Asia to Have Four Wealthiest Populations by 2050

A rapid shift in the center of economic gravity will create the world’s four wealthiest populations in Asia, according to a Citi 2012 Private Wealth report. Only the US will remain in the top five among non-Asian nations.

Singapore already has the world’s highest per capita income on a purchasing power parity (PPP) basis at $56,532, according to Knight Frank and Citi Private Wealth’s 2012 Wealth Report. It is followed by Norway at $51,226, the U.S. ($45,511), Hong Kong ($45,301) and Switzerland ($42,470).
By 2050 the rapid shift in wealth will have changed the complexion at the top. Singapore will remain on top with a per capita income on a PPP basis of $137,710, followed by Hong Kong ($116,639), Taiwan ($114,093) and South Korea ($107,752).
The US is projected to slip to fifth place with a per capita income of $100,802.
But not all of Asia will be among the world’s wealthiest. Japan — which is struggling with an aging economy and a moribund political system that suppresses change and growth— will have the weakest growth of all the world’s economies. By 2050 it will have slipped into the middle ranks of the world’s economies, along with Spain, France, Sweden, Belgium, Switzerland, Austria, the Netherlands, Italy and Germany.
The Asian economies slated to see the fastest growth are the emerging nations of India, Bangladesh, Vietnam, the Philippines, Mongolia, Indonesia, Sri Lanka. The only non-Asian nations in the top-10 in projected growth over the next 40 years are Nigeria, Iraq and Egypt.
The massive shift of wealth toward Asia and its inevitable consequences have prompted some noted super-rich people to make the shift themselves, according to a recent CNN article.
Facebook co-founder Eduardo Saverin moved to Singapore in 2009 has since renounced his U.S. citizenship. Jim Rogers, who co-founded the Quantum Fund with George Soros, also moved there in 2007.
“I have moved to Asia and my girls speak Mandarin, speak perfect Mandarin,” Rogers told CNN. “I’m preparing them for the 21st century by knowing Asia and by speaking perfect Mandarin.
“It’s easier to get rich in Asia than it is in America now. The wind is in your face. [The US] is the largest debtor nation in the history of the world. The largest creditor nations in the world are China, Japan, Korea, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Singapore. The assets are in Asia. You know who the debtors are and where they are. Look at Greece. Look at Spain. I mean, I don’t like saying this. You know, I’m an American, too. But facts are facts.”
If the global economic center of gravity could be placed in the middle of the Atlantic in 1980 and somewhere in northern California today, by 2050 it is likely to be somewhere in East Asia if measured by the wealth of citizens.

Vietnamese Chicken Salad

Nutritional Information
(per serving)

Calories	330
Total Fat	4g
Saturated Fat	1g
Cholesterol	72mg
Sodium	1,985mg
Total Carbohydrate	44g
Dietary Fiber	4g
Sugars	--
Protein	30g
Calcium	--

James Baigrie

Serves: 4

Prep Time: 20 min

Ingredients

• 1/2 package(s) (7 to 8.8 ounces) vermicelli rice noodles
• 1/3 cup(s) Asian fish sauce
• 3 tablespoon(s) brown sugar
• 2 tablespoon(s) fresh lime juice
• 1 clove(s) (small) garlic, crushed with press
• 1 pound(s) chicken breast tenders
• 1/4 cup(s) water
• 1/2 head(s) iceberg lettuce, thinly silced
• 2 medium carrots, shredded
• 2 small Kirby (pickling) cucumbers, shredded
• 1/2 cup(s) (loosely packed ) fresh mint leaves, chopped
• 1/4 cup(s) unsalted roasted peanuts, chopped (optional)

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Directions

1. Prepare outdoor grill for direct grilling over medium heat.
2. Heat medium covered saucepan of water to boiling over high heat. Add rice noodles and cook as label directs; drain.
3. In small bowl, combine fish sauce, sugar, lime juice, and garlic. Transfer 3 tablespoons fish-sauce mixture to medium bowl; add chicken and toss to coat. Stir water into remaining fish-sauce mixture.
4. Place chicken on hot grill rack and cook 5 to 6 minutes or just until chicken loses its pink color throughout, turning over once. Transfer chicken to cutting board; cut into 1-inch chunks.
5. Divide noodles among 4 large dinner plates. Top with lettuce, carrots, cucumber, mint, chicken, and, if using, peanuts; drizzle with remaining fish-sauce mixture.

