AmSoc Forum June 2011 issue

Monthly NewsletterJune 2011

www.amsoc.com.brForum

The Health Issue

Page 4: How bad is it really, what is being done and what can you do to protect the health of your family and yourself?

Brazilian superfoods

Page 6: Heard about Brazilian superfoods yet? What are they and how can you benefit from them?

0: Get all the info on the flu and this year’s flu vaccine right here!

The flu

The American Society of São Paulo promotes friendship by organizing social, cultural and athletic events for its diverse membership; encourages integration with the Brazilian society; and supports the American traditions of education, philanthropy and volunteerism.

Our Mission

The Health Issue

Save the dateSave the dateUpcoming AmSoc events

July 2nd - 4th of July celebrationAug - Welcome back event (date TBA)Sep 24th - AmSoc Vida Jovem Benefit (note change of date)

Pollution in São Paulo

Independence Day CelebrationAs we told you all in our last Forum,

this year we’ll be celebrating United States Independence Day on Saturday July 2nd. We want to thank Thomas Kelly, Counsel General and acknowledge the American Consulate as our Co-Host.

The event on Saturday July 2nd will take place at the Consulate in the sporting area within the compound. The Gates will open at 12:30pm with drinks and games available.

Opening ceremonies with the M a r i n e Color Guard will start at 1:30pm. Lunch will be served after the opening ceremony, the President’s message, and a few words from our Consul General etc.

It comes complete with a play area for children where we’ll have some extra special games and slides, hot dogs and drinks, face painting and activities to last the whole afternoon. We’ll have a sporting area for adults, tennis, soccer kicking, egg toss, Tug-O-Rope, three legged races and of course some prizes for those outstanding performers.

Since we’ll be inside the Consulate gates we’ll need to conform to the strict security regulations, so if you don’t have a reservation you will not be allowed past security. The security documents required are simple and normal (just like you’d use to enter an office building): Name of all attendees (maids as well), document type and number (Passport, RG, RNE etc). There is plenty of street parking on Saturdays and there is a parking lot at the end of the street.

We have put a link on our website (www.amsoc.com.br) for your use to complete the reservation form including the food you are bringing, names and numbers.

You can also email the information to the [email protected] or call at 5182-2074. If you call, please have all the

names and d o c u m e n t n u m b e r s r e a d y b e c a u s e we’ll need to write everything d o w n for you. Children’s d o c u m e n t n u m b e r s will NOT be n e c e s s a r y for this event.

T h e Consulate staff will will be joining us for the picnic and all our kids will be playing together. We are hoping to have fireworks, pending approval and sponsorship for this type of spectacular event.

Remember, each family must bring a salad or fantastic dessert to accompany the traditional hamburgers and hot dogs, and we’ll continue this tradition at the Consulate.

Since this is a Members Only event, invite your friends to JOIN AMSOC and come to our first Independence Day Event at the American Consulate. Just click the “Join Now” button on our website, you can use your credit card or PayPal for your Annual fee.

Your Independence Day Committee is working hard to ensure you have a GREAT picnic, so come prepared for good food, good friends, good weather and a fantastic event.

See you on Saturday July 2nd at 1:30pm

The President’s Corner

By Joe Sherman, AmSoc president

Forum June2

Lynn Cordeiro, editor and layoutErnest White II, staff writer

Forum is printed by EGB.(http://www.egb.com.br)

Views expressed in Forum do not necessarily reflect those of the American Society board of governors, members, or staff.

Forum reserves the right to edit content for brevity and/or clarity.

The American Society of São Paulo

Rua da Paz, 1431 04713-001 São Paulo, SPTel: (11) 5182-2074 Fax: (11) 5182-9155

[email protected]

Forum is published monthly, with the exception of January and July, by

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First of all, I would like to thank those whom elected the Officers and Board members at the AGM last month. I

look forward to working with Jennifer, Jacques, Ruth and the Board in continuing to fine tune what the American Society does and offers in these changing times.

Secondly I would like to introduce myself to those that do not know me personally.

I was born here in São Paulo and am a third generation American. My grandfather first came to Brazil in 1916, initially working in Rio Grande do Sul in the coal mining business. He later moved to São Paulo with my grandmother working with the Canadian Light and Power Company. My grandmother was a teacher and the elementary principal at Graded having graduated from Columbia University with a Masters in Education.

My father and uncles grew up in São Paulo, attending Graded and later Mackenzie as Graded was only elementary at the time. My father was working in Rio when he met my mother who was working at the US consulate.I also went to Graded until my father was transferred to Buenos Aires. I met my wife Marilyn in high school there

and we were married after our university studies in the U.S. We then moved to Brazil in 1975 and our two daughters, Angela and Melissa, attended Chapel and Graded, and then off they went to the US for college. Both girls now live and work/study in California. Sadly Marilyn passed away in 2005, a victim of breast cancer.

I have known my fiancée Connie Herbert for many years; her husband Brandon and I go back to elementary at Graded; and he unfortunately was also a victim of cancer. We will be married after she retires as an elementary principal at the Swiss School in August.

My business experience is in the agribusiness area having worked for two large American grain companies, a Brazilian cooperative, European agrichemical businesses, and an international ethanol trade association. Most of my work experience was in São Paulo plus two year expatriate tours in New York and Minneapolis at the home office. I currently work on agribusiness consulting projects on a case by case basis.

In terms of volunteering, the American Society is not new to me, coaching Little League T-ball, Girls Softball-PACA at 8:00 on Saturday mornings…. I was on the Board of our neighborhood owners association for many years and as an active golfer have participated in the management of the

Guarapiranga Golf and Country Club as Captain for four years, President four years, and President of the Board three years. I have been on the American Society Board for three years and am looking forward to next year as President of this great organization!

I am an Elvis Presley fan and my daughters have given Connie and I tickets to see the Cirque du Soleil Viva Elvis show in Las Vegas for our 60th birthdays. So we are off at the end of the month to Las Vegas and California. Connie’s daughter, Aline, will be joining us on the California leg. Unfortunately I will not be at our 4th of July celebration which I am sure will be a great success.

For those on vacation in July have a good time and see you in August at our pancake breakfast. Abraços, Joe

The American Societyof São Paulo

Forum 32011

Welcome to our New MembersPlease welcome the following New Members who joined us in April 2011. We are very grateful for their support, and that of all our members! See you at our next event!!! WELCOME TO THE AMERICAN SOCIETY OF SÃO PAULO! Your Membership Committee

NAME MEMBERSHIP TYPE CITIZENSHIIP COMPANY

Lesley OLSON & Mario ZEBIC Family Patron American

Yamin CHIANG Single Patron Brazilian RP Import e Export

Joseph & Cecilia TRIPICIAN Family American

Jeffrey Andrew MAYER Junior American Chapel School

While many of us are familiar with health care costs and medical coverage, living in Brazil can cause you to double check that you are your family have the coverage you need.

