Marlowe Wilson is used to wearing many hats.
The woman behind Marlowe’s Marvelous Market is also a cook, caterer, health consultant and property manager. Having just celebrated her 75th birthday, she is nowhere near slowing down – the word “retire” isn’t part of her vocabulary. Instead, she plans on spending the last quarter of her life running a health and wellness clinic in San Juan Cosala. As she puts it, “My last kick of the can is this clinic!”
With plans to sell her popular health food store in Ajijic, Wilson is seeking a buyer who is compatible with her “healthy food and customer first” philosophy. Then, she says, she can put her energies into opening her clinic, appropriately called Marlowe’s Place, with a projected opening of May 6.
The clinic, a converted house, will include alternative healers, cooking classes, mineral pools and a far infrared sauna. Private rooms will accommodate three clients at a time for month-long stays while receiving personalized care; and a local doctor will be on hand.
“The focus of the clinic,” says Wilson, “is on healing people with cancer who don’t want to follow the traditional route of chemotherapy and radiation.” She will also deal with digestive issues and other chronic conditions, offering consultations and treatments.
According to Wilson, most people suffer from poor digestion. “The expression ‘you are what you eat’ has become ‘you are what you digest.’ A common malady is leaky gut, which is where the lining of stomach separates and undigested food particles get into the bloodstream. The immune system attacks these particles since it sees them as a foreign body. Suddenly, you’ve got inflammation, which is the basis of almost every disease.”
One of the reasons Wilson got involved in functional medicine was that, for two years, she was very ill. “I went through all kinds of tests and found out that I was seriously anemic. Then, five months ago, I found out that I had celiac disease. Now I’m feeling much better since I know what to eat and how to treat the disease.
“The idea of functional medicine is to get to the source of the problem rather than medicating the symptom. When people come to the clinic with multiple problems, we’ll be looking for the root cause. Most of us forget what it’s like to feel good because we’re used to living with aches and pains. Most likely, it took a number of years for us to get sick. To regain good health could take upwards of a year.”
So far, Wilson has seen excellent results from her clients who follow her treatment plan, using more natural protocols to heal the body. She has witnessed four cases of advanced prostate cancer go into total remission. “We now have eight people on our program, all of whom have various stages of cancer. There is no cure for cancer; the best we can hope for is to put the cancer in remission while learning how to keep it there.”
Shortly after opening her market, Wilson started focusing on health. “I began taking online courses on healing, health and wellness, and got certified as a health coach.” Not stopping there, she went on to get certified as a digestion specialist. “Next month I will be starting a year-long, online course on functional medicine. “Once certified,” she chuckles, “I will be a significant force to deal with!”
Wilson arrived in Mexico in 2011, driving her RV from Vancouver, Canada, with the help of Ryan, a 19-year old street kid from a group home that she ran for 25 years. Wilson’s custom was to bring kids from the home to Mexico for holiday during those years. One week after landing at an RV park in Rosa Azul (near Jocotepec), Ryan returned to Canada and Wilson stayed on, with the plan to retire.
Says Wilson, “Four months later, I woke up one morning feeling bored. I wanted something to do. Sitting with friends one day and talking about how bad the butter is here, I came up with an idea. Back in my hippie days I was making butter, so I thought, why not make it again.”
The next thing she knew, Wilson was making butter for friends, then passing out samples at Super Lake. “Poncho, the store owner, was generous in letting me sell my butter in his store.” As sales took off, she kept their cooler stocked while also selling at several outdoor markets.
Two and a half years ago, another idea led Wilson to move to Ajijic and open her market. She realized that, as a store owner, she would be able to sell her butter on a consistent basis, plus stock a variety of healthy foods.
Reflecting on running her market, Wilson says, “Opening a business in Mexico was quite easy. The government was very cooperative and encouraging – and the community has been incredibly supportive.” When asked about its challenges, she replies: “The only real challenge has been my electric bill – it’s always too high!”
Marlowe Wilson will speak about current health issues at Open Circle on Sunday, August 13. She can be reached at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..">.