To all have a Happy Easter and safe one!

“Phytotherapy was introduced into scientific medicine by a french physician Henri Leclerc (1877-1955).  Phytotherapy is a method of treating, alleviating, and preventing disease and ailments by using whole or parts (flowers, leaves, roots) of medicinal plants.  This ranges from capsules, tinctures, teas, ointments, actual chemo meds and other medicines.  Phytotherapy is not an alternative to medicine but a part of scientific medicine.  Besides treating medical problems the keep the human body healthy and restore harmony and balance to the human body.  When used therapeutically and as prescribed they are not addictive and usually do not have side effects.”

Danijela Grizelj MD; PhD

(https://martifarm.com/the-importance-of-plants-in-the-pharmaceutical-industry/ )

Part II

Look at medical proof, going back as far July 2011 by online publication of Nature, investigated why Arabidopsis does its major stem-growing in the dark—a pattern common to most plants. Biologist Steve Kay and colleagues at the University of California, San Diego, report that a specific trio of proteins regulates the rhythm in Arabidopsis stems. Arabidopsis thaliana helped scientists not very long ago too unearth new clues about the daily cycles of many organisms, including humans. This is the latest in a long line of research, much of it supported by the National Institutes of Health, that uses plants to solve puzzles in human health. While other model organisms may seem to have more in common with us, greens like Arabidopsis provide an important view into genetics, cell division and especially light sensing, which drives 24-hour behavioral cycles called circadian rhythms.

Some human cells, including cancer cells, divide with a 24-hour rhythm. One of the main human circadian rhythm genes, cryptochrome, has been associated with diabetes and depression. Both of these discoveries grew from work with plants.

                                                                                                                                           The Arabidopsis Thaliana Plant

Arabidopsis (rockcress) is a genus in the family Brassicaceae. They are small flowering plants related to cabbage and mustard, and can be used similarly to other mustard greens, in salads or sautéed, but its use as an edible spring green is not widely noted. Arabidopsis thaliana is a small dicotyledonous species being a member of the Brassicaceae or mustard family. Although closely related to such economically important crop plants as turnip, cabbage, broccoli, and canola, Arabidopsis is not an economically important plant. Despite this, it has been the focus of intense genetic, biochemical and physiological study for over 40 years because of several traits that make it very desirable for laboratory study. As a photosynthetic organism, Arabidopsis requires only light, air, water and a few minerals to complete its life cycle. It has a fast life cycle, produces numerous self progeny, has very limited space requirements, and is easily grown in a greenhouse or indoor growth chamber. It possesses a relatively small, genetically tractable genome that can be manipulated through genetic engineering more easily and rapidly than any other plant genome.

T group of proteins, called the evening complex, interacts in the early evening to silence two genes that usually promote plant growth. When the evening complex’s activity trails off a few hours before dawn, proteins release the brakes on growth and plants enter their nightly phase of rapid stem elongation.

The plant has been mutated in the three genes that code for the evening complex, they noticed that this made the Arabidopsis biological clock run out of sync—stems grew unusually long and flowered early.

Scientists aren’t yet certain why night is the best time for stems to grow, it has to do with using resources efficiently. Plants pick up carbon and nitrogen during the day, then store these essential nutrients as starch and proteins. In the later night, they can release these resources in a coordinated fashion to provide the building blocks for stem growth it has been said.

Our understanding of human health and the role of clocks in health and disease can greatly benefit from studying how clocks work in plants.

Scientists are interested in answering basic biological questions, but others who work with plants have their eyes on future disease therapies. Plant-based molecules, for instance, are being used to target reservoirs of HIV that hide out in their hosts. At the University of California, Berkeley, chemist Jay Keasling has been looking over the years for simple ways to get microbes to produce greater quantities of these plant-based molecules at lower cost.

How plants like Arabidopsis suppress harmful genes may also help improve HIV therapies. A team of biologists that had been led by Craig Pikaard at Washington University in St. Louis is investigating RNA polymerases, chemicals important in determining which genes get switched on, to learn how plants silence harmful virus-derived genes. Similar silencing pathways could be harnessed for HIV therapies.

