Wednesday, February 28, 2007

You Can Diminish the Damage Caused by Years of Smoking


Many people hesitate to quit smoking because they think the damage is already done to their body. Tobacco smoke does damage every body system, but it is never too late to reap the benefits of quitting.

Tobacco smoke contains a deadly combination of chemicals. We will look at just three of them. Most of the publicity is aimed at the addictive powers of nicotine. Nicotine is what causes the strong withdrawal symptoms for the first few days of stopping smoking. It also raises your blood pressure and your heart rate, putting you at increased risk for heart attack and stroke.

Tar is a combination of chemicals that forms a sticky coating on the lining of your lungs. It also builds up in the lining of the throat and mouth. Tar is the main cancer-causing chemical in cigarette smoke. This explains why smokers are frequently diagnosed with lung, throat, and oral cancers.

Carbon monoxide is absorbed from your lungs, directly into the bloodstream. It blocks the oxygen carrying capacity of your red blood cells. That means less oxygen gets to your brain, your heart, and all your muscles. As the carbon monoxide diminishes the available oxygen to your heart, the nicotine is making it work harder by increasing the rate. This is the reason that smoking is responsible for 25% of all fatal heart attacks.

Once the addiction to smoking is overcome, the health benefits of quitting smoking begin almost immediately. Only 20 minutes after your last cigarette, your blood pressure and heart rate return to normal, and the circulation to your fingers and toes improves. Eight hours later, the carbon monoxide is gone from your body, and your oxygen level returns to normal. One day after your last cigarette, your chance of having a heart attack begins to decrease. Two days after quitting your sense of smell and taste begin to improve.

Over the next few weeks you'll find that walking becomes easier, coughing and shortness of breathe decreases, and your ability to fight off infection increases. You will also start to see the benefits in your skin, as wrinkles will be less visible due to the increased circulation and oxygen in your body. Your risk for developing gum disease is also decreasing.

One year after smoking, your risk of developing heart disease is one-half of when you were a smoker.

Five years after quitting your chances of developing mouth, throat and esophageal cancer are one-half of when you were a smoker.

All of these changes are the body's natural healing response. Here are a few simple things you can do to help your body's natural regeneration. You can begin a daily walking program. It doesn't have to be anything strenuous, just adding several extra steps to your day will help. This will increase your circulation and help your body dispose of toxins that built up while you were a smoker. You can increase the amount of pure water and fresh vegetable juice you consume. This will assist your own natural detoxification processes. Increase the amount of fresh vegetables like broccoli, spinach and sweet potatoes that you consume. These will supply your body with needed vitamins and fiber to rebuild and restore your cells. If you are in good physical shape, you might want to consider some of the accelerated toxin elimination methods. Contact your health professional to see what methods are suitable and safe for you.

Your body has an amazing ability to restore and rejuvenate itself, even after years of neglect and abuse. It is never too late to reap the benefits of quitting smoking.

About the Author

Gerri Stone is an R.N. and ex-smoker who publishes resources and tips on stopping smoking at http://www.greatquitsmokinginfo.com

Article Source: OnlineEarnings Article Board

Tuesday, February 27, 2007

Hypnosis – 5 WONDERFUL Steps to Quit Smoking Today for a HEALTHY Living

Hypnosis – 5 WONDERFUL Steps to Quit Smoking Today for a HEALTHY Living
By Pradeep Agarwal

You will not realize it but through this wonderful and powerful article you are heading towards a healthy living in your life. As you go through this article, you will be surprised to know that how easy and safe it is to quit smoking with Hypnosis.

Bad habits are very hard to quit and smoking is one among them. Once you start smoking its is very difficult to stop. This happens not because there are no ways to quit smoking but because the person lacks the willingness to quit smoking. Everything depends upon your willingness and with hypnosis, you can improve your willingness to accept the things in its true form.

There are many reasons to stop smoking but there are innumerable reasons to continue smoking. Many people justify their act of smoking. But, if you truly want to do justice to yourself, you have to take care to yourself equally well.

The following are the things that you can do to do justice to your own self:

1. Ask yourself the reason that has turned you towards smoking.

2. Does smoking reduce your tension, grief, or stress?

3. How many cigarettes you smoke every day?

4. Count on the harms that smoking causes you.

5. List out the drawbacks of smoking.

6. You will find the list endless. Are you aware of all these negative impacts of smoking on your health?

7. Why cannot you stop smoking in spite of negative impacts that it is causing on your health.

8. Do you find difficult to quite smoking or do you find yourself helpless?

If all of these questions hold the positive response, then hypnosis can help you to the best way to quit smoking.

1. Divert your attention: count on the time when you smoke. Now the best and the easiest thing that you can do, is to divert your attention away from smoking. There must be a time that you have dedicated for smoking, involve yourself in some other tasks during that particular time. if possible, try to eliminate the thought of smoking from your mind.

2. Take the help of your family or friends: Your friends and your family can help you quit smoking. In most of the cases, people have stopped smoking because of the support by their family.

3. Seek a doctor’s help: If you have tried all the ways but in vain, then you can consult a doctor. However, one thing is for sure that no one can help you, unless you help yourself. That is why; hypnosis is the best alternative because all hypnosis is self-hypnosis and self-hypnosis means helping oneself.

4. List out the causes and the consequences of smoking: You might not be aware of the dreadful consequences of smoking. It can cause you asthma, liver disorder, lung cancer, respiratory problem and your life span declines. Thus, make yourself aware of the results of smoking and try the best way to quit it.

5. Seek the help of a expert hypnotist: The hypnosis is the safest and the easiest way to quit smoking. Moreover, there are no side effects of hypnosis. it can safely help you to quit smoking but reducing your smoking cravings. Hypnosis is self-help under the guidance of a hypnotist.

The following is a simple exercise in hypnosis that can help you quit smoking.

Sit in a comfortable and relaxed place and position. Observe and concentrate a spot on the wall. Watch it carefully and then your eyes get heavy. They are too heavy to keep it open. This is the deep state of hypnosis. At this state of hypnosis, you are most receptive to suggestions.

Now, close your eyes and take three deep long breathes. Imagine that there is a beautiful and bright colored door in front of you. You are 10 steps away from that. Walk towards the door. Now, open the door.

