quit smoking | save your life

Time to Quit Smoking

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 17 Jul 2013 18:44:00 +0000

When somebody decides that it's time to quit smoking, it is best to start immediately. However, how can you stop smoking when you have been smoking for a number of years? Tobacco is extremely addictive and a very difficult addiction to break, even more so than cocaine. Tobacco contains the substance called nicotine which is addictive to both the mind and the body, a form of chemical dependence, similar to what affected Michael Jackson and led to his death.

Each time you smoke a cigarette, you eliminate five to twenty minutes from your life, hence the term coffin nails. Tobacco weakens your body, leaves you with halitosis, yellow teeth, dry skin, lower bone density, fertility problems that will inevitably affect your sexual health as well as an increased risk of being inflicted with deadly diseases such as cancer, heart disease, osteoperosis and COPD (emphysema). Smoking is costly and will reduce one's life considerably.

Methods to quit smoking can be found in several places and there are also a variety of medications that can be prescribed. Some smokers are prescribed nicotine replacement modalities such as nicotine gums, nicotine patches, lozenges, inhalers, etc. But the problem with all these is that they deal mainly with the physical aspect of what smoking does to the body. Understanding this fact, that the mind becomes quite addicted to pleasures of smoking as well.

The hardest part of quitting smoking comes when trying to deal with the mind. A smoker's mind usually becomes convinced that their happiness, enjoyment and leading a stress free life, all depend on smoking. Understanding this fact is just one of the key pivotal issues in quitting smoking.

The first thing to do to quit is to set a definite time to quit smoking. Circle the date on a calendar that you and everyone in your home see several times a day, and circle your quit smoking date with a red marker. Between now and then, prepare yourself to quit smoking by creating a timeline of items such as when you'll buy your last pack of cigarettes, clean and get rid of all the ashtrays and other smoking related items. If you smoke a lot while sitting at your computer or watching TV, try to change the room in which you do these things, and don't smoke in that room, so your don't associate smoking with that room.

There are also fun things to do once you've set a time to quit smoking. Make plans for rewarding yourself with a weekend getaway, buying new clothes or that new computer you want, using the money you would have spent on cigarettes. Don't laugh! Even if you smoke just one pack of cigarettes each day, at the cost of $3.50 per pack, you'll save $1,277.50 per year after you quit smoking.

One of the most important things to bear in mind when attempting to quit smoking, is the cessation of such connections in the mind. Smokers believe that they need to smoke a cigarette to help them deal with daily issues. Once you are able to overcome this problem, in time your mind will learn to deal with daily activities without needing a cigarette.

A good piece of advice when trying to quit smoking can be to seek counseling sessions and get advice from someone who is an ex-smoker, ie a person who has undergone a similar experience. Talking about your fears about quitting smoking and thereby relieving the doubts you have by going to such sessions can be beneficial to anyone who is trying to quit smoking.

Quit Smoking Motivation

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 17 Jul 2013 18:43:00 +0000

The best motivation to quit smoking for me was reading about the facts. 99% of people who want to stop smoking, want to do so because they know it is bad for them. Below you can see my list of how bad it really is, and how fast your body will start to repair itself after you stop smoking.

Lung Cancer
90% of all lung cancer victims are smokers. Almost everyone who gets diagnosed with lung cancer quits smoking immediately. Don't wait that long. If you quit smoking today your risk of lung cancer will go down by the day. After 10 years the risk will have halved.

Live 10 years longer
The life of a smoker is on average 8-10 years shorter than a non smoker. No matter how old you are, you will have huge benefits of quitting smoking. Your risk of ill health will be reduced significantly.

No more Coughing
Long time chair smokers have problems with chronic cough. If you stop smoking today it will take 3 to 12 month before your cough is completely gone.

Disabled Blood
When you smoke you put carbon monoxide in your red blood cells. This means about 15% of your blood's oxygen capacity is removed. If you stop smoking today your body will repair itself in 2 days.

3,500 Chemicals
A cigarette has 3,500 chemicals in it. This damages your never throughout your body. If you stop smoking today it you body will start to repair is itself right away. This means you sense of taste and smell will sharpen.

High Blood Pressure
High blood pressure is know as the silent killer. It puts you in a much higher risk of heart attack and heart disease. Most middle aged smokers have high blood pressure. A lot of people don't even know it. If you stop smoking today your blood pressure will start to go down without any other intervention.

Visual Motivation
A quick search on Google Images for the search term "smoking lungs" should give your motivation a little boost.

If this list doesn't motivate your to quit smoking I don't know what will. There are tons of quit smoking products available. Sadly most are not really that successful.

Quit Smoking Support

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 17 Jul 2013 18:43:00 +0000

There are many n-ways that you can find rest and enjoyment in this life. For some people this rest comes in the form of smoking. The false paradigm of smoking makes people fell good about themselves without beholding how much of trauma they are doing to their bodies. When they realise this fact there are diverse ways and help of getting out of the coils of smoking.

One truly helpful way is to find a support group. With help to stop smoking support will forestall you from succumbing to the dependence of nicotine. Since many of us truly don't pay any attention to the versatile support groups which are about it is not surprising that you will not see any stop smoking support groups at first glance.

To find these groups there are some resources that you can look into. The first of these will be from your doctor. As these individuals will have a good idea of the many adverse effects of smoking they will know of some quit smoking support groups that you can get help from. The classifieds are so far another option to finding support groups which can help you with the cravings that you will get from not smoking.

The Net is however another option to finding these support groups that you are looking for. Once you have found all of the data it is critical that you make the effort to travel to one of these to quit smoking support groups. The help that you will have will enable you to realistically drop-off your dependence to smoking.

You will be able to hear and talk with former smokers who have gone through all of the trials which come with quitting smoking. The info that you get from these support groups will admit which type of stop smoking method is a good one for you to try. You will get to see the advantages and disadvantages which are found in each of these methods which are exploited these days to fight smoking.

When you become more easy with acknowledging your dependence to nicotine founded substances, then accepting the help from your support group will be easier. There is one very crucial way that a quit smoking support group can be of help. This is by having group members who are conformable to help new members deal with the strains of smoking withdrawal.

You must understand that the reason people smoke is not because they are stupid or mean or obnoxious or they wish to hurt their friend and families, but because they are human and they make mistakes. Smokers can be found guilty of experimentation with a highly dangerous and addictive drug - nicotine. You have to understand this point when you are trying to help with your quit smoking support, most people began smoking before they knew the risks and when they realized the dangers they tried to quit.

Ex-smokers' support

An ex-smoker may offer more than understanding, patience and love he can be a credible source and highly supportive with the individual who is trying to quit smoking. He/ she know what smoking it was like and how much better the life as an ex-smoker is and can share the knowledge.

If you are an ex-smoker and you are offering quit smoking support don't be afraid to share your thoughts with the "quitters". If you still think of smoking a cigarette tell them, but explain them what the thoughts are like. They occur quite infrequently and when they do they last only seconds; are passing desire rather than painful episode like those encountered during initial cessation.

Deal with new situations

People who give up cigarettes want to know the natural evolutionary process from smoker to ex-smoker. After the first two weeks the urges they encounter are no longer physical withdrawal effects, but rather they are reacting to a psychological trigger. For the first time they are experiencing a new situation without a cigarette, but after the urge will pass they will know how to face all future experiences with no discomfort.

Quit Smoking Side Effects

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 17 Jul 2013 18:42:00 +0000

There are a whole host of quit smoking side effects and not all of them are pleasant. Besides the obvious health benefits, there are also a number of side effects associated with withdrawal from nicotine. Coupled to this, if you quit smoking using a medication such as zyban or chantix, you may pick up some other drug related side effects.

