Charisma

Charisma

Charisma is the beautiful Greek word meaning favored or gifted with grace.  My simple definition is likable and friendly. Cool.  Charisma is often hard to define, similar to "coolness" many people either have it or they don't. People with charisma attract others and are often leaders.  

With this raucous election season, and looking back on past elections you can see a connection between voters and charisma.  Not always, but in most instances try and determine who is the more likable candidate. You will find that person usually ends up winning. 

Charisma comes naturally to some folks while others can develop the trait by being self effacing, generous, and humble.  Leaders place others before themselves, have a genuine interest in helping their teams achieve and grow, and are invested in their success.

A little kindness, more listening, and a smile go along way to creating our own personal charisma.

With Love,

Coach K

How Do You See Yourself

What's Your Name

No, not the Lynyrd Skynrd song!

How do you see yourself?  What's your name.  Our labels are important, how we view ourselves is important to our self esteem.  How we see ourselves drives our behavior. 

If you see yourself as an athlete, you exercise, eat right, and take care of your body and mind.  The important thing is not whether you are a world class athlete or simply a weekend warrior that walks in the park or plays with the grandkids.  The key is to give yourself an empowering label and let it help motivate and move you forward to a better you.

We all have strengths and weaknesses, and many of us wallow in the things we do wrong or compare ourselves unrealistically to the phony images we see in the media.   

Choose a label that empowers and propels you forward.  Give yourself an inspiring title such as graduate, artist, professional, mom, dad, volunteer, inventor, author, philanthropist, or champion.  Again, cut yourself some slack and let your imagination run.  

See yourself as the person you want to be, don't beat yourself up or get stuck with where you are now. 

See yourself as the limitless, divine being, that has the ability to accomplish and achieve anything you want. 

Start with your name and make it empowering. 

With Love,

Coach K

The Blender

Blender

Eating well is so important and easy to our health and well being that we need to find ways to make it a priority and habit.  Took me a long time, too long to figure it out but I found an easy, convenient, way to eat better without the fuss and expense. 

The Blender. 

I buy the veggies at Produce Junction, cheap and good.  A bag of beets, carrots, spinach, garlic, kale, apples, lemons,and onions or whatever else comes to mind.  You get these foods for $20 bucks. Simply rinse the veggies and throw them in a blender.  Not too much cutting or chopping, throw the entire beet or spinach into the blender and drink it.  Yes, with the chunks and bit floating in the glass. Yuck!  

I know.  But your palette will adjust, a glass of beet or carrot juice is naturally sweet, yes it really is, and so good for you.  Spinach juice is so green and nutritious.  Soon you will be chugging this healthy juice and feeling better, maybe loosing the high blood pressure and cholesterol meds.  

Vegetables have the power to heal you, to cure you but we must do our part.  These meds while at times helpful comes with toxic side affects and are expensive.  A beet can lower you blood pressure, improve your circulation, and provide beneficial nitrates that provide more energy than caffeine, and cost practically nothing. 

You don't need an expensive juice or spend two hours cleaning it after juicing.  Throw it in the $20 blender and drink the whole thing.  Simple, easy, and inexpensive. 

Heal Yourself.  And start with the blender.

To Your Health,

Coach K

Making a Life

Making a Life

Winston Churchill once said we make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give.  For most of the first question we ask is what's in it for me, how much will I make?  Me, Me, Me.  More, more, more.

But there is another way, my man Zig Ziglar once said,

"You can get anything you want, if you just help enough people get what they want"

When we approach life from the concept of How May I Serve every thing we need comes to us. Perhaps not on our timetable or in the manner we expect,  but in some way better and bigger than we thought possible.  Churchill single handedly stood up to Germany during World War II while begging for help from U.S., and while London was being bombed to smithereens, he stood firm unwilling to surrender.  And after the allied victory and Churchill being championed as a hero, the people of England voted him out of office! That's gratitude for you.  From high to low, Churchill still goes down as one of England's greatest heroes.

Think back on your achievements and accomplishments what are the things you remember and are proud of, is it the new car, the nice house probably not.  The shiny baubles fade away.  The lasting moments of our lives, are the people we've helped, the good deeds done without fanfare or recognition.

Helping someone down on their luck, lending a hand to someone in need, or a simple smile or glance to a stranger on the street letting them know that they are not alone.