More generally, scientists are looking toward plants as a medicinal source. Chemist Sarah O’Connor at MIT has genetically engineered periwinkle plants, the natural source of the anticancer drug vinblastine, to produce variations of the drug with halogens attached. Halogens make some medicines last longer in the body, meaning that probing periwinkle’s capabilities could make cancer treatments more effective.

Plant compounds present in carrots and parsley may one day support more effective delivery of chemotherapy treatments, new research has found. Specific plant compounds are able to inhibit transport mechanisms in the body that select what compounds are absorbed into the body, and eventually into cells. These same transport mechanisms are known to interfere with cancer chemotherapy treatment.

Some further examples of good compounds coming from plants for human lives are:

Flavonoids are one class of secondary plant metabolites that are also known as Vitamin P or citrin. These metabolites are mostly used in plants to produce yellow and other pigments which play a big role in coloring the plants. In addition, Flavonoids are readily ingested by humans and they seem to display important anti-inflammatory, anti-allergic and anti-cancer activities. Flavonoids are also found to be powerful anti-oxidants and researchers are looking into their ability to prevent cancer and cardiovascular diseases. Flavonoids help prevent cancer by inducing certain mechanisms that may help to kill cancer cells, and researches believe that when the body processes extra flavonoid compounds, it triggers specific enzymes that fight carcinogens. Good dietary sources of Flavonoids are all citrus fruits, which contain the specific flavanoids hesperidins, quercitrin, rutin, berries, tea, dark chocolate and red wine that includes many of the health benefits attributed to these foods come from the Flavonoids they contain.

Phytic acid is the main method of phosphorus storage in plant seeds, but is not readily absorbed by many animals (only absorbed by ruminant animals). Not only is phytic acid a phosphorus storage unit, but it also is a source of energy and cations, a natural antioxidant for plants, and can be a source of mycoinositol which is one of the preliminary pieces for cell walls.

Phytic acid is also known to bond with many different minerals, and by doing so prevents those minerals from being absorbed; making phytic acid an anti-nutrient. There is a lot of concern with phytic acids in nuts and seeds because of its anti-nutrient characteristics. In preparing foods with high phytic acid concentrations, it is recommended they be soaked in after being ground to increase the surface area. Soaking allows the seed to undergo germination which increases the availability of vitamins and nutrient, while reducing phytic acid and protease inhibitors ultimately increasing the nutritional value. Cooking can also reduce the amount of phytic acid in food but soaking is much more effective.

Phytic acid is an antioxidant found in plant cells that most likely serves the purpose of preservation. This preservation is removed when soaked, reducing the phytic acid and allowing the germination and growth of the seed.

Atropine is a type of secondary metabolite called a tropane alkaloid.

Alkaloids contain nitrogens, frequently in a ring structure, and are derived from amino acids. Tropane is an organic compound containing nitrogen and it is from tropane that atropine is derived from. Atropine is synthesized by a reaction between tropine and tropate, catalyzed by atropinase. Within Atropa belladonna atropine synthesis has been found to take place primarily in the root of the plant. The concentration of synthetic sites within the plant is indicative of the nature of secondary metabolites.

Gossypol has a yellow pigment and is found in cotton plants. It occurs mainly in the root and/or seeds of different species of cotton plants.  Gossypol can have various chemical structures. It can exist in three forms: gossypol, gossypol acetic acid, and gossypol formic acid. All of these forms have very similar biological properties. Gossypol is a type of aldehyde, meaning that it has a formyl group. The formation of gossypol occurs through an isoprenoid pathway. Isoprenoid pathways are common among secondary metabolites.  3Gossypol’s main function in the cotton plant is to act as an enzyme inhibitor. An example of gossypol’s enzyme inhibition is its ability to inhibit nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide-linked enzymes of Trypanosoma cruzi. Trypanosoma cruzi is a parasite which causes Chaga’s disease.

For some time it was believed that gossypol was merely a waste product produced during the processing of cottonseed products. Extensive studies have shown that gossypol has other functions. Many of the more popular studies on gossypol discuss how it can act as a male contraceptive. Gossypol has also been linked to causing hypokalemic paralysis. Hypokalemic paralysis is a disease characterized by muscle weakness or paralysis with a matching fall in potassium levels in the blood. Hypokalemic paralysis associated with gossypol in-take usually occurs in March, when vegetables are in short supply, and in September, when people are sweating a lot. This side effect of gossypol in-take is very rare however. Gossypol induced hypokalemic paralysis is easily treatable with potassium repletion.