Pasta Salad with Lemon and Peas

Small shell or bow-tie pasta is dressed in a light, lemony mayonnaise with green onions, fresh basil, and baby peas.

Nutritional Information
(per serving)

Calories	155
Total Fat	3g
Saturated Fat	1g
Cholesterol	4mg
Sodium	245mg
Total Carbohydrate	25g
Dietary Fiber	2g
Sugars	--
Protein	5g
Calcium	--

Ingredients

• 1 pound(s) bow-tie or small shell pasta
• Salt
• 1 package(s) (10-ounce) frozen baby peas
• 2  lemons
• 2/3 cup(s) milk
• 1/2 cup(s) light mayonnaise
• 1/4 teaspoon(s) coarsely ground black pepper
• 1 cup(s) (loosely packed) fresh basil leaves, chopped
• 4  green onions, thinly sliced

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Directions

1. In large saucepot, cook pasta in boiling salted water as label directs, adding frozen peas during last 2 minutes of cooking time. Drain pasta and peas; rinse with cold water and drain well.
2. Meanwhile, from lemons, grate 1 tablespoon peel and squeeze 3 tablespoons juice. In large bowl, with wire whisk, mix lemon peel and juice with milk, mayonnaise, pepper, basil, green onions, and 1 teaspoon salt until blended.
3. Add pasta and peas to mayonnaise dressing; toss to coat well. Cover and refrigerate up to two days if not serving right away.

Chicken Lo Mein

This speedy, slurp-able supper will give the local Peking Palace some healthy competition. Crammed with crisp, just-picked veggies like snow peas, cabbage, and carrots, it's Asian made nutritious — and MSG free

Nutritional Information
(per serving)

Calories	600
Total Fat	10g
Saturated Fat	2g
Cholesterol	49mg
Sodium	1235mg
Total Carbohydrate	90g
Dietary Fiber	8g
Sugars	--
Protein	37g
Calcium	--

Kate Mathis

Serves: 4 Edit

Yields: 4 main-dish servings
Total Time: 45 min

Prep Time: 25 min

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup(s) oyster sauce
• 1/4 cup(s) lower-sodium soy sauce
• 2 tablespoon(s) rice vinegar
• 12 ounce(s) chicken-breast tenders, cut into quarters
• Pepper
• 2 tablespoon(s) vegetable oil
• 2 teaspoon(s) grated peeled fresh ginger
• 1 clove(s) garlic, crushed with press
• 8 ounce(s) sliced white mushrooms
• 1 bag(s) (14-ounce) coleslaw mix
• 2 cup(s) shredded carrots
• 3 tablespoon(s) water
• 12 ounce(s) spaghetti
• 6 ounce(s) snow peas, strings removed
• 1 teaspoon(s) cornstarch

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Directions

1. In small bowl, mix oyster sauce, soy sauce, and rice vinegar until combined. Set aside. Heat large covered saucepot of water to boiling on high.
2. Sprinkle chicken with 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper. In 12-inch nonstick skillet, heat 1 tablespoon oil on medium 1 minute. Add chicken and cook 5 to 7 minutes or until chicken just loses its pink color throughout, stirring occasionally. Transfer to clean bowl; cover loosely with foil to keep warm.
3. To same skillet, add remaining 1 tablespoon oil and heat on medium 30 seconds. Add ginger and garlic and cook 1 minute, stirring. Add mushrooms and cook 4 to 5 minutes longer or until beginning to soften, stirring occasionally. Add coleslaw mix, carrots, and 2 tablespoons water; cover and cook 8 to 12 minutes or until cabbage is just tender, stirring occasionally.
4. Meanwhile, cook spaghetti as label directs in saucepot of boiling water. Drain and return to pot.
5. Add snow peas to vegetables in skillet. Cook, uncovered, 2 to 3 minutes longer or until snow peas are just crisp-tender, stirring occasionally.
6. Transfer vegetables and chicken to pot with spaghetti. To same skillet on medium, add oyster-sauce mixture; cook 1 minute. In small bowl, combine cornstarch and remaining 1 tablespoon water; stir into oyster sauce in skillet. Heat to boiling; cook 1 minute or until sauce thickens.
7. Add sauce to spaghetti mixture; toss with tongs to combine. Divide lo mein among 4 bowls to serve.

