Inside Mexico Blog: Living in Mexico

Health tips during this crazy flu season: "Get to the supermarket early, take echinacea and make love¨

Shauna — Wed, 29 Apr 2009 13:33:37 -0700

The swine flu scare has many of us taking extreme precautions to stay healthy. I asked, Dr. Carlos Alvear, Founder of Yolitia in Malinalco, Mexico, who has a holistic approach to medicine, for his advice during this time. He sent me the following recipes:

1. Stay home if you can

Wash you hands before meals and on a regular basis
Disinfect common areas, the kitchen, sinks, toilets, door knobs, etc...
Use ozone for the enviroment

2. Go to the supermarket only very early in the morning or late at night in order to have less contact with people

3. Buy fruits and veggies that are in season

4. Eat whole foods if possible

5. Avoid refined and processed foods

6. No dairy and No sugar

7. Try to practice yoga or chi kung (or Qigong) to keep a good balance and high flow of energy

8. Avoid negative talk and thoughts

9. Breath deep, laugh, pray and make love

Herbs that can help:

Echinacea
Golden seal
Lemon grass
Melissa
Eleuthero
Licorice
Rhodiola
Codonopsis (Dang Shen)
Whitania somnifera (Ashwagandha)
Emblica officinalis (Ambla)

If you have a hard time finding these herbs, Dr. Alvear has a line of organic herb formulas that include some of these herbs in both tinctures and in capsules. They can send them overnight to any place in the Mexican Republic. For more information go to: http://www.yolitia.org/#/productos/

If you have any other advice on holisitic medicine and ways to stay healthy, please add a comment below.

Swine Flu: What the bloggers (and twitterers) are saying

simon — Tue, 28 Apr 2009 09:14:39 -0700

The advent of the weblog or blog, as well as social networking services such as Twitter have allowed individuals to become the newswires of the 21st century. From the attack on Mumbai to the swearing in of President Obama, we have all become in our own ways, on the ground reporters of life changing events.

The latest swine flu outbreak in Mexico is no different. Insidemex.com looks at what the bloggers and twitterers are saying about the latest blow to this beautiful country.

www.garydenness.co.uk: Gary (Twitter name: @garydenness) is keeping a daily Swine Flu diary. He isn't sure whether the Anti-flu measures work, whether a mask keeps you from catching it, but that's not going to stop him from following the precautions.

www.Cancuncanuck.com: Cancuncanuck (@cancuncanuck) is - as her name would suggest - a Canadian living in Cancun with her family. So far there have been no reports of any illness in the Yucatan or Quintana Roo, although as with the rest of Mexico schools have been shut down. That said, Cancun is being affected by this crisis as much as any city in Mexico: @rivergirlcancun (www.hiddencancun.com) was tweeting yesterday that planes were arriving in Cancun empty and leaving full. That's never a good sign.

www.mexicoreporter.com: @mexicoreporter (LA Times blogger Deborah Bonello) is a regular twitterer and has been video reporting on the affects of the swine flu on the local economy in Mexico Cty. Check out what the man on the street is saying in her latest video.

www.morenainmexico.com Inside Mexico founder Margot Lee Shetterly (@mrlsmexico) compares the current crisis with her experiences travelling through the SARS outbreak

www.misdwesternerinmexico.com, a newly-wed American living in Mexico City hasn't left her house for the last three days purely because she has nothing to do. Almost all social activities in Mexico City have been shut down.

If you speak Spanish it's well worth checking out the tweets from @eluniversal (www.eluniversal.com.mx). They are very up to date but like all the Spanish language press can be a little alarmist.

An excellent source of information (although with few links) is @mpoppel, with breaking news round the clock.

Finally for a good blog as about swine flu in Mexico and regular tweets, check out CNN's Chief Medical Correspondent, Dr Sanjay Gupta. He seems sensible and not too alarmist, giving the facts and explaining the context. Worth reading and following on @sanjayguptaCNN.

As always these are personal favourites and we'd love to hear what you read to keep abreast of the swine flu situation. Let us know in the comments below, and of course you can follow our twitter stream at @insidemexico as well the regular updates on our blog.

Inside México wants to know how the swine flu is affecting YOUR life

Shauna — Mon, 27 Apr 2009 14:29:18 -0700

As the talking heads talk, we want to get closer to the ground.

Community journalism can give us a different picture of what is happening with the swine flu. You can help us.

What is happening in your neighborhood? Building? City? Are you changing plans? Leaving Mexico? Canceling a trip to Mexico? Do you think the whole thing is overblown? Do you know anyone who has the disease?

Tell us how swine flu is affecting you by scrolling down to the comment box located below.

Add an earthquake to the flu outbreak

catherine — Mon, 27 Apr 2009 13:51:19 -0700

We were on the third-floor rooftop of a Colonia Roma hotel when the building began to sway. My stomach dipped as the patio wall seemed to waver. The nerves I had calmed before going live on a BBC radio program jittered and bounced.

What timing. Here we were -- six guest speakers, and a BBC crew in from London -- to record what it feels like to be at the epicenter of the swine flu outbreak, when a magnitude 5.6 earthquake shook our outdoor studio.