Believe or not, plants enhanced our lives.

“Multiple studies have found that plants in your workplace increases both productivity and creativity.  In the past as far back as 2004 researchers have challenged people to make creative word associations and found they worked better with plants in the room with them.  Another study as far back as 2007 showed people with plants in their work place at their job took fewer sick days and were more productive on the job.  Medical clinics in Manchester, England are now prescribing to certain patients with anxiety and depression.”

Dandelion

Some people may ask if a vegetable or fruit is it considered a plant.  Through a very resourceful site “MAYO Clinic” the state the following:

“According to botanists (those who study plants) a fruit is the part of the plant that develops from a flower. It’s also the section of the plant that contains the seeds. The other parts of plants are considered vegetables. These include the stems, leaves and roots — and even the flower bud.

From a culinary standpoint, vegetables are less sweet — or more savory — and served as part of the main dish. Fruits are more sweet and tart and are most often served as a dessert or snack. Both fruits and vegetables can be made into juice for a refreshing beverage. Some fruits are “grains” or “nuts” or “seeds” — and are served accordingly.

Nutritionally speaking, fruits and vegetables are similar. Compared with animal products, they’re generally lower in calories and fat, but higher in fiber. Fruits and vegetables also contain health-enhancing plant compounds such as antioxidants. And they’re loaded with vitamins and minerals.”

So yes part of a plant can be a fruit or vegetable.

How we get benefits from plants medically:

Ginger:

Ginger is one spice that I recommend keeping on hand in your kitchen at all times. Not only is it a wonderful addition to your cooking (especially paired with garlic) but it also has enough medical properties to fill several books.

Ginger is best known for its anti-nausea effects but also has broad-spectrum antibacterial, antiviral, antioxidant, and anti-parasitic properties, to name just several of its more than 40 scientifically confirmed pharmacological actions. It is anti-inflammatory, making it valuable for pain relief for joint pain, menstrual pain, headaches, and more.

The pain-relieving potential of ginger appears to be far-reaching. Along with help for muscle and joint pain, ginger has been found to reduce the severity of migraine headaches as well as the migraine medication Sumatriptan – with fewer side effects.

Ginger also shows promise for fighting cancer, diabetes, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, asthma, bacterial and fungal infections, and it is one of the best natural remedies available for motion sickness or nausea (from pregnancy or chemotherapy, for example).

Taking one gram of ginger daily may help reduce nausea and vomiting in pregnant women, or those with migraines and ginger has been shown to work better than a placebo in relieving morning sickness.

Ginger is also a must-have if you struggle with indigestion, and it does more than simply relieve pain. Ginger contains powerful protein-digesting enzymes and helps to stimulate the emptying of your stomach without any negative effect, and it’s an antispasmodic agent, which may explain its beneficial effects on your intestinal tract.

Many people enjoy ginger tea on a regular basis, and this is one of the simplest ways to use it. Simply chop off a couple of inches of ginger root and let it steep in hot water for fresh ginger tea. I would advise against using it daily as it can lead to an allergy and is what happened to me about twenty years ago.

You can also peel the root using a paring knife and then slice it thinly (or grate it or mince it) to add to tea or cooked dishes. You can’t go wrong by adding ginger to stir fries or even your favorite homemade chicken soup. For serious issues, a natural health care provider can help you get the maximum therapeutic benefits of ginger.

Garlic:

Eating a clove or two of fresh garlic a day may indeed keep the doctor away, in part because it has immune-boosting, antibacterial, antiviral, and anti-fungal effects. Many of garlic’s therapeutic effects are derived from its sulfur-containing compounds, such as allicin, which are also what give it its characteristic smell. In general, garlic’s benefits fall into four main categories:

-Reducing inflammation (reduces the risk of osteoarthritis and other disease associated with inflammation).

-Boosting immune function (antibacterial, antifungal, antiviral, and antiparasitic properties).

-Improving cardiovascular health and circulation (protects against clotting, retards plaque, improves lipids, and reduces blood pressure).