Many times our greatest accomplishment is simply doing our duty and raising our families, being there for the kids, the wives, and husbands.  Paying the bills, doing the wash, cutting the grass, going to the games, shuttling the lovebirds all over the place.

Sacrificing our wants and desires for the benefit of of others.

Very hard.  Very powerful.

With Love,

Coach K

The Power To Heal Yourself

Heal Yourself

I like many of us was not eating enough fruits and vegetables, too much fried food and foods without any nutrients.  I think the leading causes of cancer, heart disease, diabetes, arthiritis is the amount of sugar we consume.

Americans consume on average over a 150 pounds of sugar a year.  Fruit has natural sugars but when we combine that with the sugar and high fructose corn syrup,  a fancy name for sugar, that is loaded in all of our foods from cereal, soda, crackers, and tomato sauce we find out daily eating habits must change.

Changing habits is hard.  And to change the way we have been eating for 20 years is a hard habit to break.  But what is the alternative?  A life of sickness and debilitating illnesses, a life of expensive drugs that do as much harm with their side affects as good.  A life with low energy and low expectations.

When we understand how we have been systematically poisoned by the food we eat, we can begin a new plan.  We need to eat more vegetables, I just started blending raw vegetables in a blender, carrots, beets, spinach, garlic, broccoli, onion, lemon, and kale.  At first you will think no way, but your taste buds will adapt and you will feel so much better and energetic.   Just begin with your favorite green veggie and try to eat it every day or at least a couple times per week.  If you need a sweetener, try local raw honey.

The food you eat has the power to heal you and reverse any illness you may be experiencing.  Some pharmaceuticals are necessary but the majority are due to our eating and lack of exercise.  And the drugs have toxic side affects and are expensive.

Why take an expensive toxic pill when you can just simply eat spinach, broccoli, kale, beets and other life saving veggies.

To Your Health,

Coach K
Tom Kaufmann

Lessons from Mom

Clean The House

Being a single mother of four boys, mom insisted on keeping a clean house.  She always said, we may not have much money but that is no excuse for being dirty.  Boys love dirt, and we certainly did. 

One Thanksgiving, we went out to play football on a rainy morning and came back covered in mud.  She looked and us and sighed, saying c'mon boys why do you have to do this to me on Thanksgiving.  She made us strip down on the back porch before getting ready for dinner. 

She insisted on keeping a clean house, and taking good care of the possessions that we had.  She would often wake us up with a fearful shriek  in the middle of the night when we left the kitchen a mess. 

She believed that cleanliness was next to Godliness, and lived that motto while passing it on to her boys. 

She would always say, that she was lace curtain Irish and that her boys would not be shanty.

Whatever you have, care for it, nurture, show that you deserve better and remember always to 

Keep it clean.

With Love,

Coach K
Tom Kaufmann
coachkaufmann.com

Summer Road Trip

Summer Road Trip

Always nice to get out on the open road during the dog days of summer.  Our daughter has some southern schools on her list so off we went on a 2000 mile adventure.  Something about the energy and buzz of a college campus that revitalizes and restores, must be the vibrancy of youth.

We cruised thru PA, MD, WV, VA, NC, and South Carolina.  And the best decision we made was to stay off Interstate 95! Our family go-to trip has always been Washington, D.C.  I love the Smithsonian, monuments, the great vibe of all the colleges, Georgetown, and the ease of getting around on the metro.  All told we've been to DC ten times, and each time we make the trek via I95.

For our trip to Charleston, SC, we made the conscious choice to avoid 95, and the trip down 81 mostly a two lane highway was terrific.  The schools were jumping, restaurants, scenery, and an opportunity for our queen bee to compare schools and cities.   College towns are also great for the older folks that can take discounted courses, have access to the music, plays, shows, interesting speakers, and athletic events.

Travel is just another form of education, seeing new places, meeting new people, and experiencing different ways of life. 

We got a taste of southern charm, southern cooking, and good 'ol southern hospitality. Sometimes it's best to avoid the main highway, and take the back roads and visit the neighborhoods.  The trip may be a little longer but the aggravation will be less.

The boys chose nice, urban schools with a little grit, the brilliant one is choosing palm trees!

With Love,

Coach K
Tom Kaufmann

Your Best Muscle - The Heart

The Heart Muscle

We see many bodybuilders and athletes with big muscles and toned bodies.  We can see the muscles on the outside but the most important muscle we have is on the inside.  Our hearts work non stop, when our chest, legs, back, and arms get rest, the heart continues pumping around the clock.

