Official Blog for Cedar Park Chiropractor Dr. Thomas Bynes

More Health Benefits of Green Tea

Cedar Park Chiropractor Dr. Thomas Bynes — Tue, 21 Jul 2009 22:38:16 +0000

Is there anything that green tea can’t do? The long list of positive health effects of drinking this flavorful beverage is astonishing, especially when you consider that many Americans have never had a single cup green tea. Enjoyed for many thousands of years in Japan and China, green tea keeps making the news recently for its wellness properties. The latest research shows a promising relationship between green tea and a “reduced incidence of prostate cancer.”

Due to the fact that cancer affects millions of men each year, this is incredibly important news. It must be noted, however, that if you are currently under a physicians care for any medical condition, prostate-related or otherwise, DO NOT discontinue or alter any prescribed medications that you are taking. Also, always check to make sure that your prescription drugs do not negatively interact with any herbs, vitamins, or other natural remedies. For example, if you are taking blood thinning medication, it is NOT recommended that you take green tea supplements or tea.

Cedar Park Chiropractor, Dr. Thomas Bynes has over 11 years of clinical experience in providing gentle Chiropractic care, Trigger Point muscle pain relief, nutritional counseling, dieting advice, and exercise training. In 2009, Dr. Bynes published the detailed weight loss and wellness book “Sinner to Thinner,” a one-stop resource for healthy living, available at Amazon.com.

Dr. Bynes specializes in light, non-force muscle and tendon treatments, which are wonderful for kids with pain and women with pregnancy pain. Each week at The Crossings Wellness Spa in Austin, Dr. Bynes presents a nutrition and weight loss lecture, as well as bi-weekly lectures at Fit 4 Life Wellness Center. For more information, or if you are trying to find a Chiropractor in Cedar Park, please visit www.Fit4LifeCenter.com or call 512-250-8118.

Health Risks of Not Brushing Your Teeth

Cedar Park Chiropractor Dr. Thomas Bynes — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 20:01:07 +0000

As the father of two small children, I can attest to the fact that “teething” is one of the most painful times of early childhood. Few things are more heart-wrenching than watching your baby struggle with tender, swollen, and painful gums. The good news, however, is that these painful times quickly pass, and with daily brushing, many people never have teeth issues again.

On the flip side, there are many children and adults who let their dental care slip a bit, which can lead to gum disease. The mildest form of gum disease is called gingivitis, which simply means that your gums or swollen or inflamed. According to the American Academy of Periodontolgy, gingivitis can be cured by improving your daily dental hygiene.

If left unresolved, gingivitis can worsen and lead to a condition called periodontitis, which can lead to gum infections, bone destruction and tooth loss. Now, as bad as this condition sounds, there is an even darker side to periodontal disease. Several years ago, the American Dental Association reported that gum disease is a likely risk factor for heart disease and stroke for adults under the age of 55, regardless of whether a person smokes or not.

Surprisingly, many Americans have no idea that their gums are diseased, even though the health effects are so grave. It is very important to have your teeth and gums evaluated at least twice per year to rule out dental problems, because a healthy smile could extend your life!

Chiropractic Doctor Thomas Bynes has over 11 years of clinical experience in providing gentle Chiropractic care, Trigger Point muscle pain relief, nutritional counseling, dieting advice, and exercise training. In 2009, Dr. Bynes published the detailed weight loss and wellness book “Sinner to Thinner,” a one-stop resource for healthy living, available at Amazon.com.

Dr. Bynes specializes in light, non-force pain relief treatments, which are wonderful for kids with joint or muscle pain and women with pregnancy pain. Each week at The Crossings Wellness Spa in Austin, Dr. Bynes presents a nutrition and weight loss lecture, as well as bi-weekly lectures at Fit 4 Life Wellness Center. For more information, or if you are trying to find a Chiropractor in Cedar Park, Leander, Austin, or Round Rock, please visit www.Fit4LifeCenter.com or call 512-250-8118.

Shocking Cause of Death in America

Cedar Park Chiropractor Dr. Thomas Bynes — Sun, 28 Jun 2009 20:17:31 +0000

100,000 deaths per year is A HUGE number. To put this into context, here are some common causes of death in America:

Blood infections: 36,000/year
Car Accidents: 40,000/year
Kidney Disease: 45,000/year
Influenza & Pneumonia: 56,000/year
Alzheimer’s: 72,000/year
Diabetes: 72,000/year

Can you guess what has just been found to be even deadlier than any of these well-known causes of death? According to a new Harvard University study, approximately 100,000 Americans die each year from Omega-3 deficiencies.

Yep, we’re talking about a simple dietary deficiency, which is now reportedly more life-threatening than blood infections, influenza, and pneumonia combined! This is shocking news, but hopefully this eye-opening research will alert more Americans to the vital importance of this “essential fatty acid.”

