Archive for the ‘Quit Smoking’ category

Ways To Stop Smoking Permanently

October 18th, 2011

A lot of smokers want to stop and you might be looking for information on how to stop smoking having made previous unsuccessful attempts.

It is not uncommon to be in this position as stopping smoking is not easy and you need to really make a very firm decision to do so. It may help to write down why you to want to quit to remind you when the going gets tough.

The difficulty with stopping smoking is there are both physical and mental addictions to beat and beating the physical addition is the easy part (relatively).

People smoke because:

It is a pleasurable experience and relaxes the smoker.
Smokers have developed an unconscious link between certain activities and environments and smoking.
They have an addiction to nicotine.

As an alternative to quitting smoking you might think about using electronic cigarettes. People have used these to stop smoking although they are not marketed for this purpose but they do make smoking cheaper, cleaner and harmless to others. You can also choose how much, if any, nicotine they supply.

Some of the possible approaches to stopping smoking are:

Cold Turkey

This is the simplest and cheapest method but not the most successful. You pick a date and from that point you no longer smoke. The initial period is very difficult so you need to be very strong minded to be successful. The success rate is estimated to be between 5% and 10%.

Alternative Sources Of Nicotine

Products such as nicotine patches or gum are used to replace that previously received from cigarettes. They deliver a controlled dose into the body to relieve some of the withdrawal symptoms. There is a lot of variation in the claimed success rates but for nicotine replacement used on its own they vary from 7% to 35%.
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The Risk of Smoking

October 18th, 2011

It Is All About Risk

Most smokers when they light their cigarette are not thinking about the risk of smoking and the effects of their habit on their health. They know that this cigarette won’t kill them, or the next. The effects of cigarette smoking are slowly cumulative. Of course the smoker can always quit, can’t they? But it is generally some unspecified date in the future, as long as it’s not now. The drug addict can make a thousand excuses why they can’t quit smoking, just yet. Nicotine’s hold is tenacious and don’t expect it to let go easily. The smoker is in denial.

The risk of smoking is pushed to the back of the mind; it vanishes in a puff of smoke. Denial or not, the risk is real. The statistics don’t lie; 1 in 2 lifelong smokers will die from their smoking habit. The bald statistics however don’t tell the whole story. The overall risk is not the same as the individual risk of smoking. The individual risk of smoking is something different. An individual’s risk of death through smoking is unknown. Many factors will influence individual risk. We are not all created equal and this is also the case with regard to the risk of smoking.

Environmental Factors

An individual’s risk of contracting a life threatening smoking related disease is influenced by a complex interplay of genetics and environment. For instance, in simple terms an individuals risk will be related to the amount smoked over time. The relative risk of contracting a smoking related disease would be greater for a 2 pack a day smoker, who has smoked for 40 years, than a half pack a day smoker who has only smoked for 10 years. Other environmental factors may also play a role. It is known that cigarette smokers exposed to asbestos will increase their risk of lung cancer.
» Read more: The Risk of Smoking

Teas To Help Stop Smoking

October 18th, 2011

Health Benefits of Tea Drinking

Can drinking tea actually help you quit smoking? In this article I’m going to have a critical look at the assertion that drinking tea can help with quitting the deadly habit of smoking tobacco. I’m aware that tea, especially green tea, has been shown to contain anti-oxidants. Oxidants are chemicals formed in the body due to a variety of reasons. Smoking is one reason why these chemicals are created. These chemicals are important because they react with cellular components causing cell damage. In turn this results in genetic damage and genetic damage is a step towards cancer. The anti-oxidants in green tea have been scientifically shown to mop up oxidants. Therefore, green tea can possibly help combat the carcinogenic effects of tobacco smoke to some degree.

The Claims of Tea Drinking

Teas to help stop smoking? Are there any ingredients in tea that are of help in quitting smoking? There is no doubt that tea contains chemicals that can influence the body in a number of ways. However, is there any sound scientific evidence that supports the claim that tea drinking helps, in any way, to quit smoking? There are teas that can act as an expectorant; that is, they help to clear the chest of phlegm. Exponents advocate that drinking tea can relieve anxiety and reduce stress, detoxify the body, renew and improve lung function and suppress appetite. It is claimed that peppermint tea helps to alleviate withdrawal symptoms such as nausea and supposedly helps curb nicotine cravings. It is also claimed that drinking green tea can help to burn calories thus counteracting weight gain which is often a problem during the initial phase of the quit smoking process.
» Read more: Teas To Help Stop Smoking