We can see the results when we lift weights or do exercises that our bodies become more muscular and toned, but how do we know how are hearts are doing.  Exercise both aerobic, think running or walking, and anaerobic, think weights and pushups or situps is excellent for the heart.  Movement is key to improving our heart function, our circulation, and our overall cardiovascular health.

Just walking, jogging, running, or jalking a combination of jogging and intermittently walking.  One of my favorite exercise is jumping rope.  I've been jumping for 30 years and it's an easy, low impact, convenient, and inexpensive way to stay healthy.  With a $5 rope you can practically jump anywhere the patio, driveway, basement, garage, even the foyer, the rope easily travels with you.  Jumping is also a great way to activate the lymphatic system, the lymph nodes help clean the body of toxins.

Now we know that exercise is excellent for our most important muscle, the heart. 

To Your Health,

Coach K
Tom Kaufmann

Lymph Nodes

Lymph Nodes

The lymphatic system is used to remove toxins from our body.  Lymph nodes are located in our neck, armpits, and groin.  Where the liver and kidneys help cleanse our blood, the lymph nodes help remove waste from our cells.  They are an important part of our body's immune and detox system.

One of the things I recently learned is that we can help the lymph system remove toxin by simply jumping or bouncing.  That's why it's so important to incorporate some movement or exercise into our daily lives.  Being an ardent proponent of the jump rope, we find another benefit of the low impact exercise of jumping rope, and that is detoxifying our bodies.  Simple jumping jacks will also do.

Deep breathing is also beneficial for the lymph system, inhaling and holding our breath for a count of two, and then exhaling for a count of four helps eliminate toxins.  Deep breathing is also great for reducing stress and helping lower blood pressure. 

A strong immune system is key to our overall health and keeping the lymph nodes healthy and clear is an easy way to keep you healthy and strong.

With Love,

Coach K
Tom Kaufmann

Carbs

Most carbohydrates are just disguised as sugar.  And too much sugar will make you sick, fat, and riddled with disease.  Cancer cells thrive on sugar and research on the Ketogenic diet shows that when you cut carbs and eat protein and good fats, you can literally starve the cancer cells to death. Healthy cells can live on ketones which are a form of sugar produced by the liver by burning fat. 

In honor of a good friend that has contracted cancer, I have started the Ketogenic diet this week to see how it impacts weight and health.

We on average eat way too much sugar, over 150 pounds per year!!! Sugar is hidden in all types of foods from crackers to salad dressing.  The sugar epidemic has caused a spike in obesity, diabetes, cancer, and inflammation illnesses.  Research suggests that sugar acts similar to cocaine in the brain, so no wonder we have become addicted to the taste of sweetness.

We need to correct our eating to correct our health.  Start with some simple and delicious changes. 

Foods

Fresh juiced vegetables spinach, kale, beets, carrots, garlic - low carb high nutrients

Greek yogurt - high protein

Coconut oil - high good fat

Eggs - protein, fat

Chicken saugage - protein, fat

Cod liver oil - protein, fat

Avocado - good fat

Spices - cinnamon, turmeric, cayenne, 

Apple Cider vinegar

Wheatgrass

Lemons

Walnuts, Almonds - Good fats, protein

One of the most important immediate nutritional impacts we can have on our health is to reject sugar, especially when there is no fat or protein involved.  For example, soda is just pure sugar no fat, no protein.

Cut the sugar and watch your health and weight improve quickly and dramatically.

To your health,

Coach K

Work to the Task not the Reward

Work

Just came across a great quote, work to the task not the reward.  Say what.  Simply focus on doing a great job with the task at hand whether it is washing the car, the laundry, cleaning the toilet, or working on a school/work project.  Do the best you can with the task at hand and the reward will follow. 

Excellent work gets noticed and usually leads to promotion and reward, but that not the only reason to do a good job.  When you apply yourself to the simple tasks, you create a habit of excellence in all that you do, and you become excellent. 

We have so much to do in only a fixed amount of time, and many of us have become expert multi-taskers.  Slow down, quiet the distractions, and focus on doing your best on the task at hand.  Think of it as every second of excellence equals an 

Excellent Life.