(Note: To read more about Omega-3 EFAs, please read my post on June 6, 2009, titled “Are You Looking for the Fountain of Youth?”)

Cedar Park Chiropractor Doctor Thomas Bynes has over 11 years of clinical experience in providing gentle Chiropractic care, Trigger Point muscle pain relief, nutritional counseling, dieting advice, and exercise training. In 2009, Dr. Bynes published the detailed weight loss and wellness book “Sinner to Thinner,” a one-stop resource for healthy living, available at Amazon.com.

Dr. Bynes specializes in light, non-force muscle and tendon treatments, which are wonderful for kids with pain and women with pregnancy pain. Each week at The Crossings Wellness Spa in Austin, Dr. Bynes presents a nutrition and weight loss lecture, as well as bi-weekly lectures at Fit 4 Life Wellness Center. For more information, or if you are trying to find a Chiropractor in Cedar Park, please visit www.Fit4LifeCenter.com or call 512-250-8118.

Bad Posture and Back Pain

Cedar Park Chiropractor Dr. Thomas Bynes — Sat, 27 Jun 2009 20:22:10 +0000

Growing up, I had 3 golden rules to follow: Chew with my mouth closed, always keep my hands washed, and always stand up straight. For some reason, the standing up straight rule always gave me the most trouble. My parents never let me slouch, however, and eventually I was able to develop good posture.

Now that I’m in my mid-thirties, I am truly grateful for all of those “looks” I’d get from my mother when I started slumping in a chair. The fact is, the development of our postural muscles begins very early in life, and like most things, bad habits are hard to break.

Not only does poor posture look bad, it can also create back problems such as muscle pain, joint stiffness, and spinal tenderness. Another possible result of poor posture is something called functional scoliosis, which is an abnormal curvature in the spine related to muscle spasms and postural deviations.

To make matters worse, everything is our body is interconnected. For example, a malfunction in your low back can affect your hips, which can make you walk abnormally, thereby hurting your knees, which then affects your ankles, and so on.

We all age a little each day, but the fact that we’re getting older doesn’t mean that we can’t live a pain-free life. Most of us can remember our parents telling us to stand with good posture, and like the old saying goes: “The older I get, the smarter my parents were.”

Does Iced Tea Cause Kidney Stones?

Cedar Park Chiropractor Dr. Thomas Bynes — Sat, 27 Jun 2009 01:01:12 +0000

Kidney stones are one of the most painful conditions a person can have. Simply trying to pass an over sized object through a much smaller structure sounds bad enough, but kidney stones also often have sharp spiky projections that make the experience utterly excruciating. Needless to say, figuring out how to avoid the development of kidney stones is a worthwhile venture.

By far, the most common cause of kidney stone formation is dehydration, especially during the hot, summer months. Chronically failing to keep your body properly hydrated with adequate fluids can instigate the formation of kidney stones, which are generally made up of calcium oxalate. In normal circumstances, our body is able to prevent excess calcium build up by flushing it out through our urine. When a person is dehydrated, however, the calcium can become highly concentrated and form into a crystallized “stone.”

Another common instigator of kidney stone formation is eating excessive amounts of foods such as nuts, spinach, and chocolate. What do these foods all have in common? Oxalates. As referenced above, calcium oxalate is the main component of most kidney stones. It goes without saying, therefore, that eating foods that are high in calcium oxalates is not a great idea if you are prone to developing kidney stones.

In related news, it has been found that drinking excessive amounts of iced tea can lead to kidney stone formation. Once again the culprit is the oxalates, which are present in iced tea. The frustrating part of this news story is the fact that drinking iced tea on a hot summer day should be a great way to NOT become dehydrated and develop kidney stones. Unfortunately, the new research shows that this is not the case, so to be on the safe side it may be wise to limit your intake of iced tea.

Instead, it has been shown that drinking “good old fashioned” water with freshly squeezed lemon juice is a much better way to stay hydrated and prevent kidney stones. The citric acid in the lemon juice can actually inhibit kidney stone formation, as well as providing you with a valuable vitamin C boost.

Now that summer is here, it’s time to protect your biggest investment: your body!

Is Fish Safe to Eat?

Cedar Park Chiropractor Dr. Thomas Bynes — Sun, 21 Jun 2009 17:27:42 +0000

Have you ever visited the ocean or a lake and noticed how disgusting the water is? If someone dared you to take a big gulp of the murky, fetid, and sewage-laced water, would you do it? Probably not, because you wouldn’t want to catch a disease, or ingest any toxic run-off from some industrial factory. Well, if you happened to be a fish, you wouldn’t have a choice. In the past 100 years or so, humans have managed to basically poison our earth’s waters with man-made chemicals and other earthly toxins.