-Toxic to at least 14 kinds of cancer cells (including brain, lung, breast, gastric, and pancreatic).

In addition, garlic may be effective against drug-resistant bacteria, and research has revealed that as allicin digests in your body, it produces sulfenic acid, a compound that reacts with dangerous free radicals faster than any other known compound. This is one of the reasons in my article garlic what listed as one of the top seven anti-aging foods you can consume.

In order to get the health benefits, the fresh clove must be crushed or chopped in order to stimulate the release of an enzyme called alliinase, which in turn catalyzes the formation of allicin.

Allicin, in turn, rapidly breaks down to form a number of different organosulfur compounds. So to “activate” garlic’s medicinal properties, compress a fresh clove with a spoon prior to swallowing it, or put it through your juicer to add to your vegetable juice.

A single medium-size clove or two is usually sufficient and is well-tolerated by most people. The active ingredient, allicin, is destroyed within one hour of smashing the garlic, so garlic pills are virtually worthless. Black garlic, which is basically fermented garlic, and sprouted garlic may contain even more antioxidants than regular garlic.

Peppermint:

Peppermint offers benefits to the respiratory system, including for coughs, colds, asthma, allergies, and tuberculosis. In terms of digestive health, peppermint oil capsules have been described as “the drug of first choice” in IBS patients and peppermint oil is an effective alternative to drugs like Buscopan for reducing colonic spasms.

It may also relax the muscles of your intestines, allowing gas to pass and easing abdominal pain. Try peppermint oil or leaves added to tea for gas relief. Inhaling the peppermint aroma may offer memory enhancement and stress relief, and peppermint oil acts as an expectorant and decongestant, and may help clear your respiratory tract.

Use peppermint essential oil as a cold rub on your chest or inhale it through a vaporizer to help clear nasal congestion and relieve cough and cold symptoms. Peppermint oil may also help relieve tension headache pain. For headache pain, try dabbing a few drops on your wrist or sprinkling a few drops on a cloth, then inhaling the aroma. You can also massage the oil directly onto your temples and forehead. Peppermint essential oil is ideal for muscle and chest rubs, headache pain, dental care, and aromatherapy. You can even add it to your homemade cleaning supplies for extra antimicrobial power and natural fragrance.

When selecting peppermint for your own use, the fresh leaves will impart a superior flavor to dried leaves (such as for use in tea). Look for fresh leaves that are green in color without any dark spots or yellowing. In addition to using fresh mint leaves in tea, you can add them to soups, fruit salad, or gazpacho. Additionally, it is really easy to grow peppermint yourself and the plant works as a highly effective deterrent to many insects that might invade your garden or your home.

Lavender:

Lavender oil is known for its calming and relaxing properties, and has been used aromatherapeutically for alleviating insomnia, anxiety, depression, restlessness, dental anxiety, and stress. It has also been proven effective for nearly all kinds of ailments, from pain to infections.

It is particularly fascinated by its oil potential in fighting antifungal-resistant skin and nail infections. Scientists from the University of Coimbra found that lavender oil is lethal to skin-pathogenic strains known as dermatophytes, as well as various Candida species. Lavender oil can also be used to:

Relieve pain. It can ease sore or tense muscles, joint pain and rheumatism, sprains, backache, and lumbago. Simply massage a small amount of lavender oil onto the affected area. Lavender oil may also help lessen pain following needle insertion.

Treat various skin disorders like acne, psoriasis, eczema, and wrinkles. It also helps form scar tissues, which may be essential in healing wounds, cuts, and burns. Lavender can also help soothe insect bites and itchy skin (lavender oil can help ward off mosquitoes and moths. It is actually used as an ingredient in some mosquito repellents).

Keep your hair healthy. It helps kill lice, lice eggs, and nits. The Natural Medicines Comprehensive Database (NMCB) says that lavender is possibly effective for treating alopecia areata (hair loss), boosting hair growth by up to 44 percent after just seven months of treatment.

Improve your digestion. This oil helps stimulate the mobility of your intestine and stimulates the production of bile and gastric juices, which may help treat stomach pain, indigestion, flatulence, colic, vomiting, and diarrhea.

