This is a follow up to the blog - "Medical Mentors Matter and Measure Up in Ajijic!!"

Because my doctora is such a good teacher, I have become an avid student on the subject of pre-diabetes and Type 2 diabetes. I would like to share with you some of the things that I have learned and hopefully help others along the way.

I always thought that I followed a good diet, reading food information labels when shopping, eating my fruits and vegetables, whole grains, etc. I followed a regular exercise routine -walking and weights.

It wasn't until my doctora put me on a Low Arachidonic Acid diet that I started to learn how to eat well to reduce my added weight and elevated blood sugar. Arachidonic acid is Omega 6 and requires being balanced in a what we eat. I have come to love this diet as it is so easy to follow and I have found great recipes that I will share with you on a regular basis.

Some of the subjects that I will touch on include:

Insulin resistance

Silent inflammation

Obesity

Hyperinsulinemia

Arachidonic acid (AA)

Inflammation mediators

Visceral fat

Tumor necrosis factor (TNF)

C-reactive protein (CRP)

Type 2 diabetes

Inflammation Factor Rating

Ant-inflammatory foods

Pro-inflammatory foods

Diet

Low arachidonic acid Recipes

I want to repeat this information from the previous blog: According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, one-fourth of all Americans with diabetes, or 5.7 million people, don’t realize they have it. Another 57 million have pre-diabetes and 1.6 million new diagnoses are made every year.

The next blog;

Part I MEDICAL MENTORS MATTER and & MEASURE UP in Ajijic, Mexico.!!

(This blog is not designed to and does not provide medical advice, professional diagnosis, opinion, treatment or services to you or to any other individual.) This is my experience.

How long is it since you have had an annual medical check-up?

IS AN ANNUAL MEDICAL CHECK-UP NECESSARY?

Though I considered myself healthy, I sensed it was time for my annual physical examination, so I made an appointment with my General Practitioner (Mentor #1), March 1, 2011. To my surprise he informed me that it was 2 years since the last one. Time flies when you are having fun!!

My clothes were a little too snug; although, since I add weight evenly over my body no one mentioned that I had put on weight (or they were being polite). My blood tests were excellent except for one reading; I had a slightly elevated fasting blood sugar, measuring (130mg). My blood pressure was 116/68 and pulse about 62.

SO, I was knocking on the door of diabetes/prediabetes; and didn't know it. . .I had no noticeable symptoms (except added weight). I was like so many others -According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, one-fourth of all Americans with diabetes, or 5.7 million people, don’t realize they have it. Another 57 million have pre-diabetes and 1.6 million new diagnoses are made every year.

My general practitioner put me on a 2 week course of low dose of ,metformin; 1/2 tablet before breakfast and dinner (total of 500mg.) The doctor felt that I should stay on the metformin and ordered an hba1c-test. He referred me to a female medical doctor with a post graduate in medicine plus a degree in Nutrition (Mentor #2). I felt that I would be in good hands and I was not disappointed.

I visited the doctora on April 7, 2011. Can you believe she spent 2 hours with me measuring all my body components and explaining the diet I was about to embark on, all for $300 pesos (about $28 US)?

I weighed in at 150 pounds and 2 ½ months later I was 120 pounds, drawing all sorts of comments and compliments from friends, co-workers and clients. My blood sugar was normal and has remained normal.

Let me walk you through my treatment with my medical mentors and along the way I will share with you what I learned.

References: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, realage.com, Dlife.com. I use these websites for my personal education.

Part II Things I learned from my nutrition specialist doctor (Mentor Two) -next post

Ajijic is home to a number of North Americans and Europeans who would not live any where else.

"Why"? You may ask. One of the many reasons is the healthy life style.

We enjoy nutritious, colourful, fresh fruits and vegetables year round at very reasonable cost. We have the option of organic produce also.

Our health improves, you need only ask many of the residents and they will tell you amazing stories of renewed vigor, body image and with it new interests in fitness and other activities that make life so fulfilling here.

Because we have wonderful produce so readily available I have taken to trying no ways of preparing meals: less meat, more vegetable dishes served sometimes with, sometimes without chicken and fish.

