I have just set up the Wii Fit, and according to the initial tests I have a Wii Fit age of 50!!! That means it thinks I am 5 years older than I actually am ……

Would be somewhat remiss I feel not to send out our best wishes to Seve as he starts his battle against the brain tumour that he has just being diagnosed with.

Naturally we are not alone as the whole of Spain seem to be uniting behind the flamboyant, excellent but somewhat controversial figure:

NHS surgeons are to be paid bonuses based on the number of lives they save, in radical plans being drawn up by hospitals across Britain.

This just seems so wrong on every level. It looks like Doctor sin the UK are going to be paid more if they save your life …….. well forgive me for being stupid, I thought that is what they were meant to do anyway!!!!

Adopting just a couple of elements of the Mediterranean diet could cut the risk of cancer by 12%, say scientists.

• A study of 26,000 Greek people found just using more olive oil alone cut the risk by 9%.
• The diet, reports the British Journal of Cancer, also includes higher amounts of fruits, vegetables, cereals, and less red meat.
• A separate study found adding broccoli to meals might help men vulnerable to prostate cancer cut their risk.

I have a feeling that this news could lead to a bit of stampede to the Doctors here in Almerimar and El Ejido as people ‘rush’ to get existing ailments sorted out in case the same happens to us:

The provincial government in the Costa Blanca is changing the law because it claims elderly people who have made their home in the region are placing too high a burden on the health system.

Thanks to Pam Roberts for this information:

I met a lady from the UK in the Farmacia yesterday who had been bitten by a mosquito by her eye and it was very badly swollen so offered to take her to Dr. Garcia’s surgery- what a performance, she had to produce her European health Insurance Card, Passport - which was photocopied, give proof of where she was staying, provide a contact Phone number, give details of when she arrived and when leaving, then an A4 size form was produced which she had to sign, and thank goodness, didn’t have to complete as of course it was all in Spanish.

Jacqui shares with us her recent experience at the dentist!

I had an appointment at the Clinica Dental today which is nearly next door to Mercadona. A part of one of my fillings had come out so I decided to try out the local dentist.

I love mu sweaters, actually more than I used to in the UK, and I definitely wear them more. This may seem strange as I now live in a much hotter climate, but it’s all down to how we chose to keep warm in Winter. In the UK like virtually everyone we had central heating and, although I wasn’t into turning the thermostat up to sunbathing temperatures like some of my neighbours, we could comfortably sit in our apartment with maybe just a light sweater or extra long-sleeved T to keep warm in January.

Well already it’s 2 weeks into the New Year, so it feels like a good time to review my ’sort of’ resolutions. Actually I didn’t make anything too specific but I have a number of things that I really want to focus on this year. The big one is Almerimar Life, as I have been ready for a while to have a work project back in my life, having spent the past 6 years or so mainly traveling where Chris’s work took us and not actually working much myself! My focus continues to be constantly improving the content and traffic on the site, and for me this means finding more time in the day to work on it.

Sorry to everyone who doesn’t agree with letting your immune system get on with its job unhindered for once, but I LOVED the following article: “Doctors are to be told to stop prescribing antibiotics for coughs, colds and sore throats because over-use of the drugs is fueling the spread of killer hospital superbugs.”

I’m sure that we have all read loads over the past 10 years or so about the aging effects of sunbathing and the risk of skin cancer, but what nobody has been talking about much at all is the fact that a little sun is actually good for you. Maybe it is because the message does seem to be finally getting through and high factor sunscreens are disappearing off the shelves, that the people in the know have decided it is now safe to give us a slightly different message.

Well you get quick updates here! It appears that anyone wanting to take a tourist trip within Europe for alternative healthcare may have to wait a little longer, at least if they want the NHS to foot the bill. The plans outlined in my previous article today appear to be at least temporarily on hold, following the latest European Commission statement.

“Patients will be able to travel to hospitals across Europe for health treatment and claim back the costs on the National Health Service under proposals introduced by the European Commission today.”

This one sounds like it is going to be up for debate over the coming months! The idea is for a Europe-wide patient’s passport, but labour MPs have vowed to defeat these plans.

Further to my last article, here are 5 ways to live longer:

1. Eat plenty of fruit and vegetables
“Fruit and vegetables are high in vitamins and antioxidants, which have been shown to reduce the risk of cancer. Colourful foods such as blueberries, cherries, carrots, broccoli, beetroot and peppers tend to be higher in antioxidants, which are chemicals that fight damage to cells that can trigger tumour growth.”

Seems that living in Spain could be pretty good for our health if we stick to the fresh local produce, generally eat a more Mediterranean diet, and give up trying to find all those processed packets and convenience foods that people get hooked on in the UK. Even better if we make sure there is some regular moderate exercise in our lives.

I found this question and answer online which re-enforced this:

Further to my recent article “Healthcare For Expats In Spain”, another article in the Telegraph compared the healthcare provision for expats in various countries across the globe, and started off by touching on how generous the UK is!

“The curbs on EU citizens in France using its state health system is hardly unprecedented. Healthcare budgets across the western world are increasing disproportionately to other budgets. Thus, governments are seeking any means to stem the cash haemorrhage.

“British patients will be able to go anywhere in Europe for free health care under radical laws being drawn up by Brussels.”

I have just read another interesting article relating to healthcare. This one is about plans to lift border restrictions on medical treatment within the EU, effectively sanctioning “health tourism” to and from the continent. This is interesting for anyone struggling with waiting lists and the cost of private treatment in the UK or worried about the state of hospitals there.

I have been reading recent articles in the press and felt relieved that we have not chosen to move to France, where the government has recently withdrawn state healthcare for British expats who have not yet reached state retirement age.

However, it is worth noting that even in Spain you may fine yourself in a slight limbo depending on your age.

I fell down 2 steps last Wednesday after viewing a lovely flat which friends of mine have rented for 1 year. A totally stupid thing to do but I just didn’t see the steps when leaving their apartment block.

In keeping with my desire to live a more Spanish life and do as the locals do, I have been trying to buy my food more at the local markets. There are of course the various ‘weekly’ markets (more on these at a later date) where you can buy a wide range of fresh fruits and veggies and also clothes, handbags, household bits n pieces etc. etc. BUT my favourite is the food market in El Ejido.