Relieve respiratory disorders. Lavender oil can help alleviate respiratory problems like colds and flu, throat infections, cough, asthma, whooping cough, sinus congestion, bronchitis, tonsillitis, and laryngitis. It can be applied on your neck, chest, or back, or inhaled via steam inhalation or through a vaporizer.

Stimulate urine production, which helps restore hormonal balance, prevent cystitis (inflammation of the urinary bladder), and relieve cramps and other urinary disorders.

Improve your blood circulation. It helps lower elevated blood pressure levels and can be used for hypertension.

Thyme:

Thyme is a fragrant herb that makes a wonderful addition to your cooking, in part because it is rich in antioxidants. Thyme contains health-boosting flavonoids including apigenin, naringenin, luteolin, and thymonin, and has been shown to protect and increase the percentage of healthy fats found in cell membranes. As reported by the George Mateljan Foundation.  “In particular, the amount of DHA (docosahexaenoic acid, an omega-3 fatty acid) in brain, kidney, and heart cell membranes was increased after dietary supplementation with thyme.”

Thyme is also nutrient dense, containing vitamin C, vitamin A, iron, manganese, copper, and dietary fiber. When used in cooked dishes, thyme may also help inhibit glycation and the formation of dangerous advanced glycation (meaning glucose broken down) end products (AGEs) in your food, making thyme a potential preventer of heart disease and premature aging. Due to thyme oil’s antibacterial, antispasmodic, anti-rheumatic, expectorant, hypertensive, and calming properties, it also has a long list of topical uses, including:

Home remedy – Thyme oil is used to relieve and treat problems like gout, arthritis, wounds, bites, and sores, water retention, menstrual and menopausal problems, nausea and fatigue, respiratory problems (like colds), skin conditions (oily skin and scars), athlete’s foot, hangovers, and even depression.

Aromatherapy oil – The oil can be used to stimulate the mind, strengthen memory and concentration, and calm the nerves.

Hair product – It is said that thyme oil can prevent hair loss. It is used as a treatment for the scalp and is added to shampoos and other hair products.

Skin product – Thyme oil can help tone aged skin and prevent acne outbreaks.

Mouthwashes and herbal rinses – Like peppermint, wintergreen, and eucalyptus oils, thyme oil is used to improve oral health.

Insecticide/insect repellent – Thyme oil can keep insects and parasites like mosquitoes, fleas, lice, and moths away.

Chamomile:

Chamomile is most popular in tea form for use to calm upset stomach and help support restful sleep. Germany’s Commission E (a government organization) has even approved the use of chamomile for reducing swelling on your skin and fighting bacteria. Chamomile is a powerful anti-inflammatory that also has antibacterial, anti-spasmodic, anti-allergenic, muscle relaxant, and sedative properties. It is used to treat psoriasis, eczema, chickenpox, diaper rash, slow-healing wounds, abscesses, and gum inflammation, and according to Herb Wisdom may also be useful for the following conditions:

The oil serves many medicinal purposes, but one of the best-documented uses is for relaxation. The oil has a calming effect on people, and can be used to help induce sleep, ease frayed nerves, and promote a general sense of calmness and well being. It is great for those with nervousness or anxiety problems.

Aside from having mental calming properties, chamomile is also good at relaxing sore muscles and tight joints.

It can ease menstrual cramps and back aches, as well as relax the digestive system to ease upset stomach or indigestion issues.

When applied topically to the skin, it soothes redness and irritation. For this reason, it is a common ingredient in skincare. It also eliminates itchiness and is good for those with allergic reactions. Sometimes chamomile is used on rashes. Because of its anti-inflammatory properties, it can work to take down swelling caused by rashes or skin irritants.

Dandelion:

Dandelion, a plant, has traditionally been used as a liver tonic, useful for detoxification and improving liver function. Dandelion is known as a stimulant that is typically used for kidney and liver disorders. It is also traditionally used to reduce the side effects of prescription drugs, as well as to treat infections, gallbladder problems, water retention and swelling. Dandelion greens, which you can prepare simply by blanching them in boiling water for 20 seconds to help remove their bitter flavor (they can also be added to vegetable juice), contain many nutrients, including vitamin C, vitamin B6, thiamin, riboflavin, calcium, iron, potassium, and manganese. They are a particularly good source of vitamin A and may also have cancer fighting properties.

