery, metabolic imbalance, and biological aging that progresses faster than chronological age.

Within integrative medicine, the concept of systemic detoxification does not refer to trends or temporary regimens, but to supporting the body’s natural elimination pathways. The liver, intestines, kidneys, and lymphatic system function in coordination to process and remove metabolic waste and inflammatory byproducts.

When these systems become overloaded — whether by diet, environmental pollutants, or sustained stress — the inflammatory state can become chronic.

Beyond calorie counting, cellular nutrition focuses on the biochemical quality of nutrients. Micronutrients, antioxidants, essential fatty acids, and bioactive compounds play a central role in modulating inflammatory pathways. Regenerative medicine has explored therapeutic strategies aimed at improving cellular communication, reducing oxidative stress, and optimizing tissue repair capacity.

Ozone therapy, when applied under appropriate medical criteria, has been studied for its potential to modulate oxidative stress and stimulate endogenous antioxidant systems. In clinical practice, medical ozone — a controlled mixture of oxygen and ozone — may be administered in specific concentrations through techniques such as autohemotherapy, in which a small sample of the patient’s blood is exposed to ozone and then reintroduced, or through localized applications depending on the condition being treated. The objective is not to “detoxify” in a simplistic sense, but to encourage physiological balance and support the body’s regulatory mechanisms. As with any medical intervention, it should be performed by trained professionals within established safety protocols.

Healthy aging does not depend solely on the absence of disease, but on the preservation of cellular, metabolic, and immune function. Understanding chronic silent inflammation allows us to rethink prevention from a deeper and more personalized perspective. In a world characterized by constant stress and environmental overload, reducing chronic inflammation may be one of the most relevant strategies to extend not only lifespan, but healthspan — the quality of life during those years.

Valentina Arline is an integrative medicine practitioner with international experience in regenerative therapies and inflammatory modulation approaches. Her work focuses on longevity and cellular health strategies from a scientific and holistic perspective.

Huatulco, San Miguel de Allende

Could Simply Moving to Mexico Be Considered “Health Care”?

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By Kary Vannice—

Every year, people pack up their lives and move somewhere else in search of something …undefinable. It’s not about the weather or the money, and despite what friends back home may think, it is not even about running away from responsibility. For most, it’s simply about wanting life to feel different…better.

And modern research backs this up. There’s even a term for it: lifestyle migration.

Sociologist Michaela Benson describes it as the movement of people who are not forced to relocate for work or safety, but who are “searching for a better way of life.” And that phrase comes up again and again in studies of first-world citizens who move to places like Mexico, Costa Rica, Thailand and many other developing countries.

But does changing countries actually change anything internally? According to research, it certainly changes things energetically.

Psychologists Judith Rodin and Ellen Langer have spent decades researching what they call “perceived control.” Their studies show that people who feel they have more influence over their daily lives experience less stress, better health, and even live longer. Their work suggests it’s not simply what happens to us that matters, it’s whether we feel we are in control or being controlled.

The Journal of Happiness Studies found that agency, a sense of directing one’s own life, is consistently linked to higher life satisfaction across almost every country studied. In other words, feeling in charge of your day-to-day life matters, a lot.

When someone relocates, the move itself doesn’t magically solve all their problems, but it does force them to redesign their way of life. They’re now living in an environment with different bureaucracies, different expectations, different cultural rhythms, and different definitions of success. As a foreigner, they experience the unique freedom of not having grown up inside the existing structure, so they no longer feel bound to it.

Researchers looking at stress physiology use another term, “allostatic load,” defined as the cumulative physical, mental, and emotional “wear and tear” from chronic, repeated, or prolonged stress exposure. Neuroscientist Bruce McEwen, writing in the New England Journal of Medicine, showed how long-term stress responses become embedded in the body, affecting cardiovascular, metabolic, and emotional health. leading to long-term health problems as one ages.

These stress responses are not just triggered by traumatic events. Most come from constant low-level demands, time pressure, competition, and unpredictability in the surrounding environment.

Another study published in Psychological Science showed that people report greater well-being when their personal values align with the norms of the society they live in. Not feeling aligned with the current political climate, for example, can cause a persistent sense of friction and emotional discord.

