| Saturday - December 19, 2009 Here's something my brother-in-law sent me. I usually don't mention stuff like this in the Journal. But I got a kick out of it. I think you will too... "Well, Michael, there is good news and bad news about my Christmas decorations this year. "The good news (as you can see in the photo below) is that I truly outdid myself. I really made him look real. The bad news is that I had to take him down after 2 days. Two things made me do it.
"First, the cops advised me that it would cause traffic accidents. (They almost wrecked when they drove by.) Second, a 55-year-old lady grabbed the 75-pound ladder and almost killed herself putting it against my house. She didn't realize he was fake until she climbed to the top. (She was not happy.) By the way, she was one of many people who attempted to do that. My yard couldn't take it either. I have more than a few tire tracks where people literally drove up on the lawn. "Kind of feel like I gave in to the man by taking him down, but my neighbor did confirm two near-miss accidents on the busy street next to my house.
"It was fun while it lasted." 
We sometimes get e-mails from THB readers questioning whether they should really be concerned about the health issues we write about. After all, what's so bad about a little chlorine in the water, a bit of hydrogenated fat, trace amounts of pesticides in their food, mercury in fish, refined carbohydrates, MSG, artificial sweeteners, toxic mold in peanut butter, and so on? Yes, these concerns can be relatively minor. And they are certainly not going to kill you on the spot. So why worry? Because a little bit here and a little bit there adds up. It's the combined, cumulative, long-term exposure to these insults to your body that can lead to cancer, heart disease, diabetes, and a host of degenerative conditions. So if you want to slow down the aging process and lead an active, healthy, and disease-free life... it pays to sweat the small stuff. And continue to turn to Total Health Breakthroughs as a trusted resource.
Do-gooder public-health advocates have come up with a nifty solution for the obesity epidemic. They want to impose heavy taxes on certain foods and drinks that are too high in calories. They hope the increased cost would reduce consumption of these items and push people to adopt the diet they think is best. The first obvious question is who gets to decide which foods and drinks get a punitive tax slapped on them? Soft drinks are already in the crosshairs. And that's why Coke CEO, Muthar Kent, wrote a piece for The Wall Street Journal titled "Coke Didn't Make America Fat." To make his case, Kent pointed out that 60 percent of Americans are not regularly active and 25 percent of us are not active at all. He also noted that less than 6 percent of the calories in the average American diet come from sweetened drinks. He concluded that instead of demonizing the industry, policymakers would better serve the public by "encouraging more physical activity and sensible eating and drinking." Kent's criticism of this regressive and illogical obesity "solution" is right on. But he intentionally neglected to mention the biggest flaw in the idea. One reason why Coke is so cheap in the first place is because our own government heavily subsidizes its main ingredient -- the corn that is used to make corn syrup. In fact, our government heavily subsidizes several crops that go into junk food, including sugar. Subsidizing these ingredients with taxpayer money, and then levying a tax on their consumption, is like trying to fill up a pool and drain it at the same time. And do you know how much money fruit and vegetable growers get in subsidies from the government? None at all! If these do-gooders really want to end the obesity epidemic, they should start by pushing for an end to farm subsidies on crops that do not benefit public health. And shift some of that money to those that do.
While millions of people believe that drugs can "cure" an illness, all they usually do is mask the symptoms. At best, pharmaceuticals may relieve some of those symptoms, but they do nothing to address their underlying causes. It's like clipping the leaves off a dandelion with the intention of keeping weeds out of the garden. Pharmaceutical companies are all too happy to foster this misconception. They fund multibillion-dollar marketing campaigns that aim to widen the boundaries of disease, going so far as to invent "conditions"... for which they then offer a solution. If you truly want to cure an illness, you must identify and eradicate the habits that may have led to it in the first place. Then give your body the foods, natural supplements, sunlight, and exercise that will enhance its ability to heal itself.
The Investor's Daily Edge team has just completed a major "makeover" of its flagship newsletter, Sound Profits. At first, I thought it was a crazy idea. "Why fix something that isn't broken?" I asked them. Sound Profits has an amazing track record of profitable investment recommendations. But they have a new editor in Bob Irish. And he has a lifetime of investment experience that has gotten everyone in the group excited about what they can do for their readers. "We've had a great run these past several years," Bob said. "But the market is very risky right now. Any advisor who tells you anything different is either a lunatic or a salesman." "To continue delivering the results we've been giving our readers, we need to be on top of our game. So we've instituted some improvements that will provide them with great profits while greatly reducing the risk of loss in the year ahead."
Sound Profits has a team of investment experts that is as good as any I've seen in my 30 years of being associated with the investment advisory industry. For example: - Precious metals expert Dr. Russell McDougal. A few weeks ago, one of the stocks in his Resource Windfall Speculator portfolio went up 75 percent in one day.
- In-house options guru Ted Peroulakis. He led readers of his Options Power Trader service to gains of 63 percent... 100 percent... 116 percent... and 100 percent... in two months, on the SAME stock -- profiting as it rose and fell.
- And Steve McDonald, the corporate bonds expert and editor of the current Sound Profits. He's delivering an average of 6 percent income plus 12 percent capital gains in his diversified bond portfolio.
The annual price of the new Sound Profits is very affordable -- especially considering the tremendous value of the information provided. Find out more about it here.
A few tips for staying healthy on the road -- especially when traveling for business. I've gathered them from reading, fellow travelers, and trial and error: - Other than a glass of wine or beer with dinner, don't drink on the plane. It will dehydrate you, which may give you a headache. (And besides, only obnoxious, loud people drink heavily on planes.)
- Force yourself to exercise. Although I ordinarily exercise like crazy, I find it difficult when I'm away. I've gotten better recently by making it easier to do. My new routine is 10 minutes of yoga movements in the morning (before showering) and 10 minutes of Hindu squats and push-ups in the early evening (before dressing for dinner). By asking less of myself, I've been able to do more.
- Eating well is another challenge. Between the junk food that's pushed at everyone during meetings -- and the tendency to have breakfast, lunch, and dinner meetings -- I find it hard not to put on weight. The only solution I've found is to stick to a zero-carb diet until dinner. It doesn't work all the time. (It's tough having to keep saying no to those cookies.) But when I do give in to temptation, I don't worry about it. I know I'll take the extra pounds off right away when I get back.
- Get some sunshine. It's easy to get out of the habit of spending some time outdoors when your main focus is on business. That's not good for you. Schedule a walk in the sun every day.
THB Managing Editor Jon Herring took on another "sacred cow" this week. His target this time was the federal government's Food Pyramid, which is supposed to be the standard guide for nutrition. But, as Jon pointed out, the pyramid is actually the product of Big Business lobbyists. And it goes against everything we know about healthy eating. The comments have been coming fast and furious on this one. Check out Jon's article and add your thoughts here.
[Ed. Note: Michael Masterson welcomes your questions and comments. Send him a message at AskMichael@ETRFeedback.com.] | 
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