With Love,

Coach K

Tom Kaufmann

Grit

Grit

Grit. Great word.  The word seems to have its own aura.  What is grit?  Grit is simply the ability to get things done no matter what the circumstances.  Talent is a wonderful thing, we all know family and friends that have natural talents.  They are smart, athletic, beautiful, can sing, dance, and play every instrument.  Some are handy, can fix any car, take care of the plumbing, or renovate the entire house in a long weekend.  

We all have a talent some of us know what they are and some of us are still discovering ours, but one thing we can all learn is to be more resourceful, to be more determined, to be a little more gritty. 

So many of us with talent, give up when the going gets a little rough but we know those folks that aren't that smart, aren't that talented, aren't that good looking that go on to accomplish tremendous feats.  

How do we become tougher, more determined, a little grittier?  Not sure, maybe it's an innate talent but the first step to learning any new skill is awareness.  When we realize we need to improve a skill, we can take steps to become better. 

When we think about our list of attributes let's be sure to add a little grit to the list. 

With Love,

Coach K

Tom Kaufmann

The Sink

The Sink

My years on this earth have convinced me of one thing to ensure a harmonious household and that is a clean sink.  Just simply rinse the dishes and load in the dishwasher, or wash by hand.  After a big meal the pots are scattered everywhere and dishes piled up, who feels like cleaning up with a nice full belly.  Been there many a time.

My years of research have uncovered that the sink in the central nervous system or the spine of the home.  If the sink is clear and clean, then the home and family can function properly.  With a dirty sink, there is confusion. 

The kids love to just pile things in the sink, even though the empty dishwasher is right next door.  And I love the timeless excuse is that the dishwasher is clean but needs to be unloaded. Well, unload it!

So there we have it, a simple easy to follow system for maintaining house harmony.

Clean the sink!

With Love,

Tom Kaufmann

Coach K

Undone

Undone

I tell my children to follow a simple philosophy as they mature.  

Don't do anything that can't be undone!

For example, babies, tattoos, DUI's, or other life altering changes.  

Many of us have made regrettable decisions while growing up,  but a goofy haircut or dye job can be undone, the mohawk will grow out, the color will fade.  A nose, lip, or other dramatic piercing can be removed when the fad has passed.  Funky clothes and music go in and out of fashion all the time and can be changed in a few seconds.  A baby is for life!

That cool car with the loud muffler and the money you don't have $1000 wheels can be replaced, but the barb wire tattoo on your arm that is now out of style and will be a wrinkled mess when your 50 is hard to remove.  The chinese letters on your neck will look silly in a few years, and you'll be kicking yourself saying what was I thinking!

Don't let a few beers or experimenting with drugs alter your life forever.  You only have one brain don't burn the all the brain cells with recklessness. We know of family and friends that have been killed or hurt over a simple night of partying.  Yes, we can have fun but be careful and be responsible, and always have a trusted friend nearby.  

You have your whole wonderful life in front of you with many terrific experiences yet to be had, so take it slow and wait a little while there is not rush to grow up and be cool.  All in good time. 

Life is a long winding wonderful road, give yourself time to enjoy the beautiful curves, falls, and rises.  You have just started your climb and the view is best from the mountaintop.

With Love,

Coach K

Tom Kaufmann

Let Go

The New You

"When I let go of who I am, I become what I might be" -  Lao Tzu

We all have these beliefs of who we are or expectations of who we should be, but when we open ourselves up to new ideas and experiences and let go of preconceived notions of what we should be we create space to become the person beyond our greatest expectations.

With a little rain and sunshine plants grow.  With a little love and faith, we can also grow to become better than we every imagined. 

With God all things are possible!

With Love,

Coach K

Tom Kaufmann

Optimism

Optimism

Optimism is the belief that things will work out for your benefit.  Whatever we want to do, achieve, or accomplish is done with optimism whether we realize it or not.  Optimism is another word for hope.

The airplane, automobile,  lightbulb, and telephone were created by inventors like the Wright Brothers,  Henry Ford,  Thomas Edison, and Alexander Graham Bell that failed at countless attempts, suffering setbacks, frustrations, and financial ruin to finally achieve their incredible dreams that benefit mankind to this day. 

Optimism is one of the overlooked resources that we all possess always at our disposal.  Yet, it's often hard to be optimistic when you've met with failure or when others even well meaning loved ones tell you it can't be done or that you will never make it. 

Anything worth doing is going to have failures or setbacks. that's OK.  When we fall, pick ourselves up and say next time, next time, next time! Optimism like many other skills or habits can be practiced or learned, for some it comes naturally for others we must work at it, whatever you desire from a simple goal, to a large project, begin and be of good cheer,  be optimistic that you will accomplish your desire. 

