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Mexico City food culture and diabetes
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cgage



Joined: 14 Oct 2006
Posts: 73
Location: Memphis

PostPosted: Wed Mar 28, 2012 10:01 pm    Post subject: Mexico City food culture and diabetes Reply with quote

I like the idea of Mexico City because of the international quality that I've heard that it has. I lived in Paris for a year and loved loved all the different foods there - oriental, middle eastern, Italian etc. Lived in Italy too.
I love real Mexican food (I've been in northern Mex). However. I am diabetic and I have to be careful what I eat. Oriental, middle eastern and even italian food can be very diabetic friendly. Is there a lot of that available and affordable ethinic in DF? Do they have a of bakeries for whole wheat bread? Cheap oriental restaurants like in Paris? Good authentic pizza (not Dominoes or Pizza Hut)?
American breakfast?
I Hate to sound lame but diabetes limits what you eat. You can end up in the hospital or dead.
Thanks
Be thankful you're healthy.
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Phil_K



Joined: 25 Jan 2007
Posts: 2041
Location: A World of my Own

PostPosted: Wed Mar 28, 2012 10:14 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Yes to all your questions!!

Mexico is generally very diabetes aware, as it has a large population of diabetes sufferers. Some would say due to a big obesity problem, although I know that it's not the only cause, but for the record, Mexico has a higher percentage rate of obesity than the US!
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MotherF



Joined: 07 Jun 2010
Posts: 1450
Location: 17�48'N 97�46'W

PostPosted: Wed Mar 28, 2012 10:42 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Like Phil said, Mexico is very diabetic aware--to me it seems like 1/4 of all adults 50 and over around here are diabetic. But the range of medical advice is ALL over the place. From an idea that you just can't eat anything sweet, to eat what ever you want but take meds, to eat sensibly. My dad and most of his relatives are diabetic so I've become very informed on the topic. In the last couple of generations the Mexican diet has seen a sharp increase in the amount of refined grains and refined sugar. A true tradional Mexican diet (prehispanic) is very diabetes friendly. I personally think Mexico's diabetes epidemic is related to the "Americanization" of its diet with an increase reliance on processed foods (not to mention the prevelance of pan dulce!)
If you enjoy cooking at all you will have no problem anywhere in Mexico, the raw ingredients for a healthy diet are easily available and cheap.
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Isla Guapa



Joined: 19 Apr 2010
Posts: 1520
Location: Mexico City o sea La Gran Manzana Mexicana

PostPosted: Wed Mar 28, 2012 11:26 pm    Post subject: Re: Mexico City food culture and diabetes Reply with quote

cgage wrote:
I like the idea of Mexico City because of the international quality that I've heard that it has. I lived in Paris for a year and loved loved all the different foods there - oriental, middle eastern, Italian etc. Lived in Italy too.
I love real Mexican food (I've been in northern Mex). However. I am diabetic and I have to be careful what I eat. Oriental, middle eastern and even italian food can be very diabetic friendly. Is there a lot of that available and affordable ethinic in DF? Do they have a of bakeries for whole wheat bread? Cheap oriental restaurants like in Paris? Good authentic pizza (not Dominoes or Pizza Hut)?
American breakfast?
I Hate to sound lame but diabetes limits what you eat. You can end up in the hospital or dead.
Thanks
Be thankful you're healthy.


Although in my experience most Mexicans are fairly unadventurous when it comes to trying food from other cultures, you can find international cuisine in Mexico City, but in general the better stuff is not to be found in inexpensive restaurants. This is especially true for Chinese food. Stay away from the inexpensive Chinese buffet places: the food is usually greasy and pretty flavorless, with no Chinese mustard available to spice it up.

There are lots of bakeries, and the large supermarkets have their own. I think that most Mexicans still prefer white bread, but you can find whole wheat and other healthier kinds of bread in most bakeries, at least in middle-class neighborhoods.

Though I eat it on occasion, I don't like the Mexican take on pizza: the crust is so-so and tomato sauce is not used. Unfortunately, Dominoes and other US pizza chains have set up shop here, but I have never seen what they do here to make their products palatable to Mexicans.

I love eating breakfast out here, but I'm not sure what you mean by an "American breakfast".

If your exposure to Mexican food has been in northern Mexico, keep in mind that food along the border is not the same as food from other parts of the country.
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notamiss



Joined: 20 Jun 2007
Posts: 908
Location: El 5o pino del la CDMX

PostPosted: Wed Mar 28, 2012 11:59 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

The most widely-available, affordable and diabetes-friendly food in Mexico City is traditional Mexican�central Mexican (different from the North where you are).

Whole wheat bread can be found, but the more commonly found stuff is almost invariably very sweetened�choose corn tortillas as your �bread� instead. Good, genuine oriental restaurants are few and far between. Mexican pizza has already been described. No tomato sauce, but little plastic packets of ketchup to put on top are always provided (I am not making this up). Many traditional Mexican breakfasts are very diabetes-friendly, too; e.g. eggs, tortillas + beans�healthier than sweetened cereal or bread-heavy breakfasts.
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Isla Guapa



Joined: 19 Apr 2010
Posts: 1520
Location: Mexico City o sea La Gran Manzana Mexicana

PostPosted: Thu Mar 29, 2012 12:13 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

notamiss wrote:
Mexican pizza has already been described. No tomato sauce, but little plastic packets of ketchup to put on top are always provided (I am not making this up).