You see a person standing as his face turned away from you. That person appears to be confident and seems to be healthy. He is not smoking. Go to that person. Do you know who that person is? That person is none other than you. Yes! That is you. You have quitted smoking. The person that was standing in the room is the other positive side of you. Leave the original and unhealthy you there and step out with the healthy and new YOU.

This is one of the powerful hypnotic exercises. You can find many more powerful tips to quit smoking.

Remember friends, life is traveled only once and each one’s life is precious in its own way. You are priceless for the persons who love you. So, take care of your health. With hypnosis, a healthy life awaits you.

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Pradeep Aggarwal is a world renowned hypnosis guru offers 15 part ecourse on Learn and Master How to Hypnotize yourself and others at http://www.hypnosisglobal.com/ecourse

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Pradeep_Agarwal

Sunday, February 25, 2007

Quit Smoking – 10 Tips To Help You Give It Up Now

Quit Smoking – 10 Tips To Help You Give It Up Now
By Sacha Tarkovsky

To quit smoking you need to overcome both physical and psychological addiction and it’s not as hard to give up as many people think it is.

Here are 10 tips to quit smoking that will help you stop smoking for good.

1. Get the right mindset

If you really want to give up you have to get the right mindset to succeed.

Firstly, write down all the benefits you will derive from giving up, from saving money to being full of health and vitality.

2. Spend a week preparing yourself

When you smoke consider think what its doing to you and how it makes you feel with blocked nose, sluggish health etc and visualise the new you without it.

In this week you can cut down in preparation.

The fact that you can cut down (and most people can) gives you confidence for the day when you quit.

3. When you stop if you cant do it don’t beat yourself up about it

Many people who stop relapse first time. Don’t consider you have failed simply try again, we very often can’t achieve things first time round so there is no shame in trying again.

4. Prepare for the day by making several changes

Fill your day to keep your mind of smoking.

Take up a new hobby and get some exercise to accelerate the feeling of wellbeing and each week treat yourself to something with the money you have saved.

5. Don’t take herbal remedies hypnosis or acupuncture

There is no proven medical evidence they work. If you have the mental willpower you don’t need them, You only need help with the physical addiction and the above will not help at all you need something else…

6. Use NRT

Nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) gives you a dose of nicotine outside of cigarette smoking and although nicotine provides the physical addiction, it is not harmful when removed from cigarettes.

It's a proven fact that NRT increases chances of quitting by up to double, when you don’t have to cope with nicotine withdrawal symptoms.

There are many products available including: Gum, patches puffers and inhalers.

7. Nicotine Change your view of it

Keep in mind there is nothing wrong with taking nicotine in organic form ( it’s actually part of the food chain ) In fact nicotine in organic form is actually good for you and its proven to improve mood memory and attention.

8. It only lasts for a month

The physical withdrawal symptoms (if you decide not to use NRT) are toughest in the first week or so but the craving to smoke should be gone within a month.

It then simply becomes a mental battle.

9. You were not born a smoker!

This point is very important - You decided to smoke you were not born a smoker and you lived without it before and you can live without it again.

Smokers view cigarettes like a friend who comforts them, but just as you get rid of friends throughout your life, you can get rid of cigarettes.

10. Tell everyone that your giving up

This will give you an extra incentive to stop and also tell them not to tempt you (if they are smokers) and in the first week stay away from friends who smoke, or areas like pubs and restaurants where you may be tempted to smoke.

In the early stages it’s important to remove temptations.

If you want to give up smoking the above 10 tips will help and if you are serious about giving up you will.

One final point: Don’t be afraid to seek help with the physical addiction side, if you don’t feel you have the willpower and try alternative nicotine sources, it makes giving up easier for most people.

THE NEW SMOKING ALTERNATIVE

A new organic nicotine drink in a refireshing lemon flavor water is available as a convenient alternative when you cant or dont wish to smoke. For more facts on nicotine and more on this great smoking alternative visit our website: http://www.smokefreechoice.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Sacha_Tarkovsky

Friday, February 23, 2007

Stop Smoking – You Have 2 Problems to Overcome - Here's The Solution

Stop Smoking – You Have 2 Problems to Overcome - Here's The Solution
By Sacha Tarkovsky

When people try to stop smoking they don’t really understand the 2 specific problems they face and there attempts to stop smoking fail.

Understand the problems and the solutions are straightforward.

Let’s look at them.

The first problem is mental addiction.

Most people see cigarettes as a friend that they can’t let go.

Smoking is social and pleasurable (despite the health risks) and to overcome mental addiction you simply must want to stop.

You know the health risks and the cost and you know deep down if you really want to stop.

If you do you will, if you don’t you wont. It’s a simple choice.

Now, if you really want to give up the battle is with:

The physical addiction.

Quite simply, if you stop you will face nicotine withdrawal symptoms and they are not pleasant.

You will face nausea, stress, irritability and fatigue, it’s hard to cope with but there is good news.

You don’t have to face the above!

You can simply take nicotine, which causes these symptoms outside of cigarettes and if you do it will do you no harm.

Nicotine is not dangerous!

Nicotine only provides the addictive nature of smoking and does not cause death or disease - That is some of the other 4,000 chemicals consumed in cigarettes, many of them poisons.

There are many ways to satisfy a nicotine craving.

You can use patches, gum, puffers and inhalers that all give you a measured dose.

Forget hypnotherapy and herbs, they don’t satisfy the craving as they don’t contain nicotine.

If you want to stop smoking you need a dose of nicotine.

If you are finding the addiction uncomfortable and you don’t’ have the willpower, you need some help.

Still worried about taking nicotine? Then read on.

Fact: Nicotine does you good!

Nicotine not only does you n0o harm, it actually does you good - When consumed outside of cigarettes.

Many people don’t know that it's actually part of the natural food chain.

Trace elements are present in many everyday foods including:

Teas, tomatoes, potatoes and bell peppers, to name just a few.

In organic form it is safe non toxic and does you good.

It is proven to make you feel better by improving mood, attention and concentration and is being researched to provide help with a number of conditions from depression to Altziemer’s disease.