Relocation can reduce that friction. Not because the new location is necessarily better, but because it aligns more with one’s personal values and lifestyle choices.

In her study Lifestyle Migration and the Quest for a Better Way of Life, researcher Karen O’Reilly documented how participants talked about wanting “time,” “space,” and “control over everyday living” rather than material gain. This is what prompted many of them to move from their country of origin. They described their decision to relocate less as an escape and more as a recalibration.

Of course, living abroad also poses challenges such as language, bureaucracy, and adapting to new cultural norms. But these types of challenges also carry unexpected health benefits. Manageable stress, the kind that comes from learning, problem-solving, and navigating new situations, can build resilience and cognitive flexibility. Unlike the draining stress of constant pressure, these kinds of challenges engage the brain, encourage social connection, and create a sense of accomplishment. Figuring out how to open a bank account in another language or navigate a new governmental system may be frustrating in the moment, but it also fosters confidence, adaptability, and a sense of autonomy in daily life.

If you strip away the romantic ideals of living abroad, you start to see that changing countries often changes how we feel about ourselves and our lives. For many, it fosters a more calm, centered, and grounded sense of self and personal agency. Both of which have long-term positive health benefits and can contribute to living longer.

So, could relocating be one of the best things you do for your mental and emotional health?

Not so much because of the new country itself, but because you stepped outside of the patterns and systems that once defined you. In this case, well-being has less to do with where you land and more to do with what you leave behind. A new environment invites an opportunity to live in a new way, and for many, life no longer feels like something that happens to them by default, but more like something they are creating with intention.

Kary Vannice is a writer and energetic healer who explores the intersections of culture, consciousness, and daily life in Mexico.

Huatulco

Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy: A Deep Breath of Possibility

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By Kary Vannice

Most of us accept that a little discomfort can make us stronger. A tough workout, a deep stretch, or even fasting for a day leaves us feeling more resilient once the body recovers. But the idea of locking yourself into a pressurized chamber, inhaling pure oxygen, and subjecting your body to more pressure than normal seems, well, intense. But with Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (HBOT), that’s precisely the point. By surrounding you with oxygen under pressure, it creates a challenge the body can’t ignore. Instead of shutting down, your system wakes up — repairing tissues, calming inflammation, and turning on healing pathways that may have been idling for years.

At its core, HBOT is really about giving your body more of what it already knows how to use: oxygen. Under pressure, oxygen can slip deeper into the bloodstream and reach places it normally struggles to get to. Imagine a dry sponge finally soaking up water — tissues that have been starved or sluggish suddenly drink in the fuel they’ve been missing. That’s why old injuries can finally start mending and tired muscles can feel alive again.

HBOT also encourages the body to grow new blood vessels, boosts collagen — the scaffolding that holds your skin, joints, and connective tissue together — and turns on the repair crews inside your cells. And it also calms inflammation, your bodies internal “fire alarm”. The result is a body where balance is restored, movement feels easier, and healing picks up momentum.

Even more impressive, HBOT nudges your bone marrow to release stem cells, the body’s own all-purpose repair team. Once they’re set free into the bloodstream, they travel to sites of injury or wear and tear, ready to rebuild what’s been damaged.

Another surprising benefit of HBOT is what it does for the brain. When your brain gets more oxygen, it’s like opening the windows in a stuffy room — suddenly everything feels clearer, fresher, easier to move around in. People often report sharper memory, better focus, and improved mental energy after a series of treatments.

And this isn’t just theory tucked away in medical journals — HBOT is being studied and used around the world with results that are hard to ignore. In Israel, researchers have shown that regular HBOT sessions can actually lengthen telomeres (the little caps on our DNA that shorten as we age) and reduce the number of “senescent” or worn-out cells. It’s like hitting a refresh button at the cellular level, giving the body a younger profile than before. In the Netherlands, breast cancer survivors dealing with painful radiation damage found relief through HBOT, with studies showing less pain and more flexible, healthy tissue after a course of treatments.

China has been testing HBOT for people with Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia, and the results are promising — patients scored better on memory tests, showed improved brain blood flow, and even had signs of reduced inflammation. And across Europe, HBOT is being used in studies for long-COVID, where patients report clearer thinking, more energy, and better sleep.