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Tips & Techniques

Lo mein is typically made with fresh Chinese egg noodles, which can be purchased in Asian specialty markets. Spaghetti is an adequate easier-to-find substitute.

Top Ten Most Nutritious Vegetables and How to Grow Them in Your Garden

A perfectly ripe, juicy tomato, still warm from the sun. Sweet carrots, pulled from the garden minutes (or even seconds!) before they're eaten. Growing your own vegetables is one of those activities that balances practicality and indulgence. In addition to the convenience of having the fixings for a salad or light supper right outside your door (or on your windowsill), when you grow your own vegetables, you're getting the most nutritional bang for your buck as well. Vegetables start losing nutrients as soon as they're harvested, and quality diminishes as sugars are turned into starches. For the tastiest veggies with the best nutrition, try growing a few of these nutrient-dense foods in your own garden. And don't let the lack of a yard stop you - all of them can be grown in containers as well.

Grow These Good-for-You Veggies

1. Broccoli

Broccoli is high in calcium, iron, and magnesium, as well as Vitamin A, B6, and C. In fact, one cup of raw broccoli florets provides 130% of your daily Vitamin C requirement.

• Grow Broccoli in Containers: One broccoli plant per pot, pots should be 12 to 16 inches deep.


• What to Watch Out For: Cabbage worm. If you start seeing pretty white butterflies fluttering around your broccoli, you're guaranteed to start seeing little green worms all over your broccoli plants. To avoid this, cover your broccoli plants with floating row cover or lightweight bed sheets. If you start seeing cabbage worms, simply pick them off by hand.

2. Peas

There is nothing like peas grown right in your own garden - the tender sweetness of a snap pea just plucked from the vine is unlike anything you can buy in at a store. Aside from being absolutely delicious, peas are high in fiber, iron, magnesium, potassium, and Vitamin A, B6, and C.

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• Grow Peas in Containers: Sow peas approximately 2 inches apart in a pot that is at least 10 inches deep. Provide support for peas to climb up.
• What to Watch Out For: Hot weather. Once the weather turns hot, pea production will pretty much shut down. Grow peas in early spring and late summer/autumn, or any time of year when temperatures are consistently between 40 and 85 degrees Fahrenheit.

3. Beans (especially navy beans, great northern beans, kidney beans)

While snap beans (green beans/wax beans) are a great addition to any garden, it's the beans we grow as dried beans that are real nutritional powerhouses. Dry beans, in general, are high in iron, fiber, manganese, and phosphorous.

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• Grow Beans in Containers: Bush beans are your best option for growing in containers. Plant beans four inches apart in a container that is at least 12 inches deep.
• What to Watch Out For: Harvest at the right time. Harvest dry beans when the pods have completely dried on the vine. The pods should be light brown, and you should be able to feel the hard beans inside. Shell the beans, and let them sit out a few days to ensure that they're completely dry before storing them in jars in a cool, dark, dry place.

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4. Brussels Sprouts

The bane of many a childhood, Brussels sprouts get a bad wrap mostly due to overcooking. When prepared right, Brussels sprouts are sweet, tender, and delicious. They also provide tons of fiber, magnesium, potassium, and riboflavin, as well as high levels of Vitamins A, B6, and C.

• How to Grow Brussels Sprouts
• Grow Brussels Sprouts in Containers: Grow one plant per 16-inch deep container.
• What to Watch Out For: Cabbage worms (see "Broccoli, above.)

5. Tomatoes

Fresh, homegrown tomatoes are the reason many gardeners get into vegetable gardening in the first place. There's just nothing that compares to eating a perfectly ripe tomato, still warm from the sun. Tomatoes are also incredibly good for us, packing plenty of fiber, iron, magnesium, niacin, potassium, and Vitamin A, B6, and C. They're also a great source of the antioxidant lycopene.

• How to Grow Tomatoes
• Grow Tomatoes in Containers: Container sizes will vary depending on the variety you're growing. If you're growing an indeterminate variety, your container will need to be at least 18 inches deep. For determinate varieties, 12 inches is a good depth, and for dwarf or "patio" type tomatoes, 8 inches is perfect. One tomato plant per pot.
• What to Watch Out For: Tomato horn worm can be a problem in many areas - these large caterpillars should be removed by hand whenever you see them. Also watch out for signs of blight, which is a real problem in many parts of the U.S.