Organic nicotine products are now being produced and the first one to hit the market with no added chemicals is nicotine in water.

Originally just aimed at smokers when they could not or did not wish to smoke, it’s now being taken by many non smokers for its health benefits.

Final words.

Mentally it’s easy to stop smoking - If you really want to you will.

The physical addiction is harder to overcome, as nicotine withdrawal symptoms are hard to cope with – So don’t try!

Get help and satisfy your craving when you stop smoking.

Take nicotine outside of cigarettes and you know that not only will it satisfy your craving, it will not only do you no harm, but will actually be healthy for you as well.

If you understand the above and really want to stop smoking you will.

NEW ORGANIC NICOTINE DRINK

For more facts on nicotine and a new organic nicotine water with no added chemicals visit our website: http://www.smokefreechoice.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Sacha_Tarkovsky

Thursday, February 22, 2007

Stop Smoking - Cut Down - Then Stop: A Proven Way To Quit For Good

Stop Smoking - Cut Down - Then Stop: A Proven Way To Quit For Good
By Kelly Price

Cutting down your smoking, is an easy way to give you the eventual confidence to stop completely and can be achieved by anyone.

Lets look at how cutting down can make giving up in the long run easier and some simple tips to make it work for you.

1. Cutting down is easier psychologically

You know that you can have a cigarette in the near future and this makes it easier to do without smoking for periods of time.

If you have been able to cut down then this also gives you confidence to eventually give up completely i.e you know you can get by without cigarettes.

2. How to cut down

Set periods in the day where you don’t smoke and go for a gradual reduction, say your smoking 20 a day cut down by 10% - 20% each week.

This should not be too difficult for most people to achieve as the change is gradual.

3. Keep a log

Allocate each day an exact amount you can smoke, stick with it and try and come down each week. If the percentage amount is to much for you simply reduce the percentage

Smoking to a large degree is a habit and this will help you reduce it gradually building up to the day that you finally stop.

4. If cravings get to you

Try an NRT product for parts of the day when your not smoking:

Gum, patches, puffers and inhalers will all take the edge off the craving.

There is also a new product on the market nicotine water, which is simply a bottle of water with pure organic nicotine in it, so you can sip it whenever you need to.

This new way is convenient and you get hydrated at the same time and this method is becoming very popular with smokers, when they cant or don’t wish to smoke.

Keep in mind that nicotine on its own does you no harm at all, when removed from cigarettes. If you find cravings too much then by all means use a nicotine alternative.

In fact, nicotine is good for you in organic form as its proven to improve memory, attention and mood.
Many people think nicotine causes death and disease, it does not, that’s some of the other 4,000 chemicals many of them poisons contained in cigarette smoking. so don’t feel bad about taking nicotine outside of cigarettes.

5. Can cutting down really help you give up?

Of course, you reduce the psychological and physical dependence at the same time and this gives you a gradual reduction and increases confidence.

When you know you can do without smoking for periods of time, it gives you the spur to eventually give up completely.

So rather than go all out and stop completely try the gradual reduction method.

You will cut down (which by itself is good) and it may also inspire you and give you the confidence to give up completely.

NEW ORGANIC NICOTINE DRINK

The great new organic nicotine drink, for when you don't wish to smoke or cant smoke. For more facts on nicotine and a new organic nicotine water with no added chemicals visit: http://www.smokefreechoice.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Kelly_Price

Wednesday, February 21, 2007

What Can You Do to Stop Smoking - Now?

What Can You Do to Stop Smoking - Now?
By Will Edwards

You have probably heard people passing comments like, “My grandfather smoked 20 a day and lived until he was 96”.

But, we all know really, that does not mean that you will live until you are 96 if you smoke as many cigarettes. If you smoke cigarettes, you are actually reducing your life expectancy by around 5 years on average – now that’s fact. It does not mean to say that you will live 5 years less than you would if you did not smoke; firstly, it is an average; secondly, you do not have exactly the same genetic composition as your grandfather.

The only way to know if you will live longer - by giving up smoking - is by first cloning yourself. Then, have one person continue to smoke regularly and the other give-up. At the end of such a test, you would have a definitive answer to the question. Of course, you can’t do it, so you can’t know – for sure!

If you are going to give-up smoking for good, you first need the motivation to do it, so read this list carefully because these are the real reasons for deciding to stop smoking. Smoking cigarettes, it has been suggested, can cause the following …

• Increased chance of heart attack

• Increased chance of stroke

• Increased chance of lung cancer

• Increased chance of narrowing the blood vessels

• Lowering of the sperm-count in males

• Higher rate of miscarriages in females

• Aging of the skin

And remember too, that warning message that is printed on every pack of cigarettes – it has become much more serious over time hasn’t it?

The above is not an exhaustive list, but it is surely enough! The big problem is – how to stop. For some people, ‘cold turkey’ is the way; and, provided you are prepared to put with about 3 days of withdrawal symptoms, you could give it a try. Many people however, need some kind of help because nicotine dependency has become a real problem for their bodies. There are many methods including acupuncture, exercise and hypnosis which have all been found to be effective.

However you decide to tackle the problem, my purpose in writing is to encourage you to take that first step; and simply decide to do it. Commit yourself to quitting smoking for good - for all the positive health benefits it will bring. For it is when you decide – truly decide and commit yourself to giving-up - that you will be ready to take the necessary action that will cause you to finally succeed. So read that list again. Print it out and keep it somewhere you can regularly review it because you must be mentally convinced that giving-up is the right thing for you to do – and you must remember those reasons when the going gets tough; as it inevitably will at some stage once you start.

Now, you need to know this: you are capable of giving-up for good - you may nor think so right now, but you really are! You are capable of rising above the challenges of nicotine withdrawal and you are capable of creating a new, more healthy, future for yourself. So don’t leave it until you get the inevitable smokers cough; don’t wait until your doctor tells you that you need to give-up; decide to do it now!

Your body will most certainly thank you for it!

Will Edwards is a published author and Founder of White Dove Books. You can get a free ebook on How to Stop Smoking here ...

