Offshore Banking

First and foremost, neither I nor anyone associated with this website endorse anything illegal.  That said…

I’m a fairly private person, and while I enjoy interacting with my friends and family… sitting down with the IRS is not on list of favs.

So… when you bank in the US, your records are pretty much an open book to the IRS.  That’s not to say some legal docs wouldn’t have to be signed, but that is easy enough to accomplish.  On the other hand, when you have an account outside the US jurisdiction, you can (if you’re not doing something you shouldn’t) keep your records and activity away from the Death Star… oops… IRS.  At that point it’s up to you what you tell them.

An offshore bank doesn’t necessarily mean the bank sits out in the ocean somewhere, merely that it’s outside the US.  Thus… if you’re a US citizen and have an account in Canada… by definition, that’s an offshore bank.

I mentioned earlier that I’m AM NOT endorsing anything illegal, based on that, is having an offshore account legal.  Yes!  It is necessary to notify (your bank will anyway) if you transfer funds of more than $10,000.  We can only wish… right?  Now that does not mean you don’t have to pay taxes on that money if it earns… but that is in your court.

What about difficulties?  Well in the age of the net (thanks Al Gore ) it pretty easy to find an offshore bank, but it IS STILL BETTER to visit in person; then you know whom you’re dealing with and be certain it’s not a scam artist behind a keyboard.  That said, you won’t find them advertising in the yellow pages, since that is against US laws.  Do a Google for offshore and you’ll find plenty.  Better still… take a vacation to Belize (or somewhere like that) and have a look around.

Okay… so you’ve chosen a bank, opened an account, etc., will you access to your money?  Of course.  Sure, it may take your checks a couple extra days to clear (though it works pretty fast these days), and if you take a withdrawal by mail, you’ll be checking the mail box expectantly… (hint… FedX), but actually it’s pretty much the same as your local bank, it just not down the street.

I had an email asking if there were collection fees on withdrawals.  Well, yes, but once you learn the system, there’s an easy work around.  Simply have your new offshore bank send the money to one of it’s agents in the US, payable in US dollars.

So… it is for you or not?  Well that is of course for you to decide, but here’s some food (green) for thought.

Transactions of less than $5,000 are undocumented by the US government (yes, you do have to pay taxes).  However here’s an interesting scenario…  Suppose one of your investment, say in Belize does well, what’s to stop you from taking a much deserved vacation south of the border, and withdrawing your profits locally.  This his happening COMPLETELY away from the watchful government eyes and what said is up to you… ‘nuff said.

It’s always well to diversify.  As for me;  I’m Red, White and Blue… but that doesn’t mean I don’t have a little salted away for a quick trip to a distant shore.

Technorati Tags: money, privacy, asset protection, offshore banking, investments, retirement, investment, wealth, IRS

How To Beat Depression

Today, about one out of ten adults in the U.S. suffers from recurring bouts of major depression. Almost everyone gets depressed at one time or another in their lives (generally related to a major life change or loss), but the kind of chronic depression we see in our society has been brought on by our 20th century diets and lifestyles. Since we created it, we can eliminate it. Remember, there is only one disease-malfunctioning cells. Cells malfunction because they are either deficient and/or toxic. Depression can be both prevented and reversed by making informed choices to eliminate deficiency and toxicity. There are several important factors to consider, including nutritional intake, toxic exposure, exposure to sunlight, sufficient exercise, and community with others. Let’s have a closer look at depression, how these factors affect it, and what to do about it.

Recurring depression means repeated plunges into profound feelings of despair and loss of interest in life. Depression can cause feelings of worthlessness, guilt, fatigue, poor concentration, significant weight loss or gain, sleep problems, and other symptoms. The personal and economic costs of this ailment are enormous. Major depression is the leading cause of workplace absenteeism, and is the cause of 20 to 35% of all suicides. The economic costs of depression in the U.S. are now estimated at more than $53 billion a year.

Our medical experts aren’t sure of who is vulnerable to depression or exactly how to treat it. Trained to treat symptoms instead of causes, our physicians have been unable to deal with this epidemic. Lacking a coherent theory of disease, modern medicine deals only with the symptoms of depression; the usual solution is to prescribe toxic drugs with health-damaging side effects.

Any number of noticeable symptoms, including depression, can be produced when cells malfunction. Cellular malfunction leading to depression is known to be caused by deficiencies of B-vitamins and magnesium. Vitamin B1 deficiency, for example, is common in depression cases severe enough to require hospitalization. The same goes for vitamin B2. A study in the British Journal of Psychiatry found that the most seriously depressed patients being admitted to a psychiatric hospital were also the most B2 deficient. Vitamin B6deficiency is also common in depressed patients, and B6 is known to be effective in treating depression. Similarly, magnesium is required for proper function of our neurotransmitters; most Americans are deficient in magnesium, and are therefore more susceptible to nervous system dysfunction and depression. A depressed patient may undergo years of psychotherapy, but get well only after supplementing with magnesium. Proper nutritional intake is the single most important factor in preventing and reversing depression.

Another nutritional cause of depression is essential fatty acid (EFA) deficiency. More than two decades of scientific studies have shown that EFAs have important effects on neurological development and emotional well being. Meanwhile, up to 90% of our population may be deficient in these nutrients. EFA deficiency inhibits the ability of brain cells to communicate with each other. This impairs all kinds of information processing, ultimately affecting mood and behavior. Some researchers believe that impaired cell communication, caused by EFA deficiency, is a primary cause of depression. A group of Belgian researchers found low blood levels of EFAs in depressed patients. These researchers concluded that depression “may persist despite successful antidepressant treatment” unless it is specifically treated with EFAs. A more recent study in the Archives of General Psychiatry found that depressed patients given EFAs showed greater improvement than control group patients, and maintained it for a longer period of time.

