Smoking and Your Health - To Quit Smoking Address Physical and Emotional Addiction to Help Reduce Your Chances of Getting Lung Cancer

The Truth about Smoking - Information Smokers Can't Afford to be Without

If you are a smoker, have a relative who smokes or children who may be tempted to take up the habit, please take the time to educate yourself on the facts.

Also, this information is vital to any woman who smokes and may be considering having a child.

Smoking and Your Health

Today, tobacco smoking is the cause of one-third of all cancer deaths and one-fourth of all fatal heart attacks in the United States alone. In fact, many degenerative diseases and illnesses are directly linked to cigarette smoking, such as lung cancer, chronic bronchitis, heart disease, emphysema, respiratory ailments, angina, diarrhea, heartburn, and peptic ulcers. From Chewing Tobacco, cancer of the mouth, throat, lip, tongue, larynx, esophagus, pharynx, and bowel. It is estimated that smoking is a factor in over 15% of the deaths in the United States. It is a proven fact that smoking is deadly. If you smoke you are shortening your life span by as much as ten to fifteen years.

Addictive Characteristics: Every time a person inhales a cigarette they take in some 4,000 dangerous chemicals, of which over 40 have been proven to cause cancer. Nicotine is one of these chemicals that are extremely addictive because when ingested it increases the natural release and levels of serotonin, dopamin, and norepinephrine in the brain and acts as a stimulant by increasing adrenaline production, which increases blood pressure and heart rate.

Nicotine is an addictive mood-altering drug that may be ingested by chewing, sniffing, or smoking cigarettes that generally creates a feeling of relaxation. Increased drug tolerance requires the continued greater use of Nicotine to get the same affect. The body soon develops a physical and psychological addicted to nicotine, meaning that stopping the ingestion of Nicotine produces withdrawal symptoms that may last.

Withdrawal symptoms may include:

Anger
Anxiety
Craving for Nicotine
Difficulty Concentrating
Frustration
Headaches
Increased Appetite
Increased Blood Pressure
Irritability
Reduced Heart Rate
Restlessness
Stomach Cramps

Smoking Affects on Nutrition - Smoking introduces nitrogen dioxide ozone into the body, which reduces the amount of vitamin C available to the body and damages the DNA. In combination, reducing the body's ability to fight off sicknesses and speeding the aging process, which becomes regularly apparent in poor skin texture, and the contributing factor to gum disease and many other ailments. Quitting smoking dramatically reduces the risk of heart attack, improves breathing, and improves the senses of smell and taste.

Keep in mind that acute cravings for cigarettes usually lasts no more than five minutes.
Keep in mind that with each passing success of not smoking, the cravings will be reduced.
When cravings strike in may be beneficial to exercise moderately or take a walk.
Be prepared with things to do when smoking cravings attack. This will take your mind off the cravings.
Do not go around or be around other people smoking.
Eliminate drinking of alcoholic beverages while quitting smoking.
Drink plenty of water.
Consume plenty of raw vegetables and fibers.
Avoid saturated fats, processed foods and sugars.
Avoid stress as much as possible during the quitting process.
Use a supplement that may require action at the time of craving both reducing the craving and creating and action that takes your mind off the craving.

This information courtesy of Herbal Remedies

Herbal Smoking Cessation Assistance

Smoke Free, Homeopathic - Smoke Free Tablets are a homeopathic combination to help reduce cravings and withdrawal symptoms from cigarette smoking. Smoke Free Naturally.

It may be beneficial to eliminate toxins with a colon and liver cleanser such as Truman's Best.

Also, read HealthyNewAge's article on detoxing and learn how to eliminate the toxins build up in your body from smoking.

Dealing with The Emotional Side of Smoking

Any smoker who has tried to quit without success can tell you that it isn't just a physical addiction but involves emotional responses as well. Smokers may light up when stressed, bored, or anxious.

These get to be very heavily ingrained impulses so I usually suggest that anyone trying to kick a long-time habit of smoking also consider counseling of some kind and/or a "stop smoking" support group (yes, they do exist!).

Other avenues of dealing with emotional impulses tied to smoking include the use of subliminal tapes and/or hypnosis tapes Both are very effective and which one you use is pretty much a personal choice.

If you like to be totally involved, hypnosis will probably work better because you can hear the words in the tapes. If your mind gets in the way and argues when you can hear the words, then subliminals might be more effective. I personally benefit from a combination of subliminal and hypnosis tapes in my own areas of healing.

Below are some good resources for help in this area:

Say "Now to Quit Smoking"

Stop Smoking Program from Hypnosis Potential summons forth the magical life force inside - now sweeping you clean of once self-denying delusions and enlightening you with a more gratifying perception of yourself - naturally, a fresh clean air breather - enjoying renewed health more energy free to breathe more easily.

EFT

Emotional Freedom Techniques, or EFT, teaches you how to quickly and painlessly heal emotional issues from your past and release emotions that get in your way today and tomorrow.

Our Shared Goals

Three universal goals most of us share are, to live longer, to live free of illness, and to control our weight.

Interesting enough, normal walking lets us achieve all three. In fact, walking may be man's best medicine for slowing the aging process. First, it works almost every muscle in the body, improving circulation to the joints and massaging the blood vessels (keeping them more elastic).

Walking also helps us maintain both our muscle mass and metabolism as we age. It also keeps us young in spirit. For anyone out of shape or not athletically inclined, walking is the no-stress, no-sweat answer to lifelong conditioning.

All it takes is a little time, common sense and a few guidelines. Unfortunately, there's a lot of misinformation floating around regarding fitness walking, weight-loss and dieting. Walking is one of the best exercise for strengthening bones, controlling weight, toning the leg muscles, maintaining good posture and improving positive self-concept. People who diet without exercising often get fatter with time.

Although your weight may initially drop while dieting, such weight loss consists mostly of water and muscle. When the weight returns, it comes back as fat. To avoid getting fatter over time, increase your metabolism by exercising daily.

To lose weight, it's more important to walk for time than speed. Walking at a moderate pace yields longer workouts with less soreness - leading to more miles and more calories spent on a regular basis.

High-Intensity walks on alternate days help condition one's system. But in a waking, weight-loss program, it's better to be active every day. This doesn't require walking an hour every day. The key is leading an active life-style 365 days a year.

When it comes to good health and weight loss, exercise and diet are interrelated. Exercising without maintaining a balanced diet is no more beneficial than dieting while remaining inactive.

The national research council recommends eating five or more servings of fruits and vegetables a day. Fruits and vegetables are the ideal diet foods for several reasons. They're relatively low in fat and calories, yet are often high in fiber and rich in essential vitamins and minerals. Remember that rapid weight-loss consists mostly of water and muscle - the wrong kind of weight to lose. To avoid this, set more reasonable goals, such as one pound per week.

Carbohydrates are high-octane fuel. They provide energy for movement and help raise internal body metabolism. They're also satisfying. The key is not adding high-fat toppings to your carbohydrates.

It's everyday habits which define our weight and body composition. A three-minute walk after each meal is worth four pounds less body fat annually. Two flights of stairs a day burns off half a pound of body fat in a year. On the other hand, one candy bar eaten daily will cost you 20 pounds annually.

Smoking and Your Health - To Quit Smoking Address Physical and Emotional Addiction to Help Reduce Your Chances of Getting Lung Cancer