Download - How to Stop Smoking for Good - Free

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Will_Edwards

Tuesday, February 20, 2007

Quit Smoking Time! 10 Things To Do First

Quit Smoking Time! 10 Things To Do First
By Sylvia Dickens

You’re serious. It’s quit smoking time. You will not let past failures interfere with your success. You are confident you can do this.

Here are 10 things you must do now as you move toward that big day when you will become a non-smoker. These are your preparation tasks. They will help you to quit smoking.

Time your habit for about a week prior to quitting. This will help you to establish exactly what situations you relate to smoking. You’ll find there are some ‘rituals’ that you have set up as part of your smoking habit. Before you finish your last cigarette, run a quick evaluation and determine what you can substitute for these rituals.

Ask yourself where were you when you got the urge; what were you doing, who were you with and what were you thinking about. Stress and worry are two big triggers for a smoker, as are fine dining and boredom.

Remove all temptation. Throw away any remaining cigarettes and ashtrays. If others in your household or your friends smoke, ask for their support in your decision. Encourage them to smoke out of your presence and not to offer you a cigarette.

Stay away from alcohol and spicy foods. These are two substances that trigger your smoking habit. Alcohol lowers your resistance. Spicy foods make cigarettes taste better.

Get involved in a hobby or something you enjoy that will keep your mind off cigarettes. If you do this prior to quitting, it will already be part of your daily activities and not something you feel you’re doing just so you don’t smoke.

Stock up on healthy snacks. Add celery, fresh fruit, fruit juices and bottles of water to your refrigerator. If you like gum, get the sugarless type. Keep some in your possession at all times. These will act as substitutes for putting a cigarette in your mouth. Make sure the substitute is something you like and enjoy, otherwise this could backfire.

Buy mouthwash. Rinsing your mouth with mouthwash on a regular basis clears away any remaining residue from your smoking days and gives your mouth a freshness you probably haven’t experienced in years. Notice how great that feels as a reminder of how much better it is than the taste of nicotine.

Get a watch. When you get the urge for a cigarette check the time to see how frequently you smoke. And when you do quit smoking, time the urges and use a delay tactic to prevent having a cigarette at that moment. Do this repeatedly during your stop smoking efforts and in time you will begin to see bigger gaps between urges.

Take note of smoking situations. Prepare to quit by considering all the places where you go or could go that includes smoking or is a smoking environment. Find ways to offset those high risk situations and how you will deal with them. By preparing, you will be ready the first time it happens.

Prepare for your first days as a non-smoker. You’ll feel odd without those cigarettes, especially at the very beginning. Times when you might notice this is on your vacation, the first time you’re home alone, in a car or waiting at the bus stop. Prepare for days when you will feel bored. When you quit smoking, time your day so you don’t have time to get bored.

Stay busy. We already discussed hobbies, but you can also use your first days for doing some of those household chores you’ve been putting off. Make a list of projects you haven’t completed because “you just haven’t had time” or they just didn’t seem all that important. Wait until you start your quit smoking program and then get busy on those projects. Clean the garage. Clear out the attic. Reorganize the work bench or office. Organize your bills, receipts and other important papers. Fix that fence or railing.

Do these 10 things before you actually quit smoking and when you actually stop, you will be prepared for whatever comes along to tempt you to light up. It’s quit smoking time!

There’s just one last thing you need to ensure your success. A good, reliable and proven program to quit smoking. Here’s one that will ease your transition. It was created by an ex-smoker who did his homework and sought help from the medical community in its development. It has a proven track record and he guarantees you will quit smoking without pills, patches, craving or weight gain. Read my review at http://www.book-titles.ca/StopSmoking.htm

Sylvia Dickens is an ex-smoker who has been smoke-free for 32 years. Today, she repeatedly gets a clean bill of health from her doctor, which she contributes to quitting smoking all those years ago. She understands the struggle and has routed out this terrific program that is guaranteed to work, no matter how long you’ve been smoking or how many times you’ve tried to quit. Learn more at http://www.book-titles.ca/StopSmoking.htm. Stop Smoking, Anxiety Relief, Dog Training, Music Instruction (piano, guitar) and Family Vacation Getaway ideas are just some of the topics covered on Sylvia’s site at http://www.book-titles.ca

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Sylvia_Dickens

Monday, February 19, 2007

Beat Your Cravings: Beat the Habit

Beat Your Cravings: Beat the Habit
By Eric Hartwell

One of the biggest challenges when trying to give up smoking is that of fighting the inevitable cravings. Whereas some people sail through the withdrawal process, others have such powerful urges and cravings that they simply want to give up altogether.

Remember and understand that there are things that can help you beat these cravings and enable you to be successful. Eventually, with perseverance, you will kick the habit.

The first thing to try when you have a craving for a cigarette is simply to wait. A physical craving will, in reality, only usually last for a few minutes before the urge wears off completely. As time goes on this will get easier.

Get a glass of water and have it by your side. Have a drink when you get the urge for a cigarette. Close your eyes and try to think of something else. Or get up and have a walk around.

Grab some boiled sweets or a carrot or some celery. Munch away! Take your mind off the craving and indulge yourself in something else. Pamper yourself.

If you have invested in nicotine products, this is the time to use them. Chew some gum - this will reduce your craving for a cigarette. You are gradually weaning yourself off of the habit.

Distraction techniques are useful. Do something else - talk, listen to your favorite CD, eat, play - anything. Tell others how you are feeling - they can help you through this difficult time.

Finally, have something in your hand instead of a cigarette - a pen or pencil is ideal. It will help you over the loss of holding a cigarette.

Eric oversees the worlds best home page a user-led resource. Do you want to quit smoking? Visit Smokefree England for further information.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Eric_Hartwell

Sunday, February 18, 2007

Your Last Cigarette

Your Last Cigarette
By Bill Byrne

Have you ever paid attention to your actions? What are the moments when you just can’t cope without smoking? Research, performed in different countries, gave the same result: usually the cigarette is necessary to a smoker after experienced stress, or when a person has nothing to do and smoking becomes a way to kill time, and health in addition. I bet that the reason of your smoking habit was just mentioned. However, the non-smokers get stressed or bored too. Why don’t they need a cigarette? Of course, you can say that nonsmokers have nothing to compare with, but what about people who gave up smoking?

