Celebrating Spring with Zen Healing Center!

3rd Anniversary Specials at Zen Healing Center

3rd Anniversary at Zen Healing Center!

Zen Healing Center is celebrating 3rd year anniversary and giving out specials services and giving gifts for those who stop by!

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Three years have gone by since Zen Healing Center opened our clinic in Edina, MN. Here is a brief history of the clinic from its beginnings to presents!

Dr. Zen opened his clinic, Zen Chiropractic Inc. with the slogan “Healing from Within” in
Bloomington, MN near the Mall of America. What started with humble beginnings with spending many hours of doing Japanese translation and community work helped to grow the clinic and eventually outgrow the Bloomington location.

After a year and a half, Dr. Zen was contacted by an owner of a massage spa business. Since they had an opening for space for the business, Dr. Zen decided to move his clinic into the massage business in Edina, MN. After 1 year of practicing Chiropractic in this location, the chiropractic practice outgrew the location again.

In 2013, after 6 months of searching, Dr. Zen found the current location in Edina MN. With the help of Fernanda Matsuda, his wife, they started a concept of integrating other healing moralities into his practice. An acupuncturist and massage therapist was added to the clinic and its name was changed the name to Zen Healing Center with the slogan of “Longevity and Wellness”.

Dr. Zen’s brother, a graphic designer, made a logo based off the Japanese Family Crest. Since Dr. Zen’s last name translates to “Pine tree in a rice field,” a symbol of a Pine tree was used. In Japanese culture, a pine tree is a symbol of longevity, virtue, and youth.

After a year and a half of opening Zen Healing Center, the clinic doubled in size. Demanding for expansion, additional rooms for acupuncture, massage, and an x-ray room were added.

“Starting with humble beginnings and moving from place to place reminds me of how I am grateful of my clients who referred their family and friends. As my goal in life, Dr. Gonstead has also seen humble beginnings from a one room on the top floor of a bank to a 29,000 square feet clinic and seeing 7 million people in his life time. After many years of changes, we are now working with the best administrative staff and providers that I have seen over years. Working for this office has rarely felt like work. As many difficult cases stop by Zen Healing Center, the more I am empathetic and excited to be help those who are in need.”

Zen Matsuda D.C. Co-Owner/Founder of Zen Healing Center

“Being part of the Zen Healing Center team means excitement and joy. Throughout the years I have received many feedback from our clients stating how happy they are for finding a place where they can truly feel healing.  In the past three years, our clinic has expanded in size. We have added new services, improved our software, added new treatment rooms, digital x-rays and tests. Seeing our clients getting well is a huge motivation for all of our team members to keep improving so that we can serve them even better. We strive to keep expanding but our main goal is to keep focusing on the wellness of our existing and future clients.”

Fernanda Matsuda-Co-Owner/Founder of Zen Healing Center

“A year of experience Zen healing Center for me was pleasant, harmonizing, educating, and supporting.  The team work was wonderfully done with the communication and help among the team members.  I see that the clinic is growing in every aspect through hard-work and dedication to help people.  I very much enjoy and look forward to continuing work at Zen Healing Center.”

Alice Min Kang L. Ac

“Hello, I’m Stephanie and I started working at Zen Healing Center after the holidays this year. Previously I worked at a bank and this environment has proved to serve me much better. I really like that wellness is a focus here and I truly enjoy seeing the health of our patients improve as time goes on. I think we have something great here between Dr. Zen, Alice and Matt and I am excited to learn more and more about their practices and techniques.”

Patient Service Coordinator/Administrative Assistant

“Hello everyone. My name is LuAnn and I am a transplant from Wisconsin currently in school for my nursing degree. I have been working with the Zen Healing Center since late December of 2015 and have immensely enjoyed the staff here as well as the clientele we serve. The atmosphere here has been amongst one of the best I have had the short privilege of working in. The providers are passionate about their work and truly care for their patients as nobody here is a number, but a unique individual with personal, customized plans. They don’t aim to treat symptoms, but to help get to the root cause and aid the body in healing itself. They aim for true well-being. It is an experience that ought to be experienced by yourself if you are, at all, a bit curious about what we have to offer!”

Patient Service Coordinator

“Hi all, my name is Chee Vang. I started working here in November 2015. I work at Zen Healing Center part-time and work full-time at Anthem, Inc. The past months that I’ve been here has been great. All the employees here are super friendly and helpful to one and another. Honestly, I’ve never knew how chiropractic works, but having Dr. Zen educating me and learning what he does to patients, has really helped me understand his technique of Gonstead.”