Local insurance policies are generally limited to the country in which you live, whereas international policies generally provide coverage worldwide.

Listed below are important items that our often treated differently in local and international insurance coverage policies.

The question of insurance coverage can be complicated but understanding

the extent of your coverage is important. Perhaps a local or international policy would be better for your needs.

If you would like to learn more about both local and international insurance policies available in Brazil, American Society has arranged for a group policy to be extended to its members at a discount.

We picked a broker who speaks fluent English and can explain selected insurance policies and products to you.If you would like to learn more, please contact the AMSOC office or visit our website for additional information.

Health Insurance in Brazil - Do I have what I need?

Local Reference List of Doctors/Lab tests/Hospital

Limit of reimbursement for procedures No coverage of prescribed medications Some products do not offer Home Care

Limit of Medical Technology Brazil Coverage

Limit of Cancer Treatment Limit for appliances implanted during surgery

No air ambulance

InternationalFree Choice of Providers Around the World

No limit (UCR – Usual, Costumary, Reasonable)Coverage for prescribed Medications

Home Care coverageCutting-edge medical technology

Worldwide Coverage100% coverage for Cancer Treatment

100% for appliances implanted during surgery Air ambulance coverage

Forum June4

By Ernest White II, staff writer

Hazy Daze: São Paulo’s Pollution Problem

One of the biggest events to hit town this year is the C40 Large Cities Climate Summit, a biannual reunion of leaders from the world’s largest cities joined in an effort to combat climate change, happening at the World Trade Center São Paulo from May 31st to June 2nd.

São Paulo makes an interesting, if unconventional, choice for host city of the conference: with a population in the greater metropolitan area of twenty million people, a growing fleet of over seven million cars, and a well-established industrial sector, the city often finds itself shrouded in a Venusian haze, producing spectacular, apocalyptic sunsets as well as persistent coughs. In fact, the air pollution in São Paulo, caused mostly by vehicle emissions, has been found to shave three years off an otherwise healthy person’s life, in addition to causing all manner of health problems, including asthma, bronchitis, emphysema, heart disease, and lung cancer, according to the Pollution Laboratory at the University of São Paulo (USP), which constantly monitors pollution levels and their effects on the citizenry.

This same citizenry, while seemingly attached to a steadily growing car culture, are increasingly dissatisfied with official efforts by municipal, state, and federal government agencies to effectively deal with the problem.

Last year, according to research done by the NGO Nossa São Paulo, 36 per cent of paulistanos questioned indicated being “totally dissatisfied” with the city’s pollution controls, and the same number believe that air quality in the area has gotten worse over the last few years. Still, with woefully inadequate public transportation, many of these same citizens add to the problem by driving.

Not only is “toxic dust” – a

combination of carbon exhaust and dirt in microscopic particles small enough to get by the body’s built-in respiratory defense system, commonly known as nose hair – stirred up by moving vehicles, but the two-year delay in the commercial availability of cleaner-

burning diesel fuels in Brazil, which had been slated for 2009, is expected to cost R$30 million in public health care costs and at least 14,000 deaths nationwide by 2030, according to figures by USP.

As temperatures drop in the Southern Hemisphere, the overall amount of air pollution in São Paulo increases, since the air itself becomes drier and toxic gasses, including carbon monoxide and nitrogen dioxide, are less likely to dissipate, forming a noxious force field over the city that traps heat, causing further unnatural climatic fluctuations.

In fact, last August proved to be the driest month in São Paulo since records began to be kept in 1943, according to the Brazilian National Institute of Meteorology.

Not only that, but scientists at the National Institute of Space Research in São José dos Campos found that atmospheric pollutants produced in the São Paulo metro area can easily spread up to 600 km away, or more, creating a layer of harmful ozone over towns in

São Paulo state such as Ribeirão Preto, São Francisco Xavier, and even far-flung Presidente Prudente.

Air isn’t the only contaminated element in the São Paulo area. The city’s biggest suppliers of drinking water, the Billings and Guarapiranga

reservoirs, at the far end of Zona Sul, contain unsafe levels of lead, copper, nickel, and zinc, among other heavy metals, according to USP.

Sabesp, the state-run sanitation company in charge of delivering potable water to the populace, isn’t equipped to filter the water completely, so traces of these metals can indeed be found in water coming from the tap.

Long-term exposure to the elements have been known to cause decreased fertility and cancer. Meanwhile, a two-year project in which

water from the Rio Pinheiros was to be treated before flowing into the Billings Reservoir by a special floating filtration system that would concentrate toxins and waste into a removable sludge was deemed a complete failure last year by the state government, at the cost of R$80 million.

This is in addition to contamination of the Guarapiranga Reservoir by raw sewage seeping and being dumped from illegal squatter settlements along the shoreline.

Though these issues may make São Paulo seem incredibly toxic and virtually uninhabitable – the city’s air pollution index is nearly twice that of New York – it’s actually less of a polluter than Mumbai, Shanghai, or even Buenos Aires. And, São Paulo produces less carbon emissions per capita than New York, Toronto, or Washington, D.C.

In an attempt to honor its oath to reduce the amount of carbon released into the air by thirty percent of 2005 levels by the year 2050, the city has


2011 Forum 5

become more focused on taking cars off the road through a slow but steady metro expansion program, opening most of the stations along the new yellow line, Linha 4, by the end of the year, as well as breaking ground on another subway line – Linha 6 – by the start of 2013.

Also, almost 10,000 buses, which constitutes about 65 per cent of the city’s entire bus fleet, have been replaced with models that burn more environmentally-friendly fuels.

The city’s Secretaria do Verde e Meio Ambiente, the governmental body responsible for environmental initiatives in São Paulo, have organized the 100 Parques program, with an aim of establishing 100 parks and green spaces in the city before the end of next year.

Parks tend to provide a cooling effect on cities, especially those with vast tracts of concrete structures and pavement that generate extreme heat in the sun. São Paulo has been especially creative by establishing linear parks along stretches of

roadways and canals that serve the dual purpose of cooling down the city and calming down its inhabitants.

Other initiatives include carbon credits made available for sale to other countries based on the efficient operation of some of Latin America’s largest landfills on the outskirts of town and to be used for establishing other green projects, installing less-wasteful LED lights around the city, consciousness-raising about recycling, and a solar water heating scheme made affordable for lower-income households.

