Eli Kahan

Illustration by Lea Kron

I picture a kid yelling, “My zaidy benches better than yours.” Sounds so holy and pure! But the zaidy we’re speaking of benches not just from a siddur, but he lifts 210 pounds. At the gym. After 30 minutes of cardio and a kickboxing class.

These are the goals of Eli Kahan, founder of Fit Zaidy — a program geared to making sure that this generation of 55-year-old-plus men live the next bunch of years to the fullest. With wisdom, humor, and a passion to help his contemporaries, he’s embarked on a mission to help other zaidies make the most of the time they have in the best years of their lives.

This is a Soundbites article, so tell us a bit about your food history.

It’s not a particularly healthy one. I’m happy with almost anything my wife makes, I never complain about food, and I tended to overeat whatever was served! When I’m at work, I’m also surrounded by food. I’ve been in wholesale food sales and management most of my life — first in Spanish food for Vitarroz Corp., then with Badia Spices, and now with Kayco. So I’ve never been out of arm’s reach of samples, tastings, and leftovers! Not a healthy combination for a grazer!

So you lived the life of free samples. How did that lay the groundwork for your current field?

I’ve spent most of my life yo-yo dieting, with very little success. Three years ago I hurt my back. In the course of my slow recovery through chiropractic and physical therapy, I researched assorted treatments and therapies. This led me into a deep dive of health, wellness, and aging. I couldn’t believe how much great information there was out there! And I knew nothing about it — and neither did most of my circle of friends of zaidies in their 60s! Nor was anyone talking about or experimenting with all these free or inexpensive ideas that are changing seniors’ lives for the better.