CUSIP No. 63888P-10-9                Exhibit A               Page 13 of 91 Pages
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                                     Form of
                  Joint Filing Agreement and Power of Attorney


         1.  Introduction.  This Joint  Filing  Agreement  and Power of Attorney
(this  "instrument")  is being  executed  and  delivered  by the  Azure  Limited
Partnership I, a Washington State limited partnership (the  "Partnership"),  and
each of its  general  partners,  Darlene K.  Beck,  Debbie R. Reis and Andrew L.
Azure (collectively,  the "General Partners").  The Partnership is the holder of
shares of Common Stock, par value $.001 per share ("Common  Stock"),  of Natural
Health Trends Corp., a Florida corporation  ("NHTC"), to an extent that requires
the  Partnership  and each of the General  Partners to file a Schedule 13D under
the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the "Act") and Regulation 13D-G
thereunder  ("Regulation  13D-G"). The purpose of such Schedule 13D is to report
the  Partnership's  and General  Partners'  holdings  of NHTC  Common  Stock and
certain  related  matters called for thereunder.  In this  instrument,  the term
Schedule 13D shall hereafter refer to any Schedule 13D (including any amendatory
Schedule  13D) that may be required to be filed under the Act and/or  Regulation
13D-G,  or that may be advisable to so file,  in order to provide  and/or update
the  public   disclosures  called  for  thereunder  with  respect  to:  (i)  the
Partnership's  and/or any General Partner's holdings of NHTC Common Stock and/or
(ii) the other disclosures required under the Act and Regulation 13D-G.

         2. Joint Filing  Agreement.  In accordance  with the provisions of Rule
13d-1(f) of Regulation  13D-G,  each of the undersigned  hereby agrees that: (i)
the Schedule 13D dated July 31, 1997 of the  Partnership and each of the General
Partners  with  respect to NHTC  Common  Stock is filed on behalf of each of the
undersigned, and (ii) any further Schedules 13D with respect to NHTC and/or NHTC
Common Stock executed by or on behalf of any of the  undersigned  shall be filed
on behalf of such of the  undersigned  who shall have  executed  the same (or on
whose behalf the same shall have been executed).

         3. Power of Attorney. Each of the undersigned General Partners (in such
capacity,  a "Granting  Partners")  hereby  constitutes and appoints each of the
other  General  Partners,  with  full  power of  substitution,  appointment  and
revocation,  the true and lawful  agent and  attorney-in-fact  of such  Granting
Partner with full discretionary power and authority, without the consent of such
Granting  Partner,  for  and on  such  Granting  Partner's  behalf,  and in such
Granting Partner's name, place and stead: (A) to prepare,  execute,  deliver and
file with the  Securities  and Exchange  Commission and NHTC (and to cause to be
prepared,  executed,  delivered  and  filed  with the  Securities  and  Exchange
Commission  and  NHTC)  any and all  Schedules  13D  that  may be  necessary  or
advisable  under the Act  and/or  Regulation  13D-G to file with  respect to the
Partnership's and/or General Partners' holdings of NHTC Common Stock; and (B) to
do and perform all acts and deeds in connection  with the  foregoing,  including
without limitation: (i) giving, receiving, executing and delivering all notices,
requests and other communications on behalf of such Granting Partner pursuant to
or in  connection  with any Schedule 13D, and (ii) paying  expenses  incurred or
which may be incurred  by or on behalf of such  Granting  Partner in  connection
with any of the foregoing.




CUSIP No. 63888P-10-9                Exhibit A               Page 14 of 91 Pages
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         IN WITNESS WHEREOF,  the undersigned has executed this instrument as of
the 30th day of July, 1997


AZURE LIMITED PARTNERSHIP I


By:
    --------------------------------           ---------------------------------
    Darlene K. Beck, General Partner           Darlene K. Beck, individually



By:
    --------------------------------           ---------------------------------
    Debbie R. Reis, General Partner            Debbie R. Reis, individually



By:
    --------------------------------           ---------------------------------
    Andrew L. Azure, General Partner           Andrew L. Azure, individually