The most obvious reason why people quit smoking is for the health benefits but what are they specifically?

Notably, blood pressure, heart rate and lung efficiency all improve very quickly after quitting smoking - in a matter of days. Nicotine levels and carbon monoxide levels in the blood return to natural levels with in a couple of days. These are very positive quit smoking side effects.

Smokers will also develop a much better sense of taste and their breathing may well become easier. However, one frequently reported quit smoking side effect is the amount of coughing some ex-smokers suffer from. In my own experience, I found the first six months to be a rather cough filled period of my life. It was all 'wet' as the cilia (the little hairs in you lungs) got to work clearing 20 years of tar out of my lungs! I also contracted more colds that winter than ever before but that could be for completely different reasons.

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.

You Can Quit Smoking

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 17 Jul 2013 18:42:00 +0000

Quitting cigarettes was one of the hardest things I have ever had to do in my life. I started smoking in my teens and quit a few times only to pick the habit back up eventually. It was not until my mid-thirties that I was finally able to quit for good. Perhaps my experience mirrors your own. By sharing some quit smoking tips that worked for me, my hope is that you will be able to quit cigarettes for good as well.

Set a quit date and commit to trying to kick cigarettes starting on that day. Giving up cigarettes was something I had in the back of my mind, but until I set a firm date it was nothing more than an occasional, passing thought.

Tell your doctor and get help from others. My doctor was very helpful in terms of recommendations and tips. My friends and family were very supportive and encouraging as well. My doctor gave me advice on different methods, medicines and replacement products as well as numbers to call for support. My health insurance provider sponsored a quit smoking workshop that I attended and met people from a local support group. Asking for help opens doors to a wealth of quit smoking resources.

To deal with cravings, try a nicotine replacement therapy or ask your doctor if medication would be right for you. Nicotine gum, patches or lozenges are sold over the counter and widely available for purchase online, at pharmacies and other stores. They work by supplying the nicotine your body craves without the harmful substances you also get from smoking. You slowly wean yourself off of the replacement. Prescription medicines that do not contain nicotine, are also available to help fight withdrawal symptoms and nicotine cravings. My doctor prescribed Zyban for me and I feel as though it helped a great deal. There are side effects and warnings associated with Zyban and other quit smoking pills so make sure you discuss them with your doctor.

If you slip, forgive yourself and try again. It took me several tries before I was able to quit smoking cigarettes. You can do it so do not give up. For a time, I felt powerless and destined to be a smoker forever. I felt terrible for not being able to quit. You have to keep trying, however. Understand that nicotine is highly addictive and smoking is one of the most difficult habits to break. Remind yourself of all of the benefits to quitting and keep on trying.

As a smoker it is critical that you stop listening to anyone who tells you how difficult it is. There is a myth that quitting cigarettes is harder than hereon. But we do not see rehabilitation clinics for smokers.

Smokers don't curl up in the foetal position on the floor, throwing themselves at the walls, screaming in pain, suffering vomiting or diarrhoea. No smokers might feel angry, or get headaches, they might feel cravings in their stomach.

There has been so much incorrectly said and believed about smoking that many smokers become convinced that it will be very difficult or that they may never succeed.

One of the most common comments that rapid change hypnosis ex smokers say is that they can't believe how easy it was, and that they wish they had done it years before. So why smoke for one day longer than you need to.

Ways To Quit Smoking

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 17 Jul 2013 18:41:00 +0000

Giving up nicotine, whether its in the form of a cigarette, cigar, pipe or whatever else, is a challenge which many doctors and researchers believe is on a par with giving up Heroine. It really is such an addictive substance that the pain and suffering a smoker can go through when in the withdrawal phase is quite unbearable for most people. Anyone who has been a smoker and given up successfully will confirm this if you ask them, most people say it is the hardest thing they have ever done in their entire lives.

Part of the reason is the chemical dependence their body has on nicotine, but this is not the only reason. Another, often understated reason is that society still to this day views smoking as a very acceptable thing to do. Despite all the modern legislation, for example in Europe where it is illegal to smoke in a public place these days, it is still deemed "cool" or somewhat glamorous to smoke a cigarette. Past films like Die Hard still have a strong and lasting effect on the modern psyche, especially with the youth of today. Watching Bruce Willis flick open his Zippo lighter to light up a "cancer stick" while making some cool quip or amusing comment about his arch enemy, it still has a very impacting influence over anyone watching.

For anyone considering giving up smoking but wondering what method to use and how to go about those first few days, the hardest days of all, here are seven useful tips to help get you on the healthy path to being smoke-free at long last:

Change your social habits. Not enough is mentioned about this in stop smoking advice manuals and the like. Anyone who has smoked for a few years or more will know only too well that half of the reason behind most of the cigarettes they light up is socially motivated. You get to know other smokers, and you maybe have a routine of going out for a smoking break at work, or having a smoke after your meal at a restaurant. This is one hugely important thing you have to change before you quit smoking, or the same day at the very latest. You don't have to insult your friends so don't feel worried about it, just tell people you plan to quit smoking and you will be changing a few of your habits for a while to help you get away from a smoky environment. Any real friend will understand and support you.

Start chewing gum. It is a proven fact that chewing gum helps satisfy the same area of the brain which finds satisfaction from smoking. It is this repetitive type of action which will help keep the urges to a minimum when you are really struggling to stay clear of the tobacco for the first few days. Every time you have an urge, pop a piece of gum in your mouth and you will be surprised how much it will help you forget about the craving.

Use a patch. Nicotine patches are one of the most successful stop smoking aids. By having a constant drip feed of nicotine, you will certainly reduce your urges for nicotine, and in some cases people find the urges go away altogether. Patches can be obtained via your doctor in most countries, and often for free in Europe under government campaigns to reduce the number of smokers in society.

Get yourself a nicotine inhaler. Any device you can find which gives you nicotine but in a cleaner form than tobacco, is sure to help as these devices help people every single day. Nicotine inhalers are good not just for the nicotine they provide, but more importantly due to the means by which you are ingesting the nicotine, via your mouth. This really helps people with "twitchy" fingers who feel like they need something in their hand and in their mouth. A quick suck on an inhaler will instantly send nicotine to your brain, satisfying the urge immediately and also satisfying the subliminal desire to suck on something.

5. Try hypnosis. No don't be afraid of the unknown! In one survey conducted in London a few years ago, over 60% of people who quit smoking using hypnosis, did so when they expected it would not work. In other words, more than half of the people who became smoke free via this method, had no faith in it working whatsoever. So this clearly denies the argument of it being a "Placebo" method, it really can and does work for many people. It doesn't work for everyone, but that is due to the mind being different in all people. The best thing to do is find a hypnotherapist who offers a money back guarantee, and then you have nothing to lose but everything to gain.

Set yourself a date to give up smoking. This may sound obvious, but its so commonly omitted by quitters. The reason is clear, avoiding the day they fear will be the hardest of their lives, and in many cases this is true, but if you seriously want to quit, you should be able to force yourself to pick up a calendar, and set a date. Give yourself around a month before giving up, this enables you plenty of time to arm yourself with all the devices you can think of, tell your friends you are giving up, and tidy up your house of all those ash trays and remnants of your past history of smoking!

Exercise. I saved the best for last. Exercising even just a little each day, is one of the true secret keys to helping you stay clear of tobacco after your finally give it up for good. Depending on your fitness level, any light exercise for thirty minutes per day which causes you to breathe about twice as fast as normal, will do wonders for your feelings of good health and happiness within your own mind. This really can be a superbly powerful technique to help you not just stay off the smokes, but to actually enjoy doing so. When you have been for a light jog, a ride on your bike, a brisk walk with your dog, a half hour swim or whatever else, you will feel the wonderful feeling of your lungs working cleaner and more efficiently every single day.