The answer is simple: it is all about the habit. Smoking is usually called "a bad habit", but in the international statistical classification of diseases smoking is named "the nicotine dependence syndrome". From the medical point of view, you are sick. Your problem is not just of chemical, but also of the psychological origin. That is why, if you made up your mind to quit smoking, the psychological methods of treatment, like hypnoses, reflex therapy (visits to reflexologists), visits to psychologist or self-perfection, will be helpful.

This article is to help people, who chose the most difficult, but most available way to quit smoking - the way of self-perfection. Statistics shows that only 17 percents of tobacco dependent people can quit smoking following this method. And only in case if the dependence is of low degree. To give up smoking you need only two things: exact motivation and ability to distract your attention.

Motivation

First of all, if you have decided to quit smoking, it is important for you to understand that the cigarette, you had just smoked was the last one. That is it! Enough! Don’t try to reach for the cigarette pack complaining that no one warned you how hard it is going to be! Knowing that this cigarette is your last, don’t memorize every moment of the smoking processes; there are so many good things that can take place in your mind instead of the picture of stinky stick! Cigarette is evil. And having smoked your last cigarette try to realize that there will be less evil in your life.

Think about it when the pack of cigarettes won't be in your pocket, but in the dump. Your last smoke is the first step to healthy life, but it can be done only once, performing this process twice or more leads nowhere.

It will be a mistake to set as a goal the pure result itself. Proving yourself that you don’t depend on nicotine is just a dare, not a conscious choice. And, in a months, you will celebrate your victory with a cigarette.

The best motivation is own health. Statistic shows that the highest percent of persons who gave up smoking is among people that passed through serious operations. All the rest are still thinking that there is no sense to quit smoking because perfect health will stay forever.

Ability to Distract Your Attention

While you were smoking the psychodynamic stereotype was memorized by you. According to it your hand is ready to reach for the cigarette any time you have experienced emotional pressure. It is hard to say what is necessary for you organism: the dose of nicotine, or usual ritual. But people who gave up smoking forever mention the ritual as the main reason of dependence. So the way out is to find something to replace the usual action of smoking: like beads or cell phone games. It is useful to talk to people who had already quit smoking. Watching at the actions of ex-smokers, you will realize that a cigarette can be successfully replaced by something else. Meeting a person that quit smoking is also a dare: "if he can, means I can, because I’m not weaker than he is?" if you can’t find such a person between your friends try to use Internet and stop smoking support groups.

Besides everything that was told, I need to warn you, that to quit smoking is a hard task. Your organism will provoke stress situations itself to activate the first part of the algorithm, expecting you to finish it by a cigarette. This normal reaction has to be overcome. However, this is the stage there 83 percents of people give up. This is the time to remember that all the cigarettes of the world are not for you now!

And in conclusion. I know that while reading the article thoughts about smoking came up on your mind. Remember the words that were told before: "getting back to the beginning of the way will get you nowhere". If you want to quit smoking without help of psychologist or hypnoses therapy, show your will-power right now by throwing away the last cigarette pack, your last pack.

Bill Byrne is an exclusive author for Stop Smoking Org. You are allowed to distribute this article with an active hyperlink to http://www.stop-smoke.org/ only.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Bill_Byrne

Friday, February 16, 2007

Living with a Smoker? Help Him Quit to Help Both of You

Living with a Smoker? Help Him Quit to Help Both of You
By Catherine Kogan

You already know what I am going to tell you. My work is just reminding you of what you have chosen to forget or ignore, may be because of the super-fast lifestyle you are leading or just don't know what to do about it. I wish to help you in knowing how you can help your friends and family members. Because people who are regularly exposed to second-hand smoke or passive smoking face almost twice the risk of a heart attack as people who live in a smoke-free environment. If your spouse, partner or friend smokes, then both of you suffer the consequences.

A few sentences of care and simple and sensitive acts can help them tremendously. You can help your loved one by following ways:

  • You can talk directly about your concerns. Say something like, “I’m really worried because you’re coughing and I notice you’re short of breath.”
  • You will have to be compassionate as quitting smoking is unbelievably difficult.
  • Encourage him or her to create a list of reasons to quit smoking, such as longer life for both of you, lower healthcare costs and being a good influence on children.
  • You can help your partner pick a date to stop smoking cigarettes. Choose one that doesn’t fall on a holiday or at a time when they may be under a lot of stress.
  • Now, let your smoking partner decide how you can help, such as being ready with alternatives when a craving strikes.
  • Ask friends and relatives to reinforce your efforts. Smokers who hear the message from more than one person are more likely to listen. But don’t nag.
  • There are products and programs that can help a smoker quit. Gather information from a doctor or pharmacist about products such as Chantix to help reduce the physical cravings. Or, link directly to their sites to gather right kind of information.
But remember…. following all these suggestions still doesn’t mean that the smoker is going to quit. But the smoker’s failure should not discourage you. It is because cigarettes are so addictive that most smokers try at least 7 times before they successfully quit. So, motivate the person to quit and he will quit one day. In the mean time you get the smoker to agree where smoking will be off-limits. Another smart idea is to talk with a non-smoker who, like you, lives with a smoker. In that way, you can support each other and share strategies to help the family to protect from passive smoking. All the best!

The author is a marketing head in an FMCG company, interested in issues like self-improvement, psychology and <http://www.chantixhome.com/smoking_statistics.html">anti-smoking movements.

Thursday, February 15, 2007

Tried To Quit Smoking, Time and Again? Here Are 5 Steps In The Right Direction

Tried To Quit Smoking, Time and Again? Here Are 5 Steps In The Right Direction
By Sylvia Dickens

You’ve been trying to quit smoking. Time after time you’ve failed. All is not lost, however. Here are five steps to get you started on the road to quitting smoking.

1. Scare Yourself Into Quitting

If you can give yourself a strong enough reason to quit, you will. Realize, however, that one way or another you will quit. Guaranteed. There are a few ways this will happen.

1) You’ll die from a related illness – or some other illness

2) You’ll be confined to a place where you cannot smoke

3) You’ll discover that you can quit smoking the easy way and you’ll just do it

You’ll probably want to choose option three.