At first glance, São Paulo may not seem to be the obvious choice

for hosting a global environmental summit, but by attempting to tackle a few of the developing world’s ecological issues, from recycling to public transportation, the city may indeed show that it is just as serious about saving the environment as it has been about polluting it.

Protecting Yourself from Pollution

While São Paulo’s air might be hazardous to someone’s health (typically young children and the elderly), there has been no call for the wearing of surgical masks – SARS-style – by doctors or the government. Still, there are some pre-emptive steps you can take to try and minimize the negative effects of poor air quality, especially during the approaching dry season, when pollutants are at their worst.

Many people forget that water is an essential ingredient in making your body run smoothly, and drinking sufficient water on especially dry days

is the most important and effective way of combating negative effects of polluted air on the body.

Skin lotions, sunblock, and humidifiers – which could be as simple as hanging a wet towel in a warm area to generate humidity – also work wonders.

Children and the elderly need special attention and should be kept hydrated. Avoid heavy physical

exertion, especially in the hours when the sun at its highest point and the air is at its worst. Keep abreast of the weather and news reports on air quality and plan accordingly.

Regarding water, always drink it from the bottle, or another trusted source. There are no guarantees about how much filtering tap water has had, and if that’s your only source for drinking water, use a pitcher with a built-in filter to try and reduce as many impurities as possible. And try to swallow as little tap water as possible while showering or brushing your teeth...ok, that might be going a little overboard.

Forum June6

Brazil’s Wealth… of Nutritional HealthBy Jane Posner

Brazil’s economic wealth is well reported throughout the world, but not everyone is familiar with Brazil’s vast array of antioxidant rich superfoods. Acai berries, Brazil nuts, coconut water, Guarana plants, Yerba Mate tea and coffee are just a few of the nutritional opportunities available to us every day here in Brazil. Although some of these superfoods have exaggerated and hyperbolized health claims, that should not detract from the scientific facts that these foods provide a diverse variety of vitamins, minerals and antioxidants.

Acai berries are perhaps the most well known or, more specifically, the most highly marketed of the Brazilian superfoods. Most Americans are familiar with US brands like MonaVie, which is sold through independent distributors much like Avon, and Sambazon which is sold in 15,000 grocery stores throughout the US.

Additionally, acai products have flooded the internet with various overpriced “miracle acai pills”, virtually all of which turned out to be placebos and financial scams. That being said, acai pulp provides more protein in relation to its weight than eggs and milk, and has high levels of of anthocyanin, an antioxidant, as well as vitamins E and B1, potassium, iron and calcium, according to Embrapa, Brazil’s agriculture research company.

Unfortunately, the popularity of this super berry has become a social issue for Brazilians as the price has soared. Farmers in Brazil typically sold the acai in a wicker basket that holds about 14 kilograms (31 pounds) for R$1 wholesale. Today the price has risen to as much as R$60, according to Embrapa.

The strain is making it harder for local people who depended on acai as a source of food. For example in Igarape-Miri, an Amazon village 1,100 miles north of Brasilia, a local woman, Francisca Neves, who sells manioc flour to neighbors and restaurants, says that the bitter pulp she used to eat twice a day is now a luxury reserved

only for special occasions. Recently, when her granddaughter turned three she splurged on 2 liters of acai mush for R$20, 7 percent of her monthly household income.

Some people attribute the boom in acai’s popularity to Oprah Winfrey who discussed the berry on her show with famed doctors such as Mehmet Oz and Nicholas Perricone. On her February 2008 show, NY cardiologist Dr. Oz, presented his anti-aging checklist which included acai. Additionally, he was quoted saying, “It (acai) has twice the antioxidant power of a blueberry” Connecticut based dermatologist, Dr. Perricone, included the Brazilian fruit in his “10 Superfoods list.”

While the extreme claims of rapid weight loss, flattened tummies, and enhanced sexual energy are still being researched, acai berries still remain an excellent source of delicious antioxidants.

After recently moving here from Orange County, California, headquarters of the US company Sambazon (short for Saving and Managing the Brazilian Amazon), I was eager to try the authentic highly touted native fruit. After realizing that I could not actually buy acai berries, I bought some frozen acai pulp, which was surprisingly similar to the way it is sold in the US. My first homemade attempt to serve acai pulp to my three children did not go over so well, since it was not sufficiently sweetened with sugar and banana, nor sufficiently thinned out with a little water. At first taste, it was a thick bitter paste, but after further experiments and improvements my kids now ask for it every night for dessert.

Gaining in US marketing exposure currently, is coconut water. I was recently handed a juice box size container of ice cold coconut water on a blazing hot summer day in Washington D.C. during a street fair. The marketing representatives were touting not only rapid rehydration but also a natural electrolyte replacement.

This natural feature places coconut water into competition with Gatorade. Additionally, the website Cocotap, claims that coconut water reduces problems for children with intestinal disturbances, contains growth promoting properties and kills intestinal worms. It is useful as a blood plasma substitute, as an intravenous solution, and can be used topically to prevent prickly heat rash and relieves rashes caused by small pox, chicken pox and measles. It furthermore is an urinary antiseptic and eliminates poisons in cases of mineral poisoning, and it helps to naturally keep the body cool.

Now living in Brazil, I can be selective by only drinking the delicious coconut water fresh from the fruit after being entertained by the vendor with the machete who meticulously chops off enough of the fruit to fit my straw.

Another Brazilian superfood, which has maintained a steady popularity, is the Brazil nut. A large nut, shaped like a quarter moon or oval is famous for its high selenium content. The RDA (Recommended Daily Allowance) for adults is 55 micrograms a day. One Brazil nut delivers 95.8 micrograms, well over the daily requirement. Selenium, aids the body in producing antioxidant enzymes that protect human cells from free radical damage. Free radicals are molecules responsible for aging and tissue damage.

A double-blind, placebo controlled study, known as the Nutritional Prevention of Cancer, noted that in populations where selenium consumption was low, there was a rise in the incidence of cancer. This long term trial involving 1312 people found supplementing with selenium reduced the total cancer incidence by 48% to 63%, especially prostate, colorectal and lung cancer.

The Brazil nut also possesses trace amounts of thiamine, riboflavin, and niacin, along with high levels of folate and Vitamin E. It is natural then for people to assume that if one Brazil nut a day is that good for their health,


2010 Forum 72011

than doubling, tripling or even eating five times this amount would be even better.

Whereas this theory works well for dark leafy greens, it does not apply to Brazil nuts. Overdosing on selenium causes a toxic condition known as selenosis, causing symptoms like hair loss, nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, fatigue, irritability and nerve damage. This is why the Brazil nut is sometimes referred to as the Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde of the nut world.

