Shira Turkl-Rubin

Sunbathing Kitty!

Is it possible to detox a city out of your system? Well, Chad and I have been living in NYC for the past 5 years and we just recently moved to the exurbs of Rockland County. We’re in between the suburbs and country! How cool! It’s green, the air is thin, fresh and clean. There are birds chirping everywhere I turn and our apartment has light! That’s right, the sun actually shines right through the window warming up our toes.

We have the same exact bed that we did when we lived in NYC but for some reason it is 100 times more comfortable now – both of our sleeps are deeper and more fulfilling – and the only thing I can think of is… maybe we are detoxing the city out of us. It’s possible right? Maybe we are happier here as well… There’s really nothing like being in a good place mentally, physically and emotionally.

Where’s your happy place?

The other night I was craving meat… Yes, sometimes a gal has cravings and needs what she needs. This is the kind of meat eater that I am – every once in a while, not an everyday type of thing, grass fed, and sourced well, then I’m ready for it!

I went to Hu Kitchen again, which is really delicious if you haven’t been yet. Since I’m not so used to eating meat I had a bit of heartburn after the meal. It may have also been because the meat was made with tomato sauce or tomato puree, which is also acidic – nonetheless, I was feeling it afterwards.

When we got home I thought I’d take some grapefruit seed extract (GSE) to see if it might help. BAM! No more heart burn. It took the burn right away and I felt great. What a miracle.

What is GSE anyway? It’s a highly concentrated blend of the pink pulp, orange skin and seeds of the grapefruit. It’s a powerful antioxidant, alkalizes and purifies the blood (taking care of heartburn), fights gastrointestinal disorders (especially food poisoning), Prevents contagious diseases and destroys infections. This is a powerful supplement that can reduce bad cholesterol and even treat diabetes! Give it a try if you suffer from any of these problems mentioned above.

Buy it on Amazon HERE:

Or at your local health food store.

Spread the word because this supplement is not widely known and it should be!

Just so you know, it doesn’t taste very good – so have fresh water on hand to drink up afterwards. If you take the supplement for heartburn then mix about ½ cup water with 8 drops of GSE. Stir and drink. If you need it for food poisoning take about 10-12 drops with ½ cup water. If you take it daily to maintain gastro disorders, take 8 drops with water. When you travel to third world countries and don’t want to get a belly bug, take this miracle supplement everyday 12-15 drops mixed with ½ cup bottled water and you should be fine! When I’m having a flare up with colitis, I’ve taken this to help and it works!

Share this with friends! It’s a necessary supplement to have on hand at all times.

I think it’s the perfect time to share my yoga retreat with you all. As I watch the news about Boston today, all I can think about is how nice it will be to escape NYC and find some peace and serenity in my weekend retreat to upstate NY.

The retreat is the first weekend in August 2-4 and it will be amazing. I say it so confidently because I’ve managed to find a place that puts great emphasis on their food, is conscious about allergies and offers a cooking class and nutritional talk.

My retreat will include vinyasa and restorative yoga, meditation and breath work, all the food is included as well as 1 cooking class and a nutritional talk!

Sound good? I know it does. So why not signup? We could all use a bit of peace and quiet in a beautiful villa 1.5 hours away from NYC.

The cost is between $575-$625 depending on the room you choose. Please check the Facebook event (link below) to see more details regarding the retreat.

Click HERE to learn more about the place.

Click HERE if you’d like to signup.

You can also connect via Facebook by clicking HERE

I really hope you can join us. Space is limited to 12 people, so don’t wait and book today.

For the next week and a half my other half is on the other side of the world visiting China! He’s there for business and that means I’m home alone figuring out what to eat for dinner.

Since Chad is not too keen on stir-fry I’ve found it to be the perfect time to experiment. Stir-fry has always been my go-to, home alone meal. It’s easy, nutritious and delicious – why doesn’t Chad like it – that’s a good question that I wish I could answer!

Anyway, tonight’s meal had to be written about because I made it up on a whim and it ended up being absolutely delicious!