Quit Smoking Timeline

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 17 Jul 2013 18:41:00 +0000

Is there anyone in the United States who hasn't heard or read at least one "You Might Be a Redneck" jokes? I doubt it. They're easy to remember and to repeat to friends, not to mention tremendously funny! Something not so funny is the tolls smoking imposes on your life and your family. So I'm going to tell you how to know when it's time to quit smoking.

You know it's time to stop smoking if you spend more money on cigarettes than you spend on food.

If you hack up a lung before you have your first morning cigarette, when you climb a flight of stairs, or find yourself gasping for air during any kind of moderate physical exertion, you know it's time to quit smoking.

If your car refuses to start until lit a cigarette, you know it's time to quit smoking.

When you have such bad dragon-breath that even your dog won't kiss you, you know it's time to quit smoking.

When the school principle sends a note home with your 6 year-old threatening to notify child protection services because your kid smells so strongly of cigarettes you must be letting him or her smoke, you know it's time for you to quit smoking.

When you get lung cancer or have a heart attack or stroke, you know it's time to quit smoking.

First Two Hours

Within the first couple of hours after you quit smoking, your blood pressure and heart rate will decrease to normal levels. In addition, your circulation significantly improves, and you might notice a warming sensation in your hands & feet.

After Eight Hours

Carbon monoxide is among the lethal substances contained in cigarette smoke. Thus, smokers have toxic levels of this substance in their blood. However, once you quit, the carbon monoxide in your blood begins to drop in just 8 hours. As your body's carbon monoxide decreases, your oxygen increases to optimal levels.

Twenty-Four Hours After

At 24 hours after cleansing your body of cigarette smoke, your risk for heart attacks considerably decreases.

After 48 Hours

At 48 hours in the timeline, you begin to experience the worst symptoms of withdrawal. A nervous regeneration takes effect, initially reducing your sense of smell and taste, but then later improving them from this point forward.

At 2-3 Weeks

Within 2-3 weeks after quitting, your circulation will show significant improvement. You will be able to perform physical activities and strenuous exercises with ease. Covering long distances on foot will no longer be a problem. The function of your lungs will also greatly improve, with coughing and phlegm reduced.

At 1-9 Months

Lung regeneration occurs in the next 1-9 months of your quit smoking timeline. The tiny cilia cells present in your lung structure start to develop and function again. You will experience a general improvement in your breathing, and your sinuses will become healthy once more. At this point, you will feel more alert and less tired.

The 1 Year Mark

In about a year, your risk factor for cardiac disease or heart attack is decreased by 50% in comparison to when you were still smoking.

In the Long Run

In the long term, here are some points to consider: After 5-15 years, you are still as much at risk of getting a stroke as someone who has not smoked in his/her entire life. After 10 years, you have a lesser risk of getting lung cancer or other types of cancer (e.g. pancreas, esophagus, bladder, kidneys, throat, mouth, etc.) that usually attack smokers. In 15 years, your risk of experiencing a heart problem (coronary disease or heart attack) is reduced to the level of a nonsmoker.

After Quit Smoking

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 17 Jul 2013 18:40:00 +0000

There are many benefits to those who have quit smoking. Some benefits are gained within minutes while other benefits will not happen for years. These benefits range from fresh breath to decreases in chances of getting certain cancers. Please keep in mind that many benefits after quit smoking cannot be put on a time line, such as the lack of smell on clothes, in your vehicle, house and other areas. The below paragraphs are general measurements, it may take more or less time for a specific person, that apply to people who quit smoking without the aid of cessation products.

Within the first day of quitting you begin to see some positive changes, within 20 minutes your blood pressure and pulse rate begin to normalize. Also in the first day your blood oxygen levels return to normal and the amount of carbon monoxide in your system will drop to normal. You most likely will reach your anxiety peak during the first twenty four hours as well, so it only gets better from here!

Plan for the symptoms to continue for about 8 - 12 weeks after you quit smoking before you a really start to think and feel as an ex-smoker. The normal conditions that you can expect to experience are nausea, headaches, short temperedness and thirst, which your body actually often confuses with hunger. These symptoms will peak at about 48 hours after you last puff of smoke, and will dissipate over time. Some side effects, however, may linger as long as 6 months, but generally not nearly at the level you experience right after you quit smoking.

Almost immediately after your last cigarette your blood pressure will start to decrease, your hear rate slows, ad your hands and feet may start to feel warmer. As a result, you may start sweating more and may even feel slight tingling in your hands and feet as well.

After about 8 hours of your last cigarette, the carbon monoxide level in your blood returns to normal and the oxygen that flows through your blood also returns to a stable level.

When you make it past the 48 hour mark, your nerve endings in your lungs actually start to heal and reproduce, and your senses come alive as your ability to taste and smell improves tremendously. As the lungs start to repair themselves, you may experience some cold-like symptoms. Your throat could become soar, and might cough up some heavy mucus or have other respiratory problems. This is completely normal.

Withdrawal symptoms may also include restlessness or insomnia, a felling of being in a state of confusion, irritability, short-temperedness, anxiety and irritability. Studies show that people tend to go through a period of depression and can have extreme mood swings when they quit smoking and suffer from nicotine withdrawal as well.

It's important to understand what you will experience after you quit smoking in order to plan your end date appropriately. By being aware of the potential symptoms you may experience, you can also mentally prepare yourself for a tough road ahead. When you expect the worst, you'll be pleasantly surprised and find it easier to reach your goal.

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What Happens When You Quit Smoking?

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 17 Jul 2013 18:37:00 +0000

Quitting smoking is one of the best decisions you can make to improve your overall health and well-being, however, you may wonder what happens when you quit smoking. Although it can be hard, the benefits are extensive and well worth the effort and knowing what to expect can make the process easier. Read on to learn what happens when you quit smoking.

Side Effects

What happens when you quit smoking initially depends on the method you use. The nicotine found in cigarettes is highly addictive and you will most likely experience withdrawal symptoms and cravings when you quit. If you quit cold- turkey, the side effects of quitting can be more intense than if you use the assistance of smoking cessation drugs. Withdrawal symptoms may include headache, intestinal distress, tingling of the extremities, sweating, insomnia, anxiety, irritability, and weight gain. Remember, these side effects are temporary.

Immediate Benefits

You may wonder what happens when you quit smoking in other areas of your life. Quitting brings about many immediate positive benefits. Your teeth will get whiter, your breath fresher and your skin will appear healthier. Your hair and clothes will no longer smell stale and smoky. In addition, your damaged sense of taste will begin to return to normal and you will enjoy eating food more. You also will no longer have to leave your family and friends to have a cigarette or worry about avoid exposing them to secondhand smoke.

Quit Smoking Timeline

The American Cancer Society has developed a timeline to show what happens when you stop smoking. Within the first 12 hours of quitting, your heart rate and blood pressure drop and carbon dioxide levels return to normal.

Within three months, circulation and lung functions increase. Within nine months, lung function is returning to normal. One year after quitting, the risk of heart disease is cut in half and within five years, the risk of oral, esophagus, and bladder cancers is cut in half and stroke risk is greatly reduced. Finally, ten years after quitting, lung cancer risk is also cut in half.

Other Benefits

In addition to the health benefits of kicking the habit, there are some other welcome benefits. Improved looks and not worrying about offending others when smoking may increase your self-esteem. Worrying less about your health can cause you to feel more relaxed. In addition, money once spent on cigarettes can now be put towards something else or saved. Putting that money away for retirement is a great option.