Taken together, these studies show that hyperbaric treatment is more than an alternative, niche therapy.
Whether it’s helping an athlete recover faster, supporting an older adult in staying sharper, or easing the long-term side effects of cancer treatment, hyperbaric oxygen therapy is proving its value across continents.

Here in Huatulco, we don’t always have easy access to the most advanced medical technology, but hyperbaric oxygen therapy is one of those rare treatments that has found its way to our coast. Hyperbaric Huatulco opened its doors in the spring of 2025 in Santa Cruz Huatulco with a state-of-the-art chamber that holds 4 people.

For locals, it means support for things like stubborn wounds, injuries, or recovery after surgery. For visitors, it can be part of a wellness experience — a way to give the body a reset while soaking in the natural beauty of Oaxaca. And for anyone curious about living with more vitality, it offers a chance to explore a therapy that’s showing impressive results worldwide without having to leave our own backyard.

In the end, Hyperbaric Oxygen Treatment is really about giving the body a chance to do what it was designed to do — heal. With oxygen as its ally, the body remembers its own wisdom. And sometimes, that reminder is all it takes to feel stronger, clearer, and more alive.

http://www.hyperbaric-huatulco.com

Huatulco

Skip the Supplement and Order the Mole

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By Kary Vannice

When in Mexico, a mention that you’re suffering from some sort of ailment will almost immediately be met with a recommendation for a local herbal remedy. It seems every Mexican abuela has an encyclopedic knowledge of natural cures, especially if they’re derived from plants. But here, you don’t have to venture into the forest or even the health food store to find many of these remedies, because they’re often served right on your dinner plate.

Unlike most meals in the US or Canada, which may include a sprinkle of dried herbs or rely heavily on processed seasonings, traditional Mexican cuisine leans into the use of fresh herbs and spices that not only make food taste fresh and flavorful, but also have curative properties.

Their ancestors knew that food was about more than flavor. To them, it was also medicine. Cultures that incorporate fresh herbs and spices into their diets are healthier for a reason. So, why not tap into the healing power on your plate?

Here are some of the most common healing herbs and spices used in Mexican cooking, the ailments they can help with, and what you can order if you want a natural dose of plant medicine with your meal:

Got gut health issues like inflammation, parasites, or bloating?
Reach for the Epazote, a long, jagged, deep green leaf, somewhat resembling dandelion.
Health Perks: Eases digestive discomfort, supports gut health, aids nutrient absorption, and strengthens immunity.
Order off the menu: Frijoles de la olla (beans cooked with epazote), or tamales flavored with epazote layered in with fillings like beans or squash blossoms.

Dealing with respiratory issues, cramps, or headaches?
Hoja Santa to the rescue. This large, “sacred” heart-shaped leaf infuses meals with natural remedies, promoting healing with every bite.

Health Perks: Alleviates colic, cramps, asthma, and respiratory issues. Acts as an expectorant for coughs, colds, and bronchitis.

Order off the menu: Pescado Envuelto en Hoja Santa (fish wrapped in the leaf), or green or yellow mole made Oaxacan-style, often with hoja santa blended into the sauce.

On a detox kick, trying to repair your gut health or reduce your anxiety?
Load up on the Cilantro! This bright, leafy herb does more than make food pretty. It’s rich in antioxidants and helps the body flush out heavy metals while supporting digestion and calming the nervous system.
Health Perks: Lowers blood sugar and triglycerides, reduces inflammation, and eases anxiety.
Order off the menu: Tacos al pastor, ceviche de pescado, or salsa verde loaded with fresh cilantro.

Dealing with a cold or needing immune support?
Mexican Oregano will get you back on your feet fast! Its leaf is larger, fuzzier, and stronger than the Italian oregano you’re familiar with, and it’s loaded with antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory compounds.
Health Perks: Helps fight bacteria and viruses, calms inflammation, and supports respiratory and immune health.
Order off the menu: Pozole rojo or birria. It’s also found in many marinades and chili-based dishes.

