Traveling to Mexico with Diabetes!
Something tells me that you’re about to fly out to Mexico and have yourself some pretty awesome holidays! Congratulations 🙂
Now, something else tells me that you’re a tiny bit preoccupied about how you’re going to be able to manage your diabetes and enjoy your trip to the fullest at the same time… Otherwise, why would you be reading this article? Â
Don’t worry, we’ve got it all covered for you! Traveling to Mexico with diabetes only requires a little bit of organization and preplanning. And that’s exactly what Sweet Trip is here for!
In this article, we’ll go through a few points together make sure you’ve got the basic info at hand about:
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1. Mexican food, nutrition, and diabetes
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2. Medical assistance in case of trouble while in Mexico City
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3. How to keep exercising while visiting Mexico City
If you need more detailed information, or if you want to have it right in your pocket, you can download our Full Guide to Mexico with Diabetes right here. It’s 81 pages full of info, tips, and useful addresses to manage your diabetes while traveling in Mexico City, and in Mexico in general.Â
TRAVELING TO MEXICO WITH DIABETES: OUR SWEET GRADE –Â 7,5/10
This is the level of ease with which you can expect to travel to Mexico with diabetes. Check out the following page, extracted from our full guide, for more detailed info on our grade:
Now, let’s delve deeper into the topic and get some practical information before you get there.
1. MEXICAN FOOD, NUTRITION, AND DIABETES
Even UNESCO says that traditional Mexican cuisine is part of the Cultural Heritage of Humanity.Wouldn’t it be a crime against humanity not to taste it, with or without diabetes? At Sweet Trip, we believe that eating and drinking are big parts of traveling. So, get a grip on your diabetes, follow the guide, and take your taste buds for a ride!
DIABETES-FRIENDLY MEXICAN DISHES
In Mexico, it’s not alway easy to find what you need to balance out your meals and enjoy diabetes-friendly meals. But it’s far from being impossible. You just need to plan a bit ahead and learn a few things about Mexican traditional food and its nutritional content.
Luckily, we’ve done the job for you: in our full guide to Mexico with diabetes, we’ve covered the main Mexican dishes, desserts, and drinks and ranked them according to their carb-contents.
Here are some of our favorite diabetes-friendly Mexican dishes and drinks that you must try if you’re traveling to Mexico with diabetes:
CEVICHE
Raw fish or seafood tartar marinated in a lemony seasoned sauce, which, depending on the recipe, is made up of cubes of fresh tomatoes, cucumbers, avocado, onion, coriander… The tostada (crunchy corn tortilla) that it is generally served on, and which you may omit, is practically the only source of carbohydrates..
COCHINITA PIBIL
Typical dish from theYucatan region, reserved for meat aficionados! Tender pig meat is slowly marinated in a secret achiote seed-based red dough, and wrapped up in banana leaves before it is cooked in a hole in the ground (the pib).Â
Slightly fat, but pretty much carb-free, and with a well-selected side dish, it shouldn’t pose any danger. Our suggestion: some black beans and a tossed salad.
GUACAMOLE
The world-famous Guacamole is avocado-based with fresh mild pepper to which coriander, onions, tomatoes or lemon juice is sometimes added. Everything is mashed up in a Malcajete (the traditional Mexican mortar and pestle).
Guacamole is absolutely everywhere. Its name derives from the Aztec word ahuacamolli which means “avocado sauce.” Luckily, Guacamole contains very few carbs!
CHILES EN NOGADAÂ
Poblanos peppers (they aren’t hot!) stuffed with pork (sometimes beef) and served immersed in a walnut and pomegranate seed cream. Aside from those seeds, we can see hardly any sugars in there!
AGUA FRESCA
The aguas frescas (“fresh waters”) can be described as fruit, flower, plant or grain infusions in water, with or without added sugar. The most common ones are the ones with Jamaica (flower), tamarind, rice orgeat, lemon, orange, etc…Â
Typically, aguas frescas are considerably less sweet than fruit juices.Â
It is probably your best fancy and refreshing drink option. A good thing is that they are often homemade, which means you can order it “without added sugars.”