Of the many wonderful things that happen to you when you quit smoking, reducing the likelihood of stroke and heart attack should be high on anyone's list of useful benefits. Smokers are as likely to suffer a stroke as non-smokers after only 5 years off the cigarettes. Your chances of heart disease also plummet once you quit. In fact, after 15 years, the risks of heart disease in ex-smokers is as low as it is in non-smokers.

One final thing that happens to you when you quit smoking is the reduced likelihood of contracting cancer. Most people think that smokers only really run the risk of contracting lung cancer but there is more to it than that. Smokers run a seriously increased risk of throat cancer, mouth cancer, tongue cancer, oesophageal cancer, kidney cancer, liver cancer, pancreatic cancer, bowel cancer, bladder cancer and stomach cancer. Many of them have very poor treatment rates and are very painful. Stopping smoking reduces the risks associated with all of these potential cancers.

So, what happens to your body when you quit smoking is pretty much all positive. There are reduced risks of smoking related diseases, which are nearly all fatal. There are improvements in general health through the improved environment that you body exists in when it is not puffing away on smokes. Finally, there are some other positives in the sense that your complexion will improve, the brightness of your eyes, the colour of your skin will improve and of course your bank balance will also have a positive. All in all, I can't think of a good reason why anyone should think about not quitting smoking.

Quit Smoking For Free

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 17 Jul 2013 18:33:00 +0000

Let's get right to it. You can quit smoking for free. That's right. You don't need to purchase patches or gum. You don't need to enroll in an expensive program. You can stop smoking for free if you simply create a plan and then implement your plan.

Even if you are not ready to quit today, or tomorrow, or next week, you need to create a plan so that when the time comes to stop smoking cigarettes, you already have a quitting timeline as well as a step-by-step plan to successfully stop smoking.

The first component of your plan will consist of the all the reasons you want to quit. You need to develop a clear understanding of your motivation to quit before you will be able to successfully quit forever. Unless you put it in writing, it's not a plan - it's just a dream. So, commit your reasons to writing and they form the basis for your plan.

I suggest you carry a 3x5 index card with you at all times. Create your list on this card and add to it each time you think of another reason to stop smoking. This index card will form the basis of your plan. While it is possible to stop cold turkey, it is more likely that you will achieve success at quitting by developing your list of reasons to quit over a period of time. You might add to your list over days, weeks, or months. It really doesn't matter how long it takes. As long as you continue to recognize your reasons to quit and as long as you review your card on a regular basis (preferably every day), those reasons will ultimately form the basis for your decision to finally quit.

When the time is right, pick a day to quit. Make sure it's reasonable that you will be able to get through your first, second, and third day without a cigarette. For example, New Year's Eve is probably not the best time for most people to quit. Try to pick a time where you have several days in a row that are low-stress, low-involvement days.

When I finally quit smoking (after 20 years), I picked an appropriate day to quit and reviewed my list of reasons every time I felt the urge to light up. In addition to my list of reasons and picking an appropriate time, I also used Fisher Sunflower Seeds. I put one (and only one) in my mouth at a time. The salt provided an interesting sensation and I used my tongue to play with the shell until I was able to open it and chew the sunflower seed. Then I continued to suck on the shell and play with it. This process lasted 30 to 60 minutes, and then I would take it out of my mouth and put a new one in. Think about it. It satisfies your oral urges, gives you something to take your mind off smoking, and can be discretely used in an office, retail, or even social environment.

Most smokers will have that first cigarette before they even step in the shower in the morning. If you can eliminate that ritual, you are well on your way to success. I'm sure you can wait until after breakfast.

No smoking in the car. Many of us have long commutes to work and back, and usually have at least 1 or 2 cigarettes during those drive times. Other times, we'll have one on the way to the store. Train yourself not to light up while you are in travel mode.

No smoking in the house. After I left my apartment and bought my first house, I made a rule to myself that there will be absolutely no smoking inside my castle. By making it a habit of going outside, I was able to cut down on the number of cigarettes on a daily basis. This especially works well on rainy days and during the winter, when it's just too cold to step out too much.

No smoking breaks at work. A lot of folks will take 4 or 5 breaks at work to step outside and have a smoke. Remember that your employer is not paying you to spend 30 minutes a day away from your desk. Wait until lunch time.

Keep yourself active. I have always found myself with a cigarette in my hand when I'm simply sitting around, and doing nothing. If you feel the urge to light-up, stick a piece of hard candy in your mouth and do some house or yard work.

It's all about willpower and self control. If you can tackle these simple methods, you are on the way to better health and a lot more money to save.

Instantly Quit Smoking With Acupuncture

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 16 Jul 2013 15:47:00 +0000

Acupuncture is a highly effective quit smoking method for all, and specially for those people who had been unsuccessful with other methods to stop smoking. People who go for acupuncture treatments are usually keen on quit smoking beliefs. Although they have failed with all previous programs, this 3500 years old Chinese remedy promises quick relief from chronic smoking habits. Acupuncture works most effectively on human body to reduce chronic smoking habits Acupuncture is based on the belief that “chi”, a vital energy force flows through 12 key channels around the body. Within these channels, there are at least 365 acupuncture points, which can sometimes get blocked preventing the smooth flow of vital energy, thereby leading to chronic habits. Acupuncture for stop quit smoking does not involve any “magic” acupuncture points. At least five needles are taken and inserted into the ear [particularly in the cartilage and not in the ear canal] and a few on the hands and wrists. With the needles pricked to your skin, you are left to relax for 30 to 45 minutes. These pricked needles provide significant effect on lessening cravings for smoking. Treatments involved in acupuncture To become a non-smoker, you have to follow a series of sessions. These sessions also focus on physical and emotional withdrawal symptoms occurring in the patient during the acupuncture treatments. While the needle-pricking treatments are going on you are also advised to undergo treatments with herbs. You can apply a mixture of oil of cloves and wintergreen, extracts of evodia fruits and Sichuan lovage rhizomes in the acupuncture points to get faster stop smoking results. Other advantages of acupuncture - tips on stopping smoking Acupuncture tips on stopping smoking not only relieve you from permanent smoking cessation but also works advantageous for you. After the acupuncture series is over, even cigarettes taste foul. It takes a nasty burnt taste and you can thus proudly redefine yourself as a “non-smoker”. Acupuncture therapy for stop smoking also reduces side effects of nicotine withdrawals like depression, cravings and anxiety. While the body actually improves in blood circulation and de-congesting the lungs, you also start feeling truly optimistic. Acupuncture is a definite method that helps you to quit smoking miraculously within a few days. Try it out to experience instant success even if you are a chronic nicotine-smoker.

quit smoking - weight gain

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 15 Jul 2013 17:07:00 +0000

Although most smokers are well aware of the dangers of inhaling nicotine all day long for years and years, they are still hesitant to quit for fear of gaining a few pounds! That rationale hardly makes sense but as an ex-smoker I can understand this train of thought. Some smokers use this reasoning as an excuse not to quit. They are the ones who are not ready for the challenge. However, if you are one of the committed ones and are ready to meet your nicotine addiction head on, I can give you a few tips on how to avoid the stop smoking weight gain.

The simple fact is smokers who finally succeed in quitting average a weight gain of ten pounds. The reasons for this gain are also simple.

If you are accustomed to having a cigarette in hand and in your mouth, you are going to try to find a substitute. Also, since you are able to smell and taste better without the cigarettes, food will be your first, handiest and tastiest resort. In addition, nicotine increases the metabolic rate so when you stop smoking your metabolic rate goes down. Ending result? The additional ten pounds!

Recognizing the facts about weight gain is the first step. Now let us look at how to avoid it.

