Campbell Wealth Management - October 2019

The Free Radical 411 How to Minimize Age-Inducing Atoms

If you’ve ever picked up a health magazine while waiting at the doctor’s office, then you’re probably familiar with the term “free radicals” — at least enough to know that they get a bad rap from doctors and beauticians alike. But what are they, exactly? According to Live Science, free radicals are atoms with unpaired electrons that have split off from oxygen molecules in the body and started to “scavenge” for other electrons to pair with. That wouldn’t be problematic, except that these atoms tend to damage cells, lipids, proteins, and even DNA along the way, and that destruction has serious consequences. As Live Science puts it, “Free radicals are associated with human disease, including cancer, atherosclerosis, Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, and many others. They also may have a link to aging, which has been defined as a gradual accumulation of free-radical damage.” Unfortunately, it’s impossible to entirely avoid free radicals and the havoc they wreak. The process that forms free radicals, called oxidative stress, can be kick-started by a variety of different substances found in food, water, medicine, and even the air we breathe, according to the Huntington’s Outreach Project for Education at Stanford University. Unsurprisingly, these substances are things already considered unhealthy, like alcohol, exposure to X-rays, ozone, fried food, chemical pesticides, air pollutants, and tobacco smoke.

That said, there is one molecule that is stable enough to stand up to and reduce free radicals: the antioxidant. According to a study published by Pharmacognosy Reviews, antioxidants can “donate an electron to a rampaging free radical and neutralize it, thus reducing its ability to damage.” Synthetic antioxidants exist but can sometimes have harmful side effects, so scientists advise protecting yourself by avoiding free radical triggers like alcohol, processed foods, and red meat, and ingesting natural antioxidants in the form of berries, stone fruits, olives, onions, garlic, and green and black teas. Herbs and spices like cinnamon, basil, turmeric, and fenugreek can ratchet up your antioxidant levels too. While it can’t guarantee immortality, the right diet can certainly help you stave off aging and disease, so why not start today?

3 STEPS TO TAKE TO

FINANCIALLY PREPARE FOR A RECESSION otherwise would have. This not only resulted in penalties for people under age 55 but also meant that the money was not there once the economy recovered. Eliminate most, if not all, debt you’re currently carrying. If you’re carrying debt on credit cards or via loans, now it is the time to reduce or eliminate as much of it as possible. This puts significantly less strain on your income during a recession economy, a time when you may want to tighten the purse strings. Holding onto debt makes it much harder to tighten those strings. Take a closer look at your portfolio. As discussed in this month’s cover article, we work hard to minimize risk during downturns in order to protect your assets. However, it’s still important to scrutinize your investments. While no portfolio spread is 100% recession-proof, it’s always important to understand the makeup of your portfolio. Know what you have, and if you have any questions about your portfolio or our investment strategy, don’t hesitate to ask!

If you’ve been paying attention to the news, you know economists

are talking. There is concern that a

recession is on the horizon. After a decade of market prosperity, we’re overdue for a downturn, but the question is are you financially prepared to weather one? Even if a recession doesn’t take hold in the next year, it’s always good to be prepared and have a strategy in place. Here are three things to keep in mind as we navigate end-of-year volatility. Maintain a “rainy day fund.” Regardless of economic conditions, you should always have extra savings set aside for “just in case” scenarios. Having a fund like this means you’re less likely to rely on other sources of money that you’re not ready to touch. During the Great Recession, many people dipped into their retirement accounts earlier than they

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