Your Other Heart

 

 As a devoted Jump Roper, I knew and experienced the benefits of jumping rope from improving cardiovascular and pulmonary health to helping with circulation.  The combination of the jump rope and running help me overcome asthma. The body has a miraculous ability to heal itself given a chance. 

One of the benefits of jumping rope is that it helps tone and you arms and legs, especially your calves.  I learned recently that the Calves are know as the second heart due due to the ability to pump blood from the lower part of the legs back to the heart. The stronger the calves the better your blood flow and the more efficient your heart  Anything you can do to help your heart will naturally improve your health. 

Be sure to stretch you calve muscles along with your achilles tendons. A little jump rope can go a long way to improving your overall health, a not only does it benefit you primary heart but your secondary heart also. 

 To Your Health,

 Coach K

 

Jack Nicklaus And The Masters

 I love a good golf story.  Jack Nicklaus has won the Masters Tournament a record breaking six times. The first time being in 1963. The Masters winner is awarded the iconic Green Jacket but in Jack's case they did not have a 43R on hand for the ceremony so they used a 46L coat. 

The following year member Tom Dewey's jacket, former governor of New York, was in in Jack's locker and fit perfectly. 35 years later in 1998 while Jack was having lunch with Augusta National chairman Jack Stephens and told him he did not have his own Green Jacket the chairman was stunned.  He directed Nicklaus to go to the Pro Shop and be measured for his own Green Jacket. 

After Jack won the last of his six Green Jackets in 1986, he was finally actually able to receive his own proper Green Jacket. 

 

With Love,

Coach K

Allergies and Cocunut Oil

Spring has sprung!  Trees are in bloom and grass is growing.  This beautiful time of the year is dreaded by million due to allergies.  And after being a long time sufferer of allergies and mouth breathing, I stumbled on an incredible discovery. To state it simply Coconut oil. 

For years I wore contact lenses and during allergy season would literally rub my itchy eyes until my contacts came out.  Side note if I didn't have my contact case, I would just put my contacts in my mouth. 

Coconut oil is an antifungal and antibacterial substance due to its high concentration of lauric acid. After learning that coconut oil is a good natural moisturizer and can help heal cuts and scrapes while again providing bacterial infection protection...poetic eh, I decided to try just using the oil in my nostrils. I simply swipe a dab in each nostril of my nose. 

I have been doing this for years now and my experience has been incredible. One litmus test is that during the Covid years I worked in a manufacturing facility and had to work  onsite daily in a closed environment. And while various coworkers went out with illness including most employees at the plant, I was able to work throughout without any sickness or missed time.  

My thinking is that most pathogens come in through the sinuses and the coconut oil acts as a barrier keeping out the bad guys. I've also had a similar experience with my allergies and breathing.  I would regularly wake up after a night under the ceiling fan and sneeze four or five times and have a scratchy throat and itchy eyes, and of course this was exaggerated during allergy season in the spring and fall. 

Coconut oil has helped clear all these issues.  I'm able to breathe through my mouth while sleeping, I wake up without the sneezing or itchy eyes. And the ironic thing is our son wakes up sneezing every morning.  I just yell coconut oil! 

The great thing about coconut oil is that it is natural and inexpensive.  Give it a try and be patient it could be just what the doctor ordered. 

To Your Health,

Coach K

The Wedding Feast at Cana

The Wedding Feast at Cana painted by Pablo Veronese in 1563.  One of the most famous paintings in the world.  The painting hangs across from the Mona Lisa in the Louvre. The huge painting spans over 750 sq. ft. or 35' x 20' covering an entire wall of the museum. 

The painting was first commissioned by monks in Venice for a new rectory.  The painting depicts a wedding feast that Jesus attended with his family and the apostles. The bride and groom were concerned since they had run out of wine. They asked if there was anything Jesus could do, and Jesus was hesitant but after some cajoling agreed. He then proceeds to turn the water into wine, and not only wine but excellent wine. The turning of water into wine was Jesus' first miracle, and really an announcement that he was here for a special purpose and not just a mere mortal.

 

 An interesting backstory about the painting.  In 1815, Austria controlled Italy and Napolean and his armies stole the painting by cutting it out of the frame rolling it up and removing it from the country.  When Austria asked for the return of the painting France explained that the painting was too large and would not fit through the doorway. With that lame excuse the painting still resides in France today. 

The painting is a combination spanning the time of Jesus and 16th century Venice. While commemorating the immortal Jesus turning stone jars of water into a fine wine to ensure the success of the wedding feast. 

The Wedding at Cana was the first of Jesus' miracles that continue to this very day. 

 With Love,

 Coach K

A Blessing

 

The Lord Bless you and keep you

The Lord make his face shine upon you and be gracious to you

The Lord turn his face to you and give you peace

 With Love,

 Coach K

Silence

 What we are need is a little more quiet, a little more peace, a little more silence.  Turn it down, turn it off, disconnect, unplug, and take a deep breath. 

There is a reason for the old saying Silence is Golden. 

Make time for Silence in your life.  Silence has magical powers. It's let your body, mind, and spirit relax, recalibrate, and just Be.  The quiet can heal you.  Let your thoughts pass and just immerse yourself in simply just being alive in the given moment. 

Take in those deep cleansing life giving breaths.  Let it fill your lungs and feel the calmness and peace wash over you.  

Make time to include Silence in your daily living. 

God Bless.

With Love,

Coach K

Constant Chaos

 One of the best things you can do for your overall health and well being is to turn down the drama.  We are in a constant state of distraction with our phones, social media, tv, movies, video games, and the list goes on.  Is it any wonder our nervous systems and brains are overwhelmed.  There is a better way.

Instead of feeding ourselves and living off the constant drama.  Try a little peace and quiet. There's a reason Silence is golden. Disconnect from the constant chaos bring some more joy and peace into your life. 

 We can get rid of the anxiety meds and the anti depressants with some simple lifestyle changes.  And we need to be an active parent when raising our children and not let them be bombarded by the constant steam of information.  

Turn it off.  Go outside get some fresh air and sunshine.  All of today's noise is soon forgotten and we move on to the next drama of the moment. 

Just like we nourish our bodies, we need to feed our minds and souls the good stuff.  Turn off the violence, the drama, the dysfunction and turn on the uplifting, the good, the gentle, and the Peace. 

When we row our boat in the extreme we go around in circles. We expend all that energy and go no where. When we row our boat gently down the stream, we arrived refreshed while reaching our destination. 

There is a better way.  Let there be peace earth and let it begin with me. 

With Love,

Coach K