Staying Healthy –


November 12, 2010

Quitting Smoking – Had a Relapse – 3 Steps to Stay on Track

Category: Quit Smoking – admin 9:25 am

What to do if you are quitting smoking but you have had a relapse. All is not lost just follow these 3 simple steps to get back on track.

It is important that you keep in mind that just because you have had a smoke of a cigarette you have not failed in your attempt to give up smoking you have merely had a slip or relapse. When I was giving up i had 3 small relapses and they were for very different reasons.

Step 1
Identify what caused you to have the cigarette and make an effort to avoid being in the same situation again.

Step 2
Do not think that because you have had one or two cigarettes you must go and buy more or finish off the rest of the packet, you do not need to because you are still a non-smoker.

Step 3
Keep in mind the reasons why you are quitting and if you have not done so write a list of all of the down sides to smoking and keep them with you. I found thinking just how bad everyone who had smoked a cigarette smelt kept me going.

These are just three steps to help you stay on track if you have had a slip, there are many reasons why you may slip and many more reasons why you should stay on track. I had a great support group within my friends and family and if I had a slip i always thought back to my reasons for quitting smoking which were mainly health related.

By Aarron Smith

How To Quit Smoking Cigarettes Naturally – Find Out How To Stop Smoking The Natural Way!

Category: Quit Smoking – admin 9:25 am

Do you want to quit smoking cigarettes naturally? If yes, then keep on reading. It is now believed that nicotine in cigarettes can create an addiction similar to that induced by drugs, such as heroin and cocaine. When we talk about tobacco, however, the term addiction should be understood in a broader sense that includes three different aspects:

  1. Physical addiction induced by nicotine that is responsible for the syndrome of abstinence.
  2. Psychological addiction: smokers may think of tobacco as a “friend” and view the ritual of smoking as part of their lives.
  3. Social addiction, based on the social pressure that urges someone to smoke (advertising, group pressure etc.).

If you have decided to quit smoking, keep in mind that withdrawal symptoms are inevitable. The addiction to nicotine is very difficult to break, because it is a very strong substance. Nicotine has a stimulating effect and reaches the brain within seconds, increasing the levels of dopamine. Normally the peak of the withdrawal symptoms occurs 24 hours after the last cigarette and then fades gradually.

Some of the withdrawal symptoms are:

  • Irritability
  • Hostility
  • Anxiety
  • Depression
  • Difficulty in concentrating
  • Slow heart beat
  • Increased appetite

Here is a small trick to overcome the withdrawal symptoms: when you feel the urge to smoke, drink as much water as you can to fill your stomach in order to relax the walls and alleviate the hunger caused by abstinence. In this way, you also favor the expulsion of nicotine through the urine and help your body to detoxify.

So, how do you quit smoking?

  • Stop making excuses: here are some common excuses: “Smoking relaxes me” – it only looks that way! In fact smoking is a stimulant that increases heart rate, “I do not have enough willpower” – quitting is not easy, but usually you only need to have enough willpower for a couple of weeks, until the withdrawal symptoms stop. Every year millions of people manage to quit this habit, even after multiple attempts, “I tried other times but failed”- most former smokers made more than one attempts, before succeeding.
  • Think of all the benefits: there are many benefits to stopping this nasty habit. You will breathe better, sleep better, have better dreams, snore less and increase your stamina and concentration. You will also reduce the risk of catarrh, pharyngitis, laryngitis, chronic bronchitis, pulmonary emphysema, circulatory disorders, stroke, impotence and cancer. If you are a woman, smoking is even more dangerous, because it reduces the possibility of getting pregnant, increases miscarriages and leads to an early menopause.

If you have decided that you want to stop this nasty habit, there is one homeopathic formula that can help you relieve the symptoms. It contains Abies Nigra that relieves hard cough and headache and fights nightly hunger pangs.

By John H. Jacobs

How to Quit Smoking Using Herbal Medicines

Category: Quit Smoking – admin 9:24 am

Do you wish to quit smoking? It can be a very difficult task for you to quit is because f the nicotine addiction. This deadly component has the capacity to make your body prone to a variety of diseases.

The hard task to quit smoking needs strong will power and a lot of support from your friends and family. This alone will not be enough at times for stopping this deadly habit. You can take the help of herbal medicines available in the market. There are many kinds of herbal medicines available in the market that will help you in your this regime.