Studies have proven that people who exercise while quitting smoking have a much lower weight gain and are twice as likely to stick with their stop smoking program than those who do not. After you quit smoking, you will feel better and will probably look forward to adding exercise to your daily routine.

Eat a healthy diet with plenty of fiber. Include whole grains, fresh fruits and vegetables in your daily diet. Keep a food journal.

Keep your mouth busy with hard sugar-free candies or gum. Carrot sticks are a great way to occupy your hands and your mouth.

Drink plenty of water to stay hydrated. It will help your cravings to smoke as well as boost your metabolism.

Allow time for a food craving to pass just as you would a cigarette craving.

The whole process of quitting smoking is a challenge. Being aware of all the obstacles ahead of you will make the going easier. You can quit without the weight gain. Stay focused and determined. Recognize the obstacles and prepare yourself to overcome them! You can do! I'm betting on you!

However, weight gain should not be the reason that you do not want to kick this habit. You can keep your weight under control really easily. The main reason that certain ex smokers gain weight is due to the fact that the smoking activity burns up to 200 calories a day for medium to heavy smoking activity.

Since a large amount of calories is burnt, the metabolism within the smoker is boosted to a large extent. Another important factor is that nicotine works as an appetite suppressant that brings down the urge to eat food items. All these things tend to keep the weight constant for a person.

However, I've noticed overweight smokers in my life as well as thin ones. "But I'll gain weight if I stop smoking."... this is a weak excuse. In the long run through smoking, there is a possibility that the person looses weight and the body's strength of immunity. Once the side effects of smoking are visible in you, it becomes difficult to repair the damage if not prevented in the early stages.

Weight gained after you quit smoking can be easily lost... I repeat EASILY LOST. However, the negative effects of smoking cannot be reduced within a week or two if they cause maximum damage.

quit smoking - cold turkey

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 15 Jul 2013 17:00:00 +0000

Quitting smoking using the cold turkey method is the first choice of the majority of smokers who want to quit. Which smoker hasn't tried to go cold turkey at least once in their smoking life? Lots of the ex-smokers I know, including me, tried this method day after day for ages without success. Going cold turkey means going from 20 or 40 a day to nil immediately; it means you give up completely and rely on will power to fight your nicotine addiction.

While going cold turkey is the most popular method it is probably the hardest and most uncomfortable method of stopping smoking you can use. Stopping this way usually involves decided on a particular day to stop and on that day, removing or destroying all cigarettes and smoking equipment and gritting the teeth against the cravings and withdrawal symptoms.

Craving and withdrawal symptoms can include irritability, tiredness, headache, coughing, sore throat, sleeplessness, sweating, lack of concentration, depression, increased appetite, and of course cravings for tobacco. The reason that quitting smoking using the cold turkey method is usually the hardest and most difficult method of stopping smoking is because most people still need to function and concentrate on their jobs. When they are suffering the normal withdrawal symptoms associated with cold turkey that can be difficult and is why the majority give in and begin smoking again.

To quit smoking cold turkey you must be very prepared and planning will be the key to successfully quitting your smoking habit. Do not think of quitting smoking as the losing of something but instead think of this as a very exciting new beginning to a more healthy lifestyle for you.

The planning of your quitting should start about two weeks before you quit. Get ready by first thing in the morning doing some visualization of yourself as a newly non smoker, breathing deep and having more self confidence. After these 5 minute or so visualization sessions you will not feel like smoking but that urge will come back again within an hour or so. Remember that this is just practice for now. The next thing that you can do is make a long long list of all the reasons that you would like to quit smoking, this should not just be the things that are bad about smoking but also a bunch of great advantages to you for quitting smoking. You can work on this list for a few days and it will be one of the tricks that you will use on quit smoking cold turkey day.

Secondly get your body ready for quitting smoking by starting to drink more water and prepping your body to quit by eating more water rich foods like fruit and frinknig lots of water. This will be important as the day that you quit smoking will be a lot easier if it is another step in a healthy lifestyle.

A couple of days before you quit smoking cold turkey you will want to get comfort food and snacks that will keep your from wanting to smoke. Celery and carrots will stop those physical urges but it is also important to have your favorite foods around.

The day that you are going to quit smoking should be a special day. Wake up and have confidence that you will be quitting smoking this very day. Do your non smoker visualization and then eat breakfast and get a bit of exercise. The most important thing to do is to get though those nic fits that you will have throughout this day and tyo lesser extent in the days to follow today. Stay busy during the day and do not try to fake out the nicotine urges by ignoring them, instead remember that these will happen a few times a day and will go away within the time it takes to have a cigarette, about 15 minutes max. Remember that list that you make of the reasons why you are quitting smoking? This is the time to read and be excited about the reasons to quit on this list.

The day that you quit smoking cold turkey is going to be in many ways a sick day for you if you want to think about it that way. You are fighting a tough addiction so allow yourself to be feeling crappy off and on for a couple of days. Remember though as well, this is one of those days that you can remember forever. You are changing yourself for the better and quitting smoking is the one single thing that you can do to improve your health and your future.

patches to quit smoking

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 15 Jul 2013 16:55:00 +0000

A cigarette smoker who is trying to stop smoking commonly used a series of non-prescription transdermal nicotine quit smoking patches of lessening strength to stave off their nicotine desires for over a month period. These help smokers quit by taking in nicotine through the pores and skin. Those that have tried to quit 'cold turkey' (give up smoking with no assistance) remember the nicotine withdrawal. A quit smoking patch assists to prevent these withdrawal symptoms.

To stop from smoking using nicotine patches, smokers need first to decide the power, or quantity that they need. A history of heavy smoking requires starting with a maximum strength patch. A sensible smoking history requires beginning with a reduced strength patch. Many different brands and strengths of quit smoking is accessible to help cigarette users to stop smoking.

A typical moderately smoking cigarette patch routine would begin with a 21 mg patch. For people who have a background of heavy smoking that is trying to quit, a larger strength can be taken or a number of quit smoking patches could be required in extreme cases. Quit smoking cigarette patch strength tapers down to a 14 mg for a couple of weeks, then to 7 mg and in the without any. Some are single-strength, e.g., 15 mg.

Those who have more sensible smoking habits only need to begin with a milder strength (14 mg) quit smoking patch and decrease strengths from that. Smoking needs to be avoided whilst utilizing the cigarette patch to prevent an overdose of nicotine. These should be worn during the daytime and avoided at night to stop the nicotine from interfering with your rest and to help prevent skin irritation.

Quit Smoking Side Effects

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 15 Jul 2013 16:51:00 +0000

When you think of side effects, it brings to mind things such as vomiting and other gastric problems, sleepiness, dizziness and other physical manifestations associated with taking certain drugs. Quitting smoking doesn't inspire what we commonly think of as side effects, but there are definitely side effects when you quit smoking, and not all of them are bad, even though that's what many people think when they hear the phrase "quit smoking side effects."

I can't deny that there are negative side effects when you quit smoking. Cigarette smoking is a powerful addiction that affects your mind, emotions, behavior and lifestyle, and which experts agree is usually a habit harder to overcome than heroin addiction. Being informed of what side effects you may experience when you quit smoking lets you know what to expect, and to prepare to deal with them so you're less likely to fall off the "I quit!" wagon. Not everyone experiences side effects when they quit smoking, and some go through only mild withdrawal symptoms, but it's better to be prepared for the worst so you aren't caught off guard by side effects when you quit smoking.

Mays people give up quitting because they find the symptoms too strong to deal with, or are caught off guard. Believe it or not, these symptoms are good news, signs that your body is purging the harmful chemicals left in your body from cigarette smoking.

