By
Gary Scott
Health and wealth go together so today let’s
share some flash
information about investing, business and health.
On the investing front it looks like the press
has done it again, Just last week articles were flying predicting
the doom of liquidity (especially in Japan) that created low
interest rates and positive carry.
Now a well read reader has shared a March 7
Bloomberg article saying
that the yen may drop for a third day against the dollar and
a sixth
day versus the euro as yields on U.S. and European government
bonds are rising faster than in Japan.
This is really good news for our many Borrow
Low-Deposit High readers
who have borrowed yen and invested in Euros and dollars. Their
loans
have just decreased.
The article continues by saying that Japan’s
Prime Minister, Junichiro Koizumi, yesterday urged the Central
Bank of Japan to “be
careful''
when ending its five-year policy of keeping rates near zero percent.
Japan's central bank may change its zero percent
policy. Keep an eye
on this. However in 2000, Japan's central bank raised the short-
term
interest rate by just one quarter percent and then had to back
off
seven months later as global economic growth slowed.
Japan’s central bank is worth watching
but in the mean time borrowed
yen is still not a bad bet. Japan’s federal debt is the
highest in
the world. This will keep the yen from strengthening too much.
This will
also keep downwards pressure on yen interest rates. High yen
interest on this huge debt could cripple Japan’s budget!
Imagine this. We have been able to borrow yen
now at an average 2.5%
for nearly 15 years. This has been almost like getting free money
for
15 years. No wonder the Asian yen loan portfolio we track has
increased 75.19% in the 20 weeks since we began tracking October
21,
2005. DETAILS
On the health front, we are at the least about
to be confused if not
disappointed again! Natural Standard, a reliable source of data
of
alternative medicine announced that saw palmetto, a herbal extract
used for enlarged prostates and urinary tract problems, is no
more effective than a placebo.
They have some strong evidence supporting their
statement. Their editors, conducted a year-long study of 225
patients with benign enlarged prostate glands, giving them either
saw palmetto extract or
placebo twice daily.
The results show no statistically significant
difference between the
two groups. The results were published
in the February 9, 2006 issue
of the New England Journal of Medicine. You can read the article.
This is a guy thing and could leave some of
you depressed. If so,
keep what another reader just shared with me.
“Gary, You mentioned that chocolate has
several health benefits. One
benefit known here in Germany, has to do with depression. Many
medical doctors, scientists, and natural healers know there is
substantial
evidence that high-cocoa chocolate helps reduce depression, and
some
prescribe it instead of so-called 'anti-depression' drugs. My
wife and I know of several examples of this from friends. There
is a good
German chocolate here, Sarotti, which contains 72% Ecuadorian
cocoa, which we enjoy immensely. Really wish we could get together
in Ecuador and, inter alia, try some of that Jungle Chocolate!
Best regards to you and Merri. Terry”
So if the saw palmetto news is depressing try
this recipe sent from
another reader.
“Fudge Recipe courtesy
of Dr. Diondra, a naturopath and Body Talk
practitioner:
1/2 cup cashews, soaked 20 min.
1/2 cup pine nuts
1 cup pecans
8 Tbs. carob powder
10-12 dates, soaked several hours
2 Tbs. alcohol free vanilla water from soaked dates as needed
1/4 cup raw almond butter
2 Tbs. warm coconut oil
1/2 cup walnuts
4 Tbs. agave syrup (cactus syrup - use instead of sugar or artificial
sweeteners!)
Dash of Himalayan crystal salt or Celtic sea salt
"Puree all ingredients except walnuts,
until smooth and creamy in
food processor. Mix in chopped walnuts, mold into large square
and place
on parchment paper. Put into container and freeze 12 hours or
more. Remove and cut. Keeps best in freezer.“
Use this recipe. You could replace the carob
with pure organic fairtrade Ecuadorian chocolate. Also, just
as an aside, from the
Taita Yatchak...we should never mix sweet and salt...so Merri
and I will
omit the salt in this recipe.
Wow what a cure!
This fudge can also lead to a very profitable
business idea. Over the last two days we have looked at opportunities
in exporting fair trade
chocolate and roses from Ecuador. The trick to profiting in exporting
is to take two or more products or ideas, combine them and come
up
with a new unique product. At our upcoming
Import Export Expedition we’ll look at how to use roses
and fudge to create your own party
plan that sells fair trade organic and green products from abroad!
You can learn more about the import expedition
at garyascott.com/catalog/expedition.html.
We have just two spaces left. Or write Merri at merriscott@hotmail.com for details on the expedition
we have added.
Finally, remember that
all success in business, investing and health
comes from how we live and act. We recently looked at how US
Customs in Houston lost my passport and would not do a thing
to help. Here is
another reader’s passport story that we can learn a lot from.
“Gary, As for my passport story, I spent
a year studying in Munich
and with one American friend, took a German bike. Leaving Trieste
in
Italy, going into Jugoslavia we headed for Greece to take a freighter
to Lebanon and Egypt. The first part of the trip involved cresting
a steep mountain range,
the border station being on top. After much hard peddling and
walking, we came across several Russian military trucks heading
up for the
summit, and the young soldiers, carrying their rifles, urged
us to
hang onto the bumper. This we did, and were towed all the way
up, at
a speed of around 5 mph. At the border there was an American
Mercedes crossing ahead of us. The chief officer told them he
didn't speak English, and proceeded to have his men tear the
car apart. All luggage was opened and scattered, even the seats
were taken out. Finally, the
Americans ahead of us were given their passports and told to
go. It
took them ten to fifteen minutes to put everything back together.
My
friend and I had grown progressively more nervous. After the
Mercedes left, we slowly pedaled up to the officer with our American
passports in our hands. The chief officer looked up. He said,
in perfect English, ‘Go right on through, don't even bother to open
your
passports’. I had to ask. ‘Why were you so strict
on the Americans in
the car, but you are waving us right through?’ He said, ‘They
are
fat, rude, rich, and spoiled. Just the sort of Americans we do
not
like. We wish more young people like you would come visit our
country'. We had a great time. Even though I carried spare parts,
the bike broke down after several hundred miles, and I had to
ship it
home.”
Next time you travel, watch your profile as well as your passport!
Until next message, good health and wealth to you!
Gary
P.S. Join Merri, Thomas Fischer of Jyske Bank
and me at our next International Business and Investing Made
EZ course in North Carolina. Review where
to invest and do business now and
learn which markets and currencies may be strong in the year
ahead. DETAILS
Here is one of the $59,000 two bedroom, two
bathroom houses our readers are building here in Cotacachi, Ecuador
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