How Can Acupuncture Improve Your Quality of Life?

Thanks to Micheal Tierra for posting these statistics in his blog Does the United States Really Have the Greatest Health Care System in the world.

The World Health Organization ranked the U.S. 37th among nations in health care performance in 2000, although we pay more for less service. Numerous studies reveal that the U.S. is mediocre in treating illness. For example, compared to the G8, the U.S. has the highest infant mortality, the most mothers who die during childbirth, the most lives lost that could have been saved, and the worst in treatment of cancer. The U.N. rates the U.S. even worse: 74th in health care performance. And in 2009, the C.I.A. ranked the U.S. 49th in life expectancy in the world.”

How can acupuncture be part of the solution to these statistics? Refer back to What Does Acupuncture Treat? to see how acupuncture might be able to help you. 

What can you do to maintain or gain health while the cost of living continues to climb? Consider making acupuncture a part of your routine to help manage life's daily stresses. Visit the community acupuncture network to find an acupuncture clinic close by that offers low cost, effective acupuncture treatments. 

Sarah Zender LAc


Neighborhood Acupuncture Place (NAP)
230 Florence St
Crystal Lake IL 60014
815.893.9825
www.clnap.com 

How Does the Sliding Scale Work For Community Acupuncture?

The Sliding Scale

The quality or length of your treatment will never depend on how much you pay. 

Acupuncture works best when it is done frequently and regularly.  We want to make it possible for you to come in frequently enough to get better and stay better.  The sliding scale exists in order to provide this powerful healing modality to as many people as possible, as often as they need it.

Treating in a community setting allows the rates to be low enough for most people to afford. You can choose whatever you wish to pay for each treatment on the scale from $15-40 and anywhere in between. You can pay for each treatment the same price or each time it can be different. We require no explanation for what you choose to pay, it is completely up to you. What works for you, works for us. 

The community acupuncture model also helps us keep our costs down. A sliding scale that you choose to pay on seems crazy sometimes to people who are used to paying a lot of money for health care (or just about anything). The sliding scale is a symbol of your commitment to your health and also a way to break down a barrier to your ability to live a quality life. When money is less of an obstacle the only thing holding you back is your ability to show up. We all know that 90% of success in anything is just showing up. We are consistently amazed with the results we see for a variety of ailments when patients stick to a treatment plan and show up. Acupuncture is cumulative, the more you do it, the better it works and with just about anything in life its more fun to receive it with others!


Neighborhood Acupuncture Place offers all new patients 2 treatments for $20 everyday!


Sarah Zender LAc


Neighborhood Acupuncture Place
230 Florence St
Crystal Lake IL 60014
815.983.9825
www.clnap.com

Getting Ready for Spring and Tex Mex Squash Casserole Recipe

I can imagine you are experiencing with me the tumultuous times of spring already. In our minds and hearts perhaps we hoped the first day of spring would have brought fresh flowers and sun shine and instead here in McHenry County we had rain and hail storms! We are in the midst of transition and this is an important time to keep our bodies healthy. When the environment is changing temperatures drastically daily, raining, snowing, hailing etc our bodies can easily be knocked off kilter. 

We talked last week how eating lots of greens in the spring is a great way to cleanse the body. Right now as we are patiently moving through the transition of winter to spring it is also important to keep the spleen nourished. In Chinese Medicine the spleen/stomach system helps the body through seasonal transitions. If the spleen is not functioning at its best it can make it harder to keep the liver cleansed and cause us to get sick more easily. 

Here is what you can do to make it through this time of hope. The warm weather really is right around the corner and it will soon be here to stay! (at least until fall and winter)

Continue to follow the spring diet of lighter, greener foods but also make sure to eat foods that fortify the spleen. The spleen needs bland or full sweet foods like grains (wheat, quinoa, rice), sweet potatoes and squashes. The spleen is especially nourished by yellow and orange foods. See below for an excellent squash casserole that is easy to make and tastes delicious! 

Keep your neck covered when you go out into the wind. Don't make the same mistake I did when I went out for a run on Saturday and didn't bring my scarf. Thank God for acupuncture and herbs that nipped this cold in the bud! Sometimes we want to believe its warmer than it really is outside, but always make sure to dress for the weather. 

This is the squash recipe that I started with: Tex Mex Summer Squash Casserole.