For reducing your craving herbal medicines can contribute a lot:

• Herbal medicines will decrease your desire for nicotine. This it self will be a great help for stopping this habit.

• You will be also getting some problems like anxiety, depression as a result of sudden withdrawal from the chemical, herbal products will also help you to overcome these problems.

• There is also a greater chance for your body to increase the weight if you quit smoking suddenly, the products made from herbal components will also control the body weight by burning the extra fats in your body.

• Sudden nicotine withdrawal can also get you some memory problem and lack of concentration etc which can badly affect your daily routine, these medicines also has the capacity to control these problems and ensure a safe life without smoking.

There are also a lot of alternatives available in the market to help you to quit smoking like chewing gums and other cigarettes that contain less nicotine etc. But these are not as effective as it contain a less amount of nicotine in it. What is the point in shifting from a high dose of nicotine to a less dose of nicotine? It is always safe to use herbal product for quitting smoking.

By Nindu Jose

November 11, 2010

Stop Smoking Injection: If You’re Scared or Confused Read This!

Category: Quit Smoking – admin 9:23 am

The stop smoking injection is your one stop shop to help beat the cravings. The scary part about giving up is that a lot of people are able to do it for up to six months but a massive percentage just try one last cigarette and then reawaken the little monster inside.

Now the problem with most methods to give up is that person will start to use them in the mists of a very stressful time. Yes giving up can cause a lot of stress. So what happens is that you might decided to give up using the cold turkey method but as soon as you are a few hours in you will feel confused and like you have no ammo to beat the addiction

Everyone knows the risks of putting smoke into lungs everyday but the pull is so strong that we live in denial until the doctors says we have cancer.

Once you use the stop smoking injection you need to keep a few things in mind

- Giving up is a long process and you cannot expect it to work first time. With this in mind you can relax even if you stumble and just get right back on the wagon

- The most important thing is that you speak to your doctor and have a full check up before you have the injections. Often if you are taking other medication it will conflict with the stop smoking injections so this step is a must.

- You may feel a few weird side effects from the shots like dry mouth and a little depression but don’t worry about this. It’s completely normal and will fade in time.

- Soon after the injection you may feel the need to smoke but just make a packed with yourself that each time this happens you will go for a short walk before lighting up.

- In fact I would go one stage further and suggest that you schedule a short 20 minute walk every day.

- Another great idea if you are considering stop smoking injections is to find a friend who also wants to give up and have the shots together. That way you can talk about what you’re going through.

Final Thoughts.

If you’re looking for a fast way to quit the idea of have one stop smoking injection is very attractive. Speak to your doctor, do your full research and then go for it.

Giving up is the most important thing you can do in your life.

By Natalie Kaye

Simple and Effective Ways to Quit Smoking

Category: Quit Smoking – admin 9:22 am

There are different ways to quit smoking. This required a lot of mental strength and dedication also. There are a lot of withdrawal symptoms that will make it difficult for you to quit this habit. The nicotine present in the cigarettes is the harmful chemical that is imparting the addition to it.

The health risk of smoking is known by every one. Smoking has diverse effect on heart, lungs and kidney. The chance of mouth cancer is very high for regular smokers. It is a physiological and a physical addiction. There are many herbal products available in the market that is safer to use.

The natural herbs that are mentioned in Ayurveda can be best relayed on to for quitting smoking. There natural products can be used without the fear of side effects or allergies. They will not impart any side effects to people. The main herbs that can be used are Ocimum sanctum, Acorus calamus, Adhatoda vasica, Zingeiber Offcianale etc.

The herbal medicines will act the best to reduce your cravings for nicotine. This it self will do a great help to reduce the number of cigarettes you smoke. Anxiety problems and depressions will be haunting you when you initial quit this habit. The herbal products will help you to overcome all the psychological problems when you quit smoking.

There are also greater chances for your body to increase the weight soon after you stop this habit of smoking. This will be a major problem for the individual, so if you use herbal medicines to quit smoking these related problems of gaining the weight will also be controlled. The herbal products are easily available and cost effective compared to other medicines.

By Manu Thomas

60 Minutes To Quit Smoking

Category: Quit Smoking – admin 9:21 am

Many systems suggest taking drugs for weeks or months to quit smoking. Some methods reducing the amount you smoke over weeks. But did you know that you can quit smoking in just 60 minutes.

When you have been smoking for many years, and smoking many cigarettes per day it may feel a little insulting to have someone claim that they can help you to quit smoking in just 60 minutes.