What are we to do with such diverse health advice? Limit yourself to one or two a day. It is the old advice of everything in moderation.

On the caffeine front Brazil grows three distinctly popular products, Coffee, Yerba Mate tea and Guarana. Now whether or not these products are consumed within families has as much to do with cultural upbringing as scientific evidence. Guarana has the most caffeine of the three, 3.6% to 5.8% by weight vs. coffee at only 2%. This caffeine provides alertness, energy and combined with other supplements can promote weight loss, according to the US health website WebMD. Guarana is derived from the seeds of a tropical South American tree. Aside from the seed itself, there are no natural food sources of Guarana, but it has become a common additive in food and drink.

It is most commonly seen in Brazilian soda, appropriately named, Guarana. Personally, I am not a fan of sodas so I am going to wait for food producers to come up with a more natural way to consume it.

Yerba mate is an herb grown in Brazil that many people drink instead of coffee. This is a very culturally

infused custom that is mostly found in Southern Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay, and Paraguay.

Most people drink Yerba Mate in a hollowed out gourd cup with a special filtered straw called a bombilla. Some people in Brazil and in many other places in South America drink the mate all day long, actually walking everywhere with their “mate kit” usually including a mate gourd cup, bombilla and a huge thermos of water (can be hot or cold) to continually refill the gourd throughout the day. Some people even travel with special carrying cases for their thermos and mate supplies. Recently, a friend told me than in most mate drinking areas, even motorcyclists drive with their water thermos and cup under their arm, refilling their gourd with water at each red light. They are committed to the habit. So you can’t drive and talk on your cell phone but you can coordinate all this tea drinking with no problem?!?!

Yerba Mate contains caffeine and antioxidants, but fans of the tea claim that mate is easier for the stomach to digest and provides more vitamins than coffee. According to K. Simon Yeung, a research pharmacist at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in NY, Yerba Mate contains B Vitamins, Vitamin C, manganese, potassium and zinc.

Finally, the classic beverage and standard in almost every culture around the world is coffee. Brazil is the largest coffee producing country in the world. The Brazilian terrain is perfect for growing both Arabica and robusta coffee. Recently, scientific studies have come out about the health benefits of moderate coffee drinking.

According to the LIVESTRONG website, coffee is high in antioxidants, and it may decrease your risk of type 2 diabetes, Parkinson’s disease, liver cancer, and heart disease.

Conversely, without proper moderate habits in consuming these beverages, they can also become dangerous in large amounts leading to increased heart rate, sleep disturbances, anxiety, restlessness and upset stomach and in extreme situations an overdose of caffeine can cause seizures and convulsions.

Variety and moderation are important aspects of a healthy diet when it comes to any foods, including these Brazilian Super Foods.

I feel very fortunate to live in Brazil, a country with such a vast array of delicious and exotic fruits and vegetables at every turn. I am looking forward to including many more healthy and Brazil exclusive foods in our family’s daily meals.

Fellowship Community ChurchThe Welcome Place since 1921

Phone (11) 3253-7609 www.fellowship.com.br

Sunday’s09:00 am - Walking in Faith Classes (English and Portuguese)

10:30 am – Worship Service (English only)

06:00 pm – Culto em português

Conveniently located on Rua Carlos Sampaio, 107 – Bela VistaJust a block and a half from the Brigadeiro Metro station on the Avenida Paulista

Forum June8

Brazil Travel in Winter - Serra GaúchaBy Melissa Sabella Harkin, AmSoc member

Picture timber-framed buildings, flower-lined streets, chocolate shops and snow in winter, and you probably don’t picture Brazil. Yet the sister cities of Gramado and Canela in Rio Grande do Sul are just that.

It all seems a million miles away from Rio’s palm-fringed beaches, São Paulo’s hectic business life or the Amazon rainforest, but the longer time one spends in Brazil, the more one learns about such stark contrasts.

Gramado and Canela form part of what is known as the “rota romântica” (romantic route). This is a scenic itinerary of thirteen cities in Rio Grande do Sul first colonized by German immigrants in the Nineteenth Century. They cultivated this colder, mountainous part of the state and built houses reminiscent of the Bavarian style from Germany. Their identity has been preserved to the present day in the regional dialect, traditional music and local festivals.

Gramado and Canela can be reached in a day trip from Porto Alegre (capital city of Rio Grande do Sul state), at a distance of 150 kilometers from it, and lie just six kilometers apart. They are popular resorts not just for Brazilians, but also for Argentineans and Uruguayans, seeking what the romantic route’s website describes as “the most European cities in Brazil”.

Gramado

Arriving from Porto Alegre, your first stop should be Gramado. The city

center is compact and a stroll taking in the streets famed for their flowerbeds and Bavarian-style buildings is a must. There are many shops selling traditional Gaúcho hand-made products, such as leather and woolen clothing.

Arts and crafts and local produce are also in abundance, including the famous Gramado chocolate. Every second shop boasts chocolate in hundreds of different shapes and forms,

and cups of thick hot chocolate are even served in winter at the city’s sidewalk cafes.

There are many events in Gramado throughout the year. In winter, the city hosts the most important film festival in Latin America and at Christmas the city streets are garlanded with decorations and twinkling lights in a festival called “Natal Luz” (Christmas Light).

Other attractions in Gramado include the “Lago Negro” (Black Lake), so called because it was constructed after a fire destroyed the existing forest and trees imported from the Black Forest in Germany were planted at its edges. Nowadays it’s a peaceful spot for having a picnic or renting a pedal boat in the form of a ubiquitous swan or curiously, a mini-pirate ship.

“Mini-Mundo” (Mini-World) is another popular tourist attraction. Created in 1981, it represents a city in miniature, replete with castles, railways, windmills, churches, cable-

cars, towers, lakes, waterfalls and houses. There are various models based on famous buildings and structures, including the Neuschwanstein castle in Germany. Addition to the model continues to this day and recent inclusions are representations of the Andes mountain range, the Argentinian airport of Bariloche and the Hamburg metro system.

Canela

Canela city center is similar in atmosphere to that of Gramado, with its flowerbeds and chocolate shops. The majestic stone cathedral at the top of the main road provides a focal point for its tidy streets and well-kept shops and houses.

However, the real draw for tourists to Canela are rather the various parks outside the city, offering scenic walks, trails for hiking and sites for camping and barbecuing outside of the short winter.

The most famous of these parks is “Parque do Caracol” (Snail Park), named after the breathtaking “Cascata do Caracol” (Snail Waterfall).

