Depression and Anxiety - The Antidote

 An easy antidote to what ails us.  Depression and anxiety are prevalent especially among the youth. And the answers lie within each of us. My experience has led me to a few simple ideas that hopefully will be helpful.

•  Connect to your Spiritual source. With God all things are possible.  And we are told by Jesus, "to ask and it shall be given unto you" or ask and receive. Start by just asking.
• Reduce your exposure to the negative news flow.  Negative sells. We choose what to focus on and what we focus on expands.  Focus on the good the good, the possibilities, and all you will achieve in life. No matter where you are today
• Get outdoors and soak in nature every day. We spend 99% of our time indoors. The house, office, car, gym, parties, restaurants, movies. 
• Soak in the sunshine. Natural sunlight provides the good Vitamin D that we need and stays in our bodies much longer than synthetic vitamins. Morning sun, evening sun, soft sun soak it all in it does a body good. 
• Fresh air. The fresh air will soothe and calm you. When something is bothering you just step outside and take a deep breath and see how your challenge washes away. The crisp air is so delicious you can just taste it. 
• Walk barefoot in the grass also known as grounding.  Plugging into the grass or Grounding connects our electrical bodies, the heartbeat is an electrical pulse, to the electromagnetic waves of the earth helping reduce inflammation. Give it try. 
• Family, friends, mentors.  Surround yourself with people that support you that care and nurture you.  If they are not available, stay true to yourself and be patient you will attract these people into you life with a  good attitude.
  
• Take care of your body with good nutrition and exercise. When we get outdoors and exercise we can feel our moods lift and just some simple nutrition changes like less soda and a daily walk can be life changing.

 To Your Health!

With Love,

Coach K

 

10 Easy Health and Fitness Hacks

 Wellness And The Fountain of Youth

Some simple health and fitness tasks you can easily do right now at any age that will dramatically improve your life and well being.  The beauty of these tips is that they don't require a ton of money or significant lifestyle changes to implement.  Many of us doubt that we can significantly impact our health but we are empowered and we can Begin today to renew our health, energy, and lifestyle. Let's get started. 

1.  Get Outside. We spend over 99% of our time indoors.  From the office, home, gym, shopping, car and movies we are always indoors.  Make time to get outside for at least an hour or more every day. Even if it's just taking a stroll, working in the garden, or reading outside. 
   
2. Fresh Air. Fresh air is a cure all.  When you go outside and fill your lungs with fresh air it helps oxygenate your blood and energize you. Try a deep breathing regimen where you exhale and then inhale and hold your breath for as long as comfortable.  Do this for 4 times and see how it eliminates stress and lifts your mood. 
3. Grounding or Earthing.  Simply walking outside barefoot in the grass and plugging into the electromagnetic waves of the earth on a daily basis can reduce inflammation and accelerate healing. Get outside in your bare feet as much as possible.  
4. Sunshine. We need the sun to live. Soft sunshine is the key whether it's early morning or early evening make sure you get a healthy dose of vitamin D by exposing your skin to the soft sun. Sunshine is excellent for our bones, our teeth, and our overall mood. Stay away from the hot sun that has the potential to burn your skin. 
5. Lemon juice. A few squeezes of lemon or lime juice in your morning drink of water will cleanse your body by detoxifying your liver and kidneys. Think of lemon juice as an internal cleanser for your body.  Lemons can rid your body of all the bodily waste you accumulate throughout the day, Lemons are also a good source of vitamin C, magnesium, and other minerals. One important note is to enjoy your lemon water on an empty stomach so as not to interfere with digestion. A splash of Apple Cider Vinegar in your lemon water can enhance the internal cleansing action.
   
