Miracle Cures

Jean Carper has written a fascinating book called Miracle Cures. The book discusses more than a dozen cures through over-the-counter supplements. For example, a lady who had a weak heart that could barely pump blood was saved by taking 300 milligrams of Coenzyme Q10 per day. COQ10 improves heart pumping as well as overall body energy.

Another healing supplement is selenium. A 1996 study showed that taking 200 milligrams per day for seven years reduced the occurrence of cancer in a group of 1300 people. Selenium had the greatest influence against prostate cancer. It also reduced colon and rectum cancer by more than 60 percent.

Arthritis was another condition the author talked about. One lady thought she would need a hip replaced, and she chose natural supplements instead. She took chondroiton, glucosamine, and manganese for two years, and she was able to play tennis again. She could also walk five or six miles without pain.

Bear Market Signs

Several fundamental economic indicators would point to a stock market heading toward bear territory or at least a situation where stocks will not gain very much at all.

1. High unemployment.

2. The Fed interest rates are already around zero and the economy is slow.

3. Housing starts and sales are not going anywhere.

4. A deadlocked Congress where money is not being spent to create jobs.

5. Shortfalls in IRS collections caused by a lot of people who are not working.

6. Foreign bad news because the world is now a global economy.

7. The summer and fall seasons are especially susceptible to market drops.

If you see any or all of the above signs, it might be a good idea to sit on the sidelines until conditions improve. Another possibility is to buy bond funds like JNK and RCS which pay around 8% or better annually, and you get a portion of the dividend each month.

Arthritis Cure

The Arthritis Cure by Jason Theodosakis, MD, is a great book for finding out what you can do for an arthritis problem. Studies have shown that glucosamine and chondroiton are two of the best supplements for rebuilding cartilage and for arthritis relief. Unfortunately, not all supplements are high quality.

The author tells which companies make the best supplements. He also tells the approximate dose size to take for beneficial effects. For example, you need to take 800 to 1200 milligrams of chondroiton each day. This supplement is also the best one for helping you, but it is even better if you take it with glucosamine, too. I highly recommend this book for everyone.

Buying Stocks

The worst time to buy stocks is at a stock market top. This is not the case in October of 2011. During the first week of October, the S&P 500 actually slid into official bear market territory briefly. Then, a big rally took place for three days. Whether the market has really turned around or not, you can probably eventually make money through buying stocks now. We cannot predict the exact bottom or top of the market, but buying near the bottom is worthwhile.

If you want to play it safe, you can buy an ETF stock rather than individual companies. For example, ERX is a triple energy stock ETF that basically goes up 3% for every 1% rise in oil. The fund owns several large oil companies. If you believe that oil will eventually rise, this is the stock for you. 100% gains can be made also if you buy it near the true bottom.