Whether it’s from oil tanker spills, toxic sludge from manufacturing companies, or just good ol’ Larry changing his car’s oil and letting it wash down the drain, our planet’s water systems are now loaded with dangerous waste products. In turn, the fish that live in these waters absorb many of these toxins into their bodies. Once they have fattened themselves up with a steady diet of harmful chemicals, humans around the world catch the fish and enjoy them for supper.

The sad thing is that fish is one of the healthiest foods we can eat. Packed with lean protein and essential fatty acids (Omega-3), fish is vital part of any nutritious diet. It is therefore important to learn which fish are the safest to eat, and which fish should be avoided altogether. According to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, the fish that contain the lowest amount of the heavy metal mercury are crab, crawfish, spiny lobster, oysters, pollock, salmon, sardines, scallops, shrimp, tilapia, freshwater trout, and canned light tuna. Every other type of fish has either moderate and high amounts of mercury.

If you have children, you are pregnant, breastfeeding, or trying to become pregnant, it is very important to monitor your intake of fish. Mercury is a potent neurotoxin which can cause lasting damage to your children if over-consumed. It’s a shame that this topic even needs to be discussed, but unfortunately the industrialization of our planet has led to some terrible side-effects. The good news is that, as an informed consumer, you can still protect yourself and your family as much as possible.

How Often Do You Change Your Oil? (Excerpt From Sinner to Thinner)

Cedar Park Chiropractor Dr. Thomas Bynes — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 03:26:53 +0000

Why do more Americans get cancer and other serious diseases than ever before? The sad truth is that many people take better care of their car than their body.

We live in a world full of harmful air pollution, fried food, pesticides, mercury-filled fish, household chemicals, stress, and couch-potato-itis.

After thousands of years of simple existence, it appears that modern humans have become a victim of our own technological advances. Our bodies are overworked, exhausted, and loaded with foreign chemicals. It is no wonder that the rates of deadly diseases such as cancer are skyrocketing.

DANGER AHEAD
In the year 1901, approximately 1 out of every 8,000 Americans contracted cancer. Today, according to American Cancer Society statistics, 1 out of every 3 Americans will get cancer. By 2010, it is projected that 1 out of every 2 will be diagnosed with this potentially deadly disease. Even more disheartening is the fact that cancer now kills more children than any other disease.

Americans are also experiencing frightening levels of obesity, diabetes, heart disease, inflammatory conditions, allergies, and asthma. Th e “spark of life” still fl ickers inside all of us. Unfortunately, millions of Americans are fi nding out that an unhealthy lifestyle is causing their
inner-light to slowly dim or even burn out. Th ere is a silver lining though! Every day, more and more people are taking a stand against poor health and disease. As a wise person once said, “People are sick and tired of being sick and tired.”

Chiropractic Doctor Thomas Bynes has over 11 years of clinical experience in providing gentle Chiropractic care, Trigger Point muscle pain relief, nutritional counseling, dieting advice, and exercise training. In 2009, Dr. Bynes published the detailed weight loss and wellness book “Sinner to Thinner,” a one-stop resource for healthy living, available at Amazon.com.

Dr. Bynes specializes in light, non-force muscle and tendon treatments, which are wonderful for kids with pain and women with pregnancy pain. Each week at The Crossings Wellness Spa in Austin, Dr. Bynes presents a nutrition and weight loss lecture, as well as bi-weekly lectures at Fit 4 Life Wellness Center. For more information, or if you are trying to find a Chiropractor in Cedar Park, please visit www.Fit4LifeCenter.com or call 512-250-8118.

Sinus Infections Can Become Serious

Cedar Park Chiropractor Dr. Thomas Bynes — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 00:22:14 +0000

United States researchers reported today that at least 20% of toxic shock syndrome cases in children may be linked to sinus infections. This may come as a surprise to many people because sinus problems are so common (especially in the adolescent population). However, not all sinus issues are caused by a bacterial infection. For example, allergy sufferers are all too aware of the common symptoms of stuffy sinuses, sinus headaches, and sinus pressure. These same symptoms can be present with a sinus infection, so some people may not realize that their sinus problem is indeed serious.

Some things to look out for regarding sinus infections are fever, red, tender, inflamed cheek bones, the pain is worse if you are sitting or reclining, chronic toothache (with no teeth problems, or a chronic sore throat (often related to post-nasal drip). If you suspect that you or your child has a sinus infection, the best course of action is to visit a physician immediately. In most cases your doctor will be able to diagnose a sinus infection based on your medical history, but if necessary CT scan can be performed for a conclusive diagnosis.