Think about the absolute worst thing that can happen to you if you continue to smoke. Think about the damage you’re causing every hour that you smoke. Think about the harm you are doing to people around you, including loved ones and friends.

Think about how the disgusting ash trays look and understand that the stains and sticky tar you see is coating your lungs, and building every day with every cigarette.

If you want more reasons, do some investigating into all the damage that cigarette smoking causes – from cancer to emphysema to heart disease and high blood pressure and much more.

The next question you’ll be asking is, “How can I quit when I’ve already tried so many times? I want to and I’ve tried, but I just can’t quit.”

2. Find The Right Teacher

The reason you’ve failed is because you haven’t had the right teacher. I bet you’ve tried cold turkey and/or by cutting back. Who told you to do it that way? Have you tried pills, gum and patches that haven’t worked? That’s no surprise, because they don’t work for many people.

Find yourself a teacher who has investigated the whole issue of quitting. This person will be able to teach you everything you need to know and then show you the most effective way to quit smoking. You can’t apply the technique your friend at work used and expect to succeed unless you understand why you smoke, when you smoke and what it takes to break the habit.

What worked for them might not work for you. When this happens repeatedly, it just sets you up to fail, because you’ll come to expect to fail.

If you are truly serious about quitting, start educating yourself. One of the best places to start your research is with the Lung Association and the Cancer Society which have extensive literature on cigarette smoking and its dangers and what you need to do to quit smoking.

Choose your teacher wisely. While many products on the market promise to make you an ex-smoker, most haven’t done the research and they don’t give you the secret ingredient to quitting smoking.

Time can make all the difference. Time is one of the magic secrets to quitting successfully.

3. Time it right by preparing yourself mentally.

You have to be ready to quit. Trying at a time when you just aren’t prepared mentally will mean failure. It’s kind of like trying to work on a project when your mind isn’t really focused and prepared for what’s to come. What do you get? A poorly designed product that just doesn’t work well.

Focus on your thinking patterns and try to figure out why smoking is so important to you. It will give you a good clue to what you need to do to start your own personal quit smoking program.

4. Take it minute by minute – hour by hour.

How you view the time it will take to quit will have a significant impact on whether you succeed or not. Do you look at the whole picture and think, “That’s it. I’m never going to have another cigarette”? That’s a scary concept to many smokers who, by the way, are addicts. Addiction is a terrible thing because it works on your mind. So that’s where you have to start.

‘Never’ is an extremely long time, but breaking it down into achievable segments will make all the difference to your success.

While a reformed smoker has stopped for a lifetime – or forever – a person who is quitting smoking is stopping now, in this moment. In the next minute, hour or day.

If you can get into the mindset that you are ready to quit and that you’ll be doing it one moment at a time, you’ll be sure to see a significant improvement in your progress.

5. Change how you think about the process of quitting.

When you think about quitting, do you immediately focus on the cravings, the weight gain, the stress and tension that might result? Actually, these are your ‘excuses’ for not trying to quit. These are props so you don’t have to face the fact that you’ve failed before and expect to again.

Consider that if you do gain a bit of weight or feel tense for a few days it’s far less harmful than smoking for the rest of your life.

If you truly want to quit, why focus on reasons to continue smoking? It really is illogical, but that’s the way humans think. The sooner you can change your thinking about these issues, the sooner you will be able to quit for good.

And if you find the right teacher, you won’t suffer the withdrawal symptoms and weight gain that you are expecting.

Sylvia Dickens is an ex-smoker who has been smoke-free for 32 years. Today, she repeatedly gets a clean bill of health from her doctor, which she contributes to quitting smoking all those years ago. She understands the struggle and has routed out this terrific program that is guaranteed to work, no matter how long you’ve been smoking or how many times you’ve tried to quit. If you truly want to Quit Smoking (and are fed up with programs, patches, pills and gums that are expensive and don't work), don’t disappoint yourself. Click here and get started in 3 minutes. Quit in 3 hours. Read the review at http://www.book-titles.ca/StopSmoking.htm . Stop Smoking, Anxiety Relief, Dog Training, Music Instruction (piano, guitar) and Family Vacation Getaway ideas are just some of the topics covered on Sylvia’s site at http://www.book-titles.ca She offers articles and ebooks on a variety of themes in which she has previous knowledge and experience.

Wednesday, February 14, 2007

Ways to Stop Smoking - Which One is Best for You?

Ways to Stop Smoking - Which One is Best for You?
By Waller Jamison

There are numerous ways to stop smoking available today, but how can you find the best one? If you need help quitting smoking, it’s important to start by looking at your smoking habits. One of the problems with smoking is that people tend to do it unconsciously and so aren’t always aware of exactly how many cigarettes they smoke per day. So to help yourself stop, keep a smoking diary for a week. Make a note of every cigarette you smoke and the circumstances in which you smoked it. If you can, note how you felt at the time.

Some people have triggers – as soon as the phone rings, after a meal, relaxing with a drink after work, a trip to the pub, they light up. These are regular events associated with smoking, but there are other stronger emotional triggers as well. These can be major events, like the diagnosis of a serious illness or the death of a friend, but there are plenty of more banal situations in which we smoke for emotional reasons, for example, getting an unexpectedly large bill, having an outing you were looking forward to cancelled or getting stressed because you’ve been given extra work or have a deadline coming up and think you might not make it. So if you’re having trouble quitting smoking, take extra care with your diary and see how many triggers you can identify. They don’t always have to be negative – hearing good news can also make you reach for a cigarette.

Once you’ve established your smoking pattern, you can become more aware of when you smoke and take steps to cut back. If you habitually smoke when chatting on the phone to a friend or to your mother, make a point of creating an alternative. You could make a cup of tea, keep a bottle of water next to the phone or find something with which you can fidget, keeping your hands occupied and away from the cigarettes. Keep your cigarettes somewhere you can’t reach when on the phone. If you use a mobile or cordless phone, you’ll have to exercise a bit more will power!

You might find that awareness is enough to enable you to cut down and eventually stop, however, for many people this has a limited effect. If this is the case, have a look at the different options available and find one with which you feel most comfortable.