Notamiss, thanks for remembering the little packets of ketchup. That about sums up the Mexican approach to pizza. Oh, and you will also be given little packets of hot sauce with your order.
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cgage



Joined: 14 Oct 2006
Posts: 73
Location: Memphis

PostPosted: Thu Mar 29, 2012 2:42 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

ketchup with pizza? I've come from Naples Italy to this? "Yes Virginia there is a purgatory".
Every place has its sacrifices.
The city that I'm in now has been assessed as almost the poorest in the US and the attitude of the residents reflects it. I'll settle for ketchup pizza over this.
Zacatecas enchiladas are quite good. Zacatecas is my knowledge of Mex.
I used to work in restaurants and know how to cook but I understand that an apartment with a stove and oven constitutes a furnished apartment and can be be more costly. 5,000+ ?
Thanks for your advice.
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Isla Guapa



Joined: 19 Apr 2010
Posts: 1520
Location: Mexico City o sea La Gran Manzana Mexicana

PostPosted: Thu Mar 29, 2012 2:54 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

cgage wrote:

I used to work in restaurants and know how to cook but I understand that an apartment with a stove and oven constitutes a furnished apartment and can be be more costly. 5,000+ ?
Thanks for your advice.


Furnished apartments are not that common and would include a stove and a refrigerator and furniture, of course. Unfurnished apartments will most likely not include more than the floor, walls and a hot water heater plus a sink in the kitchen and a toilet and sink in the bathroom. The rent depends a great deal on what part of the city you choose to live in, anywhere from $2000 to $6000 a month, unless you're looking for luxury accommodations.
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MotherF



Joined: 07 Jun 2010
Posts: 1450
Location: 17�48'N 97�46'W

PostPosted: Thu Mar 29, 2012 3:37 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

If you get an unfurnished apartment, you get get a two burner gas stove for under 100 US. You can get a 4 burner gass stove for under 200 US and you can get a 6 burner stove and oven for under 500 US.
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EFLeducator



Joined: 16 Dec 2011
Posts: 595
Location: NONE OF YOUR BUSINESS

PostPosted: Thu Mar 29, 2012 1:58 pm    Post subject: Re: Mexico City food culture and diabetes Reply with quote

cgage wrote:
Do they have a of bakeries for whole wheat bread? Cheap oriental restaurants like in Paris? Good authentic pizza (not Dominoes or Pizza Hut)?
American breakfast?


I never saw bakeries for whole wheat bread when I was in the beautiful DF. Cool

Plenty of places with the white bread. You know, the unhealthy stuff.
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EFLeducator



Joined: 16 Dec 2011
Posts: 595
Location: NONE OF YOUR BUSINESS

PostPosted: Thu Mar 29, 2012 2:04 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

MotherF wrote:
I personally think Mexico's diabetes epidemic is related to the "Americanization" of its diet with an increase reliance on processed foods (not to mention the prevelance of pan dulce!)


Nope. Mexico can't blame the states for their bad diet choices. That's called personal responsibility. It's probably because of the high carb (tons of bread they eat), with tons of Coca-Cola that "they" eat and drink everyday.
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MotherF



Joined: 07 Jun 2010
Posts: 1450
Location: 17�48'N 97�46'W

PostPosted: Thu Mar 29, 2012 3:19 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

WHERE did I say BLAME?

I said their diet is become more like the typical "American" diet.

Learn to read.
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Isla Guapa



Joined: 19 Apr 2010
Posts: 1520
Location: Mexico City o sea La Gran Manzana Mexicana

PostPosted: Thu Mar 29, 2012 5:06 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

MotherF wrote:
WHERE did I say BLAME?

I said their diet is become more like the typical "American" diet.

Learn to read.


It's interesting how political ideology can cause reading comprehension problems!
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notamiss



Joined: 20 Jun 2007
Posts: 908
Location: El 5o pino del la CDMX

PostPosted: Thu Mar 29, 2012 7:20 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Speaking from DF, many panader�as, whether freestanding or inside supermarkets have a few whole wheat options (the larger the panader�a, the more likely they�ll have some) but I find they�re invariably very sweetened, even if they�re not a pan dulce (and even more if they are).

By the way, the Comercial where I shop hasn�t been stocking whole wheat flour for several weeks now. Can any other defe�os tell me if your supermarket still has it?
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the peanut gallery



Joined: 26 May 2006
Posts: 264

PostPosted: Thu Mar 29, 2012 7:54 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

What amazes me is that in a country with an abundance of cheap, delicious, and healthy food options available diabetes is rampant and in general people are completely out of shape.

Any person who cares about themselves enough to make responsible shopping choices will have no issues in Mexico. It is all about personal responsibility, no need to blame Mexico, USA, or any other country for that matter.
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