Yes you can achieve your dreams with a little optimism.

With Love,

Coach K

Tom Kaufmann

The Power of Coconut Oil - Allergies

Coconut Oil

I like millions of other usually have seasonal allergies with the sneezing and congestion.  The tree pollen blows in the air leaving a thick coat of green dust everywhere.  I started using coconut oil this past year by eating it and using it as a skin moisturizer.  

Coconut oil is an anti-fungal and antibacterial, so it kills germs and prevents bacteria.  I apply the oil to my eyes, in my nostrils, and other parts of the body.  This season when you can see the green dust floating in the air, I haven't had a sneeze or scratchy throat.  

I use the Trader Joe's coconut oil and prefer it in its solid form, it goes for around $6.  At warm temperatures, the oil will liquify. 

Do a little research on coconut oil and give it a try for your allergies. 

Coconut oil the power food.

To Your Health,

Coach K

Tom Kaufmann

Jake

Jake

you were a friend

of mine

I knew it

from the start

we were brothers

thru and thru

tethered at the

heart


Jake you were a friend

of mine

at bandits

and the Bright

you always wore

that fantastic smile

as we played on

thru the night


Jake you were a friend

of mine

while we lax'd

at be your best

i miss you

so much my

brother

time to take

that rest

Luck

Luck

The great golfer Gary Player was playing out of sand trap when he hit a beautiful shot that went into the hole, a fan yelled "lucky".  Player went over to the fan and said, the harder I practice the luckier I get."

Player knew that the shot was not luck.  He practiced thousands of bunker shots and was one of the best sand players in the world. Hard work determines luck.  Practice, practice, practice breeds confidence which produces results. 

So keep practicing and watch how lucky you become.

With Love,

Coach K

Tom Kaufmann

Power Water

Power Water

When I had kidney stones a few years ago, one of the first things the admitting nurse asked was if I take vitamins.  I was taking a multivitamin and various other supplements, and learned that while these supplements sat in my stomach waiting to be digested they were probably impacting my kidneys and liver. 

I still wanted to get the nutrients into my body but needed a better way.  I started dissolving my nutrients in my water to create a power drink full of vitamins and minerals.  I add wheatgrass, turmeric, cayenne, lemon juice, cinnamon, and you can add a host of other healthy ingredients. 

When you liquify you nutrients, they are able to enter you bloodstream quicker fueling your cells and organs. 

Energize your water. 

With Love,

Coach K

Tom Kaufmann

March Madness - The Band

The Band

Every spring brings the beginning of the NCAA college basketball tournament also known as March Madness.  Amongst all the great play and hoopla (get it), there was an incredible gesture of sportsmanship and goodwill on display after Pitt's game.

The Weber St. game was to play following the Pitt Wisconsin game, but for some reason the Weber St. band could not make the game.  So the Pitt band that was at the previous game, changed into Weber St. shirts learned the school fight song and played throughout the game. 

Now that's madness.

And the band plays on.  

Go Pitt, Go Weber St.!

Coach K

Tom Kaufmann

I Hate Love

I Hate Love

I hate love that's what my son said when we were discussing young relationships where the person was totally absorbed and not as engaged with their friends.  We chucked at the expression and asked him to elaborate, he said, "well you know he doesn't hang out with the guys any more, he's always with her."

Of course, he was talking from a selfish perspective but it was an interesting way to express his feelings.  I use an expression with them telling them not to "play house" at too young an age and blunt the experiences of their youth.  We know many young loves, where they spend all their high school or college years together at the detriment of everything else.  Young love is fine but not too much too soon.  They need time to mature to know themselves before committing to a serious relationship. 

I hate love sounds ominous but taken in context was a really insightful way to say hey friend where did you go, I miss you.

With Love,

Coach K

Tom Kaufmann

Motion the Key to Life

Motion

We were born to move.  The human body is powered by an engine more powerful than any jet or beautiful Ferrari.  The human heart beats and pumps continually but we must fuel it and care for it like we would our favorite friend.   An object without movement begins to rust, when we move we give our body life, we give it juice.  

Wherever you are on the health scale today take that First Step to renewal, toward rebirth, towards Life.  I am fit, I am strong, I have healthy, I am Alive!

