Welcome to Gaia! :: View User's Journal | Gaia Journals

 
 

View User's Journal

Report This Entry Subscribe to this Journal
nutritiousquack81 Journal nutritiousquack81 Personal Journal


nutritiousquack81
Community Member
avatar
0 comments
Your Guide To Giving up Cigarette smoking And Improving Your Health
So you've decided it's time to give up that nasty smoking habit. Good for you! Making the decision to quit smoking is one of the wisest you will make in your lifetime, and probably one of the hardest.

Write down reasons why you should quit to increase the chances that you actually do quit. Writing something on paper makes it more powerful, and more real to your mind. You may become more motivated to remain on the path, and therefore, you may even find quitting to be less of a challenge.

To keep your hands and mouth busy while trying to quit smoking, keep crunchy vegetables like carrots or celery on hand. These low-calorie snacks will not only keep your hands busy, but they will steady your blood sugar and keep you from reaching for higher-calorie foods that could lead to weight gain.

Tell your loved ones that you're quitting smoking today. Just by letting them know what you are attempting to do, they will be able to be a support team for you and assist you in staying motivated and fighting temptations. With this support, you can optimize your chance to quit successfully.

To keep your hands and mouth busy while trying to quit smoking, keep crunchy vegetables like carrots or celery on hand. These low-calorie snacks will not only keep your hands busy, but they will steady your blood sugar and keep you from reaching for higher-calorie foods that could lead to weight gain.

User Image - Blocked by "Display Image" Settings. Click to show.

Don't Go Cold Turkey

Do not quit cold turkey. It can be tempting to throw out your cigarettes and say, "I quit!" But cold turkey is not the way you want to go. Studies show that over ninety percent of people who try to stop smoking with no medication or therapy end up relapsing. The reason for this is because nicotine is addictive and your brain craves it. Without it, nicotine withdrawal symptoms set in.

One way to make it easier to quit smoking is by finding a substitute for cigarettes that you can hold in your mouth or hand. This way, you can gradually replace your cigarettes with something else. A drinking straw can work, or a piece of candy or a pretzel can serve as an effective substitute.

See your doctor and ask him to recommend a stop smoking program or medication. Only five percent of people who attempt to stop cold turkey, with no help, succeed in their attempt to quit smoking. You need help to overcome the cravings and withdrawal symptoms that accompany any attempt to quit.

When you're ready to quit smoking, don't be afraid to seek the advice of a physician. A doctor can guide you in many ways on how to quit, whether it's recommending a nicotine replacement product, or outlining an exercise plan, or even just offering authoritative words of encouragement and support.

Rid your home and car of cigarettes, lighters, ashtrays, and matches. Seeing any of these items, or even smelling stale, disgusting cigarette smoke may be enough to weaken your resolve to stop smoking. Be sure to throw everything to do with smoking away. Do not pack it in a box to get rid of later.

Look into non-traditional methods of quitting smoking. No one quits smoking the same way and what works for your friend, may not work for you. If you are having trouble quitting with the more conventional methods, take a look at your options. Hypnosis and acupuncture are both highly successful methods to help you quit.

Drink a good amount of fruit juice for the first week when you're trying to quit smoking. This can help to flush toxins, such as nicotine, from your body. It will also help to raise your blood glucose level, which might be lowered a bit when you stop smoking.

Be sure that when you're trying to stop smoking that you try to limit beverages that make you crave tobacco. For some people this means cutting back on coffee or alcohol. If you consume these drinks you might feel urges to smoke, especially with alcohol. Stay away from these things or limit your intake for a while if you're quitting smoking.

If you decide to use a specific, dedicate program to help you stop smoking, remember that the more intense ones will have a much higher chance of success. This is not something that you can http://smokefree.gov/ approach with a half-hearted effort. Counseling sessions or group therapy should be consistent, lasting at least 30 minutes and over a period of two weeks minimum.

Clean your house and car when you stop smoking. Don't spend time in any environment where you look at the surroundings and equate them with smoking. Dispose of butts and ashtrays and clean anything with the smell of cigarettes. Your fresh environment should reflect a healthier, cleaner you, and some rigorous housecleaning might just let you power through a craving.

User Image - Blocked by "Display Image" Settings. Click to show.

You should pick your method, or methods of quitting. Some people may only be able to use the "cold turkey" method, meaning cutting their nicotine use entirely without tapering. However, this can make some people exceptionally cranky and exacerbate withdrawal. Gums, lozenges and other quitting cessation products exist to make the first week easier to handle.

When you quit smoking, don't forget to drink plenty of water. Drinking water has beneficial effects anyway, but especially when you're trying to stop smoking. It will help flush out the toxins that smoking leaves behind, as well as help satiate your oral fixation, if you have one. If you already drink plenty of water, think about drinking an extra glass the next time you have a craving for a cigarette.

Put the cash you would have spent on smoking in a jar and watch it add up! When you've reached a good amount of cash, treat yourself to something nice. Seeing all of that money pile up might just help you to realize how much you were wasting on cigarettes. Being able to treat yourself to something special will become it's own motivator too.

Check with your health department, local clinics, or doctor's office for information about local support groups for those who want to quit smoking. Talking to others who are quitting can provide valuable coping tips, support, and motivation. This may prove especially helpful if your friends and family are not supportive of your desire to quit.

Drink lots of cranberry juice the first e cig refill three days. Any consumption of acidic fruit juices will really take the edge off of the nicotine withdrawal as your internal chemistry slowly accepts the change. Just remember to quit after three days, as the physical nicotine withdrawal will end by then and the juices will just fatten you up after that.

As was previously said, quitting smoking is not an overnight process. There is not, unfortunately, an on/off switch when it comes to this habit. But it can achieved with some patience, perseverance, and a lot of faith. One day at a time and soon you will be proudly announcing to all that you are a non-smoker.




 
 
Manage Your Items
Other Stuff
Get GCash
Offers
Get Items
More Items
Where Everyone Hangs Out
Other Community Areas
Virtual Spaces
Fun Stuff
Gaia's Games
Mini-Games
Play with GCash
Play with Platinum