As far as treatments go, sinus infections that are caused by a bacteria are generally treated with an antibiotic. You can also boost your healing time by promoting sinus drainage through facial massage, drinking plenty of water and hot tea, or using a steam vaporizer to help loosen the mucus. Another option is to use saline nasal sprays or a neti pot to help dry out the sinuses. The bottom line is that sinus infections can become serious health hazards, especially for children, so when it comes to getting evaluated, “it’s always better to be safe than sorry.”

Free Weight Loss Class Presented By Cedar Park Chiropractor, Doctor Thomas Bynes

Cedar Park Chiropractor Dr. Thomas Bynes — Sat, 13 Jun 2009 17:36:27 +0000

For Immediate Release: Cedar Park, TX (June 13, 2009) – Summer is here and there has never been a better time to lose weight and get in shape! If you are tired of the dieting “roller coaster” and you are looking for simple and effective weight loss tips, then save the date of Tuesday, June 23rd on your calendar. At 6:30 pm Dr. Thomas Bynes, of Fit 4 Life Wellness Center, will present a free, dynamic 30 minute talk called “Conquer Weight Loss: Tips You Can Use…Spare Pounds You Will Lose!”

Did you know that since 1980, the obesity rate has quadrupled for a large percentage of children? Additionally, according to the Centers for Disease Control, a whopping 66% of American adults are considered overweight or obese. It doesn’t have to be this way, but many people are confused, misinformed, and simply unsure of what to do when it comes to losing weight.

“Conquer Weight Loss” will explain why it is so easy to re-gain weight after your diet ends, and how to fight this frustrating problem. You will also learn simple ways to boost your metabolism for powerful fat-busting results, as well as how to stay in the “Fat Burning Zone” whenever you exercise.

During a recent interview on the “Ask Dr. DeSilva” radio show, Dr. Bynes outlined several scientifically proven weight loss methods for people of all ages and fitness levels. Now is your chance to see firsthand the proven tips for finally shedding those unwanted pounds so that you can look and feel better as soon as possible.

As a bonus, there will be organic, dark chocolate dipped strawberries, raffle prizes, and a grand prize, one-of-a-kind autographed copy of the movie “Hairspray,” signed by actress Amanda Bynes (Dr. Bynes’ younger sister). Seating is limited, so please RSVP to reserve your spot. For more information, please visit www.Fit4LifeCenter.com or call Dottie at 512-250-8118.

What’s the Deal With Fiber?

Cedar Park Chiropractor Dr. Thomas Bynes — Fri, 12 Jun 2009 02:07:18 +0000

If you look at most bread, cracker, and cereal packages these days, you’ll likely find the the word “fiber,” in bold letters. Every few years, the dieting industry promotes a new buzz word, until it is so heavily marketed that it becomes overkill. Ten years ago, the key word was “fat,” as is: low fat, less fat, fat-free, 1/2 the fat (you get the point). For the past 5 years the top word was “carbs.” The new kid on the weight loss block is fiber, and hopefully this one will have some staying power.

In my humble opinion, fiber is the single most important component of any weight loss and nutrition program. Eating fiber helps our body feel full for longer periods of time, which can ease food cravings. Fiber has been shown to decrease cholesterol levels in at risk individuals. Fiber is also important for digestion, because it helps move intestinal waste through our system.

Though it may come as a surprise to some people, there are actually two different types of fiber, soluble and insoluble. Scientifically, soluble fiber dissolves in water, but insoluble fiber does not. In practical terms, soluble fiber is important for lowering cholesterol and blood sugar levels, whereas insoluble fiber plays a bigger role in limiting constipation and aiding the digestive process.

Examples of foods rich in soluble fiber include oats, apples, barley, potatoes, legumes, strawberries, citrus fruits, green beans, and locust beans. Foods that contain insoluble fiber include whole grains, bran, vegetables, beans, and fruits with edible seeds. As a note of caution, it is possible to take in too much fiber each day, which can lead to diarrhea, intestinal discomfort, dehydration, and decreased vitamin absorption. A good rule of thumb is to consume less than 40 to 50 grams of fiber per day.

Cedar Park Chiropractor, Dr. Thomas Bynes has over 11 years of clinical experience in providing gentle Chiropractic care, Trigger Point muscle pain relief, nutritional counseling, dieting advice, and exercise training. In 2009, Dr. Bynes published the detailed weight loss and wellness book “Sinner to Thinner,” a one-stop resource for healthy living, available at Amazon.com.

Dr. Bynes specializes in light, non-force muscle and tendon treatments, which are wonderful for kids with pain and women with pregnancy pain. Each week at The Crossings Wellness Spa in Austin, Dr. Bynes presents a nutrition and weight loss lecture, as well as bi-weekly lectures at Fit 4 Life Wellness Center. For more information, or if you are trying to find a Chiropractor in Cedar Park, please visitwww.Fit4LifeCenter.com or call 512-250-8118.