With your new healthy mindset you are reborn.  You have this day, begin anew, and live a life of 

Have you noticed the fitness craze with everyone tracking their steps.  Fitbit has separated itself by encouraging people to achieve 10,000 steps/day or approximately 4 miles a day.

Movement and exercise are a key to health and wellness.  Exercise can help overcome a lot of problems and are great ways to relieve stress and a natural mood enhancer by releasing endorphins into the body, and serotonin in the brain.  Two natural opiods.

There is an old saying that what gets measured or tracked gets done.

Start today measuring your activity. You can use a fitbit, pedometer, or some other device, but the important thing is to get moving.  A simple way to motivate you to better health.


To Your Health,


Coach K
Tom Kaufmann

Ketogenic Diet - Cancer

Ketogenic Diet

Studies have shown that sugar is directly related to cancer.  We know that sugar consumption has skyrocketed over the past 30 years.  The question is there a direct correlation between increased sugar in our diets and cancer rates. 

The ketogenic diet suggests eliminating sugar particularly high fructose corn syrup and simple carbohydrates.  When we remove sugars and carbs that are converted to sugar, we are able to starve the cancer cells that feed on sugar. 

Healthy cells that use glucose have the ability to switch to ketone bodies for fuel, this in essence starves and ultimately kills the cancer cells. 

We know sugar has many detrimental health effects including obesity and diabetes.  Look to eliminate sugar, high fructose syrup, and those simple carbohydrates.  Soda, fruit juices, and other sweetened drinks are really just pure sugar.  

To improve your health looks for easy ways to cut back on sugar and those simple carbs, they may be key to saving our lives.

To your health,

Coach K

Tom Kaufmann

Presidential Primaries

Has anyone followed the presidential primaries and noticed how some states have caucuses.  A caucus is where groups of people argue for their candidate, there is no one person one vote traditional system.  

I was watching the Iowa democratic caucus and noticed how the race between Clinton and Sanders was so close that they were doing coin flips to determine the winner. What!

This is america where everyone voice has a chance to be heard.  Let's eliminate the caucus system and hold traditional primaries where everyone's vote is counted. 

Good riddance to the caucus system. 

Let freedom ring.  One person one vote.

To Freedom,

Coach K

Father's - Family

Family

Society and civilization begin with the family.  The family unit with two parents raising the children to be productive citizens is the core of life.  We know that not everyone is made for marriage or children and that's fine.  We are a society based on freedom and choice.  We also have responsibilities. 

When we choose to have children, we have an obligation to raise those children.  Our desires become secondary.  We are inherently selfish, we think primarily of ourselves and our desires.  Today's culture has a need for immediate gratification and a short attention span.  When family life gets tough, many of us choose to move on without regard for the impact on the children and the family. 

Most of societal problems can be traced to the breakdown of the family.  We have divorce rates in excess of 50%, children born out of wedlock at all time highs, and teen pregnancies at elevated levels. Not all marriages work and no one should live in an abusive relationship, but many of us decide to run at the first sign of adversity. 

When the family is broken, we know the children have greater challenges when they become adults. Studies show lower educational and career achievement.  Our children have trouble cleaning their rooms and making their beds let alone raising children. 

Raising children is one of the hardest and most important tasks we can accomplish in our lifetimes, it's not easy and requires sacrifices but it must be done.  When we decide to have children, we must do our best, we must be teachers, we must be role models, we must be parents, and we must be there for them. 

Our world is a better place when the parents are raising their children. 

With Love,

Coach K

Dreams Do Come True - Perseverance

Dreams - Perseverance

Alex is a lacrosse player that had his high school career shortened.  During his freshman year, playing summer lacrosse he separated his shoulder.  As a Jr. he missed most of the season, and in his Sr. year where he was named captain, he was injured with a broken jaw in the second game of the season and missed the entire year. 

Despite all these frustrations, he wanted to play college lacrosse.  He really loved being with the guys and being part of a team.  Most of us, would have given up and said this is not for me, I am unlucky and asked why does this keep happening to me.  I'm going to quit. 

But Alex had a dream and he was determined.  Instinctively, he knew that the past does not define the present or the future.  He picked himself up and while playing summer lacrosse was noticed by a college coach.  His persistence created opportunity. 

After two years of standing on the sidelines of his college team, today the dream became a reality when the during the first game of the season, the public address announcer stated over the loudspeaker,

"starting at midfield number 36 Alex K. from Wissahickon,  PA"

Goosebumps. 

