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I was just wondering. What is your favorite part of living in Costa Rica and what if anything do you miss about living in the United States (or anywhere else)?
Well, I dont live there, but Ive visited a few times, and I miss: Cold milk, (by the gallon- gots to have my cereal for breakfast), Meat that tastes like beef instead of tacomeat, oscar mayer products(salami, hotsdogs, bacon, etc) Ketchup that tastes like ketchup and not the salsa ketchup they use, Seeing my mailbox on a post besides the road, street lights, being able to make long trips at night( road conditions are not the best). Seeing heavily armed guards in the stores. Goods and services are not like what were accustomed to in the US. Those are the things that keep me from moving there. The climate is what makes me come back, the slower pace of life also.
Give up the Oscar Mayer and milk, you’ll live longer lol…by the way all the super markets keep the milk cold, just the little pulperias that have it out.
While I agree with most of saltwater’s list, I should point out that the ultra-high temperature pasteurized milk in the one-liter boxes in the store needs no refrigeration until opened. And the 99.9% fat-free milk tastes richer than any skim milk in the U.S.
I miss a daily newspaper, American television (I’m working on that one) and the range of basic consumer products we’re used to in the U.S. On the other hand, not having the bad news from the U.S. thrown in your face constantly is a wonderful relief. I’ll trade a little peace and quiet for Oscar Mayer products any day (especially now that I’ve found Johnsonville Italian sausage at the AutoMercado in Santa Ana),
Hey, Saltwater — all those things you listed are reasons for me to MOVE there — one, the beef is not cornfed in a feedlot — it is grassfed. Cornfed beef is very acid and that’s not good for you. Grassfed beef has more nutrients, including CLA which is almost nonexistant in feedlot cattle, and it’s NOT loaded up on all those antibiotics and steroids that the meat has in the US so cattle can live in deplorable conditions; I can get raw unpasteurized milk from the farmer up the road from me –here in the STates raw milk is illegal in most places, except if you own a cow as I do in Colorado. All those cold cuts are loaded with nitrites and other preservatives no to mention the things we don’t know about. Come on down to Costa Rica and lead Pura Vida with fresh and healthy food. You will live a lot longer there than in the US! The life expecatancy in Costa Rica will surpass the US very soon considering that the population of the US is the fattest and sickest of all industrialized nations. As for what I miss while I’m in Costa Rica? Absolutely nothing! I don’t buy any packaged food at all in the States, so when I’m in Costa Rica I shop at the farmer’s markets and buy all fresh fruit and vegetables and fish for a fraction of what I pay in the states.
Actually, Maravilla, I think you’ll find that life expectancy in Costa Rica is marginally longer than in the U.S., and infant mortality is marginally lower.
As to raw milk, it’s your life. Milk is pasteurized because cattle in the pasture are exposed to wildlife (primarily deer) that are carriers of tuberculosis. You want that risk? Have a nice life — but not me!
I’ve been drinking raw milk most of my life and never ever gotten sick. That’s more than I can say for what happens to me when I drink the stuff passed off as milk in a supermarket. My cow is boarded on an organic dairy run by two veterinarians. Most of their milk supply from their 400 cows goes to one of the largest organic milk packagers in the States. The cows graze on buffalo grass which has natural antibiotic properties and minimizes the use of pharmaceuticals to keep the cows healthy. If I couldn’t get raw milk, I’d never touch the stuff. Any reason to drink milk at all is destroyed by the pasteurization of it. When it’s homogenized it’s impossible to derive the nutrients from the butterfat — Vitamin E, Omega3’s, and CLA.
It’s funny, when I lived in San Diego I also found people who drank raw milk were fanatical about there right to do so. We mostly consume milk for protein and perhaps calcium and pasturization does not effect these. Homogenization is another story, but you could drink pasturized fat free milk that is organic and safe. There are much better and healthier sources of omega 3’s and e and lots of reasons to avoid milk. I am guilty of indulging in cheese and some milk products, we tend to buy only organic as well when we can.
The notion that milk is good for all of us throughout life has been fostered by the dairy industry. Except for people of northern European origin, most adults worldwide can’t digest lactose, the natural sugar in milk. This is because as we mature, our bodies stop making the enzyme that breaks it down. As a result, many may develop gas, cramps and/or diarrhea whenever milk is consumed.