Here are some additional quit smoking side effects - While they don't occur in everyone, you should expect to experience at least 1 or 2 of the symptoms from this list.

Dizziness. Your body has an increase in oxygen levels due to your lungs now not being filled with smoke. For the first one to five days be aware of the possibility of becoming dizzy when moving too fast.

Coughing, mucous, phlegm: During the first week days your body is clearing itself of a buildup of mucous. Your nose may run and you may have coughing spells. Drink plenty of fluids to facilitate the process.

Sore throat: Again, the body is ridding itself of built up nicotine and tar. Suck on sweets, drink hot tea with honey (decaffeinated), and use throat lozenges or spray. This typically lasts one to five days.

Gaseous Stomach and Constipation: During the first one to two weeks your bowels may have an increase in gas and a decrease in bowel movements. Adding fiber to your diet and increasing your water intake should help to relieve the problem.

Headaches: During the first one to two weeks you may experience headaches. This is due to an increase in blood flow which contains more oxygen to the back of the brain. Drink lots of fluids and do relaxation exercises. If necessary use over the counter medications in moderation.

Irritability/Anxiety: The first two to four weeks should be the most difficult in terms of frustration, anxiety, inability to concentrate and restlessness. Your body is desperately seeking a nicotine fix. Try meditation, relaxation techniques or any other activities that keep you from focusing on your craving for nicotine.

Fatigue: Nicotine is a stimulant. During the first two to four weeks you may feel tired due to your metabolic rate dropping back to normal. Without nicotine your metabolic rate drops down to normal. Don't panic, your body will adjust in a few weeks. In the meantime, don't overexert yourself.

I know what you may be thinking... Wow! With side effects like those, why bother quitting smoking? While this may seem to be a logical way of looking at the situation, it's important to bear in mind that if you find these mild symptoms to be unpleasant, imagine dealing with the debilitating disorders that smoking is sure to bring if you don't quit soon.

Benefits Of Quitting Smoking

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 15 Jul 2013 16:27:00 +0000

When it comes to experiencing the many benefits of quitting smoking there are a few very exciting ones in particular that you should know about. Those are the personal freedom you will experience, a surge in physical vitality and an improved physical appearance. After reading this article you will have some very specific reasons to banish smoking from your life for-ever.

The mere fact that you are reading this article means that you are at least some what motivated to quit smoking. Which is good. So, let's look at the fantastic benefits you can look forward to once you choose to stop smoking. The first benefit you should be aware of is the awesome sense of personal freedom you will experience! Let's face it, when you're in the grips of a smoking addiction you are basically a slave to it. You live your daily existence around your desire to smoke. If and when you do quit you will feel like you have regained control of your life.

.1. I could taste again the first Indian meal I had after quitting smoking was amazing. My taste buds exploded and my mouth burned but boy was I amazed at what I had been missing. Everything I tasted didn't have that stale smoke taste that had been masking all of the wonderful things I had been missing out on.

2. Money, I decided to save all of the money that I would have spent on cigarettes in a tin. After a week I had over 25 pounds. I was amazed at how much I had been wasting. After three weeks I had enough money to put a deposit down to go to Disney world which I have always wanted to do. Saving this amount of money every week will give me loads of spending money for my dream holiday.

3. Exercise, for the first time in years I could run for over 10 minutes on the treadmill without getting out of breath. I go to the gym a lot and not only did I notice a difference with my breathing but I had bursts of energy that meant I could work out for over an hour longer than I could have managed before. I found it easier to wake up in the morning with much more energy.

4. Smell, I began to notice just how bad I must have smelled. People I stood in a lift with after they had been smoking smelt foul and I realised that had I not quit smoking I would be one of those foul smelling people.

5. My appearance to others, I decided to have my teeth whitened and they have stayed sparkling white and my eyes seem to look brighter.

So there are my favorite 5 benefits of quitting smoking from my own experience. Obviously along with all these brilliant benefits came several obstacles. When I set a date to quit I had not banked on missing the social side to smoking. I did not realise just how much I relied on smoking in other aspects of my life. I needed support from my family and friends and I searched everywhere for other support available.

Why To Quit Smoking

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sun, 14 Jul 2013 18:49:00 +0000

Reasons

Every smoker who wants to quit the habit has a personal reason which may be different from that of another. If you are eager to overcome this bad habit, you have to stick to one good reason that will encourage you to quit. Regardless of the personal intent why you now chose not to smoke, you have to ensure that this will assist you over your cravings for cigarettes. You should find the best reasons to quit smoking.

There are lots of positive reasons to quit smoking. If you are looking for a suitable reason for you which can help you stop the habit, rest assured that you will find one. Are you interested to know the valid reasons to overcome smoking?

HEALTH / PHYSICAL REASONS. When it comes to your health and your physical well being, you have great reasons to quit smoking already. The fact that smoking can cause a variety of harmful diseases to your body is no longer new to us. But just to remind you, smoking can definitely cause several types of cancers like lung cancer and cancer of the throat. It destroys the appearance of your lungs and your throat and little by little destroying its functions. Aside from cancer, being a smoker puts you at a greater risk of heart attack and stroke, which is why smoking is one of the major causes of death nowadays. In the physical aspect, smoking can give you black lips, dry skin, foul breath and yellow teeth. In other words, smoking transforms you from the beautiful swan you are into the ugly duckling instead of vice versa unless you decide to quit.

SOCIAL REASONS. Smokers are now considered a social nuisance because of the second hand smoke they emit from their cigarettes. And people are already aware that second hand smoke can also cause more damage to the people inhaling the smoke than to smokers themselves.

Money! . Let's say an average pack of cigarettes costs 6$ and you smoke a pack per day. This means that in a year you spend 2190$ on something that makes you ugly and horrible in bed. But wait, there's more! Life insurance and health insurance, two essential policies which everybody needs will become a lot more expensive. For life coverage, a smoker has to pay three times the price a non-smoker pays!

Fatigue.If climbing some stairs seems like a tiring physical activity, you should quit smoking. In reality climbing some stairs is an ordinary task which shouldn't leave you out of breath. Smoking however greatly reduces your physical potential. Think of the importance of running! Smokers are more likely to get caught!

You kill your pets (and other people).If you have a cat or a dog, the smoke from your cigarette can have a negative impact on their life. It works just like second-hand smoking in humans, only that your pets are a lot more vulnerable! So if you love your cat, friend, and other people around you, quit that cigarette!

Quit Smoking and Skin Problems

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 13 Jul 2013 13:28:00 +0000

Are you smoking and skin problems are something you are experiencing? You are not alone. Many people who have smoked for any period of time begin to see skin problems. But there is a solution to help stop the problems that smoking causes to your skin.

Smoking makes people age before their time and look and feel older than they really are. The main reason behind this is because smoking causes wrinkling of the skin. This happens because the nicotine in cigarettes causes your blood vessels to constrict. This leads to a weak supply of blood reaching the outer layer of skin. And, voila, you have wrinkles before your time.

The only true way to stop the damage smoking does to your skin and prevent premature wrinkling is to quit smoking. You can try creams and lotions but they do not take care of the root cause of the problem. If you stop smoking then skin problems will begin to get better.

Maybe you do not want to quit smoking. Maybe you like smoking and you want to continue. The choice is yours but be aware that if you continue to smoke your skin wrinkling will get worse and worse. You have seen people who have smoked for years and years, how wrinkled and old looking they are. That is what you have to look forward to.

Ok, now we know that quitting smoking is how to stop skin problems caused by smoking. Now how do you do it? Do not try to quit cold turkey; you will only have a 5% chance of quitting smoking without any kind of help.