Got circulation issues, chronic inflammation, or need a metabolism boost?
Bring on the Chiles. Peppers do more than just add heat, they’re loaded with capsaicin, a compound that has serious health benefits. And the hotter the pepper, the stronger the benefit (if your stomach can handle it).
Health Perks: Improves blood flow, reduces inflammation and relieves pain. Also supports weight management by boosting your metabolism.
Order off the menu: Enchiladas rojas, salsa macha, anything made with mole, or simply ask for the “salsa de la casa” and add some punch to your meal.

Battling blood sugar spikes or high cholesterol?
Call in the Cumin. This earthy spice comes from the seed of a parsley plant and doesn’t just taste amazing, it also keeps your digestion running smoothly and is especially beneficial after carb-heavy meals.
Health Perks: Supports blood sugar regulation, improves insulin sensitivity, reduces cholesterol, and supports weight management.
Order off the menu: Mexican lentil soup, mole poblano, chorizo, or tinga de pollo.

Need an immune boost or suffering from inflammation?
Look for Papalo. This bold, peppery herb has thick, spade-shaped leaves with a soft, blue-green hue. Sometimes called “the cilantro of the Sierra,” it’s often overlooked, but packed with healing power.
Health Perks: A powerhouse of antioxidants, it helps calm inflammation, supports cellular repair, and boosts immunity.
Order off the menu: Cemita poblana (a classic Pueblan sandwich) or tacos árabes with a papalo garnish.

Turns out, the secret to better health might not be in a pill bottle, but in a taco. So, the next time you’re enjoying a meal in Mexico, remember, every bite might be doing more than just satisfying your taste buds. Herbs and spices like these have been passed down through generations not just for their flavor, but for their power to heal. With centuries of plant wisdom tucked into tamales, salsas, and stews, Mexican food isn’t just delicious, it’s actually functional medicine in disguise.

Huatulco

A Beginner’s Guide to Tea

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By Randy Jackson

For many years, I’ve been as addicted and habituated as anyone to coffee in this Western coffee culture. Recently, however, I’ve found myself drawn to the more gentle allure of tea over coffee’s bold kick. I began this transition without realizing just how deep and rich the world of tea truly is, steeped in centuries of tradition and boasting a great many varieties. So, for beginners to tea, I’ve formulated four key questions and their answers to provide a foundational understanding of the world’s most consumed beverage.

WHAT PLANT DOES TEA COME FROM?

All non-herbal teas come from the same plant, Camellia sinensis. The history of using the leaves from this plant to make tea dates back at least to the third century CE in China. The variety of teas from the plant arises from how the leaves are processed.

Green tea is made by steaming and drying the leaves. Green tea has a delicate flavor. It has about 37% as much caffeine as coffee.

Black Tea is the most popular type of tea, with the most familiar names for teas, such as Darjeeling, English Breakfast, and Chai. Black tea is made by fermenting the leaves (oxidization). Black tea has a robust, relatively strong flavor compared to other teas. A cup of black tea generally contains about 58% of the caffeine in a cup of coffee.

Oolong Tea is partially oxidized and has a less intense flavor than black tea. Its flavor is more complex than black or green tea. The caffeine level of Oolong tea is about 42% of that of coffee.

White Tea is made from naturally dried leaves, with no oxidization. White tea has a delicate flavor. The caffeine contained in white tea is about 26% of that of coffee.

Pu-erh Tea is made using a microbial fermentation process and aging. It generally has an earthy and rich flavor. The caffeine level of Pu-erh tea is about 53% of that of coffee.

Matcha is a powdered version of green tea. The tea plants are kept in the shade for three weeks prior to harvesting. It has a slightly grassy, vegetal taste. Matcha contains the most caffeine of all the teas, about 74% of the amount in coffee.

HOW DO TEA FLAVORS VARY?

In addition to the different flavors of the teas listed above, the flavor of tea is affected by where the tea plant is grown. Like wine, the climate, elevation, and soil produce a range of flavors in tea. For example, Darjeeling tea is often called the champagne of tea because the soil in the Darjeeling area of India produces a delicate and fruity tea.

Furthermore, there is a distinction between pure tea and flavored tea. Pure tea, as the name implies, is a tea that has not been blended with herbs or spices. For tea connoisseurs and enthusiasts, pure tea offers aromas and flavors that are particular to the type of tea, the area where it is grown, and the method of processing used. Not surprisingly, there are tea sommeliers or tea masters, a title earned by years of education, training, and experience.