Dreams do come true. 

With Love,

Coach K

Tom Kaufmann

Natural Cures

Natural Cures

We have simple natural cures for everything that ails us.  We have been so conditioned to take a prescription pill any time we think we have a problem.  Let's look at the ever growing list -

Cholesterol - pill

Blood pressure - pill 

Heartburn - pill

Asthma - Inhaler

Blood sugar - pill

Arthritis - pill

Pain - pill

Many people are taking multiple pills for their health issues.  The latest commercial where the man says he can't breathe and he needs this medicine so he can play with his granddaughter  yet he's 50 pounds overweight.  We need to remember that while these pills may help our symptoms they can also wreak havoc with their side effects.

Real health starts with treating our bodies like the temple's that host a divine being YOU!  

We need to nurture ourselves, give ourselves good food and water, and plenty of exercise.  The human body was meant to move not sit on the couch.  

Begin by telling yourself that you're worthy of good health and the body that you want.  Yes, you can change it happens everyday, and there a plenty of people that will help.  Next, start with nutrition. Eat more vegetables and fruits, replace soda, coffee, and juices with water and green tea.  Eliminate sugar and processed foods eat seeds, almonds, and walnuts.  Eat protein with your complex carbs.  Seek natural cures for health issues.

Heartburn - Apple Cider Vinegar (ACV)
Arthritis -  Turmeric
Sugar -  ACV, Lemon Juice, Cinnamon
Cholesterol - Cayenne, Garlic, Walnuts, Almonds, Cod Liver oil
Acne - Onions
Blood Pressure - Garlic, Onions, Green Tea
Heart Health - Coconut Oil

There are so many power foods out there research your particular health issue and find that natural cure.  Look to incorporate some exercise in your daily activity as that may be the best remedy of all.

To Your Health,

Coach K
Tom Kaufmann

Nature

Nature

The wonder and power of nature has to be experienced.  On a cold sunny day, I ventured out for a walk in the 15 degree temperature.  The park was quiet with a roaming herd of deer and some scrambling squirrels.  A hawk perched on the branch keenly anticipating the activity in the field below. 

Looking to cure a little cabin fever, I soon realized that the brisk walk had a calming serene feeling.  The curative power of the sun, brisk air, and tall trees quiets the mind, heightens the senses, and washes over you with a sense of peace and quiet power. 

I wonder if people could walk at least once a week in nature how many of their ailments would disappear.  The need for sleeping pills and anxiety meds would melt away in the fresh air of the great outdoors. 

Next time your feeling a little stressed, just go outside and take a few deep breaths, or even better go take a walk and let the therapeutic power nature cure your ills.

With Love,

Coach K

Tom Kaufmann

Panic Attack - Cure

Panic Attack

Panic attacks are a debilitating condition that can be described as a condition of frayed nerves.  Panic leads to anxiety and stress arising even in benign circumstances.  The fear is palpable and yet it many ways not real. 

Is there a cure.  

Yes. 

What can we do.  First is to realize the nerves are "broken" and they need time to heal.  Healing begins with understanding the root cause, the nervous system has become overused and overtaxed.  If we can pinpoint what is causing our stress great we work to alleviate the problem.  In many circumstances, we cannot eliminate the stress but the good news is we can learn to overcome it anyway. 

We can begin by incorporating more silence into our lives.  We need to take time and unplug from our constant distractions with the phone, computer, and tv.  Today, are nervous systems are hyper stimulated.  When we allow quiet to enter our lives we enable the soothing power to wash over our nervous system and trigger the healing process.  Breathing exercises can also be an important contributor to healing our nerves.  The simple exercise of holding your breath for a count of 5 and exhaling while holding your tongue to the roof of your mouth for another count of 5.  This effective deep breathing exercise can help facilitate relaxation and the healing process.

Exercise is a great way to relieve stress and anxiety.  The endorphins released with exercise act as a sedative to stress.  Fresh air and sunshine are natural elixirs when it comes to anxiety.  Simply going outside when you feel anxiety will help calm your nerves.

Another remedy is meditation or prayer.  A simple mantra such as repeating the name of God, or some other calming phrase can also have a curative effect.  

These simple exercises of using silence, deep breathing, and repeating a mantra can help overcome panic, anxiety, and stress. 

To your health,

Coach K

Tom Kaufmann