6. Red Bell Peppers

Red bell peppers are high in potassium, riboflavin, and Vitamins A, B6, and C - in fact, one cup of red bell pepper packs an amazing 317% of the recommended daily allowance of Vitamin C and 93% of the recommended Vitamin A.

• How to Grow Peppers
• Grow Peppers in Containers: Plant one pepper plant per each 8 to 12 inch deep pot.
• What to Watch Out For: Aphids and flea beetles are the two most common insect pests when growing peppers. While both can be controlled with insecticidal soap, which is a common organic option, you can also make all-natural, homemade sprays to deter these pests. A tomato leaf spray will get rid of aphids, and garlic/hot pepper spray works very well on a flea beetle infestation.

7. Beets

Beets are a great "two-fer" crop - you can harvest the beet roots, of course, but you can also harvest and eat the greens. Young beet greens are delicious when added raw to a salad, and larger beet greens can be sauteed as a quick side dish or used the way you'd use other greens such as spinach. Beet roots are very high in iron, potassium, and vitamin C. Beet greens are even better, as they are high in iron, calcium, magnesium, potassium, zinc, and Vitamins A, B6, and C.

• How to Grow Beets
• Grow Beets in Containers: Plant beet seeds three inches apart in a container that is twelve inches deep. Because each beet seed is actually a cluster of seeds, be sure to thin the seedlings to one per cluster. Thinnings can be added to salads or sandwiches.
• What to Watch Out For: Knowing when to harvest. Beet roots are at their best when they are harvested small - between one and two inches across. At this size, they are sweet and tender. Larger beets tend to be kind of woody and less flavorful.

8. Leaf Amaranth

Leaf amaranth is a less-common vegetable that is well worth a try in your own garden. The leaves have a sweet and slightly tangy flavor that works well in a variety of dishes, from stir-fries and soups to simply steaming it all by itself. As a bonus, leaf amaranth is one of the few heat-tolerant greens. It won't bolt in the heat of summer the way spinach and kale are prone to. Nutritionally, leaf amaranth is very high in calcium, iron, magnesium, phosphorous, potassium, riboflavin, zinc, and Vitamins A, B6, and C. Everyone should be growing this!

• How to Grow Leaf Amaranth
• Growing Leaf Amaranth in Containers: Scatter the tiny seeds over the soil's surface in a pot that is at least 8 inches deep. Harvest the leaves when they are two to four inches tall. You will be able to get at least two or three harvest before you'll have to sow more seeds.
• What to Watch Out For: Leaf amaranth is fairly easy to grow, and relatively problem-free. Rarely, leaf miners can become a problem.

9. Carrots

Carrots are at their sweetest, crunchiest best when freshly harvested from the garden. These icons of healthy eating deserve their "good-for-you" rep - they're very high in fiber, manganese, niacin, potassium, and Vitamins A, B6, and C. Their only drawback is that they do tend to be high in sugar, so if you're watching your carb intake, you'll want to limit the amount of carrots you eat.

• How to Grow Carrots
• Grow Carrots in Containers: Sow carrot seeds two to three inches apart in a pot that is at least twelve inches deep. Look for shorter varieties, such as 'Thumbelina,' or 'Danver's Half Long.'
• What to Watch Out For: Harvesting at the perfect size. Carrots are at their tastiest when harvested small. Leaving them in the ground too long can result in overly large, woody carrots. You'll also want to make sure to keep your carrots evenly moist, as letting the soil dry out too often can also result in somewhat bitter, fibrous carrots.

10. Leafy Greens

OK, I cheated here. I can't recommend just ONE leafy green, because they are all incredibly good for us, as well as delicious -- kale, collards, spinach, turnip or dandelion greens -- how can you possibly choose just one? In general, the "green leafies" contain high amounts of calcium, iron, potassium, and Vitamins A, B6, and C.

• How to Grow Kale and Other Leafy Greens
• Grow Greens in Containers: Grow one kale or collard plant per ten inch deep pot. Other greens can be grown a few plants to a pot -- they should be planted at least 4 inches apart and harvested small.
• What to Watch Out For: Heat and cabbage worms. Most leafy greens are cool-weather crops, so they're best grown in spring and fall in most areas - hot weather will cause them to bolt. In addition, many of these greens are members of the Brassicas family, which means they are prone to cabbage worm infestations. Control them with the same methods outlined in the "Broccoli" section, above.