You may also want to avoid quit smoking medications like Zyban or Chantix. They give you less that a 50% chance of stopping smoking and have many negative side effects.

I would recommend trying a natural method to quit smoking to increase your chances and avoid the costs and side effects of medications. Your options for natural methods include hypnotherapy, acupuncture, or group therapy. But these methods can take a long time to work, and your skin condition can worsen while waiting for them too work.

There is a natural technique to quit smoking that is super effective and works fast. It is called NLP or Neuro Linguistic Programming. Do not let the fancy name scare you. It is a therapy technique that has been used for ages to help people quit smoking. It is kind of like hypnotherapy but you do not need to see a professional to practice NLP techniques. You can listen to an audio recording of NLP in your own home and many people quit after listening to the recording just once.

Problems With Quitting Smoking Gradually

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 13 Jul 2013 13:24:00 +0000

When most people start to consider quitting smoking they inevitably begin by researching different quitting methods. They may consider hypnosis, replacement products, nicotine patches or nicotine gum, and many other methods. For those that believe they can do kick the habit themselves there are usually only two options, cutting back or quitting cold turkey.

Those that choose to cut back gradually do so in order to minimize nicotine withdrawal symptoms. That is the major positive in choosing this method, though the minor positives should not be ignored. They include having more time to get acclimated to the change in lifestyle from smoker to nonsmoker, suffering fewer and less intense urges over time, and having more time to find replacement behaviors.

This option does have some major drawbacks when compared to quitting cold turkey though. Around 90% of smokers that quit for the long haul do so by going cold turkey, which means only 10% of smokers that stay away from smoking over the long term do so by cutting back gradually. This includes those who use nicotine substitution products like gums and patches.

On top of this quitting gradually requires a greater commitment in that the quitter has to commit to reducing his or her nicotine intake slowly over a long period of time. One slip can spell disaster for weeks of work and the entire process may have to be started all over.

Lastly, a savvy consumer has to question the claims made by the nicotine gum and patch producers. They are many times the same companies that are selling the cigarettes. Do they really want you to quit smoking? It would hurt their bottom line to lose loyal customers, so why would they make products that are highly successful at helping people quit smoking? I am not saying that these products do not work, I am saying that I doubt they work as well as they should. It would be bad business to help your customer base end its dependency on your product.

Quitting cold turkey is by far the most successful method of smoking cessation around. The majority of long term ex-smokers got that way by going cold turkey and is by far the best choice for almost everyone.

Sleeping Problems While Quitting Smoking

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 13 Jul 2013 13:20:00 +0000

Sleeping disorders are considered manifestations of withdrawal symptoms or side effects of quitting smoking. After a day or two of not being able to smoke, your sleeping pattern can be disrupted and you'll either be sleeping for too long or too short at a time. It is usually a different case from person to person when it comes to sleeping habits after quitting. There will be people who can sleep for longer hours after they quit or the other way instead.

By smoking, you are able to infuse nicotine in your body. It is a stimulant drug and so when it wears off in the body, you will feel tired and even depressed. To become active again, you take cigarettes to have fresh supply of nicotine running through your bloodstream and everything becomes "normal' again. This habit becomes an endless cycle and this is why smokers get hooked to the habit of smoking. At the end of the day, a smoker still needs to sleep as he gets tired due to the fluctuations of the amount of nicotine in his system.

When you decide to drop this bad habit, it can affect your sleeping habits too. You may find that you can go by with less or more sleeping hours. You can have more sleep since you don't have nicotine anymore which deprives you before of sleeping hours as the substance keeps you awake even if you badly need to sleep. You might also experience shorter hours of sleep as you discover that you can get by with just a few hours sleep. Unlike the times when you were still smoking, you needed more hours of sleep as you got exhausted with the shifts of stimulant in your body. It was exhausting for your body to take the fluctuations of nicotine while you were smoking.

If you experience a change in your sleeping disorders, don't panic! This is quite normal since you are still under the withdrawal symptoms as a result of quitting smoking. This abnormality can last for a few weeks or even up to a month. Your body is just adjusting to the absence of nicotine and the loss the said substance in your system. If this problem persists for more than a month, then this is the time you have to get help. While it is normal to blame withdrawal symptoms for your sleep changes in a few weeks, it is not an acceptable reason if your problem goes on especially for much longer periods of time! This may indicate some other health problem that is beyond the effects of quitting and you may need immediate medical attention.

Stop Smoking Program

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 13 Jul 2013 13:18:00 +0000

The effects of smoking cigarettes can certainly take quite a toll. It severely affects your health and well being, and more than likely it affects your happiness and your wallet. Most of us smokers have tried that standard over the counter nicotine replacement patches, gum, and lozenges and many of us have tried the prescription drugs - all of which have their tag-along dangers and side effects. If you are a smoker and just can't seem to quit no matter what or how hard you try, you don't deserve to live this way. The addictive nature of cigarettes affect so many of us but what do we do to quit this nasty,dangerous, and expensive habit? It's time to regain control. Try a quit smoking program that is like no other. Hypnosis for smoking can help you make that life change that you desperately need, desire, and deserve.

Hypnosis involves a calming, relaxing deep relaxation which will open the door to the very thoughts that control our actions. Hypnosis may sound scary but have no fear, you will never lose control during any stage of hypnosis. During hypnosis to quit smoking, you will have the ability to unlock your subconscious thoughts where all of your desires and goals live and bring them to full fruition. Once you've experienced this quit smoking program, you'll find yourself at ease, happier for not smoking, calmer, and about face, confronting that happiness that lies in living a nonsmoker.

If you truly want to quit smoking you need to use a stop smoking program instead of a stop smoking product. A program will help to educate you about the dangers of smoking. It will also show you all of the many benefits that quitting smoking can have on your life. But the best part about a stop smoking program is that it offers support.

You are the only one who can quit smoking. It isn't going to come from products. But that does not mean that you have to do it alone. Enrolling in a smoking program can give you strength in numbers as you attempt to rid yourself of cigarettes. You can also find self help cds that can give you inspiration and motivation as you move on your way to nicotine independence.

There are many programs available for you to choose from. Whether you've been smoking for forty years, or for one, there is a program available that will help you quit. It is never to late to quit smoking. You can start to see benefits from the second you put your last cigarette down. You will breathe better, smell better, taste better. There is a better life out there waiting for you, and it all starts when you begin to quit smoking.

Quit Smoking - Hypnosis

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 13 Jul 2013 13:13:00 +0000

It is a well known fact that smoking is dangerous to the health, but it is as well a known fact that giving up the habit can be extremely difficult. If you have tried the gum, the patches, the pills and other products to stop smoking and still haven't quit, consider hypnosis. Recent studies have shown that among the many ways to quit smoking is the method of hypnosis. Hypnotherapy has been used for many decades to help people quit smoking. However, it has only recently been established as a proven and effective tool for managing nicotine addiction.

Experts, having reviewed studies concerning hypnosis and smoking cessation, find hypnosis to have a success rate of 66 percent, compared to the 25 percent success rate behavioral therapy and nicotine replacement program claims. Meanwhile, trying to quit smoking on your own only reports a low five percent success rate.

The act of hypnosis places people mentally in an altered state, whereby they are more susceptible to suggestion. In hypnosis the subconscious mind, said to be the most powerful part of our mind, is reprogrammed. The subconscious mind is responsible for automatic bodily functions as well as our habits and emotionally and fear responses.

Hypnosis can guarantee such success rates only when it is proper process is done. Much of the success does rely on the hypnotherapist so do your homework during the selection process. You can look for hypnotherapists in local newspapers, magazines, print advertisements, and even the internet. Health care professionals can also refer you to a qualified hypnotherapist. Best yet, to find a quality hypnotherapist, ask people who personally have had successful dealings with one.