The waterfall is 131 meters high and is picture-perfect against a backdrop of forest and basalt rocks. The park includes various viewpoints, camping facilities and stalls selling craftwork gifts such as ponchos, hats and barbecue tools. There are also 927 steps leading to the base of the waterfall, open in high season.


2011 Forum 9

The Business - Copy & PasteMy former co-

worker at Dell, Rudy Luna, used to say that all the best ideas in the world have already been invented, and that all we need to do now was copy and paste. While I used to

laugh it off back in the days when his daily programming routine was filled with a lot of Ctrl C/Ctrl V, upon further reflection, I find it a fascinating concept today.

BusinessCorporations, non-profit organizations,

and leadership councils are filled with “best practices”. These best practices always involve a copy and paste concept, which take the best idea or process and replicate it. Six Sigma business management strategies? Copy and paste. Performance reviews based on SMART goals? Copy and paste.

There is almost nothing corporations do today that does not involve the copy and paste mantra! And what about franchises? The basic premise of almost any franchise is based on copying a concept and pasting it in another location, such as Subway recently pasting over 400 sandwich shops in Brazil.

AutomobilesHave you noticed that a large majority

of automobiles today look alike? While there are clearly trend setters, almost every car company copies and pastes the best ideas developed by others. Just think about airbags, the steering wheel, electronic door locks, and flex-fuel technology. Every car company employs those features in a strikingly similar fashion.

Perhaps some of the most successful modern day copy and paste examples come from China. Incredibly, in only the last 12 months, auto companies such as JAC and Chery have increased Chinese market share of imported vehicles into Brazil from 8% to 25% - mainly by copying and pasting the most desired

car features - all for a lower price. A female co-worker of mine recently told me she wouldn’t buy a Chinese car because the Chinese imitate the design of others – and don’t pay royalties. Royalties, smoyalties! No need to pay someone else for a simple exercise of copy and paste.

TechnologyThe runaway leader in the tablet

computing sector, Apple has sold almost 20 million iPads. This has inspired a copy & paste frenzy in which HP, RIM, Motorola, and Samsung have desperately tried to copy the iPad’s design and make a dent in Apple’s dominance. Not many of those iPads are sold in Brazil, due mainly to sky-high import duties. However, the Brazilian Ministry of Science and Technology recently let slip that Apple will begin producing the iPad and iPhone through its partner FoxConn, in the municipality of Jundiaí starting in July. Guess what happened immediately thereafter. Samsung announced that it will copy Apple and begin producing its Galaxy tablet in Brazil.

SportsNFL teams hire assistant coaches

from successful franchises in an attempt to copy and paste the same success for their teams. Offensive coordinators still employ the pass-happy “West Coast offense” that Bill Walsh successfully employed in San Francisco during the 80’s. One of Brazil’s biggest soccer clubs, Corinthians, copied and pasted the name of an English amateur team that went undefeated in a tour of São Paulo and Rio. Top tennis players are instructed to hit open-stance forehands – copying and pasting the technique from great clay-court players who could generate more torque and recover more quickly towards the center of the court.

HealthFormer President Bill Clinton

recently announced that he lost 24 pounds and recovered from a heart

procedure by following a “plant-based diet” taken from a famous doctor at the Cleveland Clinic. His revelation will surely lead to many other copy & pastes. In fact, I have decided to follow the same program after watching a documentary called Eating by Mike Anderson and reading Rip Esselstyn’s book “The Engine 2 Diet”. I will let you know the preliminary results of my program next month – so you can decide whether to copy and paste into your life. No royalties needed.

The Business is a monthly column written by Shay Coker, a sports-loving economist making a living as a commercial real-estate consultant at Jones Lang LaSalle in São Paulo. The Forum does not take responsibility for opinions or advice expressed in this column.

By Shay Coker, AmSoc board member

Forum June10

WHAT IS INFLUENZA (FLU)?

Influenza (flu), as opposed to the common cold, is a contagious illness usually causing respiratory symptoms additional to systemic manifestations that can involve any organ system, causing mild to severe disease and sometimes significant morbidity and death. It is caused by a family of viruses called influenza viruses that are subdivided in groups and subtypes. There has been an impressive amount of publicity and even a greater amount of misinformation circulating the media, causing confusion and raising many questions, especially in the mind of those not directly involved with the health care system.

SYMPTOMS OF INFLUENZA:

People who have the flu often feel some or all of these symptoms:- Fever or feeling feverish/chills. But not everyone with flu will have a fever- Cough- Sore throat- Runny or stuffy nose- Muscle or body aches- Headaches - Fatigue (very tired), not coming out of the bed, not playing- Some people may have vomiting and diarrhea, though this is more common in children than adults. - Respiratory difficulties

Complications of flu can include bacterial pneumonia, ear infections, sinus infections, dehydration, and worsening of chronic medical conditions, such as congestive heart failure, asthma, or diabetes.

WHO IS AT HIGH RISK FOR DEVELOPING COMPLICATIONS FROM INFLUENZA (FLU)?

- Children younger than 5, but especially children younger than 2 years old- Adults 65 years of age and older- Pregnant women- People who have underlying medical conditions - People who live in nursing homes and other long-term care facilities

- People who live with or care for those at high risk for complications from flu, including: - Health care workers- Household contacts of persons at high risk for complications from the flu- Household contacts and caregivers of children younger than 5 years of age with particular emphasis on vaccinating contacts of children younger than 6 months of age (children younger than 6 months are at highest risk of flu-related complications but are too young to get vaccinated)

HOW DOES IT SPREAD?

Most experts believe that flu viruses spread mainly by droplets made when people with flu cough, sneeze or talk. These droplets can land in the mouths or noses of people who are nearby.

Less often, a person might also get

flu by touching a surface or object that has flu virus on it and then touching their own mouth, eyes or nose.

HOW CAN IT BE PREVENTED?

- Yearly influenza vaccine - Cough hygiene: cover coughs and sneezes with a tissue, throw the tissue in the trash after using it

- Stay away from people who are sick- Wash hands often with soap and water or alcohol hand rub- Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth- If someone in the household is sick, try to keep the sick person in a separate room from others. - Do not sleep with your sick child in the same bed or share silverware- Keep surfaces like bedside tables, bathroom surfaces, kitchen counters and toys clean

THE FLU VACCINE

The seasonal flu vaccine protects against the three influenza viruses that research suggests will be most common.

The 2010-2011 flu vaccine will protect against 2009 H1N1 swine flu virus, and two other influenza viruses (an H3N2 virus and an influenza B virus). There are 2 types of trivalent vaccines, one inactivated and injectable (TIV) and a second life and nasal (LAIV).