Patient Service Coordinator

My name is Matt Williamson. I began my journey at ZHC in May 2015. I have had a lot of fun learning from Dr Zen and Alice. I continually am driven to learn new innovative ways to help people heal. I have a variety of ways to accomplish this goal The most important part of my job is always understanding what the needs are of each individual person. The most rewarding part of my job is knowing that I am part of a team who is always doing their best to help people leave us healthier and happier.

Matt Williamson CMT, Cert. ART

Holiday Special at Zen Healing Center!

Click on the link below and you can print out our coupons for the Holidays!

Fall Special 2015 – COUPONS

 

Oriental Medicine Day!! @ Zen Healing Center

Large Intestine

Large Intestine

The large intestine is approximately five feet long and is one of the four major excretory organs of the body. It is a muscular tube that is the extension of the small intestine. No digestion or assimilation of food by-products occurs in the colon. At the end of the small intestine, the remnants of the digestive process resemble a thick liquid like oatmeal that is called chyme. There is a valve at the end of the small intestine that is supposed to prevent the back flow of this chyme into the small intestine where toxic material could be absorbed into the blood stream. While in the large intestine, the chyme is dehydrated to form either solid or semisolid feces. The muscles of the wall of the large intestine push this mass forward until it is stored just above the rectum and is held there by the Valves of Houston, also known as the rectal folds. When sufficient quantity of fecal mater has been stored, it is dropped into the rectum and then is expelled. The time it takes for food to be ingested, travel through the gastrointestinal tract and then be expelled is called the transit time. Normal transit time is 18 to 24 hours. The normal bowel movement should not contain recognizable food, be fairly well formed and be easy to expel. There should be no foul odor or be greasy.

The large intestine is the home of over 400 different microorganisms. In fact, there are so many living there that there are more cells in your colon than there are cells in your entire body. These microorganisms should be living harmoniously with you. There are two major healthy microorganisms in the intestinal tract. These are lactobacillus acidophilus and bifidus. Bifidus lives more in the large intestine and acidophilus more in the small intestine. Both of them live from the fermentable fiber in your diet. As they multiply in your intestine, they produce natural antibiotics that suppress the growth of many pathogenic organisms like salmonella, shigella, candida, E. coli and staphylococcus. It is the growth of the good bacteria that suppresses the growth of the bad bacteria.

Fiber is important for the maintenance of the good bacteria and speeds up the transit time. This is important because the longer fecal material is allowed to stay in the colon the greater the conversion of bile into carcinogenic compounds by the microorganism clostridia occurs.

The following are major factors that are important in maintaining normal large intestine function.

Eat fiber.  Whole grains, fruits and vegetables are good sources of fiber. Remember, the friendly bacteria in your intestines need the fiber for fuel. Without enough fiber they die of lack of food. The fiber also speeds up the transit time and helps reduce the chances of cancer of the colon.

Increase raw or undercooked foods. These foods generally contain enzymes that aid in the digestion of the food and also contain fluids and fiber.

Increase water intake. Your entire digestive tract depends on water to function. Every laxative does nothing more than get water into your colon.

Increase exercise. Notice how if you take a dog for a walk, after a sufficient length of time, the dog will defecate. Exercise aids in stimulating the action of the intestinal muscles.

Avoid overeating. Eating large meals can cause poor digestion and sluggish functioning of the muscles of the intestinal tract.

There are specific supplements that can be taken to aid in the normalization of your large intestine function. If these are indicated in your case, they will be suggested for your use. These may be indicated to increase the number and type of friendly bacteria, to suppress bad bacteria, to increase digestion, aid in the healing of the intestinal mucous lining or to aid in the lubrication of the lining of the large intestine.

At one meal, consume a food that can easily be spotted in the stool. Corn, beets or charcoal tablets are good examples. Do not chew the food any more than is needed to swallow it. Check the time it takes until you can see the food you ate in the toilet bowl.

Signs of a toxic bowel

• Constipation
• Hard, dry stools
• Excessive gas
• Foul stools or gas
• Abdominal bloating
• Diarrhea
• Indigestion
• Bad breathe
• Hemorrhoids
• Varicose veins
• Coated tongue
• Headache
• Fatigue
• Depression, irritability
• Skin disorders
• Joint pains

Lack of fiber causes Increased cholesterol levels

• Arteriosclerosis
• Stroke
• Hypertension
• Obesity

Internal Organ Clock

Each organ has two hours in a day where is runs at its fullest.  During those two hours you might experience some symptoms if the oragn has any imbalances. You might experience insomnia during specific hours of the night. You might expereince headaches during the same time each day.

Take a look at the 3:00 – 5:00 am time. It is the time of the Lung. The Lungs are always looking for nourishment, so during these two hours it is important to be sleeping and allowing the proper amount of time for your Lungs to nourish.

