Living at Lake Chapala in Mexico

Our last blog answered concerns about drinking the water and consuming ice in Mexico. While those are two large concerns for newcomers, there are other new processes to learn when you move to Mexico or come for a visit that will help you stay healthy and happy.

In the pages of Living at Lake Chapala at http://www.mexico-insights.com/, our writers have written a dozen or more articles about shopping for the beautiful fruits and vegetables sold in area tianguis (street markets) and in the grocery stores and central market places. The bell peppers, green onions, radishes, lettuce, cucumbers, broccoli, cauliflower, apples, peaches, grapes, pears and other fruits and vegetables are perfect and beautiful they are not yet ready to eat.

In Mexico, because our tap water may not be absolutely pure, and because we are never sure where and how our fruits and vegetables have been grown and picked, we take an extra step to be certain that all of the bacteria has been washed off of the produce we are going to eat without peeling or cooking.

Local grocery stores and pharmacies sell special drops with which you can purify water and vegetables and fruits. When I get back from the market I just put all of the produce in a large dish pan, fill the pan with tap water and then I add five drops of the purification solution (silver colloid) to the water. According to the directions on the package, I let the produce soak in the treated water for 15 minutes, then let it all air dry. Do Not Rinse the fruits and veggies with tap water!

While you may be well advised to avoid eating raw fruits and vegetables that are not cooked or peeled in restaurants in other areas of the country, you don't have to worry about salads and fruits here.

Lakeside restaurants have been catering to Mexican and foreign tourists for many years and they know keeping diners healthy is vital to staying in business. Ajijic and Chapala restaurants serve only purified water, use purified ice and the fruits and vegetables they serve have been disinfected, so you can eat everything without fear of illness.

It's interesting to note that much of the produce we purchase here is exported to the U.S. where customers don't take any special efforts to purify it. We bet that those of you who are north of the border are familiar with the Driscoll brand of strawberries, red raspberries, blackberries and blueberries. Those raspberries and some of the other berries are raised right here at Lake Chapala in a large farming operation near Jocotepec.

Life is Good at Lake Chapala