Feel free to use any veggies that you have at home, or pick some up on your way home. This is what I had on hand:

1 yellow onion, sliced

1 zucchini,

half package baby bello mushrooms

2 leaves kale

1 small sweet potato

1 tablespoon ghee

2 tablespoons tamari soy sauce

1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil

1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar

Heat ghee in a pan. On medium heat add the onion and sauté for about 5 minutes, add the sweet potato since it takes the longest to get soft, then add the zucchini and mushrooms. Turn the fire to low and add the tamari, sesame oil and apple cider vinegar, mix well. Everything should be combined in one pot, stir frequently so it doesn’t burn. Taste the sweet potatoes; once they soften the dish is ready.

Serve with quinoa, rice, beans, tofu, or eat it plain (that’s what I did!)

Just because I’m home alone doesn’t mean I can’t make a delicious meal for myself, right? Many people think it’s silly to “put in all that work” just for myself. Firstly, it wasn’t a lot of work and secondly I deserve to eat well too, not just when my hubby is home!

Let me tell you something, your diet is just as important as anyone else’s in your family. Often times we get trapped caring for others, and we lose sight of what’s important for ourselves. Take the time to listen, nourish and heal your body. If you don’t, you won’t have a place to live.

Cheers to life.

Hi Friends,

Chad and I have been searching for a new place to live for about a year now and we finally found it! This feeling of excitement, nervousness and anxiety all sit deep in my belly – and you can imagine what’s happening for me…!

It’s a roller coaster ride, that’s for sure.

We are moving out of NYC for the benefit of our health, peace, serenity, greenery and a new community.

It’s been challenging living here in NYC with the hustle and bustle. I’ve been grateful to have met beautiful people, incredible students and feel like I’m in the center of the universe! That’s what NYC is, isn’t it? C’mon I know you feel it (those of you living here!) Everyone wants to live in NYC – so why are we moving?

Well, we’re only moving 25 minutes away, so I know we will be coming into the city quite a bit. We’re moving because it’s time.

You know when you just know something is right – deep down in the bottom of your soul? That’s how this is. Even the way we found this apartment, it wasn’t supposed to happen, but it did and I’m excited about it. The place is brand new, no one’s ever lived there and it’s so tasteful that we only have to fix up a couple of things!

I’ll still be teaching in Astoria at The Giving Tree Yoga Studio and I’ll be simultaneously working on my own yoga community in the Nyack, Sparkill area.

I don’t feel like I’m moving so far away that I won’t get to see those near and dear to my heart – so not to worry ya’ll! I’ll be a short drive, bus or train ride away!

My online community won’t change though! Continue to look out for my whereabouts. I’ll be holding a yoga retreat in upstate NY this August. I haven’t sent out all the details yet, but stay tuned!

Much love to you all,

Shira

Everything Is Going to be Alright

I’m reading this book called The Journey by Brandon Bays. In the book she shares her story of how she healed a cancerous tumor in 6 weeks, yep, she made it disappear. WOW! It’s stories like hers that make my mouth drop and have me staring off into space thinking to myself that anything’s possible.

How did she do it? She went inside her tumor and found what was stuck there. She worked on clearing it out emotionally and within 6 weeks there was no sign of the tumor at all.

If it were that simple, how come we aren’t all doing this?

Well I’ve found it to be very challenging to figure out exactly what is “stuck” in me. Recently an issue came up for me that I hadn’t thought about since high school. This particular issue had me working to remember what exactly happened and how it affected me at the time. Wow, going back into the past is pretty powerful. Even as a young teenager I somehow brushed my emotions under the carpet so that I could go on and have a “normal” high school experience.

Maybe this particular issue is the one stuck inside my digestive tract. Maybe this issue coupled with a few others are what’s stuck to my insides. I’m not sure what it is yet, but I’m working on it.

To me, it’s amazing how this one book has helped me dig deeper then where I’ve already been. I’d say I’m pretty in touch with my emotions, but maybe there’s more that I’ve been unaware of until now.

Even when you think you’ve done the work, there always seems to be more that creeps up. I’d say it’s all worth taking a look at to see how you’ve neglected to get rid of any pent up emotions. If you don’t clear those emotions, then they get stuck in your cells creating disease.