So believe it or not plants enhance our lives and with technology it will further expand in helping human lives.

“Diseases of the circulatory system and cancer remain the two leading causes of death in most countries.”

Center for Disease Control and Prevention – CDC (https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/fastats/leading-causes-of-death.htm)

“The main causes of death in the United States are typically heart disease, cancer, & unintentional injury. (keep in mind cancer covers a vast amount of areas affecting the body with this diagnosis cancer).

Heart disease is the leading cause of death for both men and women. This is the case in the U.S. and worldwide. More than half of all people who die due to heart disease are men.

Medical professionals use the term heart disease to describe several conditions. Many of these conditions relate to plaque buildup in the arteries’ walls that can create further problems.

As the plaque develops, the arteries narrow. This makes it difficult for blood to flow around the body that limits oxygen to certain organs & increases the risk of MI or stroke. It can also give rise to angina, arrhythmias, and heart failure.”

MedicalNewsToday (https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/282929)

CDC states:

1- “6 in 10 adults in the U.S. have a chronic disease and 4 in ten adults have 2 or more.

2- Chronic Disease in America:

• Heart disease: 696,962
• Cancer: 602,350
• COVID-19: 350,831
• Accidents (unintentional injuries): 200,955
• Stroke (cerebrovascular diseases): 160,264
• Chronic lower respiratory diseases: 152,657
• Alzheimer’s disease: 134,242
• Diabetes: 102,188
• Influenza and pneumonia: 53,544
• Nephritis, nephrotic syndrome, and nephrosis: 52,547″

Source: Mortality in the United States, 2020, data table for figure 4

As of 2019:

For more than a decade, heart disease and cancer have claimed the first and second spots respectively as the leading causes of deaths in America. Together, the two causes are responsible for over 45 percent of deaths in the United States.

For more than 30 years, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has been collecting and examining causes of death. This information helps researchers and doctors understand if they need to address growing epidemics in healthcare.

The numbers also help them understand how preventive measures may help people live longer and healthier lives.

The top 12 causes of death in the United States account for more than 75 percent of all deaths. Learn about each of the main causes and what can be done to prevent them.

The following data is taken from the CDC’s 2017 report:

1. Heart Disease:

Number of deaths per year: 635,260

Percent of total deaths: 23.1 percent

More common among:

• men
• people who smoke
• people who are overweight or obese
• people with a family history of heart disease or heart attack
• people over age 55

What causes heart disease?

Heart disease is a term used to describe a range of conditions that affect your heart and blood vessels. These conditions include:

• heart arrhythmias Common is Atrial Fibrillation (irregular heartbeats)
• coronary artery disease (blocked arteries)
• heart defects

Tips for prevention

Lifestyle changes can prevent many cases of heart disease, such as the following:

• Quit smoking.
• Eat a healthier diet.
• Exercise at least 30 minutes per day, five days a week.
• Maintain a healthy weight.

2. Cancer

Number of deaths per year: 598,038

Percent of total deaths: 21.7 percent

More common among: Each type of cancer has a specific set of risk factors, but several risk factors are common among multiple types. These risk factors include:

• people of a certain age
• people who use tobacco and alcohol
• people exposed to radiation and a lot of sunlight
• people with chronic inflammation
• people who are obese
• people with a family history of the disease

3. Chronic lower respiratory diseases

“Diet and exercise are the two most important changes you can make. Even if you’ve never been active, it’s never too late to get started. A healthy diet and physical activity are good at any age. As you age, these healthy habits strengthen muscles and bones. Strong muscles and bones reduce serious injuries related to falls. When your muscles are strong, activities like getting up from a chair or opening a door are easier. When lifting weights, start with a 1-pound or 5-pound weight. If you don’t have weights, use a can of soup, a book, or a full bottle of water. Keep your weights in the same room as your television.”

familydoctor.org (https://familydoctor.org/healthy-habits-at-age-60-and-beyond/)

Ever heard the phrase 60 is the new 40? While that maybe an exaggeration, it’s meant to highlight the very real phenomenon of our ever increasing health and longer lifespans.

