Archives: IBD

I’ve been doing a lot of research lately on thyroid health and I’ve come across some eye opening information that I have to share.

Let me back up a bit – I started getting a really bad neck ache about a month and a half ago and thought it was muscular. After meeting with a medical intuitive she informed me that my thyroid was swollen, something I had never considered. She asked me if I had been feeling sluggish, she asked about the quality of my sleep, my motivation and my mood. Well, turns out that once I started looking at all these signs I realized that indeed something is going on with my thyroid. Yes I am getting a blood test next week, however I’m not one to wait for the blood test to confirm anything, I like to dive right in and start making immediate changes. So I started juicing and eating as healthy as I know possible and still, my neck ache persists.

Then, I came across some research online referring to raw cruciferous vegetables and their negative effect on people with thyroid conditions. Apparently when eaten raw they contain chemicals that block the production of thyroid hormone in the body. All this time I thought I was doing something great for my body and boy was I wrong! It just goes to show you that even when you think you are eating all the right things, one bit of research can change everything. That’s why I believe it’s so important to educate yourself about whatever condition you have.

Cruciferous vegetables: Arugla, broccoli, kale, cauliflower, cabbage, turnip, collard greens, bok choy, Brussels sprouts, radish, rutabaga, watercress.

This doesn’t mean that I won’t continue my juicing habit – it just means I’m planning to leave out the kale and spinach (spinach isn’t cruciferous but it also negatively effects the thyroid when eaten raw – see the note below about oxalic acid.)

Here’s a delicious juice that I made this morning:

1 organic beet

4 organic celery stalks

1 organic apple

½ organic cucumber

½ organic lemon

½ inch fresh organic ginger

This amount of juice made enough for both Chad and I to enjoy.

Some greens contain a chemical called oxalic acid – it’s irritating to the mouth and intestinal tract as well as blocks calcium and iron absorption. It may also contribute to the formation of kidney stones. Greens with this chemical are listed below. For those who have a thyroid condition please make sure to lightly steam or cook these foods to minimize the oxalic acid.

Spinach, chard, parsley, chives, purslane and beet greens.

There are other foods to avoid when dealing with a thyroid condition. All it takes is a Google search. Educate yourself and you will ultimately help yourself heal.

Please pass along this very valuable information. Many people suffer from thyroid conditions but don’t know about the benefits of changing specific foods in their diet.

Please help spread the word so that more people can become aware of the very specific ways to heal. Healing also takes place when stress is reduced and a spiritual practice is added.

Stay healthy,

Shira

Have you ever been in a down and depressed rut not knowing how to get yourself out of it? Yea, me too. Sometimes I don’t even know why I’m in the rut or what got me there. What I do know is that it effects my belly in a negative way. Then, with one inspirational song that literally wakes me up I feel better – just like that, as if nothing ever happened. What is that about? Sometimes people, friends and family can help pull me out of a rut, but I just love it when it’s music that does the trick.

You know those songs where your whole body gets tingly and all you want to do is belt the music at the top of your lungs? Those are THE BEST! Sometimes music literally and physically soothes my soul. Are you with me?

Maybe you can find your wake up today. If yoga and meditation don’t always do the trick for you, get involved with music. Feel the beat through your body and enjoy.

It feels great to be alive and currently snuggling with my kitty Kali!

Here’s the song that woke me up:

Wake Me Up by Avicii. Click to Hear Song

Yoga in the Grass

Group Pic – Yoga Retreat!

After returning home from a wonderful weekend yoga retreat I’m feeling grateful, blessed and honored!

Grateful to have had the opportunity to work with such wonderful women (and 1 man!)

Blessed to work in a field that is my passion.

Honored to have shared the energy, restoration and nature with each person at The Garden.

One of my favorite parts was showing the student’s different restorative poses that they can relax in. Then I watched as they used the poses to relax on their own without my instruction! Now that’s a true yogi listening to their body. Priceless.

Another highlight for me was practicing yoga in the grass. As we stood in tadasana, mountain pose, the wind blew across our faces and rustled the trees. The sounds of nature inspired me to create new sequences and step out of my comfort zone. I stayed completely in the moment. We even saw 2 deer cross the field in front of us – incredible!

The food was vegetarian fare, inventive,  flavorful and not boring at all! It was all the things I could have possibly wanted for my retreat! Thanks Abby and Travis!

To feel in my element, relaxed, and at ease while working is exactly how I’d like to continue my career.

Stay tuned for future retreats. Next time it will probably be more exotic – Mexico or Costa Rica anyone? Which would you prefer? I’d like to know who’s interested in joining so I can start putting a list together. Email or message me letting me know your interest!