I would like to share two links from websites that I receive e-mails from regularly. Snowbirds could use these recipes also as summer and fall harvests are available.

http://allrecipes.com/HowTo/From-Farm-to-Table-Farmers-Markets/Detail.aspx

http://allrecipes.com/howto/summertime-is-berrytime/detail.aspx?ms=1&prop25=63845264&prop26=Baking&prop27=2011-07-26&prop28=Intro&prop29=Link_1&me=1

Below is a picture of my favourite company coming dessert - 5 fresh locally grown berries in a red currant sauce.

Here is what market day looks like every Wednesday were people stock up on fresh produce for the week.

We invite you to come and sample some of the good life in Ajijic!! Don and I will show were these good things are to be found.

You know there are avantages to doing volunteer work that you never expect.

Being a former nurse, I joined the Lake Chapala Society volunteer group that monitors blood pressures every Monday and Friday.                                                                                        Today I told a man, that he had great vital signs. His blood pressure was 110/70 and pulse 64 - you can't get much better that that!

He went on to tell me that he came to Ajijic with a mission, a mission to lose weight and get healthy. He did just that. He lost 80 pounds and went from a 50inch belt to a 36 inch belt.

How did he do it? He ate a good diet full of the fresh fruits and vegetables that we are so blessed to have here at such a reasonable cost AND he walked! His starting goal was 7 miles a day which he did accomplish and is now up over 20 miles a day. He walks the Ajijic malecon which measures one mile on a return walk.

He returned about 10 minutes after we talked and showed me a picture of himself on his driver's licence, double chin and all. He did not look like the same man! The one thing he emphasized is the need for daily consistancy in order to succeed.

So put on your walking shoes and take advantage of the good foods available to us here - that is if you need to improve your health! It can be done. (I think) I will try the Ajijic malecon.

I have learned my lesson. "Wear your hat", my husband always reminded me.

Last week I had a squamous cell lesion removed from above my left eye and a little bit of my brow.

I thank the excellent surgeon and dermatologist who carefully removed it and reconstrcted the area, right here in Ajijic.

They consulted each other for about 15 minutes as to the best way to incise the area and then deftly "mapped" the area to be removed so that all the lesion would be included.

The surgery took over an hour, so I know they did a good job. Being a former nurse, I watched that they used sterile procedure - they were terrific!! I knew that I was in good hands. The lesion was about the size of a centavo.

My husband was the push for me to visit the doctor in the first place, as I had a "rash" over my eye which would not go away. Dr. Lupita did a biopsy which came back positive within the week and she set up the surgery for the next week.

I should have known better, because a year ago another doctor found and removed a similar lesion from my back.

What did I learn?

1. Do not ignore something that will not heal, not matter how small.

2. Get regular skin care checks. The Lake Chapala Society holds regular check up clinics and all it costs is a donation to the Wilkes learning Centre.

2. Wear a hat during daylight hours. This should not be difficult for me, as I love hats!!

3. Don't think that I am immune from skin cancer because I am not blond or a red head.

4. Most of all - How fortunate we are in Ajijic - we have excellent doctors right in our neighbourhood and the wait time for treatment is minimal.

5. All this cost of less than $600US!

I hope this blog encourages you to seek a check up and if needed receive prompt attention for any concern.

With all these hats my husband should not have to remind me to wear just one!!

Our clients and now friends from Florida sent us this to share with you!

     Have you hugged your dentist today? 

  Seems like a silly question unless your dentist is  Dra. Pilar.

Yes, she is definitely a female dentist and yes she is a Mexican dentist.

You would ask is it safe to go to Mexico and to add to it, go to see a dentist there?

The Lake Chapala area is probably not only has the world’s second best climate,

It is very safe and the people are super friendly.

The dentist’s office is the most modern I have seen with state of the art equipment.   Sharon , my wife needed a bridge, she was quoted $2610.00 by her US dentist.  Dra. Pilar did an absolute fabulous job for a mere $1200.00

In addition, Dra Pilar did a cleaning and cosmetic work for an additional $160.00

Sharon ’s teeth now look GREAT!

