Ticul, Mexico has a thriving chocolate plantation! If you are looking for a sweet treat that does not erode your commitment to healthy eating, have some dark chocolate. A small dark chocolate candy bar, or about half of a full-size candy bar each day is actually good for you! The reason is that dark chocolate […]
Chest pain – The Diagnosis!
By Kristin Eckland This is the second in a series on chest pain and chest pain emergencies. You’ve developed jaw pain and profuse sweating, and a sense of dread. You know something is wrong. Now what?!! Well, that depends on where you are. If you are in a rural area, you may not have a […]
Stay Relaxed While Planning to Move Abroad
Moving can be exciting and over-whelming at the same time, especially moving to a new country. Your extended “To Do” list can take a toll on your mind and your body. There is so much to do it can sometimes seem as if the list never ends. When we have this kind of schedule to […]
You Can Do Yoga No Matter Where You Live!
You do not need to be a young or nimble to participate in yoga exercise. Many people worry they are too out of shape or too old to do yoga. But, the truth is, you are never too old to improve flexibility and strength, and yoga is a wonderful tool for increasing both. Strengthen Your Core Asanas are a […]
Meet Kristin Eckland!
By Kristin Eckland I never meant to end up in Mexico! At least, it wasn’t in the grand scheme of things to do in my life. But sometimes things don’t follow our best laid plans and it all works out just fine. A couple of years ago, I had a steady practice in my native Virginia […]
Kristin Eckland, aka "Traveling NP"
Kristin Eckland is an acute care nurse practitioner in cardiothoracic surgery, originally from southern Virginia. After fielding a growing number of inquiries regarding medical tourism from her patients, and discovering an alarming lack of regulation and quality control for overseas medical travelers, she decided to embark on her own investigation regarding the quality of care provided by facilities, […]
Chest Pain Emergencies!
By Kristin Eckland, Nurse Practioner and feature medical writer; blogs on thoracic surgery at www.cirugiadetorax.org and general surgical information and travel at www.cartagenasurgery.wordpress.com This is the first in the series on chest pain emergencies. During this series we will talk about recognizing symptoms, where to go, what tests or treatments to expect, and what medications […]