Our Full Chapter on Mexican Food with Diabetes is available right here!
What you’ll find inside:
20+ Mexican dishes ranked with our special “carbometer”.Â
The most typical Mexican desserts and drinks.Â
A full list of healthy food stores and restaurants’ addresses.
More than 60 tantalizing photos.
Lots of tips to balance out your meals while traveling to Mexico with diabetes.
Nutritional information for all the local food.Â
All the Spanish vocabulary you’ll need to order and eat what you like
Here are some free sample pages so you can have a better idea of what you’ll find:
2. MEDICAL ASSISTANCE WHILE TRAVELING TO MEXICO WITH DIABETES
In Mexico, you will receive the necessary medical attention in case of a problem.The capital has competent and generally well-equipped infrastructures. Medical consultations are easily accessible. Most drugs and pharmaceuticals are commercialised there and you can get all of your medical tests done on the spot if necessary. Now you just need to find out how it all works there!
Before your departure,we want to make sure that you’re holding all the cards you need to act swiftly and calmly if your diabetes decides to act up during your stay. In our Travel guide to Mexico with diabetes, we’ve come up with all the useful information you’ll need to know how to deal with the slightest diabetes-related mishap during your stay. And we’ve even put together a special list of diabetes medical terms to help you break down the language barrier when talking to healthcare personnel.
Our Chapter 2 Medical Guide to Mexico with Diabetes is available right here!
What you’ll find inside:
Medical coverage and travel insurance.
Medical emergencies (how to act fast and where to go).
Consultations (general and specialised in diabetology).
Pharmacies (how to get your treatment, costs, paperwork etc.).
Laboratories (how to get your medical tests done)
Medical vocabulary (useful sentences, and English-to-Spanish diabetes dictionary).
Local supports and guidance while traveling to Mexico with diabetes.
Tips to safely travel to Mexico with diabetes.
To give you a precise idea of what you can find inside, here is the full summary of our Medical Guide to Mexico with diabetes and some sample pages where you can find basic and emergency information:
3. ACTIVE TOURISM:Â KEEP YOUR BLOOD SUGAR LEVELS LOW WHILE DISCOVERING MEXICO
Mexico City is vast and abounds in tourist attractions and hidden nooks to venture into. Add to that the generally mild weather conditions and you have got yourself the perfect opportunity to combine tourism with physical exercise.
WALKING AND CYCLING DURING YOUR MEXICAN HOLIDAYS!
Whether or not you have diabetes, the World Health Organization advises adults aged 18-64 to do at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic physical activity throughout the week.
Other recommendations are, for example, walking for at least 30 minutes a day. And there is no upper limit: the more you walk, the healthier you’ll be.  Walking helps stabilize blood glucose and cholesterol levels, and substantially reduces the risks of developing complications, in particular with regard to cardiovascular diseases. The faster the pace, the more effective it is. And climbing some stairs adds to the effort!
You could also take advantage of the opportunity to discover a new city by bicycle. Cycling is an exercise that is comprehensive, harmonious, and excellent for your health. You exercise both your muscles and your cardiovascular endurance, which is particularly important in avoiding the complications associated with diabetes. Each at his own pace, an intense half hour or a leisurely half-day tour will do you a world of good!
In case you’re short on time to get organised or if you’re lacking inspiration, we have put together some great ideas for discovering the city while getting some exercise done.
It’s all in our Chapter on “Tourism and Physical Activity In Mexico City¨!
What you’ll find inside:
Beautiful walking itineraries to discover Mexico City’s wonders on foot.
Free guided walking tours of Mexico City.
Bicycle rentals and guided tours.
Plenty of intriguing cultural information!
Intense sports for the wildest among us (jogging, yoga, fitness, and more!).
On your marks, get set, off you go!
Our Sweet Team wishes you a Sweet Trip to Mexico! 🙂
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We share stories, ideas, and useful addresses.
We respond to your questions and concerns.Â
And, above all, we support each other!