I was so impressed with Dra. Pilar’s work I decided to have my teeth cleaned and

have a filling that had turned yellow re-done. The Mexican dentist not only fixed the yellow spot, she repaired a chipped front tooth and build up a worn tooth as to make for a perfect smile all for $115.00

You can contact this great dental clinic at WWW.HECTORHARODDS.COM

Ed and Sharon Vanderleelie

We at lake Chapala are priveldged to enjoy raspberries, strawberries and blackberries almost year round. Cost? about $2-3 USD for 1 litre. So this article caught my attention and I thought I would share it with you.

Deeply-coloured fruits might just stave off dementia

August 24, 2010 07:29 by Dr. Marla Shapiro    WATCH my segment on Canada AM: Berries and Brain Power

Whole foods are particularly important in protecting our brain function. While supplements can be useful, it is the vast array of compounds in whole foods that act together to help with healthy aging and even reverse or prevent impairments in our cognitive function.

Factors involved in aging include inflammation and oxidative stress. With both impacting the brain and our body, there can be an increase in not only neurodegenerative diseases such as dementia, but also other chronic diseases such as cardiovascular diseases and even cancer.

In fruits and vegetables are chemical compounds called polyphenolics. Polyphenolics include both flavonoids and anthocyanins. Flavonoids are known to act as anti-inflammatory agents and anthocyanins are known antioxidants. Anthocyanins have been found in specific sites in the brain. Anthocyanins also have insulin like properties that improve metabolic function by lowering sugar.

In animal studies, it has been shown that a diet high in antioxidant-rich blueberries, strawberries and blueberry extracts showed reversals of age-related deficits in function of the neurons and cognitive behavior.

Now, a third mechanism in neuron aging has been identified. Microglia cells act as the natural housekeepers of the brain and clean up and recycle damaged toxic proteins and other structures in the brain cells.

As we get older, the microglia don’t recycle and clean up as well. This process of housekeeping is called autophagy. Autophagy declines with aging and as a result, debris can build up in the brain. Research reported in the Journal of Agriculture Food Chemistry shows that the polyphenols on blueberries shut down the action of a protein that shuts down the autophagy process.

In this new study, a research group was given an extract of wild blueberry juice, versus a control group who was given a placebo. In the study group with the extract, at 12 weeks, there was an improvement in paired associate learning and word recall. There was also a trend to reduced depressive symptoms. Interestingly enough, there also were reduced fasting glucose levels. It may also be that through the trend of lower sugar and improved fasting isulin levels, that this might also be responsible for the improved brain function.

Other research has shown that blueberries inhibit enzymes involved in promoting cancer. As well, blueberries lower arterial constriction and narrowing by relaxing blood vessels, which can have an impact on blood pressure regulation and heart disease.

The phrase "you are what you eat" has new meaning! Berries and fruits are rich in polyphenolics but any fruit or vegetable with deep red, orange or blue colours also are rich in anthocyanins as well. So make sure to have plenty of these in your diet.

WATCH: My segment on Canada AM: Berries and brain power

This blog is provided by the The Wright Team Mexico to provide visitors and members with information about events that will help them learn more about events in Mexico, particularly in the Lake Chapala area. The Wright Team Mexico disclaims responsibility for any of the content or opinions expressed on this blog, including, but not limited to content or opinions regarding any products or service mentioned on the blog. The Wright Team disclaims liability for any damages or losses, direct or indirect, that may result from use of or reliance on information contained in the blog.

I received the following e-mail this week and thought it was worth passing on. We look forward to seeing you at the meeting.

Click on the address below to see the webalbum pictures of the market held every Tuesday.

"The organic farm, ACA and its brand name Great Greens, have been a fixture in the Lakeside area for many years. Marie Pruden has been in charge of the farming part of the operation, while her partner handled the business end. Through it's years the Great Greens reputation has grown, as has demand. Being able to produce a great product and being able to manage operations are not necessarily compatible. That's why things are changing at ACA. Marie has welcomed the input of a group, "Friends of ACA", to help reorganize the operation of the farm in order to put it on a sustainable financial footing, grow the business end and provide resources to support the non-profit part of the business. Some very knowledgeable and far-sighted people are involved in this effort. You are encouraged to attend a meeting to learn about these exciting changes and to offer input to help maintain this community asset.

