Within a week, Argentina stepped off the deep-end of swine flu panic. Prior to elections in late June the government had reported less than 2,000 cases of swine flu and 43 deaths. The next day after elections the number of cases jumped into six digits and Buenos Aires ran head first into hysteria.

Swine flu is haunting porteños. The city feels like a ghost town. 120,000 cases (and counting) of H1N1 have been reported since the virus hit Argentina. (more…)

Anyone who has spent a considerable amount of time in the U.S. has heard all about the dangers of tobacco. We’ve all been warned not to smoke cigarettes, to “just say no.” We have seen the commercials featuring victims of emphysema, tracheostomy patients, and the shock-scare-scandalize Infect Truth ads designed to prevent smoking. I can’t say with any certainty that the anti-smoking education campaign has been very effective in its primary goal, but it has certainly changed how society views smoking (and smokers). Smoking is no longer a sign of middle class affluence. Instead it has become this frowned upon addiction. In many parts of the U.S. smoking bans have forced smokers to practice clandestinely in hidden, unpopulated areas like dark alleys behind bars and empty parking lots.

I know many smokers in the U.S. who have been socialized to constantly apologize for their addiction. Not so in Buenos Aires. (more…)

As winter is waning in my old ‘hood here in Buenos Aires summer is gently receding. I don’t think I brought nearly enough sweaters and the vegan in me is bruised black and blue, but I’m ready to try this city on for size.
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Argentina’s population and culture has been heavily shaped by European immigrants, particularly those from Italy and Spain, and the architecture is robbed straight from the streets of Paris. But, there is still plenty of tried-and-true South American tradition here as well. For disjointed commentary from a fuzzy California perspective – remember, I’m from San Diego, check out the blog.

I usually tackle all things related to women’s health, but for my BA Parlour kick-off post I thought I would start with a quick, broad political picture and share the Kirchner update from the streets. (more…)

It is a new year…and five days later we are already trying our hardest to break those heartfelt resolutions. Lose weight/get in shape is the most popular New Year resolution by far. It also happens to be the easiest resolution to break. Happy hours and dinner parties are much preferred to sweating in the gym. So this year, why not focus on a somewhat less obsessed-over muscle…the brain.
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Alzheimer’s and dementia may not be as commonly publicized as heart disease nor fully preventable, but that is no reason to be lazy. (more…)

I am not a big fan of the holidays. The consumerism, the commercialism, the obligatory gift giving, and the forced cheer is draining and mentally exhausting. Not to mention, there is nothing like being in the presence of your family to exacerbate your family-related anxieties.
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Pretending to be excited about ODing on sugar cookies and spending money on co-workers I barely know all in the name of JC’s birthday has never made much sense to me. Bah Humbug. I am sufficiently fulfilled by watching movies like Love Actually; I don’t need to act it out in my own life. But, my disdain and Scrooge-like attitude is not embraced by most of western society and would NEVER be tolerated by my family. So every year my balls of steel shrink up and I turn into a mild mannered, cheery, daughter for The Season. I sacrifice my holiday-specific bad attitude so that my family can fully soak up the seasonal cheer, but it is not easy. For almost the entire month of December my mental health is in jeopardy. (more…)

Coffee is apparently good for you. Who knew? As a general rule, cheaply packaged drugs that trigger euphoria and increased alertness are typically bad for your health, but coffee is not crack, according to new research. Hooray for that!
A recent study from the Annals of Internal Medicine linked regular coffee drinking with longer life. Researchers don’t know what accounts for the benefit found in coffee, but it doesn’t seem to be solely linked with caffeine. The lower mortality rate for women stemmed from the reduced risk of heart attack and stroke for women who consumed between two and five cups of coffee per day (as compared to non-coffee drinkers). (more…)