In Brazil, only the injectable TIV vaccine is available in private and the monovalent H1N1 vaccine in public immunization services. TIV vaccine is an inactivated vaccine that contains viral antigens but no live virus and, therefore, cannot produce an active virus infection.

The most common adverse events after administration are local pain and tenderness. Fever is also seen

Influenza - ‘Tis the SeasonBy Dr. Christian Dornaus, MD, FAAP Pediatrician and Director of SPAC FAMILY CLINIC


2011 Forum 11

within 24 hours after immunization in approximately 10 – 35% of children younger than 2 years, but rarely in older children and adults. Mild systemic symptoms such as nausea, lethargy, headache, muscle aches and chills can also occur.

On February 24, 2010 vaccine experts voted that everyone 6 months and older should get a flu vaccine each year starting with the 2010-2011 influenza season. CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) voted for “universal” flu vaccination in the U.S. to expand protection against the flu to more people.

While everyone should get a flu vaccine each flu season, it’s especially important that certain people get vaccinated either because they are at high risk of having serious flu-related complications or because they live with or care for people at high risk for developing flu-related complications.

Minor illnesses, with or without fever, are not contraindications to the use of influenza vaccines, particularly among children with mild upper respiratory infection symptoms or allergic rhinitis.

WHO SHOULD NOT BE VACCINATED WITH TIV?

- Those younger than 6 months- Those who have a moderate-to-severe febrile illness- Those who have a history of known anaphylactic reactions to chicken or egg proteins, to any previous influenza vaccine dose, or to any of the vaccine components- Those who are known to have experienced Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS) within 6 weeks after a previous influenza vaccination

Sources:AMERICAN ACADEMY OF PEDIATRICS POLICY STATEMENT PEDIATRICS Vol. 126 No. 4 October 2010, pp. 816-826 WWW.CDC.GOV / INFLUENZA pages and personal experience.

Christian Dornaus, MD, FAAPPediatrician and Director of SPAC FAMILY CLINIC, Av Vereador José Diniz, N.3707, 6.andar, Campo Belo , São Paulo, Tel. 011-5538-0099Mail: [email protected]: www.clinicaspac.com.br

Forum June12

CAC Volunteer Day Huge Success!Saturday April 9th, 2011 was the

American Society’s second Volunteer Day collaboration with the U.S. Consulate. Thanks to great weather, 55 dedicated volunteers, and 70 enthusiastic children, the event was an overwhelming success.

Never have the consulate grounds been so thoroughly enjoyed as when these deserving children descended on them. One of the most beautiful moments was watching a young girl play tennis for the first time. Another breathtaking moment was seeing 50 excited children jump straight into the pool—swimming skills or not!

The ten staff of the Helen Drexel home and the Projeto Sol organization

enjoyed themselves as well—some of them landing in the pool themselves. It was as if the consulate had turned into a water park!

On the soccer field, members of

a local soccer school shared their expertise. After playing hard for quite

a while, children took a break from the fun and sat down to eat. What a feast: hamburgers, hotdogs, potato chips, soft drinks, and homemade desserts! There was quite a cooking and serving crew who made sure everyone got at least one full plate of food, if not two!

All involved felt the effort was truly worthwhile. This event can be an example of using the resources at

hand to give a gift to children who truly deserve every moment of wholesome outdoor fun they can get. Thank you to all who helped make it such a special day.

Angel Party 2011Every year the American Society

throws its gala event for kids, the Angel Party. This year the party will be held on Saturday, November 5, at Chapel School. Our invited guests are 250 children from orphanages, daycare centers and educational programs that the Community Action Committee of the American Society supports.

We need your help. The gifts that Santa gives each child at the party are, in many cases, the only Christmas presents these children receive. Would you like to be one of Santa’s helpers and sponsor a child? This means buying the items for one child that Santa will give at the party. These items are: a pair of pants, a T-shirt, a jacket or sweatshirt, a pair of socks, three pairs of underwear, a pair of tennis shoes, a backpack, a toy worth R$50 or more and some candy.

Sometimes shopping is easier and faster and if you’d like to do some shopping in July while traveling abroad. One quick trip to your local discount store and you’re done. If

you’re interested, write Sue Banman Sileci at [email protected] for the name and clothes sizes of a child.

And, of course, the Angel Party Planning Committee needs donations

of all sorts, from food to prizes for games. If you’d like to help us out with the party, let Eileen Tasso know at [email protected].


2011 Forum 13

Organic food in São PauloBy Maureen Kennedy Alves, AmSoc board member

There are a few things about me you may want to keep in mind while reading this article. One: I don’t wear Birkenstocks. In fact, I don’t even like them. Two: Same goes for patchouli oil. I’ve never worn it and never will. Three: At the risk of being too personal, I never, ever, allow hair to grow on my underarms.

Why am I telling you all this? Well, because I think it will make you more receptive to what I have to say. You see, I’m a vegetarian. And yes, it’s partly because I don’t like the way the animals are treated. I also like green juice for breakfast. And when I say green, I mean green as in vegetables. Perhaps more importantly, I’m passionate about organic food.

I started buying organic fruits and vegetables a few years ago after reading a book about traditional farming. Not to get all preachy on you, but knowing that the food on my plate was sprayed with pesticides and grown in fertilizer-rich soil became, well, difficult to swallow. While it’s true, as my husband can attest (or more like protest), that organic food is often more expensive than its ‘regular’ counterpart, eliminating all those toxic chemicals from your diet may be cheaper in the long run.

Back in New York, I was able to buy organic everything at the neighborhood health food store. Needless to say, I was worried about what I would find – or more like what I wouldn’t find – in São Paulo. I knew being a non-carnivore in the land of churrascaria wouldn’t be that difficult and that the green juice would be flowing as long as I had my juicer. But organic? In Brazil? I wondered if the word was even part of the local lexicon.

What I didn’t know then is that Brazil is actually among the top 10 countries in the world with the most organic farmland. And that in recent years the organic market here has grown exponentially. Just walk into any mainstream grocery store like Pão de Açúcar, even Extra, and you’ll see whole sections dedicated to organic

food. Not to mention eco-friendly cleaning products like BioWash and Ecobril.

But that’s just the beginning. Happily, there are many places in São Paulo where organic food and products are the main event, not just a side distraction. You can even order organic food over the Internet to be delivered to your doorstep. I was delighted. Who knew São Paulo was an organic lover’s paradise?

Still, ever the skeptic (I sometimes suspect the mineral water delivered to our home is just tap water in a sealed bottle), I wondered what the accreditation requirements were like in Brazil. But, rest assured, just as with most countries, Brazil follows guidelines set by the International Federation of Organic Agriculture and Movements.