The meeting is Saturday, August 14th from 2:00-3:30 at LCS.

We need as much organic produce as our community can produce. Marie is committed to that goal.

Please take time to join us on Saturday. Bring your ideas!

Greg Ochs."

http://picasaweb.google.com/wrightteammexico/AjijicOrganicGardening#

GREENS GROWN IN MEXICO

Foreigners considering real estate in Mexico often ask if they can eat the salads in restaurants and do they have to soak all their vegetables. Yes and yes, although what makes them any different than in Canada and the USA? Read on...

Continuing along the vein of good food grown and provided us to in Mexico, I thought you may find this of interest.

Well, this week I wanted celery for a recipe and did not find a head of it in the store. What I did find was packaged celery in snack packs with a dip. More and more we are finding that Mexico is ahead of the game in so many things and this is one of them. The brand is Mr. Lucky, a product of Mexico. These products are grown in the state of Guanajuato.

“ 8 bolsitas individuales con aderezo” (8 individual packets with dressing) were in the bag. Here is the information provided on the recyclable bilingual package:

16 calories, +2g Fiber per bag.

Each bag has 10 sticks.

Good source of Vitamin C

Washed and ready to eat

Serving size: 100g (does not include dressing)

26.4 calories

Total fat: 1.2g

Sodium: 108.4mg

Total carbohydrates: 2.5g

Proteins: 1.4g

Keep under refrigeration 34˚F to 36˚F or 1.1˚C to 2.2˚C

Recommendation: To avoid dehydration place celery in cold water just before consumption.

Product is dated July 10, 2010

As an added note, since I am very aware of listed package ingredients, the dressing has no hydrogenated ingredients listed. The full list is supplied. Sugar and salt are not near the beginning of the list.

Note on package: “Thank you for choosing MR.LUCKY Celery Sticks! Our commitment to you is to offer the freshest and safest vegetables, so you can include in your healthy lifestyle ingredients that provide nutritional value to your diet. We are distinguished by the care and effort we put to get out products. MR. LUCKY celery sticks are washed and cooled promptly after harvest, keeping their freshness, flavor and nutrients.”

MR. LUCKY is the first Latin American country to obtain the SQF certificate.

SQF means Safe Quality Food. Certification provides retail stores and supply chains the warranty that foods certified by SQF have been provided according to the Recognized International Food Quality Standard. SQF is a company worldly recognized by GFSI (Global Food Safety Institute) GFSI represents 70% of the amount of food acquired by retail stores world wide and is managed by the FMI (Food Marketing Institute) http:www.fmi.org.

Learn more about the certificate on their website.http://www.mrlucky.com.mx/intro.html

Are we in a 3rd world country? I think not!!

8 packages of 10 sticks each with a dressing. Nutritional information on package. Biligual package is recyclable.	Nutricional information, refigeration instructions and recipe on back of package.

You may have read in some of our blogs or newsletters about the many things we learn from our real estate clients.

One of our listing clients lives in a pretty community, La Huerta in Ajijic, Jalisco, Mexico. She happened to mention one day that an organic market was held within walking distance of their home, held every Tuesday morning. So one Tuesday, soon after, Don and I took off to visit the market. It is presently held at the home of one of the members of the Green Transition in Actions Group. The group supports local Mexican farmers who wish to develop their organic farms into viable businesses. What a great market and wonderful produce! If you live in the area you too can join the group and support the efforts of the local farmers.

The group organizes events: one which I attended was a tour of one of the organic farms high up the mountain. The farmer is creating a model for others to follow. His vision is to have a community of small organic farms or homesteads. He toured us about his farm, explaining his clean water system and the organic herbs, fruits and vegetables. He is an herbalist also. After the tour a lunch was shared by all

The group is in the development stages and seeking those interested in promoting this endeavour. We have included some pictures for your interest.

Just another reason that we love our Ajijic community.

http://picasaweb.google.com/wrightteammexico/AjijicOrganicGardening#