The season of fall brings cooler weather and shorter days. As with any season, the world adjusts accordingly. Plants begin to go dormant, animals begin scrounging for food to store to get them through the upcoming winter months and humans start winterizing everything.

As fall descends on the land, it reminds us we need to start cutting back on the numerous cooling foods that are consumed during the summer months. Things like raw foods, salads, juices and fruits should be decreased because they can create too much cold in the body, according to traditional Chinese medicine. continue reading »

Statistics show eight out of 10 people will experience low back pain at some point during their life. Seeking medical treatment for back pain is very common. Typically back pain is fleeting and can be easily resolved with rest, heat and an occasional anti-inflammatory like ibuprofen. However, once the damage is done, the recurrence of back pain can be as high as 50 percent. Part of this is because as we age, things like muscles and tendons become less flexible and pliable. It is also very well known in the United States, people are too sedentary and this leads to excess weight gain that can create added pressure on the body, especially the low back. continue reading »

Small Business Saturday Promotions

Northshore Acupuncture Center is offering three Small Business Saturday promotions.

1) Get $20 off your acupuncture treatment with a receipt from Curt’s Café at 2922 Central St., Evanston or Curt’s Café South at 1813 Dempster, Evanston dated 11/24/2018. Eating at Curt’s allows you to “dine with purpose” while enjoying good food. The cafe is designed to provide training to at-risk youth in Evanston in both food service and life.

2) Get $10 off any acupuncture treatment prior to 12/31/2018 scheduled on Small Business Saturday (11/28/2018). Call 815.814.1319 to schedule or schedule online.

3) Purchase gift certificates for your friends to try acupuncture and/or cupping. On Small Business Saturday only (11/24/18), you can purchase a gift certificate for a stress relief acupuncture and essential oil treatment for $75 ($100 value) or purchase a gift certificate for cupping for $50 and we will include a complimentary auricular balancing treatment ($25 value). You can also purchase gift certificates for any $$ amount, for an initial consultation and treatment, or for a follow up treatment. Call 815.814.1319 to purchase.

Offers cannot be combined for an individual treatment. Shop small!!

A fellow North Shore mom inspired me to make November a month of ThanksGIVING by performing a daily random act of kindness. Help me spread love, light and kindness one small gesture at a time. Perform a random act of kindness, share your act on Northshore Acupuncture’s 30 days of GIVING FB post, and get one entry into a raffle for a free acupuncture treatment with each post (limit one entry per person per day). One winner will be selected for November 1-10th posts; one for 11th-20th; and one for 21st-30th. Need inspiration? 

Here are some ideas:

1. Call or write a letter to someone thanking them for the impact they’ve had on your life.
2. Rake leaves for someone.
3. Take out the garbage for someone.
4. Volunteer at a homeless shelter.
5. Volunteer at an animal shelter.
6. Shop locally for holiday gifts.
7. Get your coffee or lunch at Curt’s Café instead of a chain restaurant or coffee shop.
8. Donate cat/dog food, cat litter, old towels/blankets to CARE.
9. Babysit for a friend.
10. Drive a veteran to a doctor’s appointment. You can volunteer through the Department of Veterans Affairs Transportation Network.
11. Volunteer at a local Stand Downs event for veterans(11/16 in Chicago). Stand Downs is typically a 1-3 day event providing supplies and services to homeless Veterans, such as food, shelter, clothing, and health screening.
12. Send letters of appreciation and/or care packages to troops, first responders and veterans through Operation Gratitude.
13. Go to a nursing home or senior center and see how you can help provide email, social media, cell phone or video call assistance.
14. Arrange to pick up coats, gloves, hats from neighbors and deliver to a coat drive.
15. Review a small business on Facebook, Google or Yelp.
16. Write a letter/send an email or talk to a manager to acknowledge someone for good service.
17. Call an old friend.
18. Pick up garbage along the roadside or in a park.
19. Volunteer at a Fill a Heart 4 Kids event.
20. Let someone go in front of you in line.
21. Give blood.
22. Spend time getting to know someone you don’t know very well.
23. Have a food drive in your neighborhood and donate canned goods to local food pantry.
24. Drop off extra disinfectant wipes and boxes of Kleenex at the teacher’s lounge.
25. Walk or ride your bike instead of driving somewhere.
26. Gift an inspirational book.
27. Leave quarters at the laundromat.
28. Write a positive comment on a blog or social media post you enjoyed.
29. Leave a generous tip.
30. Eat vegetarian for a day.
31. Give a friendly smile of support/encouragement to a parent whose kid is melting down – tell him/her “You’ve got this or we’ve all been there”. Offer help (not advice).
32. Leave hand warmers and a thank you note for your mail carrier.
33. Drop off snacks at the local fire department. (Or grocery store/ice cream shop gift cards to cover the next ice cream run.)
34. Attend a benefit for a local nonprofit – the dessert gala for the Floured Apron on 11/1, the Taste of the Town benefit for the Zacharias Center on 11/6, or the Tailgating event to benefit the Center for Independent Futures on 11/18, and/or the Champagne Grand Tasting on 11/30 (event cost to benefit Curt’s Café).
35. Spend a half day helping with laundry at Misericordia or with the holiday baking and shipping.
36. Let someone merge in front of you on the highway.
37. Smile and say hello to people you don’t know.
38. Register to be an organ donor. Sign up for the bone marrow registry.
39. VOTE!! Offer rides to help others get to the polls on 11/6.
40. Help with canvassing or phone banks for candidates whom you support. Here are links for Lauren Underwood , Sean Casten. Want to volunteer from home? Help make calls for Dr. Hiral Tipirneni. Any canvassing or phone bank work regardless of candidate counts towards the raffle, but if you want to canvas for their opponents, you’ll have to look it up yourself =)
41. Check in with someone who experienced a significant loss to see how they are doing. Typically people receive a lot of support in the first few weeks and then support subsides.
42. Call or text someone when you see/hear something that reminds you of them – a song on the radio, a place you used to go,
43. Return shopping carts for people at the grocery store.
44. Put your phone away while spending time with family and friends.
45. Not screaming at your kids for leaving an empty toilet roll or overflowing the garbage can instead of taking the garbage out.

This holiday season give an EXPERIENCE instead of more things. Research shows that people who spent money on experiences instead of things were happier and felt their money was better spent. Give someone you love who has been putting up with pain, anxiety and/or sleep issues the gift of their health SUPPORTING their ability to live full out. continue reading »