Try growing one or two (or all!) of these nutrient-dense, delicious vegetables in your own garden, and you'll get double the health benefits: healthy food and time spent outdoors, nurturing your plants.

Top 10 Healthiest Fruit

This healthiest fruit list shows the most nutritious antioxidant fruit benefits.

You'll want to choose often from the healthiest fruit list in order to get the best fruit benefits. Then you can look better, think better and have more abundant energy.

But that's not all. It turns out that an apple a day (or an apricot, grapefruit, kiwi, papaya or bowl of blueberries) CAN keep the doctor away!

Besides being delicious and nutritious, by reducing your risk of colds, flu, heart disease, stroke and cancer, eating the healthiest fruits with the most antioxidant fruit benefits will help you to feel better and live longer.

The Healthiest Fruit with Antioxidant Fruit Benefits

1. Apples, with the skin, provide pectin, 5 grams of fiber and a heaping dose of flavonoid antioxidants. Apple fiber helps lower cholesterol and keep you regular. And the powerful flavonoids reduce your risk of heart disease, stroke and cancer. A medium apple has about 80 calories.

2. Apricots are a good source of vitamins A, C and E, potassium, iron and carotenoids. The lycopene found in apricots helps protect your eyes and prevent heart disease, LDL cholesterol oxidation and certain cancers – especially skin cancer. And the fiber in apricots helps relieve constipation. Plus 1 apricot has only 19 calories.
 
3. Bananas are a great source of potassium (about 400 mg), which helps lower your risk of high blood pressure and stroke and plays a key role in muscle function. Bananas are delicious and sweet to eat, making them a good sugar substitute and natural energy source. The fiber in bananas helps restore normal bowel action. A medium size banana has around 108 calories.

4. Berries are super high in powerful antioxidants, including vitamin C. Numerous studies show berries offer great protection against heart disease stroke, cancer and many other diseases. 

• Blueberries top the antioxidant fruit benefits list. Besides other health benefits, blueberries help prevent high blood pressure, macular degeneration and brain damage leading to Alzheimer's disease. 1 cup of blueberries has 81 calories and 4 grams of fiber.

• Blackberries – a single cup of blackberries has 74 calories and a whopping 10 grams of fiber.

• Raspberries – there are 60 calories in 1 cup of raspberries with 8 grams of fiber.

• Strawberries – 1 cup of sliced strawberries has 50 calories and 4 grams of fiber.

5. Cantaloupes are packed with Vitamin C, potassium and carotenoid antioxidants. Cantaloupe can help reduce inflammation, prevent cancer and cardiovascular disease, boost immunity and help protect your skin from sunburn. Half a melon has 97 calories and 2 grams of fiber.

6. Cherries are very high in iron and disease-fighting flavonoids. They also have potassium, magnesium, C and E, folate and heart-protective carotenoids. Cherries can significantly reduce inflammation, arthritic pain, bad cholesterol and cancer risk. 1 cup of cherries has 88 calories.

7. Citrus Fruits are best known for flavor, juiciness and high vitamin C content. But they're also a good source of folate, fiber and other antioxidants, vitamins and minerals. Citrus fruit has been shown to help reduce cholesterol, blood pressure and the risk of some types of cancer.

• Pink or Red Grapefruit – half a grapefruit has just a scant 47 calories.

• Oranges provide an impressive 50 to 70 mg of vitamin C and a medium orange has only 68 calories.

• Lemons and Limes – 1 lime or small lemon has about 17 calories.

8. Kiwifruit, when compared ounce for ounce, has more than twice the vitamin C of an orange. It's also an excellent source of magnesium, potassium and vitamins A and E. Kiwis have been shown to boost the immune system and reduce respiratory diseases. 1 medium kiwi has 47 calories and 3 grams of fiber.

9. Papayas are loaded with vitamin C, folate, carotenoids and natural digestive enzymes that help with protein digestion. 1 cup of cubed papaya has 55 calories.

10. Red Grapes contain iron, potassium, fiber and an abundance of powerful disease-fighting antioxidants. Although red wine gets most of the publicity, dark colored grapes are the original source of the flavonoids, anthocyanins and resveratrol, which have been shown to help prevent heart disease and cancer. 1 cup of red or purple grapes has 60 calories.