• 1:00 – 3:00 am = Liver
• 3:00 – 5:00 am = Lung
• 5:00 – 7:00 am = Large Intestine
• 7:00 – 9:00 am = Stomach
• 9:00 -11:00 am = Spleen
• 11:00 am – 1:00 pm = Heart
• 1:00 pm – 3:00 pm = Small Intestine
• 3:00 – 5:00 pm = Urinary Bladder
• 5:00 – 7:00 pm = Kidney
• 7:00 – 9:00 pm = Pericardium
• 9:00 – 11:00 pm = Triple Burner
• 11:00 pm – 1:00 am = Gall Bladder

Have fun and don’t forget to balance your body with acupuncture!

Strengthen Your Stomach and Spleen with Kimchi

Kimchi is a tasty way to enjoy some fermented goodness. I have to admit, when it comes to “hype” foods, I always give it a try. Few of these foods actually make the cut, but when it comes to Kimchi, my fridge will stay stocked and my stomach happy 🙂

Kimchi starts with a paste that is massaged into softened vegetables (mainly napa cabbage) and then sits in a jar to ferment. The fermentation process is great for the digestive tract. Eating Kimchi at night is a great way to let your stomach and spleen absorb all the good bacteria and vitamins. You can either purchase Kimchi from the store or make it yourself. Here is how I made mine.

• One napa cabbage
• 4 tablespoon of salt
• 1 tablespoon of sweet rice flour
• 2 tablespoons paprika
• 1 tablespoon red pepper flakes
• 4 tablespoons fish sauce
• 2 tablespoon sugar
• 1/4 medium sized onion
• 3 cloves of garlic
• 1/2 tsp of ginger

Dissolve the salt in 3 cups water. Add the roughly chopped napa cabbage, let sit for 3-6 hours or until soft. Once soft rinse the napa cabbage throughly, I rinsed for a good few minutes.

Make the paste: add the rice flour and 1 cup water to a small sauce pan. Over medium heat, stir until thickened (approx. 5 minutes). Bring the paste to a large bowl and add paprika, red pepper flakes, fish sauce, and sugar. Stir until well incorperated and let cool. Add the onion, garlic, and ginger and stir well.

Add the rinsed soft napa cabbage to bowl and massage paste into cabbage. Store the cabbage in a clean jar. If you decide to eat it now, YUM!, you will be eating fresh kimchi. Otherwise let sit in the fridge for the fermentation process to take place. As you eat the kimchi, press down the remaing kimchi further into your jar. Enjoy!

Recipe for Nourishing Your Immunity

Chinese Chicken Congee is an easy and delicious way to boost your immune system this fall. Congee is rice porridge that promotes the strengthening of your stomach, spleen, and Qi (energy).  Having a strong stomach and spleen is important when nourishing your immune system. It’s a great spin-off the classic chicken noodle soup when you are feeling a bit under the weather. Here’s the recipe!

Chinese Chicken Congee

1/2 lbs chicken thighs

1 cup long grain rice

9 cups chicken broth

1/4 cup sliced garlic

3 chopped scallions

2 inch piece of ginger thinly chopped

Salt and pepper

-Add all ingredients to a large pot and bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer and cover. Stir every 15 minutes. Cook for 1 – 1.5 hours depending on how thick you like your congee. You can add water if need be. Serve with a splash of soy sauce and nourish that Qi!

Have a beautiful week!

Are you positive and healthy?

Happy Monday! As the Acupuncturist at Zen Healing Center, I focus a lot on stress and how it impacts lives. Stress is a large cause of many of the emotional and physical symptoms that we experience daily and is something that can be worked on! Not sure if stress is affecting your health or well being? Ask yourself this…

Ever feel like you are slightly critical of yourself, or others? How many times a day do you find yourself being easily irritated? How many times a day do you praise yourself, or praise others? Praise is not something that must be spoken out loud, it can be something you say internally or write down in your journal. We grow up being taught that others are affected by our words and actions, but it is good to be reminded that you are just as affected by your own words. With this said, it is good (and easy!) to practice praising.  Just say 3 nice things to yourself (and others!) every day.

Example:

1. Good job at work today, you were very productive and made a difference.

2. Good job today for taking deep breaths and  letting your body relax, you really do deserve it!

3. Good job today for being a wonderful person and noticing the wonders in others around you!

The first few times you do this, it may feel silly, but if you keep it up you will find yourself feeling more positive about yourself and the world around you. Praising can help you to relax, slow down, and not be bothered by the little things. This practice is not about enhancing your ego, it is about becoming a positive being. With that said, remember to stay humble as you walk though this wonderful path!