6. Move. Many of us spend most of our day sitting to do our work and between sitting during an 8 hour work day, sleeping 8 hours a day, and sitting while enjoying a game, TV show, or video game we quietly lead sedentary lifestyles.  Simply standing up every hour is beneficial for our blood flow and circulation. Try and go for a walk at lunch or after work. If possible some simple jumping jacks can be a low impact way to activate blood flow to our organs and brain. 
7. Muscle. The more lean muscle we add to our bodies the stronger and healthier we will be. Building muscle doesn't have to involve heavy weights or fancy equipment. We can use or own body weight and do push ups, pull ups, and sit ups to add and maintain muscle.  And for those of than need a more convenient method there are the strength training bands.  I use a $10 band that I can use during a break at work to tone my entire body with a few simple exercises.  The bands are excellent because they are simple to use, portable, inexpensive, and most importantly effective. 
8. Nutrition. Many of us our challenged in our daily eating. We need to eat a good balance of vegetables, fruits, lean protein, and quality fat.  As a rough estimate try and consume a gram of protein for each pound that you weigh.  So at 150 pounds, try at eat 150g of protein. One of the easiest things we can do is start with simple yet powerful changes. One of my key changes was to completely eliminate soda from life. Sugar is a poison and is so toxic to our bodies that it is a leading cause of chronic diseases such as diabetes, obesity, and cancer. Look for ways to cut sugar from your lifestyle.  Eat more vegetables and greens.  Think of what you can add to your daily eating instead of what you need to cut.  I enjoyed the taste of spinach and found a simple inexpensive way to add a superfood to eating regimen by simple blending the raw spinach in my vitamix and just drinking it daily. The mild nutty taste is delicious. Try and add omega rich foods like salmon, eggs, tuna, sardines, and anchovies.  Look for creative ways to improve your eating.
9. Gut Health.  The buzz word these days is gut health. The word is that our gut is the key to our immune system, and the easiest way to improve out gut health is to eat fermented foods.  A cheap powerful food that is outstanding for our digestion and adding good bacterium is Sauerkraut. Apple Cider Vinegar, pickles, kimchi, kombucha, kefir, and greek yogurt are excellent sources. Also, a little red wine  in moderation thins the blood, is filled with resveratrol a heart health compound, and aids in digesting red meat. 
10.  Exercise.  Walk, jog, run, swim, bike, play a sport preferably outdoors taking in the fresh air. Whatever you enjoy to keep moving and active to keep your heart, lungs, bones, and joints strong. Try to be active for at least 30 minutes a day where your heart rate is elevated. Sweat those toxins out of your body.  Try some type of weight bearing exercise three times a week even using the resistance bands.  Elevating our heart rate is excellent for blood flow to our heart, lungs and brain. Our cardio, pulmonary system fills our blood and organ with nutrient rich oxygen that helps maintain our youthful glow and energy.
    
11.  Fasting. One of the most powerful eating regimens you can adopt to dramatically alter your health is fasting.  Fasting is simply eating during a consecutive 8 hour window say 12 noon to 8pm and then not eating for the remaining 16 hours. Instead of eating 3 meals a day and snacking in between, we eat in an 8 hour window and allow our body to rest from the continuous work of digestion.  When our bodies and key organs such as the liver and kidneys are able to rest and restore they begin producing beneficial hormones of testosterone, Human Growth Hormone, and Insulin Growth Factor these powerful hormones can be restored at any age when we stop overtaxing our organs with constant digestion. You can build up to it and ease up on the weekends, but give it a try and you can choose the optimum eating window that works for you.
12. Oral health.  Your oral health is important to your overall well beings. Brushing daily and flossing regularly will provide good mouth bacteria that impacts your overall immune system.  Flossing is a simply way to improve heart health. 
    

Attitude. Our mindset or attitude to our health is of the utmost importance. Everything begins with a thought or idea.  When we declare that we are healthy, we are strong, we are vibrant that spirit drives our daily activities and daily living. We are in control and we have the power to determine our health and well being. Look for the simple even little things you can add to your life to begin improving your health today when we add these simple steps up they can have a compounding affect that revitalizes and restores us. A word on supplementation look for a good multivitamin and Omega source if you don't eat fish. 

To Your Health!

With Love,

Coach K

The Obesity Epidemic

  Obesity is Contagious

Obesity is a national epidemic in the United States and throughout the western world.  Over 40% of 350 million people or roughly 100 million people are classified as obese including over 20% of children. 

 Obesity is measured as having a Body Mass Index or BMI over 30 which is calculated using your height and weight. And while the calculations don't capture the various exceptions they provide a good guideline for determining an important health factor.  Besides the BMI number, we individually know if  we are overweight and need to lose a few pounds, but the interesting and even fascinating finding is that obesity is actually contagious.  See the report from the Journal of American Medical Assosciation (JAMA)

https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamapediatrics/fullarticle/2668504

 Wow. So we not only responsible for our own health and well being but for those in our families.  And the greatest thing we can do for our children is to be an example of good health. Balancing life, work, family, and our health can be a daunting challenge.  One of the great pleasures of life is food and eating. Our significant life events from weddings, graduations, promotions,  and anniversaries involves dinners and even a type of feasting.  And who doesn't enjoy a good meal! 

One of the biggest challenges with obesity and weight gain is Emotional Eating.  Since food and eating trigger the release of the feel good hormone dopamine, no wonder we love eating.  The challenge for all of us is to balance our eating with our nutritional needs, and to incorporate exercise into our daily lives. 