Especially if you have tried unsuccessfully many times. It is easy to become despondent and believe that you are destined to always remain a smoker.

The 60 minutes to quit smoking approach recognises all these past issues, and approaches quitting cigarettes from a multi layered approach. Firstly we need to gather as much information about your smoking history and beliefs as possible.

Next we have to debunk some popular myths about quitting that have been propagated by pharmaceutical companies, the media and those smokers who have chosen unsuccessful methods to quit in the past.

The main part of the process includes hypnosis and NLP. There are multiple layers of suggestions offered, each designed to take you to a deeper awareness, whereby you can easily shake of your old limiting beliefs and take on new positive beliefs about being a non smoker.

The third part of the process is to further re-enforce the new beliefs and for the client to acknowledge they have quit for good. The last part is social proof. Telling others is a powerful way to increase the effectiveness of the entire process.

The good news is that you can become an ex smoker in just sixty minutes if you are given the correct guidance and support.

By Ian Newton

Why Should I Stop Smoking?

Category: Quit Smoking – admin 9:21 am

Would you like to know how to quit smoking? Uncountable number of individuals are asking the same question to themselves so you are not alone in this. Although there are a number of ways on how to stop it, none of them easy, but the real question should be “Why”.

Like mentioned, there are many ways to stop smoking and most of them are hard to follow that’s is the reason “Why” is the question you should ask yourself.

Why Should I Stop Smoking?

It will be easier for you both mentally and physically because you will be motivated to do so if you know the answer as to why you should stop today! What you can do is to start reading those cigarrette packs wherein they tell you that it is bad for your health.

That alone should give you the hint that these things will kill you. Another thing, you can start by perusing on cigarette smoking treatment.

You can then start taking those nicotine based patches and food supplements.

Nicotine-based product can do component of the job to support your stop smoking effort, but they do not solve the entire issue to suit your needs. On several situations, nicotine gum, patches or sprays can give craving as well.

You’ll need to be extremely mindful with usage, and closely follow the given directions that show you how you can progressively lessen the nicotine ingestion.

But knowing these can help you achieve what you always wanted, to stop smoking. Good luck to you

By Jack Flagg

Techniques To Make Stopping Smoking Simpler For You

Category: Quit Smoking – admin 9:20 am

Are there actually some effortless give up smoking cigarettes strategies out there? In fact, there is no instant technique that will make you stop devoid of lifting a finger. A recreation program and following a recreation program is nonetheless necessary.

There is lastly a way to stop using tobacco, which might not be easy, but comparatively less complicated. If you discuss to other individuals specifically smokers, they may discourage you and say that it’s difficult. But that’s not accurate. If you actually want to kick the practice, you ought to muster up some determination and really push via a program of assault. That, plus some helpful advice and guidance from different quitting methods obtainable will assist you be successful.

Those who say that it is absolutely difficult for smokers to quit smoking cigarettes are most probably also the individuals who are as well lazy and settled on the behavior to even make energy to give up. They keep declaring to other people what they say to on their own, that it is actually not possible.

For all those people who smoke out there who are set on stopping, do not let by yourself fall into that lure. Most likely, you don’t even remember why you started out smoking and that you recognize that it is actually self-destructive in much more methods than one. Stopping is possible and here are strategies that will assist you along.

A excellent method is to very first believe off and listing down all the advantages or reasons why stopping ought to be carried out. Just as they say: if there is a will there is a way. Listing items would support motivate you and clarify why you require to do it.

Yet another strategy for you is to keep in a home that is totally free from other smokers. Having to dwell with other people who smoke is this kind of a challenge because you will be constantly tempted by the smell and by the cigarettes lying around that you can quickly get.

You have to be warned that you will knowledge some withdrawal pains from nicotine. But not to worry, there are tons of nicotine patches and gums out there that will support you get by way of this issue. That will take care of the biological addiction, but you will still have to deal with the psychological dependency which is the greatest dependency of all.

By Elliotte Tillma

November 10, 2010

Quit Smoking Side Effects

Category: Quit Smoking – admin 9:19 am

Quitting smoking side effects are notorious and so are the dangers of smoking. In a sense, one can view smoking’s dangers as side effects themselves, with a big difference when compared to quitting smoking side effects. If quitting smoking effects get better after a while, and they do, the side effects of smoking itself, especially those disastrous and often fatal health effects, are almost always guarantied to get worse with time.