So throw out that stereotype that says only hippie types are into organic food and check out some of the organic hot spots in São Paulo. Maybe you’ll even see me there: I’ll be the well-groomed lady in high heels.

Where to buy organic in São Paulo?The places listed here are just the tip of the iceberg. For more information and ideas, go to www.planetaorganico.com.br.

StoresThese organic stores have it all – organic produce, meat, bread, dairy products and more. - Ponto Verde www.lojapontoverde.com.br/- Empório Siriuba www.alecosta.com.br/clientes/emporio- Melinda & Julius www.melindaejulius.com.br

FeirasNo need to do what I did the first time I went to an organic feira – that is, ask each vendor if the food they were selling was indeed organic. Turns out the association that organizes the feira does the checking for you.- Ibirapuera, Sundays starting at 6 amRua Tutóia (at Igreja do Santíssimo Sacramento)

- Parque da Água Branca (Perdizes)Tuesdays, Saturdays and Sundays from 7 am to 12 pm, Avenida Francisco Matarazzo, 455 - Alta Boa Vista, Thursdays from 6 am to 12 pmRua São Benedito, (between Rua Américo Brasiliense and Rua Alexandre Dumas)

RestaurantsThese restaurants serve organic vegetarian food. Some also offer cooking courses so you can turn out your own organic extravaganzas.- Fulô (Vila Madalena)www.fulovegetariano.com.br- Anna Premwww.annaprem.com.br- Vegethuswww.vegethus.com.br DeliverySão Paulo is the land of delivery and organic food is no exception. Many sites require you to order in advance, so be sure to check out the site’s policy before you buy.

- Hortifruti Orgânicowww.hortifrutiorganico.com.br- Organic Deliverywww.organicdelivery.com.br- Sítio Terra & Saúdewww.sitioterraesaude.com.br

Maureen Kennedy Alves is a writer, personal yoga instructor and mom to a beautiful baby boy. She can be reached at [email protected].

American-Licensed Expat Psychologist

Richard Morhaime, Psy.D., offers skilled psy-chotherapy for children and adults. He also pro-vides complete diagnostic evaluations in Eng-lish for children with academic or behavioral difficulties, featuring individualized recommen-dations for school and home. For more infor-mation, contact Dr. Morhaime at 5538-0099 or 9669-8057 or visit www.expatpsychologist.com.

American-Licensed Psychotherapist

In this busy and ever-changing world, people of-ten feel stressed and overwhelmed with no place to turn. Psychotherapy/counseling can provide a safe place to receive professional guidance and support. Brief or longer-term therapy offered depending on your needs, goals and expecta-tions. Services: individual, couples, child/ado-lescent. Certified to conduct Adoption Home Study for American Citizens. Contact: Pamela Wax, MSW/LCSW at 5051-5988 or 9656-2106 or send an e-mail to [email protected]. Lo-cated in Moema.

American-Licensed Clinical Psychologist

Heloisa Garman, Psy.D. U.S.-licensed Clinical Psychologist (covered by U.S. health insur-ance). Bilingual, with extensive private practice in Chicago and former therapist at the Family Institute at Northwestern Uni. Treats individu-als, couples, and families. Specialized in anxi-ety, depression, cultural issues, and adjustment disorders. Call Dr. Garman at (11)7179-9723 or 3898-2330 or send an e-mail to [email protected].

Personal Trainer

I will come to your home, office, or workout fa-cility and create an exercise/fitness program tai-lored to your health concerns, fitness goals, and schedule. For adults and children, individuals or groups. Sessions in English, Spanish, or Por-tuguese. For more information please contact Daniela Franco at (11) 9739-6191 or [email protected].

Selling Up

Go with a pro! We have been selling household goods for families, individuals, and companies for more than 20 years in São Paulo and Brasil-ia for embassies. We have hundreds of pre-selected clients wanting to buy from you, safe and sound! Send an e-mail to [email protected] or [email protected] or call (11) 5908-1144 or (11) 7997-8808. Ask for Ms. Za-quie Meredith.

Argos Dog Kennel Traveling? What about your dog? Argos Kennel Hotel could be his second home in the coun-try. Food, water, and shelter with lots of love and personal care. No lonely kennel for him, but our home and the freedom of a spacious garden. Fetch and carry service. English and French spoken. Call Jean or Christiane at (11) 4661-1430 or (11) 7143-0837 or send an e-mail to [email protected]. Embu Guaçu, SP.

Math and Science Tutor

Former Graded and Chapel teacher, with 25-years experience, tutors Math, Physics, Chemis-try, and Science for all levels, including but not limited to the IB, IGCSE, SAT-I & II, AP and Brazilian vestibular. Elementary and middle school students are also welcome (all subjects). Call Fernando Knijnik at (11) 9134-6700.

Psychotherapist for Ex-Pats

Serving Adults, Children, and Families (also couples) struggling with all adjustment issues. Specializing in issues of divorce, separation, and reconciliation. Many years experience with drug/ alcohol issues. USA licensed as MFT. Jun-gian Analyst experienced in Sandtray, Dream-work (groups also), and Cognitive/ Behavioral therapy. Please call/ email Matthew: 7734 5793 or [email protected] for a free initial consultation.

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Forum June14

Housing

Taylor Real Estate

Luxury spacious houses, apartments and pent-houses. Sales and rentals. Ten years experience with expatriates. Furnished and unfurnished. Trilingual Real Estate agents. References from consulates and multinationals. Photos sent by email. Relocation Service. Consult the site: www.taylorimoveis.com. Email - [email protected]. Phone: 5511 3079 8888 and 5511 8774 5100 (Maria Elisa).

Furnished apartment for rent

Vila Nova Conceição. São Paulo’s Best place to live. Near Ibirapuera Park. Modern building with sports facilities, heated swimming pool, three bedrooms (one suite), a living room with terrace, complete kitchen, maid’s bedroom and bathroom, big service area, two parking spaces. Fully furnished with all appliances. Call Alex or Eliane at (11) 3849-7085 or (11) 8635-7788, or send an e-mail to [email protected].