I believe it, do you?

picture taken from yourfoodanalyst.com

Have you heard about this new show called Food Hospital? Finally it’s happening! The word is spreading that illness and pain can be healed through food and diet!

The show is on Cooking Channel on Monday nights at 9pm. Don’t forget to set your dvr! I haven’t seen the show yet, but I couldn’t be happier that this issue is finally being shown and projected to the public! Way to go Cooking Channel – you’ve answered my prayers!

To all of those fellow coaches, nutritionists, and alternative health practitioners out there – cheers to us on having our voices heard.

There is always more work to be done, but finally a glimpse into real patients making real changes!

Can’t wait to watch this!

Check out this link to find out more about the program.

To health & happiness.

Tropicana Advertisement on NYC Subway

I saw this advertisement on the subway in NYC. As I sat among fellow NYers watching their expressions (or lack there of) I saw how wonderful this AD really is! It definitely had the effect of making someone smile spontaneously – that would be me! I’m a sucker for great AD’s – I pay attention and love when I see clever ones.

Good work Tropicana. Even though I’m not in love with their product, they got me on the AD. Thanks for the smile.

Cheers to spontaneity.

I just came back from a small trip to Florida – I visited my grandmother and soaked in the warmth. Gosh I love how warm and fuzzy the sun, good weather and blue skies makes me feel. It boggles my mind how much the weather effects my mood. Do you feel that way too?

I wish I didn’t let the weather dictate how I feel on a particular day but sometimes I just can’t help it. Like today, all I wanted to do was snuggle up in bed with a warm cup of tea with my kitty purring beside me. Unfortunately working for myself, the networking and marketing never stop! So I was out there making contacts, teaching and spreading the health word – someone has to do it!

If you didn’t know already – I wrote a book!!! I feel like standing on top of a mountain and screaming that really loud at the top of my lungs! The reason being because I almost can’t believe that it actually turned into a book! I am now selling The Fix Your Belly Blues Program on Amazon Kindle as well as my own website!

I’ve made a career out of teaching others how to be their healthiest selves. As many of you know, my niche market is working with people who have digestive problems. My book is a 21 day program for people who suffer from crohns, colitis and other digestive problems. Currently you can purchase is through my website by clicking here

Or you can buy it on Kindle at Amazon.com by clicking here

My goal is to provide coaching and guidance for those diagnosed with digestive disorders. I myself needed coaching/guidance when I was first diagnosed but I couldn’t find it. That’s why I created my own method and am now sharing it with you and the world. So please, help me spread the word. If you know someone who suffers from digestive problems, send them to my website – I know they will thank you (and so will I!) The Fix Your Belly Blues Program was designed to kick your disease out the door. With lots of tips, guidance, recipes, yoga and meditation you will feel fully supported as you work on healing yourself – that’s the goal. My next step is to begin offering special yoga/meditation retreats specifically for those suffering from crohns/colitis. I am writing out my intention with positive hopes that this will actually happen before the end of 2013! Your support is definitely welcome.

Cheers to a wonderful year ahead.

Shira

A few weeks ago I was having a flare-up. Yes, even I still get them. Even though I watch my diet, practice yoga & meditate, sometimes the flare-ups happen anyway. I’m only human! I am looking forward to a day in the near future when my flare-ups happen 0% of the time, but until then I’ll keep letting you know about my process.

I have noticed that my flare-ups happen less and are much less extreme then they once were (which I definitely see as positive!). Here’s what I tried this time around:

This yoga pose is very easy to do at home using pillows, a blanket and a chair.

If you are suffering from bloating, constipation, hemorrhoids etc. then I highly recommend that you try this. Stay in the pose for a minimum of 10 minutes and keep at it for however long feels good to you.

Relax to the Max yoga pose

The picture pretty much explains the pose, but a few things to be mindful of: make sure the pillow underneath your sacrum (your waistband) feels comfortable. Your pelvis should be slightly lifted. Make sure that your knees are on the edge of the chair. Cover yourself with a blanket and RELAX! Let go and surrender.

I like to call this pose: Relax to the Max Pose

While you’re in Relax to the Max, you might get a visit from a wonderful, healing, furry friend (if you have one!) let them serenade you with their love.

A Love Fest in Relax to the Max

Enjoy!