Mexico: Who Knew It Was so HEALTHY!!!

Let’s get something straight: I didn’t move to Mexico for quinoa salads and ancient corn varieties. I moved because the U.S. felt more like a padded cell than a country. Seriously, the inmates are now running the asylum. So we liquidated everything and got out by the end of January. But here’s a surprise: since moving here, I’ve accidentally become healthier. And it’s not because I found a yoga guru named Paco or because I started juicing (although don’t knock it till you try it). It’s because the food here is just... better.

No GMO, Gracias

One of the first things that struck me at the local mercado, wasn’t the low price of oranges (which ran about $1.50 US for 9 in the bag above) - it was the taste. Real, actual flavor. The same goes for tomatoes. When you buy produce down here, they're not all the exact same size, shape and color - that's the easiest way to spot GMO products. Here, furits and veggies vary wildly - just like on the farms and apple orchards back in Michigan, when I was a kid. Why? Turns out, Mexico doesn’t allow genetically modified corn etc. for human consumption. The tortillas you buy here? They’re made with real corn. The kind your gut recognizes, not the Frankencrop grown with glyphosate runoff.

Compare that to the U.S., where we slapped a label on "organic" just to charge more for what used to be... well, food.

Warning Labels Like a Pack of Cigarettes

Now here’s something they do better than us: transparency. If your soda has too much sugar, the bottle straight-up tells you. “Exceso Azucares”, “Exceso Calorías”, “Exceso Sodio”—all printed like skull-and-crossbones on processed foods. It’s like the government is saying, “Hey dummy, maybe put this back and go buy a mango.”

Imagine that in the States. The leadership, and politicians who are bought-and-paid-for by Monsanto, would launch a Super Bowl ad campaign claiming warning labels were "woke".

This law (passed in 2020) made international headlines, and for good reason. Mexico took a bold step toward confronting obesity and diabetes head-on. And it’s working—studies show that people are buying fewer sugary drinks and more unlabeled foods. And guess what doesn’t come with a warning label? Fresh tamales from a street cart made with love, corn, and zero additives.

The Farm Is Down the Street

We shop at local fruterías where half the produce doesn’t even have a brand name. That’s because it came from Juan’s cousin’s farm down the road. There’s no need for a sticker or a barcode—it’s just food, pulled from the dirt, rinsed in the back, and stacked in baskets.

Real food that’s never seen the inside of a distribution warehouse.

Even chicken looks different. It's yellow and leaner. Like they do pushups in the morning.

And yes, occasionally you get a fly buzzing around or a tomato that went soft overnight—but I’ll take imperfect real food over plasticized perfection any day of the week.

The Restaurants Buy Local Too

Whether it's shrimp and fish tacos, steak or even lemonade (which is ALWAYS fresh-squeezed!) the food at most of the restaurants is bought from local farms, fishermen etc. You can taste it. It's like the first time I had steak on a ranch. The difference between that and grocery store meat was incredible.

Whether traditional restaurants that serve tacos and tamales or fine dining restaurants that serve exquisite French cuisine, the odds are very high that what you're eating today, was

The first restaurant we ate at was this incredible French restaurant downtown. Lunch for two of us, was $35 USD!

picked or packed within the last few days. Even the local burger joints are different. I was in a drive through at a place that makes real Black Angus burgers today. There were three people ahead of me. That meant I waited almost a half hour for my order because nothing is pre-maid, the fries are cut from potatoes on the premises etc. Are there exceptions? Of Course!

I made the mistake of getting nostalgic and having some KFC in the mall. I felt well, "icky" and as if I'd eaten something unnatural - which of course, I did. Other American chains are here, so if you want the unique flavor of those wonderfully chemical-induced burgers at Burger King, McDonald's and other fast food chains, knock yourself out. Me? About the only US chain I can stomach is Chile's. We eat out 5 - 6 times a week (ranging from .80 cent gordita's to fine dining) and have eaten at US chains 2 times in three months.

Side Effects May Include... Better Living

Look, I’m not some organic food evangelist. I still drink Scotch in the evenings and spend more time than most, playing video games in VR.

But I’ve noticed something since moving here: fewer stomach issues, better sleep, and more energy. At my first doctor (which costs NOTHING at a pharma) he told me I'm in exceptional shape.

Is it the food or doing yoga and playing tennis almost every day? Probably a bit of both..

But I’ll tell you this: if you're thinking about moving to Mexico, don’t just factor in the cost of living—factor in the cost of wellness. Because down here, it comes naturally, not in supplement form.

Cheers, Federico