Can’t wait to share the retreat experience with you – it’s truly incredible!

I’ve been dealing with ulcerative colitis since I was 12 years old and I’ve got some great tips to share with you. The tips below come from my book called The Fix Your Belly Blues Program. It’s a 21-day program created to help you find the right diet that works for you, learn how to cleanse properly and connect the mind/body. Here are my top 10 tips to get you moving and motivated to kick your health into shape. Remember, you are in control of your health – let your body do the healing.

1)     Find practitioners who you feel a connection with – whether it’s acupuncture, yoga, chiropractic, kinesiology, massage etc. It’s so important to be able to talk with them, vent, and relax all at the same time – what an incredible release that is.

2)     Find a wonderful, supportive therapist

3)     Take probiotics everyday (especially while traveling). Megafoods is a great brand – although pricey, it’s the best.

4)     Eat fermented foods ie: raw sauerkraut, (the brand Real Pickles sauerkraut is delicious). Lactose free yogurt by the brand Green Valley Organics is awesome. It’s yogurt w/ probiotics, organic and lactose free!! Amazing! The same brand also makes kefir, which is also a fermented product that I recommend. Raw kombucha is GREAT for us IBDers – It’s a probiotic drink. I like GT’s brand original flavor since it’s low in sugar.

5)     Stay away from white sugar, brown sugar, any sugar substitutes (equal, splenda etc.) instead use honey, agave, maple syrup. Watch your sugar intake in general, it causes inflammation

6)      Steer clear of caffeine – it also causes inflammation

7)     Eat as many whole foods as you can. Soup with tons of soft veggies, well-blended smoothies, fresh green juices, etc.

8)     Create a meditation practice and maintain a regular workout at the gym.

9)     Take a good brand of cod liver oil. I like Green Pastures Blue Ice Fermented Cod Liver Oil. Since it’s fermented, it’s easier to digest and doesn’t come up on me throughout the day.

10)   I recommend a gluten free diet. Be careful with soy sauce and salad dressing as they contain gluten and you may not have realized that. Stay away from too much soy – it’s in everything. Eat clean, nutrient packed foods and you’re half way there – then add in the mind/body aspect and you’re on your way!

Bonus tip: Educate yourself. I’d say that’s the most important tip I can give you. Read, surf the web, talk to people who have the same disease and ask tons of questions.

Even though doctors are very smart, they do not know everything. I hate to say this but most GI doctors know the bare minimum about diet. In fact they will tell you to eat whatever you want with IBD and that diet has nothing to do with it. I don’t believe that for one second because food is half the battle.

There will be times when you’ll be completely stumped about what to eat because everything you put into your mouth makes you feel terrible. Well, it’s time to take action. Start with soft cooked root veggies and work your way up from there. Don’t forget about the yoga/meditation aspect of the work. It’s not a one size fits all type of thing here – you have to find what foods work for you. What yoga poses feel good for you, which meditation practices work for you. You get the idea? I can’t do the work for you but I can explain what needs to be done to get you on the right track. Ultimately your in control. Stand in your confident shoes and get moving. Don’t feel helpless, you are what you eat. Start taking responsibility for your actions. This is your life, so start living it.

Check out my book where you can find more step-by- step instructions to guide you along your path to health. I will show you a yoga and meditation practice that I feel works well for IBDers. Ultimately you decide which poses to keep and which to take out. The Fix Your Belly Blues Program is now available!

Cheers to you and this lifetime of health and happiness.

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?

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!

My favorite scene from the movie Love Actually. Click picture to watch the clip!

Gratitude. That’s what this season is about right? Not just family, friends, traditions, food and drink, but also gratitude!

Throughout my yoga classes this week I ‘ve asked my students what they are grateful for. I asked them to pinpoint one thing, person, and quality about themselves that they feel grateful for. Want to try it?

We live such busy lives. Working, traveling from place to place etc… Do you ever get just one moment to stop everything and feel what it is that you’re grateful for?

Try it now. Close your eyes and tune in.

Find something, someone and one quality about yourself that you’re grateful for. Sit with your gratitude. Breathe in love, breathe out fear, anxiety and stress.

Now that you’ve realized what you’re grateful for, share it. Tell the person you feel grateful for. Write it in your journal. Tell someone else.

Feeling gratitude is wonderful, but sharing it is even better.

Spread the love. Feel it in your fingers & toes!

Cheers to you!

Dear Friends,

I am SO excited to share this news with you! I just launched my newest program to help those with gastrointestinal problems. It’s called The Fix Your Belly Blues Program and the best news about it is that it’s all online. It’s a 21-day program with a focus on cleansing, diet, yoga/meditation. It includes everything you need to know to help your belly heal. I have used my own personal experience to create the program and that’s how I know it works!

