AmaTierra Yoga Retreat Takes Nutrition Seriously: Organically Growing Their Own

Tucked away in the mountains surprising close to San Jose is an oasis for those seeking peace and serenity and a place where people can nurture themselves with yoga, wellness services and fresh organic foods, many of which are grown on the property, a unique feature at AmaTierra Yoga Retreat and Wellness Center.

“It’s not easy to find organic produce in Costa Rica,” owner and registered nutritionist/herbalist Jill Ruttenberg says, “so we grow especially our greens and some fruits here on the property to be sure they are fresh and organic. Vegetables can lose up to 45 percent of their nutritional value between the time they are picked and when you buy them in the grocery store, and it is a proven fact that organic produce has more vitamins and minerals than commercially grown, non-organic produce.”

Costa Rica Hotel for Sale, But Not The Memories or Lifestyle

In February of 2011, we published this article about a boutique hotel in Cahuita: http://theticotimes.wordpress.com/2011/02/14/from-luxury-yachts-to-luxury-bb-bungalows-in-caribbean-cahuita/, Owners, Joe and Chris, wrote to update us on their status, and we found their heartfelt expressions so poignant as to why many foreign residents appreciate Costa Rica, that we decided to publish their account in its entirety.
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We previously had written about the joy of moving to Costa Rica and pursuing our dream of having a small hotel near the beach and living Pura Vida after having originally started with meeting each other while working as crew members on private mega yachts, which together was our first great adventure.

Now, after making a very difficult decision to fully retire and sell this well established and successful hotel business (www.hotelforsalecostarica.net)so that we can move on to our next great adventure, we realize at times we have some very strong regrets! We are moving on to enjoy retirement, to travel and visit some of the many great people we have met here at our hotel from around the world, who we promised we would come see some day, while keeping Costa Rica as our base.

Now, “some day” has come.

The Anti Aging Institute of the Americas – Costa Rica’s Answer to Cenegenics

After a short article appearing months ago in the Tico Times newspaper about a new anti-aging clinic, (Can Anti Aging Treatments Unlock the Fountain of Youth), I recently met with Dr. Leslie Mesen, Chief Medical Officer of the Anti Aging Institute of The Americas to get a more detailed description of his expanded services. The clinic is located in The Country Plaza, across the street from the Villas del Rio condos, and kitty-cornered to the Costa Rica Country Club in Escazu. The offices and treatment rooms are on the second floor, where I sat down with Dr. Mesen and inquired, “Just what is ‘anti-aging’ all about and what is Cenegenics?”

Dr. Mesen answered, “Anti aging is a new medical practice specialty focusing on the health and well being of primarily middle aged men and women and seniors.

Eco Tourism Meeting Medical Tourism Development Opportunities in Costa Rica

Would you develop property in Costa Rica today?

With all the doom and gloom coming to us by way of the media, including those of some visitors and tourists from North America and Europe, the answer would probably be, “no”, says Robert Shannon of Costa Rica Retirement Vacation Properties Real Estate Company.

Costa Rica’s tourism is still flourishing but for how long, some think?  It’s hard to predict as one would have to believe the impact of world events would catch up with us sooner or later.

But, consider these facts:
1.  This year alone over 250,000 Americans will travel to Costa Rica and places like Thailand for affordable medical care. They will be seeking everything from root canals to heart transplants. The proximity to the USA and the high standard of health care Costa Rica offers suggest that a higher percentage will come here.

2. We keep seeing statistics that eco tourism / sustainable tourism is becoming one of the most sought after travel packages. This comes in many different forms, but one of the most popular is the vacationer seeking to get a feel for making their contribution to our planet by using these sustainable tourism facilities.

We have seen some good attempts at eco-sustainable projects and they are interesting, and often in provocative, if not primitive, places.  But, Costa Rica has yet to see a major developer get involved in what many consider a necessary part of the future that will impact all of us for the good – combining the medical tourism aspects with eco-tourism!