"World Have Your Say" host Ros Atkins coaxed a laugh out of all of us with a few quips. What's next? he asked. Killer bees? A shark attack?

The program was originally planned as a 30-person round-table discussion about drugs and violence in Mexico. Those plans were scrapped to discuss the swine flu instead, and the set-up changed so that only four guests were on at time -- two guests and Ros on one end of the roof garden, and two guests and a producer at the other end -- to avoid crowding.

The show covered the gamut from the quake to flu-related facemasks, government response, travel advisories, and citizen reactions to the safety measures, both in Mexico and around the world. You can download the BBC podcast here. And here are a few photos from around Mexico City and the rooftop studio.

All in all, it was an excellent program (despite the scare). Cheers and thanks to the BBC team.

How to make your own anti-flu protective mask: Part I

margot — Mon, 27 Apr 2009 13:39:41 -0700

On Saturday morning, about ten percent of the crowd at the local Sumesa was wearing face masks. Now, Monday afternoon, I'd say the proportion has jumped to 80. The streets of Mexico City are filled with blue- or green-masked folks, all attempting to outwit the wily H1N1 virus, also known as swine flu.

But are masks that seem little more than colorful five-ply Kleenex really up to the job? This morning on my personal blog I posted in detail about filters, and if one might be able to make an effective face mask for protecting against the flu.

I'm about to start the experiment to make my own mask and will post the full results here. In the meantime, scientists out there: what is the best way for people worried about airborne transmission of the virus from one person to another to protect themselves?

Mexico City keeps going whilst world is frozen in terror

simon — Sat, 25 Apr 2009 12:20:29 -0700

Life as we know it in Mexico City has changed. City shuts down, inhabitants frozen in swine flu-induced terror.

Or has it? The media would have you believe it has, and indeed it is odd living in Mexico City right now. The streets are quieter and people just seem a little less friendly towards each other (no major kissing, shaking hands and slapping on back greetings today).

Having said that, things aren't that different. This morning Kate and I went for food in la Condesa at Origenes Organicos with friends over from the UK. We ate food outside and no one there was wearing the blue ninja mask being handed out by authorities at the Metro stations to help avoid the swine influenza.

Still, this crisis is being taken very seriously but in a very practical way by most Mexicans. Yes Marcelo Ebrard has closed public spaces like museums, football grounds and schools for 10 days, but people still have to eat (yesterday we saw a girl at the taco stall wearing a mask and pulling it down whenever she she took a bite of al pastor) and Arturo, the lion-esque seller of natural foods outside our flat was doinga brisk trade, albeit with mouth covered and handling loose change with plastic gloves.

At the end of the day life goes on. People still need to make money and they won't stay at home and risk losing a days wages - the associated risk is much higher to them than that of catching swine flu.

The real danger is that this possible epidemic will be gone before we know it whilst the effects to the economy, especially tourism, will be with us for a very long time.

Check out this article on protecting yourself in the event of an emergency from getmoneyenergy.com

How can you protect against the swine flu?

margot — Sat, 25 Apr 2009 08:09:08 -0700

The recent outbreak of a new and dangerous strain of flu-- being referred to as "swine flu", though the genetic makeup of the virus is actually a combination of material from pigs, humans and birds--has health officials around the globe on alert. Mexico officials confirm 20 deaths from this particular flu strain, with another 1,004 suspected cases of the illness around the country. The United States has reported eight cases of the swine flu.

The flu can be highly contagious and transferring an outbreak from one city, country or hemisphere to another is a concern given the ubiquity and ease of global travel. Governments around the world are carefully monitoring the health data and stocking up on medicine. But what can an individual do to protect against this dangerous disease? A little research turns up some advice:

(1) Wash your hands. Wash hands frequently, throroughly and completely with soap and hot water and make sure to scrub under your nails.

(2) Keep your home and work area clean. Don't forget those computer keyboards!

(3) Avoid hospitals unless it's an absolute medical emergency. Hospitals are rife with infections.

(4) Limit physical contact. Forego the usual kiss on the cheek for a hearty hello. If you are feeling sick, be a good citizen and limit your exposure to other people. Cover your face and use tissues when coughing or sneezing, then repeat (1).

(5) If you have flu-like symptoms, get help early. There is no vaccine to protect against this strain of the flu, so even if you have had a flu shot, you are not protected. However, according to the US Center for Disease Control (CDC), two medicines, Tamiflu and Relenza, are effective against the swine flu, but are best if given as soon as possible after the onset of symptoms.

Symptoms of the flu include: fever, lethargy, lack of appetite, coughing, runny nose, sore throat, nausea, vomiting and diarrhea.

(6) Stay tuned. The situation is evolving rapidly and news outlets are giving constant updates. Check in regularly to make sure you're aware of the latest information and advisories.