The type of tea most casual tea drinkers consume is flavored tea, which includes all the most familiar varieties, such as English Breakfast, Earl Grey, and Chai. English Breakfast is unique among flavored teas as its flavor arises from blending certain black teas from different geographical locations rather than using additives. Earl Grey tea is primarily flavored with bergamot oil, an oil extracted from the bergamot orange peel, giving it a light citrus flavor. Earl Grey tea is mostly commonly made with black tea, but other types of tea, such as green tea, are also made into Earl Grey tea.

Chai tea is typically made from black tea, but other types of tea are also used. Its flavors come from spices such as cinnamon, cardamom, cloves, ginger, and black pepper.

For Canadian readers, the massively popular Red Rose Tea, like English Breakfast, blends certain black teas from different geographical sources.

Herbal teas, also known as tisanes, are made from various herbs, spices, flowers, fruits, and roots. They contain no caffeine. Chamomile, peppermint, ginger, hibiscus, and rooibos are the five most common herbal teas.

HOW IS TEA CONSUMED IN DIFFERENT COUNTRIES?

In the United Kingdom, drinking tea is a cultural touchstone. Tea leads all other beverages in terms of consumption. Black tea with milk is the most typical way tea is consumed in the UK.

In India, tea is also the most consumed beverage. Chai, made from black tea and typically brewed with milk, sugar, and spices, is the leading drink of choice.

China, like many other Asian countries, has a broad preference for various types of tea. Black, green, oolong and herbal teas are all popular, reflecting the region’s rich tea culture.

Another tea-drinking country is Argentina, where mate is the most popular beverage. Mate is made from the leaves of the yerba mate (mah-TAY) plant and is a type of herbal infusion rather than traditional tea.

On the flip side of tea’s popularity is Mexico, where tea doesn’t make the top five beverage list at all. After water, coffee is the most consumed beverage in Mexico, followed by soft drinks, agua frescas, and cerveza.

In the United States, particularly in the southern states, most tea consumed is iced tea. Iced tea can be made with any type of tea, but the most common is black tea. Beyond water, in terms of popularity, tea ranks third behind coffee and soft drinks.

According to the market data portal Statista, the top five tea-drinking countries in 2016 were Turkey, Ireland, the United Kingdom, Pakistan, and Iran. Canada was ranked 22, the United States was 36, and Mexico trailed at 56.

WHAT THE HECK IS BUBBLE TEA?

Until now, at least, my haphazard tea education has lacked any understanding of the cultural phenomenon of bubble tea. Silly me, I thought some sort of machine was used to blow air bubbles into a cup of tea.

But that’s not it. However, it does start with tea – green, black or oolong. The tea is cooled, and milk is added: whole, soy, condensed, or even coconut milk. Also added are tapioca pearls. These are small, chewy balls made from tapioca starch. The pearls are cooked until they reach a jelly-like consistency. This adds a texture to the drink. Despite common misconceptions, the “bubble” in bubble tea originally referred to the frothy foam created when the tea is shaken.

In the interest of research (and curiosity), we headed to a bubble tea place to try it. I chose dirty bubble tea, a drink made with cooled oolong tea, cold milk, brown sugar syrup, ice, and a handful of black tapioca balls. The drink required shaking to mix the layers. A large-diameter straw allowed the tapioca pearls to be slurped up as they sank to the bottom of the glass. The pearls were quite dense and chewy but without any real taste. I could detect the taste of tea in the drink mixture, but overall, it seemed like a beverage a long way from the centuries-old practice of sprinkling dried leaves into a cup of hot water and serving.

So, there you have it: from 3rd-century China, with monks sipping hot green tea in a monastery, to a trendy bubble tea shop in the foothills east of the Canadian Rockies, a beginner’s journey to the story and flavors of tea. I’m not that far yet in my tea journey, but I appreciate the words of a tea guru, James Norwood Pratt, who once wrote, “Tea is quiet and our thirst for tea is never far from our craving for beauty.”

For contact or comment, email box95jackson@gmail.com.

