Wellness hot spots take over Tel Aviv

There is a good reason why Telavivians look so good. With a 10-month-long beach and surf season in Israel, locals are always looking for new ways to improve their diet and exercise routines, to balance out the stressful work hours and crazy nightlife. Following the trend is naturopath and wellness consultant Udi Sahar, and his super stylish juice cleanse delivery business called the Urban Shaman. ‘We deliver organic freshly pressed juices using state-of-the-art cold pressed technology’ says Udi. The first group detox program started after he came back to Tel Aviv after an 18-months trip around California, Mexico and Peru. Shortly after the first program, the following groups filled up by word of mouth and Udi’s team is now running cleanses almost every week. The detox has been conceptualized to fit your daily routine, as clients can sign up online and get their juices delivered to their home or work address. That way, there’s no need to get out of the house or follow a recipe, all the juices are prepped for you. Along with a daily delivery of food and pressed juices, the Urban Shaman offers online support for those embarking on the rewarding but challenging cleanse. When signing up, you can look forward to the Ultimate Green juice, an organic cold pressed juice made from leafy greens, apples, lemon and ginger. And for an interesting twist, look out for the spicy lemonAID, which blends turmeric, cayenne pepper and maple syrup with tangy lemons. Each cleans last 5 days from Sunday to Thursday, and you can sign up by sending a Facebook message or an email to the Urban Shaman himself. If getting your fill online is simply not enough, Urban Sham just opened up a brick and mortar Tel Aviv pop-up shop to suit all of your cleansing needs - up close and personal.

Hailing from Yemen and deriving knowledge rooted in the philosophy of descendant Maimonides who once explained that the word “etrog” comes from the Aramaic root rgg “a thing of beauty and pleasant to look at,” 73 year old Uzi Eli has been continuing the family legacy of a long lineage of healers and alternative medicine experts since making Aliyah in 1949. Acquiring the knowledge about the healing properties of etrog, a type of citron cultivated throughout the Mediterranean, and a vast variety of herbs, fruits and spices, Uli Ezi and his family settled in Moshav Eshtaol where they began growing the ingredients for their natural remedies. In 2003, Uzi Eli opened his first formal shop in Machne Yehuda to share his selection of healing juices and skin care products, most made with etrog, yet all created after years of study and experimentation. Today, Uzi Eli has passed on the torch to his son and daughter Or and Mayaan who have since spearheaded the first etrog medicine store in Tel Aviv, located at the head of the Carmel Market. If there was ever a better model for the potency of the etrog, it’s evident in Or and Maayan’s glowing skin and radiant smiles as they prepare custom juices to heal any symptom including stress, anxiety, depression or muscle aches.  If you are in a rush, there is a selection of ready-made juices including the famous etrog, gat and grapefruit juice which people swear by for its powers in giving a major energy boost and promoting fertility.