If you or anyone you know has the belly blues, ie: colitis, crohns, ibs, gastritis, ulcers, heartburn, diverticulitis, etc… and are looking for a way to feel better – then this is the program for you. Click the link below to see my promo video and to learn more about the program. Also, please share the link below with anyone you think might benefit from this! Help spread the word! I appreciate your help and I look forward to seeing you all soon!

click HERE to check it out!

Cheers,

Shira

Today’s all about the revolution, what revolution you ask?

Yesterday I spoke to a man who had half of his colon removed due to ulcerative colitis – he said there’s only so much he can do now with only half of his colon but for those who do have their colon, there’s SO much to be done… Listen up everyone – we are starting a revolution in the IBD world (those who suffer from UC, crohns and other stomach problems) this disease can be changed and I believe there IS a cure! There, I finally said it. That’s what you’ve been wanting to hear isn’t it? The cure is to put in the work and effort to find the right diet and lifestyle that works for you and most importantly stick with it! It’s time to stop trying tons of diets, new fads and all that the media has to offer – it’s about time we listen to our bodies, get back to the garden and eat real, wholesome foods. It’s time to de-stress every single day, not just one time a week in yoga class or at the gym, but on your own at home.

The biggest news of the month for me is that I’m creating a program to help you with all of these aspects that I just mentioned. Hence the revolution I speak about above. It’s time for you to make your own revolution within your body. My program will focus on detox, how to find the right diet for you and how to create your own home practice where you can de-stress, breathe and feel great. We’ll teach you all types of tools to make this process of shifting into the world of health as seamless as possible. We can give you the tools, but it’s up to you to make the change.

This motivation is seeping out through my pores, I hope you can feel it. This revolution will be big!

Buckle up.

I leave you with this incredible song by Tracy Chapman.

Talkin’ Bout A Revolution:

After all the excitement about my colonoscopy news I’ve had some time to think about what exactly I’ve done for myself to help in knocking this colitis out.

I’ve had people ask me how I’ve gotten to this point.

Well, here it is: I’ve had a major diet change coupled with yoga, meditation, and breath work and as if that isn’t enough, I see 2 incredible women, I work with a Therapist, I have a family to lean on and friends who stay by my side. My yoga teacher, although new to my mix of healers, has already shown me incredible, life changing tools to better my practice and myself.

Here is just a touch of the amazing healers in my life:

Dr. Crystal Joseph D.C., AK, CCSP: Chiropractor and Applied Kinesiologist.

When I step into Dr. Jo’s office I always know I’m in for a treat. She has incredible hands, which always know where to go. Whenever I have pain I lie on her table waiting for her to test my muscles and find the place that’s “out.” Her massages are unlike any I’ve ever had at a spa because she really knows how to get into the muscle to release whatever’s tight. Sometimes I don’t even have to tell her where to go and she knows… It’s not only about the adjustment though, she’s also very involved in the rest of my health and wants to know anything new that I’m trying or supplements that I’m taking. We always have interesting conversations and it feels like I’m visiting a friend who happens to be the most incredible Chiropractor I’ve ever encountered. Without a doubt, this woman has been a huge proponent in helping me heal my colitis.

Aimee Raupp, MS, LAc: Aimee is my acupuncturist and boy is she incredible! Her office is like my sanctuary – I know I’m there to simply relax for a good 50 minutes and sometimes longer :). Aimee is always interested in me as a whole – that’s why I love her and Chinese Medicine. She takes my pulse, checks out my tongue and then begins needling as though she knows my body like a road map. Aimee knows so much about health, nutrition, supplements and so much more – it’s always interesting talking about these topics with her. I know Aimee has lots of patients but when I’m with her in the room it seems as though I’m the only one that’s important. That’s another reason why she’s so special – she gives her undivided attention at all times and that’s not something that’s always accessible with other practitioners. I always leave her office feeling calm, de-stressed and lighter, much lighter. Aimee also has a big part in helping me to heal.

I mention all of this because this is how I’ve helped myself heal. It’s not just one quick fix…

I’ve learned that to heal myself I need to let go and let myself get taken care of.

Sometimes you have to let others take care of YOU. If you or someone you know suffer from an illness find the right team. It’s so important to let go and let others take care of you. Maybe giving in to just that will help you heal. Find the right protocol for you – we’re all different and our bodies don’t respond in the same way.

Do the search, get recommendations and be free!

I love to share my experiences and can help you find your journey too.

Live long, enjoy life and smile  🙂