Huatulco

Don Miguel Ruiz Writes of Toltec Wisdom

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By Kary Vannice

Don Miguel Ruiz was born in Guadalajara in 1952 into a long line of Toltec healers and shamans. He is most famous for his book The Four Agreements, originally published in 1997. Today, it still holds the #34 spot on Amazon’s best-seller list and appears at #3 in Mental Health, #3 in Success/Self-Help, and #4 in Personal Transformation.

Since his first publication, don Miguel has added ten other titles to his Toltec Wisdom series of writings.

The Toltecs were a culture of Mesoamerican people who preceded the Aztecs and inhabited the region of Mexico from 700 to 1100 CE. Often asked about his Toltec roots, in an interview Ruiz once explained, “They were artists and spiritual seekers who thrived in Mexico hundreds of years ago before they were forced to hide their ancestral wisdom from European conquerors.”

Despite having to hide these traditions for centuries at the risk of persecution or even death, Ruiz’s family passed down ancient spiritual knowledge and healing generation after generation. His grandfather and mother both practiced Toltec healing and teaching when he was a child. As a young man, however, don Miguel favored modern healing over ancient wisdom and decided his path to helping others would be through becoming a doctor.

In his final year at medical school, he fell asleep at the wheel of his car and drove himself and two of his friends into a concrete wall. When retelling the story, Ruiz reports feeling his consciousness leave his physical body. He says he looked down to see his body pulling his two friends out of the vehicle just before everything went black. When he woke up in a nearby hospital, he was astonished to learn that none of the young men were seriously injured. That was the day he started to truly believe in the spiritual teaching of his mother and grandfather.

Don Miguel went on to complete medical school and become a practicing surgeon, and at the same time, he dove deeply into Toltec spiritual tradition. After six years of practicing medicine, he decided to leave the field and begin teaching Toltec wisdom with his mother in Southern California.

Ten years later, he wrote The Four Agreements, which outlines four simple principles to live by steeped in Toltec wisdom. Don Miguel says if you can master these four agreements, you can set yourself free of anxiety, fear, and worry.

The four agreements are:

1) Be impeccable with your word
2) Don’t take anything personally
3) Don’t make assumptions
4) Always do your best

Ruiz admits to the simplicity of these statements and yet speaks of the subtle power they hold, acknowledging that, while these may be simple, they are not always easy words to live by. One of the main reasons is one’s own internal dialog. Most minds are dominated by the inner critic, which, ironically, Ruiz refers to as “the voice of knowledge.” He says, “Most of the time, the voice of the spirit is silent, and the voice of the internal storyteller is very loud.”

Talking about his book The Voice of Knowledge (2004) in an interview, don Miguel explained it this way…

“The voice of knowledge is the voice in our mind that is always talking — the voice that comes from all that we know. But that voice is usually lying because we have learned so many lies, mainly about ourselves. Every time we judge ourselves, find ourselves guilty and punish ourselves, it’s because the voice in our head is telling us lies. Every time we have a conflict with our parents, our children, or our beloved, it’s because we believe in these lies, and they believe in them, too. So much of the knowledge in our minds is based on lies and superstitions that come from thousands of years ago. Humans create stories long before we are born, and we inherit those stories, we adopt them, and we live in those stories.”

Don Miguel Ruiz’s books help his readers navigate the sometimes-tricky waters of self-awareness in a world that tries to tell you who you are instead of encouraging you to listen to your own inner wisdom and discover your true self.

His message is simple…

“I can tell you that we have only one mission, and that is to make ourselves happy. The only way we can be happy is by being who we are. We create our own story, but society also creates its own story, and it has the right to create whatever story it wants. If you know that, whatever they say will not stop you from being what you are. Just by being what you are, other people will change—but you don’t do it because you want to change them. You do it to make your heart free.”

Huatulco

Dr. Quiroz – Huatulco’s Go-To Practitioner

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By Marcia Chaiken and Jan Chaiken

We first met Dr. Miguel Ángel Quiroz Tovar about twenty years ago. One day our family arrived in Huatulco to visit us from California, and our granddaughter, who was then six, spent the day diving to the bottom of the pool; by that evening she was holding her aching ear and crying. We called a Huatulco resident who had children around age 6 for advice, and within an hour Dr. Quiroz appeared at our condo. After a few perceptive questions and a quick check, Dr. Quiroz assured us that the pain was caused by air pressure in the plane followed by diving, which forced wax deep in our granddaughter’s ear. He said she needed to come to his office so he good irrigate the ear – assuring her that the procedure would not hurt and her ear would feel much better. Sure enough, when she returned from her office visit, she was her usual smiley self and so excited about having met Dr. Quiroz’s daughter who was exactly her age.