Obesity is insidious. The excess pounds can lead to high blood pressure, diabetes, cancer, and heart disease. But anything can be overcome, and everything starts with an idea or thought. My declaration is that I am healthy, I am fit, and I am at my ideal weight. Start with the idea when you write it down it becomes real. 

If necessary, find a person that can help you regain your health.  Try adding one healthy food to your daily eating and simply walking or just standing for an extended period each day. Try eliminating sugar where you can, when you think of sugar as the poison that it is you can shift your thinking. Your health and the health of your loved ones is in your hands. 

And you can do this. 

Here is a BMI caclcualtor link:

https://www.cdc.gov/healthyweight/assessing/bmi/adult_bmi/english_bmi_calculator/bmi_calculator.html

To Your Health,

Coach K

 

 

 

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

A Life of Fitness

A Life of Fitness

What do you call yourself.   If you had to label yourself, what would you be.  Yes, we have many roles and responsibilities, work titles and such but the most important label you can give yourself is fit. 

Fitness carries no guarantees or health assurances, but we must do what we can, we must do our best. And it starts with us, it starts with saying yes I can, yes I am.  Begin with a walk or an apple and let today be the beginning.  For those of you that enjoy a fitness lifestyle, help your friends and family members get started. 

We see all these ads for drugs, diabetes, cholesterol, blood pressure, and such.  We must resist the pills, and start with our food and activity levels.  Do we want a lifetime of a drug cocktail with it's lethal side effects, or do we want to enjoy healthy vibrant living by simply eating delicious healthy foods and getting outside to enjoy the sunshine and fresh air.  

These simple powerful choices are important for us all to start living our best lives now.

I am fit, I am healthy, I am

ALIVE!

With Love,

Tom Kaufmann

Coach K

The Race

The Race

My friend Dave who ran marathons used to tell me how his slower running friends would needle him after a race that he did not finish.  Dave would run marathons in under 3 hours, his times were world class.  His slower running friends would complete the race at a time that was often an hour or more slower than Dave's usual time.  Dave would be running the twenty six miles to achieve a personal record and would either run out of gas or would suffer an injury an not be able to complete the race. 

As his slower friends passed him on the course with a wry smile, they were excited to see him afterwards to tell him - 

The race does not always go to the swiftest but those that keep on running.  Just like the tortoise and the hare.  Sometimes all we have to do is just keep going. 

Yes you can,

Coach K

Tom Kaufmann

Jalking

Jogging and Walking

Over the years I've gone from pure running to now a combined running, jogging, and walking or to coin a phrase JALKING.  

Jalking is an easier way to elevate your heartbeat, get a good sweat, and complete a workout in less time.  Many of us don't have an hour or more to enjoy a nice walk, but when you combine a walk, with a jog, and a 100 yard sprint you're able to accomplish more, still enjoy the scenery, and improve your fitness and health relatively faster.  

Jalking helps achieve cardio fitness, strengthen your bones, and is terrific for building muscle.  Many folks don't realize that running is a great overall muscle building exercise.  Walking alone while helping with tone, does not equal the overall muscle building of running or sprinting. Walkers will benefit by incorporating light jogging into their routine, and slowly building to sprinting.  Start with a 10 yard sprint depending our your fitness level and go from there. 

Monitor your body and how you feel, let it guide you on how to progress.  A great relief for soreness or stiffness is to take a hot soak in the tub.  The soak helps the muscles relax, break up lactic acid, and helps you recover faster.  And it feels great too! 

Another terrific benefit of Jalking is the great outdoors.  While treadmills are OK, nothing compares to the invigorating, revitalizing, fresh air.  Get outside soak in the sunshine,  enjoy the sky, and breath in the cool crisp air.  The health benefits are tremendous. 

With Love,

Coach K

Tom Kaufmann

CoachKaufmann.com

The Simple Key To Fitness - Movement and the Jump Rope

Health and Fitness: The Jump Rope

The key to health and well being is movement.   Movement of any kind will do the trick. Walking, jogging, dancing, biking, hiking, whatever you enjoy. 

The important thing is to move.  When we don't move, we rust.  And rust leads to breakage.  Most of our ailments can be cured with movement.  Movement reduces stress, anxiety, and improves your mood. Exercise is the fountain of youth

One of my favorites that I've been doing for 30 plus years is jumping rope.  What I like about the jump rope is the convenience.  You can do it anywhere, it's a simple piece of equipment, and it's relatively easy to master.  The jump rope is low impact. You don't pound your joints or body.  The knees, feet, and joints aren't stressed as in other activities.