Instead of summer squash I used kabocha squash in keeping with the transitions of the seasons. I also added some mini red peppers and corn salsa to give it a little more color and flavor. It was delicious! If you are more of a carnivore than an herbivore adding a little ground turkey seasoned tex mex style would be a wonderful addition, just keep it more as an accent rather than the bulk of the dish to keep it light. 

Sarah Zender LAc

Neighborhood Acupuncture Place (NAP)

230 Florence St

Crystal Lake IL 60014

815.893.9825

www.clnap.com 

Spring Cleaning and Dandelion Greens Recipe

The first day of spring is quickly approaching, we've already "sprung ahead" with the time change and it seems as though the birds are chirping away trying to wake the earth back up and make it warm again. In Chinese Medicine spring is the time when the liver is most active and is why its a great time to do some spring cleaning in your house and in your body.

Chinese Medicine does not advocate heavy duty cleanses because so often what this does is swing your body out of balance in the other direction. Instead do some mild cleansing through your diet. Our bodies no longer need rich meats and heavy foods to stay warm like they do in the cold winter months. Start to replace red meat with more fish. Now is the time to start eating lighter foods so that they body can in turn feel lighter and more energized. The color of the liver is green and the taste is sour, so leafy greens and other green veggies as well as sour foods like apple cider vinegar are great to eat during the spring.

The liver is also associated with the tendons of the body and the eyes and the body is more susceptible to wind attack. The spring is a great time to rev up your exercise routine and spend some extra time stretching. If you know of anyone that complains of eye disorders in the spring such as dry eyes, allergies, sinus problems etc the liver might need a little help. Wind can manifest in the body as rashes, itchiness, colds, and pain that moves around the body so make sure to take care when outside in the wind to keep your neck covered. Seasonal changes are always a great time to get an acupuncture treatment to adjust to the changes in the environment.

This week our produce box from Crystal Lake Health Food Store had dandelion greens and leeks. Dandelion greens are great for the liver but they can be a little bitter tasting. Here is how I turned dandelion greens into a delicious dinner dish.

If you want the benefits of dandelion greens but are concerned with the taste mix a little spinach with them.
I started with this recipe for Bacon and Kale Adobo but as you can see I didn't really stick with the recipe.

What I used:
1 leek chopped
whole bunch of garlic
tomato cilantro seasoning
splash of soy sauce
couscous-quinoa mix
1 bunch dandelion greens chopped
1/2 bag of baby spinach
bacon (as garnish)

I started by lightly browning the chopped leeks and garlic. Then I added a 1/2 cup of water, the tomato cilantro seasoning and the dandelion greens and spinach. I cooked on low until the greens wilted with a splash of soy sauce. Meanwhile I cooked the bacon and couscous-quinoa mix. Once everything was cooked I mixed the greens and couscous together and crumbled the bacon on top as a garnish. It was a quick and easy dish to prepare and it tasted wonderful. You could easily turn this into a vegetarian dish by taking out the bacon and using braggs amino acid. I didn't let my dinner guest know what the greens were until he decided he liked them and he was surprised how flavorful the meal was.

Tonight we are having chicken, parsnip and apple stew. The granny smith apple is both green and sour, a nice little treat for the liver.

Sarah Zender LAc

Neighborhood Acupuncture Place
230 Florence St
Crystal Lake IL 60014
815.893.9825
www.clnap.com

New Answer To The Old Question: What's for Dinner?

I've mentioned in previous blogs that the organzier in me likes to make a weekly menu so I don't have to come up with something for dinner when I'm hungry and have leftovers for lunch. Recently, I've fallen into a funk of the same old recipes and hearing from Christian "let's make something really good this week."


We just came across the Crystal Lake Health Food store and they offer year round organic produce boxes. Every Monday they email out the menu of what will be in the boxes ranging from small and large veggie boxes, fruit boxes or combo boxes. On Wednesday they call and ask if you'd like to order anything and on Friday they call when your order comes in to pick up.


What's great about the organic produce?


It. tastes. delicious! Really there are no good words to describe the fresh, juicy, satisfying flavor of the fruits and the rich colors of the veggies. Even if you are already buying organic in the store, this produce is just fresher. I've been avoiding fruit all winter because its tasted so bland but now I can't seem to get enough its so delightful.