Since then, whenever we’ve had a medical problem while in Huatulco, Dr. Quiroz is generally the person we call. We are not alone. Virtually all the English-speaking residents we know in Huatulco have at one time or another paid him a visit for an ailment.

Miguel Ángel Quiroz Tovar was born and raised in Mexico City. He began learning English in primary school and continued advancing his language skills during his secondary education. He matriculated at the prestigious, highly selective National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM) both as an undergraduate and in the School of Medicine where he completed his doctorate degree. His internship and residency, with a specialization in General Surgery, were carried out at the Centro Médico (Medical Center) of the IMSS (Mexican Institute of Social Security), a government agency that operates as part of the Mexican Secretariat of Health. He was awarded membership in the International Association of Surgeons in 1993.

Practicing at the Red Cross Hospital in Mexico City, he met and fell in love with a dentist who was also affiliated with the hospital, Patricia Jimenez Bader. Six months after they met, they married. She was originally from Oaxaca, and their wedding took place in Oaxaca City. The young couple traveled to Huatulco for their honeymoon and they found the area so attractive that they decided to return. In 1994 they both set up their practices here.

Huatulco at that time had a dearth of medical services. There was no hospital. And Dr. Quiroz performed the first surgery in the area. His practice rapidly grew, first with Mexican nationals and then, as tourism developed, with visitors and then foreigners who became permanent residents. Later the IMSS created a local hospital, and private clinics began to be established. Dr. Quiroz practiced in the local hospital for a number of years but has shifted his services entirely to private clinics.

Today, at the height of the tourist season, his practice consists of about 30% foreigners. Although he is certified as a surgeon, Quiroz’s first training as a general practitioner is constantly in use. About 60% of the problems that bring patients to his office are abdominal. Over the years, we’ve heard many reports from English-speaking friends about times when they self-diagnosed problems as simple “Montezuma’s revenge” only to become so ill they sought medical help from Dr. Quiroz, who of course realizes that diarrhea can be symptomatic of a host of diseases which must be diagnosed before targeted medication can be prescribed.

Two long-term members of the local English-speaking community credit “Dr. Q” with saving their lives in 2014. First the husband developed symptoms including chills as well as severe abdominal distress. He saw a doctor who medicated him and then left on vacation. His symptoms worsened, and his wife called Dr. Quiroz, who came over to their condo. When he arrived, the wife was also experiencing severe abdominal distress and shaking so vigorously from chills that she could barely talk. Dr Quiroz immediately admitted both of them to a clinic as inpatients and began rehydrating them intravenously. Their symptoms increased to the point that both of them were hallucinating. A round of tests didn’t prove conclusive and Dr. Quiroz told them that he would bring in a specialist and if that didn’t produce a diagnosis he would need to send them to a hospital in Mexico City. Fortunately, he and the specialist identified the problems as being caused by a specific amoeba that responded to medication. The couple are not only grateful for the medical care but also the kindness of Dr. Quiroz’s wife and children during the episode.

In additional to growing their practices, Dr. Quiroz and his wife also grew their family. They have two sons and a daughter. And he is very proud of all their accomplishments. But he seems most gratified by the success of his wife’s dental practice.

About four years ago, doctors in Huatulco organized as The Association of Doctors in Huatulco (Asociación de Médicos de Huatulco). Dr. Quiroz serves as president of the association. Together the doctors hold conferences, invite practitioners from other parts of the country for educational meetings, conduct community health promotion campaigns and provide informational talks on the local radio. The Association grew to include about 40 active members. But the need to respond to the COVID pandemic reduced active membership to about 12. Now that a major proportion of the population has been vaccinated, including almost all of Dr. Quiroz’s patients, the Association’s activities may be restored.