If you do not known anyone personally who has worked with a hypnotherapist, you can visit online forums. Online forums are often a great place to find a licensed hypnotherapist experienced in smoking cessation.

Once the appointment is set, most likely the first visit would mainly cover the assessment and evaluation. Following sessions will then be the ongoing process of hypnotherapy to eliminate smoking addiction. It is recommended that a minimum of four hypnotherapy sessions is required for best success. Those who provide one session of hypnotherapy with claims of being able to aid smoking cessation are more likely to disappoint you.

Advantages of hypnosis to stop smoking:

Hypnosis not only is more effective than other nicotine cessation programs, but also enjoys certain advantages such as:

It is completely drug free
It is 100% safe and can be used in the long term
It focuses on the positive side of things and also increases your confidence and happiness-quotient besides helping you quit smoking
Hypnosis to stop smoking program can be customized according to your personal smoking habits and triggers

Quit Smoking Patches

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 12 Jul 2013 15:35:00 +0000

To stop from smoking using nicotine patches, smokers need first to decide the power, or quantity that they need. A history of heavy smoking requires starting with a maximum strength patch. A sensible smoking history requires beginning with a reduced strength patch. Many different brands and strengths of quit smoking is accessible to help cigarette users to stop smoking.

A typical moderately smoking cigarette patch routine would begin with a 21 mg patch. For people who have a background of heavy smoking that is trying to quit, a larger strength can be taken or a number of quit smoking patches could be required in extreme cases. Quit smoking cigarette patch strength tapers down to a 14 mg for a couple of weeks, then to 7 mg and in the without any. Some are single-strength, e.g., 15 mg.

Those who have more sensible smoking habits only need to begin with a milder strength (14 mg) quit smoking patch and decrease strengths from that. Smoking needs to be avoided whilst utilizing the cigarette patch to prevent an overdose of nicotine. These should be worn during the daytime and avoided at night to stop the nicotine from interfering with your rest and to help prevent skin irritation.

Since its strength lowers over time as the nicotine is discharged, changing the quick smoking patch everyday is a suggested practice anyway. Choose a hairless area of your upper arm or body and clean the skin exactly where the patch is to be applied then let the spot dry just before attaching a new one. Change the site of the patch regularly to reduce pore and skin soreness.

Probably, the most successful method begins with a decision on your part that it's time to give up smoking. The good results of the patches will be greatly enhanced if you adjust your thoughts towards the decision which you must and can stop smoking. Nicoderm quit smoking patches have helped so many people to stop smoking.

Quit Smoking And Weight Gain

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 12 Jul 2013 15:28:00 +0000

How does nicotine help smokers from gaining weight? In fact nicotine has number of cumulative effects which helps the smoker from gaining excess weight. First off, nicotine acts on chemicals in the brain called serotonin and dopamine. It is these chemicals which control appetite by turning off or on the smoker's desire to eat. Nicotine also acts on the adrenal glands causing the release of catecholamines. This class of chemical causes the release of fatty acids and glucose. The presence of fatty acids in the blood stream increases the energy available to cells. This process mimics the situation we experience after a meal and therefore helps the smoker to feel satiated; again the end result is appetite suppression. In this way the average smoker expends about 250 calories as consequence of the smoking habit. This equates to a 45 minute brisk walk or consuming 2oz of cheddar cheese. Quitting smoking results in an improvement in taste and smell. This means that food becomes more enjoyable and therefore the ex-smoker may find that this, in combination to an increase in appetite, may cause overeating. The smoker is used to regular oral stimulation and gratification which is associated with cigarette smoking. The ex-smoker may be tempted to replace this oral aspect of the smoking habit with additional food intake. Therefore it seems that there are several processes working to the smoker's advantage to control their weight. Once these aspects of cigarette smoking are acknowledged and understood the quitter can make the necessary life style changes in order to mitigate any potential weight gain; it is not inevitable that the quitting process is associated with an increase in weight. So what positive steps can be undertaken to control the tendency to gain weight.

The problem lies in both the physical and the emotional side effects of stopping smoking. It also lies in the fact that all the 'experts' keep telling you that you will put on weight rather than helping you understand how you can avoid it.

It is true that you will feel hungrier as a result of stopping smoking. When you smoke, nicotine causes a little adrenalin rush, quickening the heartbeat, breathing rate and raising your blood pressure. It also interferes with the action of insulin on blood sugar levels and induces higher concentrations of fatty acids in the blood. The result is that a cigarette actually addresses a hunger pang by tricking your body into thinking you have eaten.

The quit smoking weight gain that most people suffer is also because they use the fact that they are giving up smoking as an excuse to eat. They use food almost like a reward for staying off the smokes.

The fact of the matter is of course that cigarettes and tobacco smoke do far more harm to you than putting a stone of weight on ever could so don't let that idea get in your way for a start.

It is reckoned that a smoker who quits would have to put on over 150 lbs of weight (nearly 11 stone) to maintain the same health risks as smoking. That is nearly doubling the average smoker's body weight!

Smokers feel that giving up smoking is a loss. It is a negative event in their lives and should be met with some form of reward or comforting in return. This of course is why smokers who quit eat excessively compared to what they need.

If they were still smoking, they would more likely have a cigarette and sit out any hunger pangs whilst the nicotine tricks their body into thinking it has had a snack. When you quit, rather than sitting out a hunger pang, you are likely to be a slave to your feelings and eat, resulting in the dreaded quit smoking weight gain.

The Best Time To Quit Smoking

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 12 Jul 2013 15:22:00 +0000

So when is the best time to quit smoking? Now of course! Studies show that people who give up on the spot succeed more than people who plan it. Makes sense right? But with more & more smoking bans happening across the world now is the best time to smoke that last cigarette.

But what's the best way to give up? Which method works the best? Patches, Hypnotherapy, willpower? All have worked well for people but what works for you could be completely different. You should decide on a technique and stick to it. Willpower obviously is the biggest component. If you have willpower you can do anything. Or so they say!

When I gave up I read a book by Allen Carr, the world renowned smoking expert. His best selling book works mainly on psychology. But it works surprisingly well. One thing that I did before I gave up was to smoke as many cigarettes as I could one after the other. Yes it was disgusting but doing this gives you a bad memory of cigarettes whilst you're giving up which makes things a whole lot easier.

Did you know in 1972 half of all adults in the UK were smokers? By 1990 this number had fallen to a third. At present just under a quarter OK UK adults are smokers. Less than half the amount as in 1972! Smokers may not know that giving up does more than lessen your chances of lung and heart dieses. It can make you feel more energetic and healthier, improve blood circulation. Improve your sexual health and fertility. And make you look younger! Then of course there's the passive smoking. Did you know that 17,000 children under five years old are admitted to hospital each year, due to illness caused by there parents smoking?

I know the facts are those that have been drummed into us by the media over and over again and sometimes this makes us want to smoke more! But the facts are still there and remember; the best time to quit up smoking is now.

I suggest you look at your diary or calendar and select a date in a few weeks time. Make it a day such as a Saturday where you'll be off work.

You can then plan toward this date, mentally preparing yourself for what is ahead. Stay focused and on track and don't allow anything to get in your way. Make yourself a promise that you will be giving up the cigarettes on that day.

Tell your friends and family, tell your boss, gather all your smoking equipment (cigarettes, lighters, ash trays etc.) into one place so you can dispose of all of them easily on the day you've chosen and then just take a leap of faith and go for it.

Wake up that day, bin all your smoking stuff and then go out for the day somewhere nice as a treat, where your mind will be kept active (and so off your nicotine cravings!).

Good luck to you