New – Guided Dental Implant Surgery in Costa Rica

What is Guided Dental Implant Surgery?

Guided dental implant surgery is a computer-guided technology that utilizes digital x-rays enhanced with special software to allow the dental surgeon to see every angle and plan an exact procedure for placing dental implants within the patient’s mouth.

Using the guided implant surgery process, dental surgeons create a precise surgery plan, locating the optimal locations to make incisions and determine the best path to the implant area.  Because this process allows surgeons to see the human mouth in real-time 3D, they can avoid “hard-to-detect” problem areas, minimizing patient pain, surgery and recovery time.

Dr. Julian Conejo

“Colina Dental is the first dental clinic in Costa Rica to invest in this cutting-edge dental equipment to give our patients the most efficient, pain-free dental implant services available,” says Dr. Julian Conejo, dental implant specialist with Colina Dental.

“This process minimizes surgery time, dramatically reduces pain, and helps our patients heal faster than ever before.   With some patients, we have been able to provide a full set of teeth in one day, which was unheard of before this procedure.”

CAD/CAM Dental Technology Comes to Costa Rica

Medical Tourism Patients Benefit from CAD/CAM Technology

In an effort to offer its patients the best and most modern equipment and procedures in the cosmetic and restorative fields, the Colina Dental Clinic in Escazu has now instituted the proven treatment advantages of the CAD/CAM Dentistry technology, (Computer-Aided Design and Computer-Aided Manufacturing in Dentistry).

Colina Dental is one of the first, and very few dental offices, to offer to their patients this new and innovative technology.   The Cad-Cam technology consists of an advanced software that allows the dentists to design their restorations by computer, whether they are crowns, veneers, inlays or dental implants preparations.

With the “CAD” portion of the procedure (Computer Aided Design), the dental technician specialized in this training has the capability of doing and undoing different patterns and designs, showing these to the patient for his approval.  The CAD approach can also simulate the behavior of the restoration to see if it will ultimately be successful in the mouth.

Dr. Maricarmen Gutiérrez takes a CAD impression inside a patient's mouth

What U.S. health reform can learn from Costa Rica

By Chrissie Long | Tico Times Staff

Costa Rica falls behind the United States in almost every economic statistic.

The GDP per capita is $35,000 higher in the United States, average income is $45,000 above Costa Rica’s $5,400 and the little Central American country can’t compete with the amount of money flowing through the U.S.’s financial sector.

But Costa Rica is one up when it comes to health. Spending $6,000 less per capita, Costa Ricans not only have a longer life expectancy, but they enjoy wider access to health care.

Hospital Clínica Bíblica, one of Costa Rica's three Joint Commission accredited private hospitals. Photo by Harmony Reforma | Tico Times

In a three-part series, The Tico Times spoke with doctors, health administrators and international analysts to find out what the United States can learn from this little country.

Caja, a Model Health System? digs into Costa Rica’s public health system and examines the achievements and the shortfalls of a state-run entity. The Tico Times spoke with the head health administrator; frustrated, yet grateful patients; and international health experts to determine what the United States might learn from this public option.

Although working for a respected private clinic, Dr. Danilo González swears by Costa Rica's "excellent" public hospitals. Photo by Whitney Martin | Tico Times

Private Health Care Provides Options considers Costa Rica’s private arm – which attracts thousands of foreigners every year for high-quality, yet affordable care – as a counterweight to the public system. The article examines how the insurance market works, who uses the private system and why this piece is critical to health care here.

The Path to Better Health takes a look at what makes Costa Rica’s health system strong – and in what areas the country is falling behind – and cites leading analysts on proposals for improvement.

Can I use Medicare in Costa Rica?

By Chrissie Long | Tico Times Staff

No. Medicare’s coverage does not extend abroad. Coverage is only provided in the United States. There are currently no plans to make Medicare available here, according to the United States embassy. The only option for U.S. citizens is to pay for health services out-of-pocket, purchase insurance with the National Insurance Institute (INS) or use international insurance plans.