Apartment for rent in Jardim Paulista

Completely renovated in small 1970s build-ing on quiet street in the heart of Jardins. 140 sq mts, partially furnished, one per floor, hard wood floors, barely used fixtures and applianc-es, lrge windows with great light, two bedrms, two bathrms, half bath, TV room/office, living rm and dining area, kitchen, laundry rm, small maid´s rm, one garage with parking available on the street. Call Ann at 8578-9134

Furnished apartment for rent in Bela

Vista

Brand new apartment and building a few blocks from Paulista and the Metro. 52 sq mts, hard wood floors, all new fixtures, appliances, two bedrooms, one bathroom, living room and open kitchen, balconies, laundry room, two garage spaces. Building amenities include garden, gym and common living/receiving space downstairs, rooftop swimming pool and bar. Call Ann at 8578-9134 A classified of up to 350 characters costs

R$55 for AmSoc members and R$80 for non-members. To place a classified please call (11) 5182-2074 from 8:30 a.m. until 1 p.m., or send an e-mail to [email protected].

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Forum does not check all of the advertisers appearing in this newsletter. We urge you to use these services; however, thoroughly check prices and services prior to finalizing any service or purchase agreement.

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For more than 60 years The American Society of São Paulo has worked to establish a strongnetwork for expats living and working in São Paulo. Join Today!!!

Visit our website at www.amsoc.com.br and fill in our on-line formor call the AmSoc office at 5182-2074

2011 Forum 15

cAlendAr

Learn more about this month’s AmSoc events (highlighted) at www.amsoc.com.br.Important Dates: 19 Father’s Day (Us), 23 CorpUs ChrIstI (Br)June 2011

01 Wednesday Avishai Cohen International Jazz from Israel

At Sala São Paulo, Praça Júlio Prestes, 16. Start at 9pm. Click on www.ingressorapido.com.br to buy your ticket.

01 Wednesday INC Coffee At Emporio Santa Maria. For more information, visit www.newcomers-sp.com.br

03 & 04

Friday and Saturday

João Bosco MPB

Acclaimed Brazilian musician of MPB will play at Café Paon - Av. Pavão, 950 – Moema, start at 10:30 pm. Click on www.ingressorapido.com.br to buy your ticket.

06 Monday Scottish Country Dancing Club 1st Monday of every month, outside Drake’s Pub, in the Brazilian British Centre in Pinheiros, at 8 pm.

13 Monday Philharmonic Bachiana SESI João Carlos Martins conduct Beethoven and Astor Piazzolla at Shopping Bourbon - Rua Turiassu, 2100 - Piso Perdizes. Start at 9pm. To buy your ticket click on www.ingressorapido.com.br.

18 Saturday Music at Fellowship Recital of Clarinet (Thiago Ancelmo de Souza) and Piano (Daniel Inamorato). At Fellowship Church start at 4pm.

18 Saturday Milton Nascimento MPB

Acclaimed Brazilian musician of MPB will play at Via Funchal - R. Funchal, 65. Start at 10 pm. To buy your ticket click on www.viafunchal.showare.com.br

04 - 26

Saturday and Sunday

O Fantástico Circo das Pulgas Elétricas em O Despertar das Cores Infant Play

A pair of fleas survive in a circus without color, but are tired of his reality they do a magic number that works so well that makes one of then disappear for real. Now the two fleas will travel to go back home and win the colors that will brighten their new lives. To get your ticket click on www.ingressorapido.com.br/

Until 10 July

6 Bilhões de Outros Video Exposure

Created by photographer, journalist and French environmentalist Yann Arthus-Bertrand and GoodPlanet Foundation shows the cultural diversity through the planet faces, language, facial markings and adornments. More informations at www.masp.art.br/

Sports InjuriesAmsoc has a lot to offer for the athletic

expat: From basketball to tennis, from golf to softball. If you read the April Forum, you may have begun running at some of the lush green parks that São Paulo has to offer. Regardless of your sport, anyone who works out has had it happen at some point- you wake up one fine morning, get out of bed, put your feet on the floor and feel pain shooting through your body- it’s sports injury time!! What is happening? Where did it come from? What now?

Pain in amateur athletes’ (especially runners’) lower legs is very common, whether in the feet, ankles or knees. Muscular pain should not be considered normal. Factors which can cause pain are 1) inadequate shoes 2) biomechanical a l t e r a t i o n s ( a r t i c u l a t i o n deviations) and 3) over-training. The pain can be caused by any one factor or by a combination of these factors.

What about stretching? According to Claudio Cotter, Physical Therapist, “In practice we find that certain stretching excercises help prevent lesions and patients with large muscle retractions do tend to have more lesions, but no known study has yet proven that the absence of stretching causes lesions, and no study has yet proven that stretching can prevent lesions.”

When the lesion is caused by inadequate

shoes, the problem can often be resolved by taking a treadmill test to determine which part of your sole is taking the most impact. Once this is resolved, you can choose the running shoes best suited for your particular stride.

Most amateur athletes’ pain is due to biomechanical alterations, often caused by genetics or by repetive movements. Here in Brazil, it is common practice to correct these alterations using techniques to improve posture such as RPG

(Reeducação Postural Global), certain manual therapy techniques, and a technique called Força Dinâmica, a technique which aims to correct movements used in walking, thus improving the efficiency of running.

Often muscular lesions can be caused as a result of over training or a lack of paying adequate attention to what the body is telling

you. It is quite common for athletes to feel muscle pain while training and instead of stopping the training to find out what is happening, he/she continues to train while taking anti-inflammatory medication which only treats the pain but doesn’t treat the problem. As the athlete continues training, without feeling the pain, the problem worsens. In this case it is best to stop training altogether and seek professional help. If the muscle is “complaining”, this is almost surely a sign that the training needs to be improved for

this type of physical effort. Luckily São Paulo has a very athletic

population and therefore an excellent choice of orthopedic clinics and physical therapists and specialized shoe stores.

Here are a few of my own personal São Paulo addresses for the Amsoc athlete:

Running Shoe Test

This store has a computer hooked up to a treadmill to test the runner’s stride to determine which shoes offer the best support. The test is called ‘Test run’.Fast RunnerTel 3846-6625Rua Dr. Alceu de Campos Rodrigues, 519 Itaim Bibi

Orthopedic doctors (from tennis elbow to bad knees)

Clinica Ortopédica Cidades Jardims Avenida Cidade Jardim, 114 - São Paulo Tel. 3085-9330

Physical Therapists (including RPG, Pilates)

Claudio Cotter / Marcelo Costa Massaiawww.cm2fisioterapia.com.brAv. Cidade Jardim, 114Jardim Europa - SPTel.: 3016-8970 / 2389-8970

R. Conde de Porto Alegre, 1589Campo Belo - SPTel.: 5041-4331

Life in São Paulo is too fun to sit on the sidelines. So heal the pain! Get out of bed, and hit the floor running.

By Ruth Hollard, AmSoc board member, and Claudio Cotter

AmSoc Forum June 2011 issue

Documents

Transcript of AmSoc Forum June 2011 issue