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 has a high cocoa content, and cocoa is loaded with epicatechin. Epicatechin is a particularly active member of a group of compounds called plant flavonoids.

Flavonoids are found in dark leafy vegetables, and contain antioxidants which  help reduce blood pressure and protect the body from free radicals that can cause damage to the heart. Since cocoa beans are plant-based, they have many of the same benefits of dark leafy vegetables. Antioxidants scavenge the free-radicals that are responsible for oxidative damage. In fact, dark chocolate contains nearly 8 times the number of antioxidants and flavonoids found in strawberries!

Dark chocolate has also been shown to reduce LDL cholesterol (the bad cholesterol) by up to 10 percent. LDL cholesterol refers to low density lipoprotein cholesterol. When your blood is checked for cholesterol, the doctors will be looking at both HDL, good cholesterol, and LDL, bad cholesterol. Too much LDL in your blood can cause plaque build-up in the arteries.

However, not all chocolate is created equal. Dark chocolate contains a lot more cocoa than other forms of chocolate like white or milk chocolate.  Standard manufacturing processes can destroy up to half of the flavonoids, so you want to read the label and buy only high-quality dark chocolate.  The higher the cocoa content, the healthier it is.

In Ticul, Mexico, there is a chocolate plantation. The plantation is considered “relatively new” because the plantation is only five years old and it takes ten years for a cocoa plant to reach maturation. However, with tender loving care, most cocoa trees begin to bear fruit in the fifth year, although some cocoa trees can yield pods as early as the third or fourth year. A cocoa tree reaches peak production at about ten years, and can continue to produce pods for another 20-30 years. At the plantation in Ticul, the seedlings and plants are sheltered by other trees, like banana, plantain, coconuts or hardwood trees to protect them from the wind and sun. Plantation farmers in Ticul care for the cocoa, and other, plants very carefully and the plantation is thriving.

Living in Mexico and being outside go hand and hand, and as all of us know, you don’t have to be sunbathing on a white sandy beach to get too much sun.  Even ten minutes of unprotected exposure to sunlight can result in a sunburn.  Activities that may unwittingly give you ten minutes or more of unprotected sunlight are dining at an outdoor restaurant, shopping at an outdoor market or simply standing outside talking to your neighbor.

Skin cancer is the most common form of cancer in the United States and those numbers include us expats.  Fortunately, it is actually one of the most preventable forms of cancer, too. Although most skin cancers are formed in our early years, it is never too late to take care of your skin.

To help prevent skin cancer’s from forming this summer, The American Cancer Society started an awareness campaign by promoting the slogan:

Slip! Slop! Slap! and Wrap!

“Slip! Slop! Slap! and Wrap” is a catch phrase that reminds people of the four key ways they can protect themselves from UV radiation:

• Slip on a shirt
• Slop on sunscreen
• Slap on a hat
• Wrap on sunglasses to protect the eyes

In addition to following the helpful tips above, limit the amount of time spent in direct sunlight when the sun’s rays are most intense, generally from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. If you are going to be outside during these hours, make sure you follow all of the helpful suggestions above for maximum protection.

This summer, if you are actually lucky enough to end up sunbathing on a tropical beach, you may forget a lot of things, but don’t forget your sun protection. Also, make sure you also have plenty of medical travel insurance coverage in case of a medical emergency.

Some medical emergencies that can end with a trip to a local hospital are severe dehydration, food poisoning, sports injuries or auto accidents. No one ever plans on these things, but they can occur no matter how safety conscious we are.

So, a word to the wise: protect yourself, while having a healthy and happy summer playing outdoors!

There are two types of Medicare coverage.  The first option is to sign up for Medicare Part A and Part B.  Medicare Part A helps with hospital costs and skilled nursing services after a hospital stay plus some other skilled care.  Medicare Part B helps with the cost of doctor visits and other medical services that do not require an inpatient hospital stay. Medicare Parts A and B are provided by the government and government subcontractors.  Medicare pays fees for your care directly to the hospitals and doctors you visit. This is often referred to as “fee for service.”

The second option is to enroll for Medicare Advantage Part C.  Medicare Advantage Part C is provided by private companies approved by Medicare.  Medicare pays a fixed fee to the plan for your care, then the plan pays the doctors and hospitals.  Plan C combines hospital, doctor, and outpatient care in one plan.

Along with Medicare Parts A and B or C, you may also sign up for Part D which helps pay for prescription drugs. This additional coverage costs will come directly out of your Social Security payment each month, along with any payments that you already have for Part B or Part C.

To cover anything not covered by Parts A, B and D, you may also sign up for a Supplemental Insurance Plan, commonly called “Medigap” insurance. Currently, the Medigap plans are designated Parts F, G, K, L and M, or N.  Medigap premiums also come out of your Social Security payment.

What About International Coverage?

If you are a senior who spends more than 60 days outside the U.S. per year, Medicare Parts A, B or C do not cover you outside the  60 days and max out at $50,000.00 of coverage.  When you have been outside the US for more than 60 days, you are uncovered.

There is a solution though:  If you live outside the U.S. for 6 months per year or longer, you qualify for international major medical insurance.  A global policy will follow you wherever you travel in the world.

Mexico on my Mind and their sister site, American Insurance for ExPats, has customer care representatives that can look at what you are currently paying for your Medigap policy, and potentially recommend a less expensive plan that will not only provide you with the coverage you need in the U.S., but also allow you to afford international major medical insurance outside the U.S.

The plans allows you to visit any doctor available to you outside the US, no matter where you are in the world. The IMG staff is multi-lingual and can work with any language and currency. While you remain in the US, Medicare will be your primary insurance, and when you are outside the U.S., you have coverage through an international major medical policy intended for catastrophic illness or accident while residing abroad.

You can customize your coverage plan, and then select from multiple deductibles and modes of payment in order to accommodate your financial means.  With your medical history in mind, the program provides flexible underwriting methods to extend coverage to you that may be declined by other companies.  In addition, you will also have direct access to their “Medical Concierge,” a unique service that provides you with personalized assistance in locating a local health care provider.

If you will be living outside the U.S. for more than 60 consecutive days, but are not planning to live there year after year, than a medical travel insurance policy is an excellent option.  The application only takes about 10 minutes to complete, there is no age limit or health underwriting, and your coverage can begin as soon as the next day.

To cover catastrophic illness or accidents, many expats purchase international major medical health insurance.

North Americans have been coming to Mexico for decades to get drug prescriptions, dental work or other medical treatments done for much less than what they would pay in the U.S., even without insurance.  Because domestic health care policies do not provide coverage internationally, these treatments are paid for out of pocket.

One reason Mexico is able to keep their treatment costs down are fewer malpractice suits.  Mexico is not the litigation-happy country the U.S. is.  Malpractice insurance is extremely expensive for U.S. doctors and that cost is passed along to the patient.

For expats moving to Mexico, it’s possible to receive international health insurance.  Although doctor visits and prescription drugs are inexpensive, hospital care is still going to cost you possibly more than you can afford without health insurance.   Nobody expects to visit the emergency room due to a critical injury or illness, and these costs can still deplete a savings account or max a credit card.  A broken leg could cost nearly $15,000.00 if you need surgery, and hospitals expect payment before treatment.

Mexico delivers quality health care and has trained doctors and surgeons.  The costs are much less than in the U.S. but you should still purchase international, major medical health insurance if you are planning on moving to Mexico.

Adult wellness visits such as yearly check ups and lab work are inexpensive treatments and not included in the catastrophic illness or accident policies.  It’s the unexpected visits to the emergency room or long term medical care you need international health insurance to help pay for.