Also, sugar is a major cause of depression in our society - it contributes significantly to nutritional deficiency. All carbohydrates require specific nutrients (vitamins B1, B2, B3, B5, B6, and magnesium) to properly metabolize in the body. Since refined sugars are devoid of such nutrients, these must be obtained from bodily reserves, thus depleting these reserves and causing nutritional deficiency. (This is to say nothing of the hormonal chaos that sugar precipitates in the body, causing the familiar “sugar rush—sugar crash” syndrome.) Alarmingly, the average American consumes more than a 150 pounds of this dangerous metabolic poison each year. Then we wonder why we’re sick and depressed! Similar to sugar in metabolism, white flour also depletes the body of critical vitamins and minerals, thus causing nutritional deficiency. White flour is ubiquitous in our society; it is found in almost all bread, pasta, breakfast cereals, and baked goods. Many people have been completely cured of serious depression simply by eliminating sugar and white flour from their diet.

Another major cause of depression is inadequate exposure to full-spectrum natural light (sunlight), which affects our hormonal balances and biochemistry in general. The human body evolved at a time when people spent most of their day outdoors and went to bed when it got dark. As a consequence, normal biochemical function is dependent on regular exposure to lots of bright, full-spectrum, natural light during the day, and avoidance of bright lights at night. Too little of certain wavelengths of light will cause the body to malabsorb nutrients, and is associated with cancer, heart disease, osteoporosis, suppressed immune function, Alzheimer’s, and other problems. Unfortunately, not many of us meet these needs for natural light. Our exposure to sunlight tends to be insufficient and inconsistent; to make matters worse we constantly stay up far past dark using unnatural light sources that interfere with natural biorhythms. BHN suggests daily exposure to sunlight, but it must be outdoors (not through the office window) and without eyeglasses, as both glass and plastic reduce the healthy full-spectrum quality of natural sunlight. A brisk 30-minute walk outdoors every day will do wonders for both mental and physical health.

Another cause of depression is an absence of meaningful relationships. Humans are social creatures who were meant to live as part of a community. In today’s world, more and more people isolate themselves, though they live in cities of millions. The inventions of first the telephone and then the computer make it possible, if unhealthy, to do business and live life without much human interaction. Psychological and emotional isolation from others affects our biochemistry and causes depression. Joining and participating in church or other community groups is very helpful. (People with religious/spiritual practices and communities are known to recover from depression more quickly.) According to Robert Ornstein in The Healing Brain, single people are hospitalized five to ten times more often for mental illness than those who are married. Even a pet can be helpful! Isolation leads to depression and death. Being loved, cared about, and part of a family or group is essential to both mental and physical health. The key is to regularly interact, being loving and caring of both yourself and others.

Yet another factor causing depression is America’s widespread lack of exercise. Exercise affects cell chemistry, and an absence of it can cause cellular malfunction and depression. (That brisk 30 minute daily walk outdoors provides physical activity, as well as providing exposure to sunlight, doing double duty in the prevention and reversal of depression.) A recent study in the Archives of Internal Medicine found that exercise was just as effective as prescription drugs in reducing depression in patients with major depressive disorders. The antidepressant drugs in this study were more effective only initially, and such drugs are inherently toxic whereas exercise is quite healthy. Exercise in this study, consisted simply of a 10-minute warm-up, 30 minutes of continuous brisk walking or jogging, and a 5-minute cool down period. While not a panacea, exercise has consistently been shown to relieve both anxiety and depression. On the bottom line, exercise promotes the health of cells, and is therefore good at preventing and reversing disease—depression included.

Toxicity is also a contributing factor to our epidemic of depression. For example, excess copper is a toxin linked to depression. Aging copper water pipes in older buildings, particularly in older cities like New York, release enough copper into the drinking water to cause clinically significant depression. Another source of excess copper intake is from the high-copper dental amalgams our dentists started using in the 1980s; these have been linked to neurological problems. Dental amalgams contain mercury, which can also cause depression. Certain toxic prescription drugs may cause depression. No amount of antidepressant drugs or psychotherapy will cure toxicity-induced depression, until you first get rid of the toxins.

Preventing and reversing depression is no different than with any other “so called” disease. You have to give your cells all the things they need on a daily basis, and keep them free of toxins. If you already suffer from depression, consider and address the causes listed above, and see what happens. If you are seriously depressed and on medications, then it is essential to work with your doctor to gradually reduce medications, while getting on a more healthful and holistic program. Here’s the bottom line: Cut sugar and white flour from your diet, and be sure to get some brisk outdoor exercise every day, even in the inclement winter weather. Stay involved with people and meaningful activities, and take nutritional supplements such as Perque 1, 2, C, and Bone Guard, along with essential fatty acids like Barlean’s Flax Oil or Udo’s Choice. (The B vitamins in Perque 2 are particularly essential. In fact, the inventor of the anti-depressant drug Valium later discovered that B vitamins could produce exactly the same benefits as Valium, without side effects or addiction. Naturally, no leading medical journal would publish his findings since they were all advertising and profiting from Valium; these findings were eventually published in an obscure foreign journal and remain unknown to most physicians.) Even something as simple as good music appears to have a positive effect in treating depression. In one study, the symptoms of depression were reduced by half just by listening to good music!

Remember, health is a choice. It is very important to keep the psyche healthy, as a part of overall vitality, however this is accomplished. By consistently making better choices in diet and lifestyle, you stand a much better chance of avoiding sickness, including depression.

That’s all for now… June

Technorati Tags: depression, vitamins, nutrition, self help, well being, natural healing

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