But lactose intolerance isn’t the only problem with milk and milk products. The milk protein, casein, can irritate the immune system and stimulate mucus production, worsening allergy symptoms. This is why milk consumption is associated with recurrent childhood ear infections, eczema, chronic bronchitis, asthma, and sinus conditions. Even those who are not allergic to milk, like people who have autoimmune diseases or digestive problems, may find that their symptoms improve when they
eliminate milk and milk products.
From drweil.com
I don’t drink milk per se, but rather use it to make kefir, which is fermented milk, high in protein and calcium along with multiple strains of good bacteria that boost the immune system. One of the local farmers in Costa Rica gave my neighbor a glob of kefir starter, which she then passed on to me (although I’ve been doing this for years and already had the starter in the States). Seems like a lot of dairy farmers in Costa Rica are into making kefir. As for Dr. Weil, I usually agree with him but not on this issue because the health problems he lists accompany the consumption of pasteurized and homogenized milk — the problems are much rarer when using raw milk. http://www.mercola.com/2004/apr/24/raw_milk.htm
http://www.mercola.com/forms/kefir.htmYes i like kefir as well and yogurt we have a few local orgainic producers in our area. My Vegan friends would disagree with both of us on milk consumption and there seem to be quite a lot of studies that would suggest milk is not so healthy( I’ll spare you any links lol!) I was a strict vegetarian for 23 years and recently have started adding some fish in there and some meat(only organic/naturaly raised). I think moderation is the key and keep it as simple and natural as possible. And I mean our idea of natural not the FDA’s!!Lol..
Something to consider regarding Dr. Mercolas site:
The entire contents of this website are based upon the opinions of Dr. Mercola, unless otherwise noted.
I’ll tell you some other things I miss are Busch and Natural light beer. In CR, all you have is 2 kinds- yellow can and red can. My freinds call it Ruger Beer, because the emblem looks like the Sturm Ruger firearms emblem, but to myself its pretty bitter and always gives me a stomach ache, but that never stops me from drinking it. Seems like with all the mountains and volcanoes in CR, there should be a beer with a mountain scene, or some tree frogs, or a volcano on it. (Just a marketing idea) The potato chips arent that great either, they remind me of the old “Wise” potato chips that were popular back in the 70s- they had an owl on the bag- they were super greasy too. Theres no fat on the beef in the markets I go to, like back in the states- How am I supposed to make my gravy to go with my mashed potatoes? And lets not forget the ever important- Grits, eggs, bacon and toast for breakfast. Im sorry, but the blackbeans and rice for breakfast- It just doesnt work for me. Mostly when I shop, I use the local stores, because I want to see whats available in that small town. (Golfito, Jaco, Purto Viejo, Etc.) In Florida, there are plenty of these latin stores that carry hundreds, if not thousands of central and south american products for the fine people
who have decided to immigrate here, it would be nice to see a little reciprocity. One thing I will admit though- a lot of the mexicans and other immigrants have got fat kids- its that Kraft macaroni and cheese. They just love it!They’re overweight because they are eating all the stuff you just listed — the good old Standard American Diet which is the absolute worst diet and has given us the dubious distinction of having the highest incidence of obesity, cancer, diabetes, heart disease, etc. of any country in the world! Yes, as Lotus said, you ARE a good ol’ boy! jejeje
Haven’t moved to CR yet, but although I’m sure there will be some food items that we will miss, my biggest concern is missing my little 4 yr old grandaughter. Since she is being raised as a Vegan, she will always tell me when she comes over for dinner, “Gramma I can’t eat dead animals!” She is 4 going on 30!LOL
With the exception of having to buy olive oil and other condiments in a super market, I can pretty much get by with shopping at the local farmer’s markets, which also have fish and chicken and eggs. I guess I’m lucky that I never developed a taste for packaged or processed foot so there’s no food item that I really miss in Costa Rica — in fact, I find that the plethora of good fresh things to eat is simply overwhelming and I can’t get enough of them. Your granddaughter will love Costa Rica because there is plenty to eat without having to eat something with a face!
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