Dr. Quiroz relaxes when he has time by fishing. He enjoys spending time fishing with his sons, sometimes from the beach and sometimes from a boat. He is also an avid reader of historical fiction. The Journeyer (2010), Gary Jennings’ historical novel about Marco Polo, is one of his favorites. And he has read all six books about prehistoric life by Jean Auel.

We were fortunate to have met Dr. Quiroz so very long ago and to have watched his practice and medical services in Huatulco expand to the point where diagnosis and treatment of many diseases no longer require a trip to facilities in Mexico City. We are also amused by the coincidence that Dr. Quiroz’s daughter. whom our granddaughter met at age six, is now – like our granddaughter – in medical school.

Dr. Quiroz’s telephone number is 958 587 6628 and his email is drmaqt@hotmail.com

2020

Change

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By Raina Dawn Lutz

I’m a holistic nutritionist and I know that changing the way you eat is hard. One thing I’ve learned consulting with people about their eating patterns and choices is that as we change our diet, we need to allow for space to grow. As we evolve, things fall away and new things enter our horizons. This is one of the emotional challenges around making change. It’s not just about the thing we are removing, there’s a lot of emotional processing around it that’s not necessarily nice to do. As we make changes in our life and diet, some things have to fall away before new things can be properly integrated. Some things get shifted, re-arranged or they transition.

For example, 10 years ago when I went vegetarian, I loved it. But when I started craving meat almost a year later, I could have stuck it out. I could have held on tightly to my vegetarian label and not allowed my body to get what it was asking for. I had to let go of the belief that vegetarian was still working for me at that time. I had to let go of the thought that I was “bad” for changing and no longer following my plan of vegetarianism. I had to let go of fear of change and let go of judgement on myself for ‘failing’ at something. (It wasn’t a failure at all and in fact it taught me to more quickly adapt.)

Moving through food phases, be it foods we love now or diets we are following is a lot like, well, life. Between the ages of 18 and 27, I had moved 17 times. That is a lot of upheaval and “unsettle.” Moving on average twice a year for almost a decade. I got very used to change, even though it was uncomfortable. It wasn’t easy. It was frustrating at times and I would question my decisions and feel anxiety about where my life was and why I couldn’t settle. I was so used to moving regularly that this kind of lifestyle became almost like a game.

When I was 28, I got rid of 80% of my material possessions to live as a “digital nomad.” I’ll play the game. I applied this mentality to other areas of life. I also started to classify my diet as “flexitarian.” It was one great big metaphor that I was living. I was flexible, my diet was flexible, my living situation was flexible. My life became fluid in momentum and so did my nutrition. I embraced change

I used this life/food metaphor to start working with my clients on a level where they could stop dieting and learn to find their power, their sense of choice and freedom.We may think we need a fixed diet label or a meal plan regime to feel secure with our food choices when really we just need a basic understanding of what foods are healthy as well as the freedom and fluidity to allow ourselves to discover what works innately for our body. This is the “Consciousness Over Calories” method that uses mindfulness as the base to success. It’s also letting our attachment to diets die – letting our thoughts on a “certain way” of being, having things or having things look – die.

But once we hit that great plateau of freedom and flexibility in our transitions – then what?

Our minds crave a challenge.

What are the positives of allowing death, death of thoughts, beliefs, etc., about our diet? It makes room for growth, for personal development using food as a platform.
·-Every day we can make decisions to vote with our fork and support slow food, a powerful shift.
·-We can take care of our planet by making conscious decisions.
·-We have the power to choose how our body feels based on decisions we make.
·-We can support local farmers (when our lifestyles and budgets allow).
-We can choose the food that works for us and not feel bound by strict rules.

If healing is a return to wholeness, then healing from trauma by allowing parts of us to die is remembering that we can trust ourselves, we can trust our failures and successes in food and we can trust life as it changes. It is the reintegration into easiness, calmness, and the willingness to allow things to be as they are, rather than trying to control everything.

As you’re making changes in life or feeling that you need to, just remember there is always a new perspective just around the corner. The simplicity, change and freedom you crave is just one new thought away. It’s allowing that transition and questioning it, getting curious about it, welcoming it instead of fighting it, that’s where we’ll find both success and balance.

Raina is a holistic nutritionist based in BC, Canada.
http://www.lutznutrition.ca