Looked at from that perspective, perhaps quitting smoking side effects are not so bad. At least they won’t kill you. But the popular conception of how hard it is to quit and the horrors that await the reformed smoker have some basis in fact. The trouble comes because quitting smoking side effects are both physical, in the classic sense of withdrawal, and psychological, where the component of “habit” has a very strong grip.

One reason smoking is so hard to quit is that nicotine is a very efficient drug and cigarettes are a very effective delivery system for that drug. Nicotine is a stimulant that binds aggressively with certain types of neurons. It does this so well, in fact, that it displaces some of the naturally occurring chemicals that ordinarily help to regulate mood and consciousness in the non-smoker. Part of the problem, then, is that it takes the body some time to start forming those natural bonds again, and while you are waiting for this process to get itself going, the quitting smoking side effects unpleasantly fill the void left by the lack of nicotine.

So what quitting smoking adverse reactions should you actually expect? It varies from person to person, but some are fairly common. Headaches are frequent, along with aches and pains in the stomach and, in fact, just about anywhere. Many people find that they cough more or that they are wheezy or short of breath after quitting. While this may seem like the complete opposite of what should be happening, it results from the body’s attempts to clean out all those years of smoking-induced junk.

Insomnia is another possibility. This may seem paradoxical given nicotine’s stimulant effect, but research has indicated that nicotine can actually deliver a mildly sedating effect and that the relative level of stimulation can be controlled, albeit subconsciously, by how the smoker inhales.

So far, those quitting smoking adverse reactions are the physical ones, seen more as part of nicotine withdrawal than as the result of psychological dependence. For the smoker, the difference is close to irrelevant. Both physical and psychological quitting smoking side effects are unpleasant experiences.

On the psychological side, quitting smoking side effects can include anxiety, irritability, fatigue and restlessness. It is not unusual for the ex-smoker to experience difficulty concentrating and to have trouble maintaining focus on the task at hand, especially for sustained periods. Many people find that they are more distractible and more vague and “spacey.”

It pays to remember, though, that some of the side effects of quitting smoking are actually positive. The senses of taste and smell start to improve quickly. The coughing and wheezing clear up once the body gets a chance to clean house. The wallet starts to get a little fatter once the daily smoking outlay goes away. It pays to focus on some of these good “side effects” while getting prepared to deal with the bad ones.

By Richard Schlicht

Smokin’ Hot: Are You Cooking With Extra-Virgin Olive Oil?

Category: General – admin 9:17 am

I use extra-virgin olive oil liberally and indiscriminately. It goes into salad dressings, marinades and the bottom of frying pans; it’s drizzled into the blender for hummus, dumped onto vegetables for roasting and smeared over cast iron pans. I love the smell, the olivey flavor and the sound my over-priced tin makes, which I bought because I loved the design and which I now decant my cheaper olive oil into.

I’ve started to realize, though, that my promiscuous ways may have a downside. The “smoke point” of an oil (the temperature at which it begins to burn and decompose) is quite low for extra-virgin olive oil (320 degrees Fahrenheit), in fact it’s 50% lower than both the more refined/processed extra-light olive oil as well as corn oil.

Why does this matter? Because at the smoke-point the oil starts to give off gaseous fumes, its flavor deteriorates and nutrients are diminished. It’s not that it’s so terrible to use an oil over it’s “smoke point”, its just that you’re no longer getting the qualities of the oil that you likely chose it for in the first place. I still sometimes use butter, for browning meat, for example, even though I know it might smoke, simply because I’d rather a hint of sweet butter even at the risk of a whiff of sweet smoke.

As a rule of thumb, vegetable oils tend to have a higher smoke point than animal fats (you can cook corn oil at higher temps than butter), and more refined oil has a higher smoke point than less processed ones (canola olive can withstand high temps but flax seed oil can’t and “light” olive oil is more stable than the pure stuff.)

It should also be noted that coconut oil is a saturated fat (like butter and lard) and for some people, consuming it, can lead to a rise in cholesterol levels. There is increasing evidence, though, that high cholesterol is not a cause of heart disease and consuming whole foods with high levels of cholesterol (butter, eggs) do not raise ones chances of getting disease. Excessive levels of trans-fats as well as gross over-consumption of all food, will get you sicker much faster than a dollop of butter in the pan.

By Michelle Madden