There is no commitment. You can order or not whatever you'd like each week. If you go out of town you don't have to worry about a week's worth of fruits and veggies to eat or spoil. They also offer fresh baked bread from Dawn's Bread.


Its allows mealtime to be creative. Because each week the boxes are slightly different and the produce is geared towards being what is in season you might get new veggies you've never tried before like fresh artichokes, watercress, collard greens, or kale. See below for the most amazing red chard and artichoke lasagna you've ever tasted that we made last week and sauteed kale with scrambled eggs and salsa for breakfast.


You will commit to getting fruits and veggies into your diet everyday because you will be more conscious of the next order coming in and the faster spoil time of fresh roughage.


If you don't live near Crystal Lake visit  Community Supported Agriculture or Farmers Markets to support local farmers and get fresher produce.


Red Chard and Artichoke Lasagna


1 bunch chopped red chard divided in half
2 artichokes
lasagna noodles
jar of pasta sauce
mozzarella cheese


I used Trader's Joes pasta sauce, no cook noodles and quattro formagio cheese.


First you will need to cook the artichoke. If you've never prepared artichoke before check out these instructions. I steamed my artichokes with 3 or 4 cloves of garlic and a few bay leaves.


Spread a thin layer of pasta sauce and top with a layer of noodles.
Add half of red chard and sprinkle some cheese over it
Add another layer of noodles and sauce
Add the other half of red chard and artichoke sprinkle some cheese over it
Add another layer of noodles and rest of sauce
Cover top of lasagna with cheese


Cook at for 40 minutes covered and an additional 15 minutes uncovered.


Enjoy!


Sautéed Kale with Scrambled Eggs and Salsa


Sautée kale first then add eggs and a sprinkle of quattro formagio cheese. Garnish with salsa (my favorite is traders joes organic tomatillo and roasted yellow chili salsa)




Sarah Zender LAc


Neighborhood Acupuncture Place
230 Florence St
Crystal Lake IL 60014
815.893.9825
www.CLnap.com

NAP Testimonies

Sarah, I have to thank you for helping me a few weeks ago with my sinus infection. I was amazed at how wonderful I felt during your acupuncture session. I was back to normal and feeling great within a week, so thank you SO much for your skills and compassion! -Nicole

I started an inconsistent acupuncture treatment due to my work schedule, but with only one day a week that I could go and relax for about an hour, I could target different problems that I have. This week I was there to target a stress pain in my neck as well as some itchiness of my skin due to climate changes and asthma, within a couple of days the pain banished and the itchiness is less. Thank you for helping me feel better so quickly. -Alan

Just to let you know, I had acupuncture for 6 weeks for my knee pain and low thyroid and noticed when I stepped on the scale I had lost 5 pounds without even trying or realizing it! That was an awesome benefit especially since I watch what I eat and workout 3 times a week and can never seem to tip the scale in my favor. Thank you for the work you are doing to help people live a healthier life.  -Joyce

In December I came down with Singles and I was experiencing stinging pain and itching in my eye. I went for an acupuncture treatment and the pain and itching went away immediately. I went for 2 more treatments and it is 2 ½ months later and I never had any problems since. My doctor told me that the pain from shingles can go on long after the shingles go away. I recently met a man who still had pain after 4 months. I’m glad I used acupuncture right away for a quick recovery from shingles.  –Rich

Acupuncture has been very helpful to me. At first I was getting 2-3 Migraines a day for years and now this past weekend I went with out any migraines at all. Also, sometimes I feel like a headache is coming on and I wait a little but I don’t’ have to take medication, it goes away by itself. -Linda

Benefits of Chrysanthemum Tea

The list of benefits for drinking chrysanthemum tea is long and includes clearing cloudy vision or floaters, dizziness, prevention of sore throat (especially if you are a teacher or professional speaker), recovery from influenza, and can also help circulatory issues like varicose veins and high blood pressure to name a few. Visit here for more information on the benefits of chrysanthemum tea. 

Chrysanthemum tea aids in keeping people alert and as a tonic for improved energy.

Have a cup of chrysanthemum tea the next time you are in Neighborhood Acupuncture Place to wake up after your treatment!

Sarah Zender LAc

Neighborhood Acupuncture Place
230 Florence St Crystal Lake IL
815.893.9825
www.clnap.com