You could start off with your doctor or free public programme, such as those offered by the NHS in the UK. In addition, there are many options, which take differing amounts of time and can cost next to nothing – or a small fortune. It’s important to find something which you feel good about and which doesn’t break the bank. Although it’s worth considering the amount of money you’ll save by giving up if you are concerned about paying for therapy.

Emotional Freedom Technique or EFT, involves tapping on acupuncture points and is something you can learn to do yourself, making it a lot cheaper and less painful than acupuncture itself. Hypnosis is another popular alternative method of giving up smoking, and like the others, has plenty of advocates. Choose the way to stop smoking which appeals to you most, but remember that all of these methods have one pre-requisite – you have to want to stop smoking.

© Waller Jamison 2007

Waller Jamison is a qualified acupuncturist and reflexologist whose main focus is writing. If you need inspiration, get more great ideas to help you stop smoking

Tuesday, February 13, 2007

Do You Really Want To Quit Smoking?

Do You Really Want To Quit Smoking?
By Tommy Thompson

Did you make the New Year resolution to Stop Smoking? Well, have you quit yet? Millions of smokers around the world said they would stop smoking this year. But for many, the day never came. Maybe because of lack of motivation, maybe because you tried to do it on your own. Maybe you tried but gave up easily.

Lets face it. Smoking is a bad habit for a lot of reasons. No need to go into it, everyone knows the dangerous health risks involved. Mumbling the words "I'll quit when this pack is gone" or "After the New Year" or a hundred other reasons you convince yourself now is not the time, are just excuses to keep smoking.

If you want to smoke, you are going to smoke. You are going to tell yourself that your father lived until 85 and smoked 2 packs a day, or your great uncle smoked for 70 years and was never sick a day in his life. Blah blah blah. You probably even tell yourself that you enjoy smoking. How on earth can inhaling smoke be enjoyable. I have listened to smokers coughing and hacking, it doesn't sound enjoyable to me. How about that light up after a nice meal. Yeah, just what I want to do after I eat a delicious meal, wash it all down with some gritty disgusting smoke. You probably didn't even taste the meal anyway because all your taste buds are completely destroyed and everything tastes like stale ash.

Smokers make up all kinds of reasons to keep smoking. "I'm under a lot of stress" or "I'll gain weight". Ultimately the decision to stop smoking has to be yours. Yes family and friends will bug you to stop, but if you attempt to quit smoking and you really do not want to, your chances of success are slim.

The point here is, if you want to stop smoking you will. Make the decision for the right reasons. Be dedicated to the task because you do not want to die a horrible, painful slow death. You want to wake up in the morning without going into a coughing fit, you want to be able to go up a flight of stairs and not gasp for precious air. You want to smell good and get rid of the bad breath. You want to be FREE!

Well, what are you waiting for? Are you going to stop smoking, today?

If you really want to stop smoking and live longer,and you are ready to throw away that pack of cigarettes for good, please visit at Stop Smoking Advisor

Thursday, February 8, 2007

Stop Smoking: Choose the Best Time

Stop Smoking: Choose the Best Time
By Eric Hartwell

How do you choose the best time to stop smoking? It is important to think about this very carefully. After all, you have made the important step in trying to break the habit. The least you can do is to make it more likely to be successful by choosing an optimum time for starting.

But is there a “best” time? The answer is yes.

It will require some thinking about, but you must choose a good period in your life to give up smoking, otherwise you are doomed to failure. You need all the help you can get.

Don’t choose a stressful week to give up smoking. If you are busy, rushed off your feet or have important issues looming, then you will be preoccupied by those and will not be able to concentrate on giving up smoking.

Similarly, don’t choose a time that doesn’t fit in with existing commitments. If you are rushing off somewhere – perhaps a holiday or an important function then you will not be able to concentrate on the task ahead. Give yourself time and space to really get stuck into the issue of stopping smoking.

You should do a bit of forward planning. Choose a time in your life when you can really think about you for a change. Tell everyone what you are going to do and ask them for their support and encouragement. Tell them that when you are trying to give up you may not feel or act like your usual self. They will understand and can even help you when you are feeling stressed during the initial phase.

Don’t forget, if you don’t make the initial steps, you can never break the habit of smoking. By planning your stop date in advance, and clearing you life of other responsibility for that period of time, you are enhancing your chances of success.

Eric oversees the worlds best home page a user-led resource. Do you want to quit smoking? Visit Smokefree England for further information.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Eric_Hartwell

Sunday, February 4, 2007

A Quit Smoking Hypnosis Exercise

A Quit Smoking Hypnosis Exercise
By Terje Ellingsen

Here is a quit smoking hypnosis exercise you can use to stop smoking. Try it, because it might just help you in utilizing your mind power to stop smoking like it has helped many other tobacco addicted people. Reading the text and doing the quit smoking exercise at the same time is very impractical, so I recommend that you read the text aloud while you tape it. Play the tape each time you're doing this stop smoking exercise. The exercise combines traditional self hypnosis with NPL or Neuro Linguistic Programming.

Sit or lie down, relax and close your eyes

"Now I am in a future moment when I no longer smoke. I can see my environment, I can hear the sounds, smell the smells and feel all my emotions. I have no cravings for cigarettes. This seems real, this is real.

I'm now taking a trip on my future time line to a time when I have completely forgotten about smoking, where not smoking does not bother me a at all.

I'm now looking back on the time line and I remember how easy it was for me to stop smoking, how amazed I felt when I realized that I stopped having any craving for tobacco, and after that I never gave smoking another thought.

Now, I can feel the freedom I have without tobacco, how great I feel when I am no longer owned by cigarettes. My thoughts are my own. I am free to choose what I want to do and where I want to go, without the thought of smoking cigarettes coming into my thoughts. I want to stay here in this moment of no smoking for a long time and when I go back I will let my mind take these future moments of no tobacco cravings back with me."

Now, you create the anchor for these future non-smoking resources: Press your thumb and index finger together on your right hand and hold it for a few seconds.

"Now I am even farther in the future, and now I don't even think about smoking at all. This is very real."
Anchor your good smoke-free feelings again with your thumb and index finger for a few seconds.