Deadly Swine Flu prompting closures and precautions

catherine — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 11:12:58 -0700

Hello, and stop right there. Not too close, please. News outlets and health officials are putting out the red alert on an outbreak of deadly new influenza strains, which are being referred to as swine flu. The Associated Press and the New York Times report that there have been at least 16 recent deaths in Mexico due to the swine flu, and according to the NYT:

"The World Health Organization reported about 800 cases of flu-like symptoms in Mexico in recent weeks, most of them among healthy young adults, with 57 deaths in Mexico City and 3 in central Mexico."

Today, officials closed schools throughout the capital city and the neighboring Estado de México, a measure not taken since the massively destructive 1985 earthquake in Mexico City. Health officials also urge precautions such as that people avoid crowded spaces like the metro, stay home from work if they have flu-like symptoms, and refrain from the typical kiss-and-handshake greeting.

Mexico's Health Ministry lists symptoms that include: fever higher than 38 degrees Celsius, frequent and intense coughing, headache, loss of appetite, and nasal congestion. This outbreak appears to be hitting young, healthy adults the hardest, according to news reports.

Regarding treatment, Mexico City's health minister, Armando Ahued, was quoted in the Agence France-Presse, as saying: "This new virus is susceptible to a specific antiviral, and the cases that are detected and determined as flu will be perfectly treated."

However, the AFP story also noted that: "The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says on its website that there is no vaccine to specifically protect humans from swine flu, only to protect pigs."

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention provides a definition and FAQ about swine flu on its website.

Baby boomers abroad unite!

simon — Wed, 15 Apr 2009 13:06:41 -0700

By 2022, the number of English-speakers living in Mexico is predicted to have risen to 10 million people.

Incredible right?

Incredible but a very likely reality, even with the current economic crisis.

And who will make up the majority of these residents? People over the age of 60 coming to retire in Mexico.

Baby Boomers, retirees, active adults, pensioners. Call them what you will, but with the ever-aging populations of "developed" countries such as the US, Canada and most of Western Europe, together they represent a huge market for property, goods, services and information providers that is set to grow exponentially as the estimated 100 million boomers in the US and Canada alone retire over the next 20 years.

This is the richest generation of all time, and with its propensity to travel and desire for a high standard of living is increasingly looking at retiring overseas - Mexico already has 2.5 million retired English-speakers living full-time in one of the many expat communities around the country.

And so for this reason Luis Miranda, CEO of BoomerAbroad has set up a new social network an information resource for Boomers, "...to provide the necessary information, education, guidance, resources, tools and alternatives to start boomers down the path of discovering and understanding all that living, retiring and investing abroad has to offer".

I'd highly recommend anyone who is thinking of moving to Mexico as a retiree to take a look - it's definitely worth checking out.

But what can Mexico do to prepare for the influx of boomers looking to retire to sunnier climes?

Well, according to Dr Jorge Casteñada, ex-Foreign Minister to Presidente Vicente Fox, there are three important innovations needed to really help expatriates retire in Mexico:

The major American heath insurance companies need to cover at least basic-level services. The introduction of Medicare to Mexican expats would be of huge benefit.
Mexico needs to build new and better airports near to large expatriate communities - San Miguel, Puerto Vallarta, Los Cabos, Riviera Maya.
There need to be enough services and facilities such as golf courses, movie theaters, satellite television, good phone services, world class clinics and hospitals etc If our reader survey is anything to go by

So what's your view? Are you looking to move to Mexico? Why? Why did you move here and what keeps you here? We'd love to hear from you.

And if your looking to make friends and find out about events in your local area of Mexico sign up to one of our online expat communities.

Mexico is the number one destination for American expats

simon — Tue, 14 Apr 2009 10:03:53 -0700

I just read expatify.com's latest article on the 10 Most Suitable Countries for American Expatriates and was delighted to see that, despite the travel warnings issued by the US State Department, ordinary US citizens (plus Canadians, Brits and Europeans for that matter) still see Mexico as a great place to invest, work, travel and retire.

The numbers bear this out: The US embassy says that over a million Americans currently live in Mexico full time, and this number may be even larger when you consider the number of "illegal" US residents who are not registered, whose visas have expired etc.

In fact when you look at the English speaking audience as a whole, the numbers are even more impressive. According to the Mund Group, a Mexican market research company, there are currently 3 million English speaking residents living in Mexico, a number that they predict will increase to 10 million by 2022.

And why do we come to live here?

Well, for many Americans, Mexico is attractive because it is so close to home. Pretty much anywhere in Mexico is just a short flight away.
Cost of living is a major factor. Especially with the current strength of the dollar against the peso you can live in a bigger house in a better area, probably with a pool, and hire a maid for less than $15-20 per day.
Medical costs are significantly cheaper than in the US. Medical tourism is a huge business in Mexico and our survey of over 2,000 expats last year showed that 85% of respondents felt that medical costs were lower than in the US, while 66% felt the quality of service was the same or better than in America.
There is already a big US and Canadian presence in Mexico. If you moved to San Miguel de Allende or Puerto Valarta tomorrow you would immediately find yourself welcomed into the strong expat communities there.

Oh and the amazing climate doesn't hurt either!

So why do you live in Mexico? Or, indeed, what would make Mexico a more attractive option as a potential expat?

Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.