When John Valdez moved to Mexico in 2019, he thought he was bringing his health problems with him—blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes, depression, and a cabinet full of medications. Instead, he found himself shedding not only the pills but the illnesses they were meant to treat.
At his first checkup in Lake Chapala, the doctor took one look at the long list of prescriptions and said, “We have to get you off all of these.” That was the start of a transformation John still finds hard to believe.
Pharmaceuticals became a thing of the past, along with his expanding waistline. Weight loss came as a welcome side effect of his new, healthier life. It all began almost by chance—when his wife Mary visited a licensed acupuncturist for her migraines. Jokingly, John asked if the doctor could cure diabetes. To his surprise, the answer was a simple “yes.”
Two weeks later, John’s body had improved so much that continuing his insulin led to a seizure and a two-night hospital stay. The surprising diagnosis: he didn’t need insulin anymore.
“Thank goodness healthcare is so affordable here,” John says. “The two-night stay, with four nurses and regular doctor visits, was only $500.”
Since then, he hasn’t looked back. One by one, the rest of his medications fell away. His blood pressure and cholesterol are normal, and his depression and anxiety, once overwhelming, are now only a shadow of what they were.
John still keeps up with regular blood work to make sure everything is in check, but the treatments he receives in Mexico are a world away from what he relied on in Arizona. His acupuncturist prepares homeopathic medicines and small bottles of distilled herbs to ease depression—treatments that come at no extra charge. Severe bouts are rare now, and when they do arise, his acupuncturist, who is also an MD, can prescribe medications if necessary.
Back in Arizona, depression had kept him from even visiting his grandchildren. Today, he walks his rescue dog, Sir, each morning before settling in with coffee and the newspaper.
“The pace of life,” he says, is the best part. People slow down, enjoy the moment, and live more relaxed lives.
That slower lifestyle has unexpected benefits, too. “We walk a lot more. You drive into Chapala or Ajijic and then you walk everywhere.” With cobblestone streets and daily errands on foot, John jokes that he needs new belts to hold his pants up.
Mary has also seen her own health improve. Migraines no longer trouble her, and a pinched nerve that once had her considering a chiropractor was eased in just four acupuncture treatments.
Together, they’ve embraced a life that is both more relaxed and more active. For John, the extra movement and fresh food have added up—he’s lost more than 60 pounds without dieting. “It’s the food,” he insists. They follow the locals to the best restaurants, where everything is fresh, flavorful, and inexpensive. Breakfast of juice, chilaquiles, sweet bread, and coffee costs just $5. The best tacos of your life? About $1.40.
There’s no fast food here—no Starbucks, Burger King, or KFC. Every restaurant makes everything from scratch. Eating this way, with whole, healthy ingredients, has made all the difference.
Talking with John, it’s easy to see why he’s still amazed by his own story. What began with a joke to an acupuncturist turned into a new life—one with fewer worries, more energy, and peace of mind.
Most of all, he’s grateful to have left behind the pills with their long list of side effects. What he has now is simple: a healthful retirement, a longer life, and the joy of sharing it all with Mary.