Now, the touch of the thumb and index finger connects the good smoke-free feeling in your brain.

Now, bring yourself back to the present moment while you are still holding your thumb and index finger together. You have now made an anchor for the state of being a non-smoker. Repeat this anti smoking hypnotic exercise until it works instantly.

Terje Brooks Ellingsen is a writer and internet publisher. He runs the website 1st-Self_Improvement.net. Terje is a Sociologist who enjoys contributing to the personal growth and happiness of others. He tries to accomplish this by writing about self improvement issues from his own experience and knowledge. For example, using mind power to build better relationships and helping tobacco addicted people to quit smoking.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Terje_Ellingsen

Friday, February 2, 2007

Stopping Smoking: What to Expect

Stopping Smoking: What to Expect
By Eric Hartwell

Giving up smoking is not always easy – nobody said it would be! But knowing what to expect is half the battle in fighting the habit and being truly successful in regaining control of your life.

Many smokers just rush into the phase of quitting without really knowing what will happen to their bodies and how they might feel. Understandably, they fail because of unpreparedness, which can lead to distress and panic.

The first week is going to be the most difficult. You may feel bewildered and unsure about what is happening or what is going to happen.

Your body is withdrawing from the chemical and social effects of cigarette smoking and things will happen that will make you feel uneasy.

Withdrawal symptoms are caused by the nicotine in the blood being removed. This can have a number of effects including restlessness, anxiety, feelings of stress, irritability, frustration, lethargy and problems with sleeping.

It can even lead to symptoms of a sore throat, dry mouth and increased coughing and respiratory irritation.

All of these symptoms are completely normal and are experienced by many smokers that are trying to give up. None of them are dangerous but they can be distressing. Understanding what might happen can help you to conquer the feelings and symptoms when they arrive.

Try and accept the fact that you will feel uneasy and even slightly unwell. Allow them to happen. Or take diversionary measures – go for a walk, visit a friend, do something different.

Within a short space of time you will feel better and your confidence will increase as you realise that you are over the worse phase in the stopping smoking process.

Eric oversees the worlds best home page a user-led resource. Do you want to quit smoking? Visit Smokefree England for further information.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Eric_Hartwell

Quit Smoking: 21 Shocking Smoking Facts, The Tobacco Companies Don't Want You To Know

Quit Smoking: 21 Shocking Smoking Facts, The Tobacco Companies Don't Want You To Know
By Ben Adams

Smoking is a global problem. It is estimated that one in three adults smoke, with over 1 billion people smoking worldwide. The majority of these smokers reside in countries on the low end to the middle of the socioeconomic spectrum. Of this majority, about 80% live in low and middle-income countries. The total number of smokers worldwide is expected to keep on increasing each year.

The worldwide popularity of tobacco use varies by social class, historical era, and culture. Historically, smoking had been a pastime of the rich. However, this trend has changed dramatically in recent decades. It appears that financially advantaged men in wealthier countries have been smoking less in recent times.

The World Health Organization has been studying smoking trends and statistical patterns across the globe and has uncovered the following statistics:

1) Eastern Europe has a particularly high rate of smoking, with up to 59% of adult males smoking. Also, significantly more women smoke in Eastern Europe than in East Asia and the Pacific Region.

2) Most people who smoke, begin smoking before they are 25 years old. Worldwide observations suggest that people are stating to smoke at a much younger age. World Health Organization studies reveal that the majority of smokers in affluent countries; begin in their teens.

Smoking In The US

How do Americans compare to the rest of the world when it comes to smoking? It may come as no surprise to hear that Americans are no better than anyone else. According to the National Health Interview Survey (NHIS), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Health Statistics:

3) In the US, it is estimated that 25.6 million men (25.2%) and 22.6 million women (20.7%) are smokers. These smokers face a higher risk of heart attack and stroke. Here are the latest estimates for smokers’ aged 18 and above:

4) Studies reveal that smoking popularity is significantly higher among people with 9-11 years of education (35.4%) compared with those with more than 16 years of education (11.6%).

5) There appears to be a correlation between a country's standard of living, level of education, and income and the number of people who have quit smoking. The more and better-informed people are, the more likely they are to quit smoking.

6) People living below the poverty level (33.3%) are much more likely to start smoking.

7) Among whites, 25.1% of men and 21.7% of women smoke.

8) Among black or African Americans, 27.6% of men and 18% of women smoke.

9) Among Asians, 21.3% of men and 6.9% of women smoke.

10) Among Hispanics/Latinos, 23.2% of men and 12.5% of women smoke.

11) Among American Indians/Alaska Natives, 32% of men and 36.9% of women smoke.

12) A shocking…1 out of every 5 five deaths is caused by tobacco

13) It is estimated that Tobacco is responsible for 400,000 deaths in the US every single year.

14) Cigarettes are responsible for about 25% of deaths from residential fires, causing nearly 1,000 fire-related deaths and 3,300 injuries each year.

15) Tobacco is blamed for many serious cardiovascular and pulmonary diseases

16) Nicotine and tobacco are some of the most potent carcinogens and are responsible for the majority of all cancers of the lung, larynx, trachea, esophagus and bronchus.

17) Smoking tobacco is known to produce cancer in the pancreas, kidney, bladder, and the cervix

18) Because tobacco reduces blood flow, nicotine addiction has been proven to cause impotency.

19) If you smoke, the risk of respiratory illnesses is high. This could lead to pulmonary diseases such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and pneumonia, which are responsible for some 85,000 every year.

20) Children and adolescents who are active smokers will have increasingly severe respiratory illness, as they grow older

21) Smoking during pregnancy increases the risk of miscarriage and fetal growth retardation. It also causes about 5-6% of prenatal deaths, 17-26% of low-birth-weight births, and 7-10% of pre-term deliveries.

If you don't want to quit smoking after reading these shocking figures, you really need to get your head examined. You know in your heart, what's the right thing to do. Make a firm decision to quit today, and stick to it!

Ben Adams is author of: 'Quit Smoking Now! Secrets Of An Ex Smoker'. It's an excellant step-by-step guide for anyone who wants to kick the habit of smoking.
Download your FREE copy here: Quit Smoking Help - Free eBook

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Ben_Adams