Jumping rope is great for our cardiovascular and pulmonary systems.  I was able to overcome a severe case of childhood asthma that included inhalers, pills, wheezing episodes, and oxygen tents with the help of the jump rope.  Jumping rope will strengthen the heart, lungs, and blood flow. 

You can jump rope on your patio, your driveway, your basement, garage, park, or wherever.  The combination of being outside soaking in the fresh air with exercise is a potent combination.

Many people are concerned about lacking coordination to jump rope.  No sweat.  Just begin.  Think back to the school days of simply jumping rope.  In no time you will become an expert.  One month after jumping, you will marvel at how proficient you have become. 

You can start with two minutes and work your way up.  You can jump at different intervals throughout the day. Jumping rope requires minimal commitment, no going to the gym, no driving, no special gear, or footwear, no memberships. Just a simple rope and YOU.

Jumping rope will change your life and help you become healthy, fit, and more alive. 

To your health.

With Love,

Coach K

Ya Gotta Move!

The key to health and well being?  MOVEMENT.  The human body was meant to move, it is essential for our health and well being.  A simple exercise regimen of walking, jogging, jumping jacks, jump rope whatever will help restore your health, mood, and wellness.

Don't over think it.  Just begin. Like anything else in nature if it doesn't get used it rusts away, it decays, movement provides oxygen to our cells, restores our bodies, brains, emotions.  We all know the physical benefits of movement are increased muscle tone, heart function, and circulation, but many of us overlook the mental benefits of exercise.  We can replace the pills used to treat anxiety, depression, and other disorders with a movement or exercise program.  The side affects of these pills can wreak havoc on the body.

Look to increase your physical activity any way that you can.  Track your progress, track your physical improvement and emotional well being.  Keep a simple journal listing your activities, and the progress you've made.

Don't get discouraged.  This is not a race. There are no winners and losers.

This is a lifestyle change.  I am committed to movement and exercise because it is essential to living like food, water, and air we must move.

Spring is in the air.  A time of new growth, blooming, a time for a new you.  Yes, of course you can do it!

Now let's get moving.

With Love,

Tom Kaufmann
Coach K
coachkaufmann.com

My Friend Dave - Running Safety

With the Giants winning an exciting championship game against the 49ers and headed to another Superbowl against the Patriots, my thoughts turned to one of my best friends Dave Rothbloom.

Dave was the biggest Giants fan in the world, one of his many passions.  He was from NJ and I being from Philly would naturally talk sports and bust each others chops about the games and our teams. The Giants are very successful having won several championships while the Eagles fans continue to wallow in futility. He would come to the office after a game and ramble on about "Big Blue" this and "Big Blue" that and I sat there and took it with a big smile on my face. That was 10 years ago and I remember the times we spent together as some of the best times and I treasure his friendship.

Dave passed away in his early 30's while he was out running one snowy morning several years back.  He was a marathoner that would run 50 miles per week and was out on the road constantly. The snow was falling that day and the driver never saw Dave. I got the call that he was hit by a car and in the hospital, thinking he just broke a leg, I just shook my head and then the words came, "Tom, Dave is in really bad shape we don't know if he's going to make it".  Before I could get in the car and go the hospital two hours away, I got the news that Dave was gone. I stood looking out the window in disbelief not knowing what to feel or what to do. I was stunned and I stood there and just sobbed. I cried for Dave and his lovely wife and two young children, and I cried for selfish reasons too, I just lost my best buddy.

What was so ironic, is that he was a fitness and health NUT! He would eat only the healthiest foods. He was considered heavy for marathon racing, so he changed his diet, and dropped 20 pounds to improve his times.   He had a passion for running and would run and train daily. He inspired me and others to start running and to  train and eat better. I'm happy to say that I completed a marathon because of Dave, something I thought I could never do. You know how men are, especially friends, they rarely express their emotions. I never told Dave how much I loved him, how much he meant to me, and how much I miss him.

In honor of my friend Dave, please be careful when running or biking on the road especially in today's world of texting and distracted driving. Better to go to a track or train off road. And more importantly tell everyone in your life how important they are to you and how much you love and appreciate them. You never know when you'll get the chance again.

Dave once said, "Tom if you knew what went into a hot dog, you would never eat it".  In memory of him I have not had a hot dog in over 15 years. As the Giants and Patriots prepare for the superbowl, I think of Dave smiling down from heaven at me and saying "Go Big Blue"

All the Best,

Coach K
Tom Kaufmann