For the average person who turned 60 in 1970, they could expect to retire at age 64 and live to age 70.8. For someone who turned 60 in 2010, they can very easily work throughout their entire 60’s and expect to live to at least 78.7 years old.

With the advances in modern medicine, lower rates of smoking and generally healthier lifestyles, our active and productive years can expand well into our 70’s and beyond.

How we choose to use this “extra” time will be determined by our current situation and our priorities for the future.

For some, their 60’s are a time to kick back and relax. They have worked for 30+ years, lived below their means and diligently saved money for retirement. They may also have sold a successful business, or been able to retire from a (increasing scarce) job that had a good pension.

For others, the prospect of retirement isn’t even a thought. Whether it’s a case of financial reality or just the psychological need to be productive, a continuing presence in the workforce is a reality for more and more of the 60+ crowd.

So how to change your life at 60 years old and feel proud of yourself?

• Is It Possible To Start Over in Your Life At 60?
• Finding Meaning in Life at 60 Years Old
• Is 60 Too Late To Change Your Life?
• How to Change Your Life at 60 Years Old and Feel Proud of Yourself
  • 1. Changing Priorities
  • 2. Understanding the Psychological Challenges
  • 3. Dealing With the Financial Challenges
  • 4. Make New Friends
  • 5. Give Back To the Community
  • 6. Set Achievable Goals

So start over in your life at 60!

Starting over at 60 should not come as a surprise. Now that you have come to understand the psychological and financial challenges associated with reaching that age, let’s take a look at how to regain control over your life. In popular opinion, by the time you reach 60 you have achieved all you had to in life. This isn’t true, just because we are comfortable doesn’t mean to stop ourselves from growing.

It is important to shift attention away from things that took the most part of your life like work and children and move towards yourself and how you impact the world and not put your life on stagnation till you pass on.  You are starting a new life or just adding to what you have depending on the individual.  Their are many factors that determine that:

Are you healthy?  If so, take advantage of it than, its your life!

Are you with less family and or friends in your life?  If so can involved in groups, the community, but don’t introvert yourself home and especially by yourself!

YOU CAN START LIFE OVER AT 60 IF YOU WANT; IT IS ALL UP TO WHAT YOU CHOOSE DO WITH YOUR LIFE!

Most people would think their life’s meaning and purpose is one thing and remains the same forever. However, that is far from the truth. In fact, the meaning in life changes with every stage of life because we as human beings change so many times in our lives.

By the time one reaches 60 they have experienced all sorts of things in life, especially long-lasting impacts of loss, bereavement, retirement and so much more. Sometimes the meaning of our lives is lost along with loved ones and things. However, this is also a period of transformation where in one way or another we have to re-evaluate our life and priorities.

Your own goals can change, from wanting to live longer, to lose weight, and be healthy to spending time with family and friends or like-minded people. Everyone has something or the other that they need to do at this age, and each of their goals is equally as important. Therefore, finding meaning in life at 60 years old is something most people do.

Is 60 Too Late To Change Your Life?

No time in life is too late to change. As previously discussed, the 60s and 70s are key years in an individual’s life. Everything around a person at that age is changing and there is no one stopping them from changing as well.

Some people work hard their entire lives and retire in their 60s. They want a chance to enjoy life and relax. Others see it as a time to plan out their family’s future and look into life insurances. Some are given unexpected medical advice diagnosis or treatment and they need to make changes to live a healthy life.

Turning 60 gives you a chance to start over, and it’s up to you whether you want to take it or not. Psychologically, after living an entire life you are presented with various options. Being 60 means you have a lifetime of knowledge and skill to impart to others around you, the ability to turn your hobbies into happiness, and do the things you have always wanted to do.

“Most people with MS experience their first symptoms and are diagnosed between the ages of 15 and 50, although individuals of any age may be diagnosed with MS. More women are diagnosed with MS than men, and the area where someone lives, as well as race and ethnic background, also helps to determine his or her risk of developing the disease.

Nearly one million individuals are living with MS in the United States. This new prevalence figure was published in 2019 and is more than double the previous estimate of 400,000 affected people in the United States.”

MS Association of America (https://mymsaa.org/ms-information/overview/who-gets-ms/)