Many people know that ideally they would like to be smoke free. While it may never happen for everyone there are many smokers just like you who really do want to kick the habit and stop smoking for good. Here are 3 tips that will help you on your road to living a smoke free life and reaping all the benefits that comes with being smoke free.

Stop Smoking tip #1: Deep Breathes

As a smoker you are use to inhaling deeply while you smoke. One way to calm the cravings is to breathe deeply and fill your lungs with as much fresh air as you can. If it makes you feel better, hold that breathe for about the same amount of time that you would if you were smoking.

Stop Smoking Tip #2: Change your Situation

Smoking just like any habit is usually done in certain places such as a certain chair in your home or in a certain area on your couch. Remove or just move the furniture around. This will give it a fresh new feel and you would have the onset of cravings just by sitting on your furniture.

Stop Smoking Tip #3: Avoid Smoking Areas

We all know of places we go to smoke such as the smoking area at work or a certain bar we love to have an after work drink in. These places are associated with your smoking. Until you have gotten strong enough to be in these places and not smoke avoid them. Why put yourself in a situation that can be harmful to your desire to stop smoking?

By using these simple tips you will be well on your way to stop smoking and to kick the nicotine habit.

Once you have chosen to quit smoking you are on your way to living a smoke free lifestyle and there are many different health benefits that come with this life style change. Let’s take a look at the top 7 health benefits that come with kicking the habit and quitting smoking for good.

Health Benefit #1:

Quitting smoking will improve your circulation which means your hands and feet will now become warmer.

Health Benefit #2:

Smoking causes high blood pressure and elevated heart rates. Once you kick the habit your blood pressure will go back to normal and your heart rate will slow down making you feel better.

Health Benefit #3:

Not only will your hair and breath smell better from quitting smoking but your sense of both smell and taste will improve.

Health Benefit #4:

Once you quit smoking not only will your energy levels increase but you will also see an increase in your stamina which means you can have fun for longer periods of time without feeling so worn out.

Health Benefit #5:

You will see clear! Your field of vision will increase by as much as 15-20%.

Health Benefit #6:

You know that horrible morning cough you wake up to and many times deal with all day long? That will go away! Not only that but the gross phlegm that you are likely coughing up will stop and your phlegm productions in your body will return to normal.

Health Benefit #7:

If these benefits are not enough don’t forget that your risk of diseases such as heart attacks, cancer and emphysema will be reduced also giving you the chance at a longer and happier life.

Tags: healthy lifestyle, quit smoking, stop smoking, stop smoking programs

Although there are a multitude of reasons to stop smoking, fear is among the most common motivators to encourage individuals to do the right thing. Fear of an early and self-imposed death leads many to consider the benefits of stop smoking programs. The most significant decision a smoker can make that will directly improve the length and quality of their life is to quit smoking. It is a well-known fact that smokers increase their risk of developing debilitating and fatal diseases like cancers, emphysema, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, heart disease and stroke. An estimated fifty percent of smokers will die from an illness or disease directly related to smoking. However, for anyone that is able to quit smoking prior to age fifty, their risk of dying by age 62-65 is decreased by half.

There are a great number of programs available to assist with smoking cessation. The difficult part is deciding which one is right for you. Many health care plans, employers, various web sites and primary care physicians offer stop smoking programs. One must consider a handful of variables to have the necessary information to choose the best way to quit smoking for their situation. For starters, these programs can cost very little up to hundreds of dollars. Nevertheless, the cost does not necessarily dictate the effectiveness. The plans success rate maybe the best indicator of how well it works. Another concern is that the program has well trained professionals available to answer questions making sure that it meets your specific needs. Just as most hurdles in life, there is no quick or easy way to stop smoking; one must possess determination and perseverance to navigate through this challenge. However, there are different quit smoking aids accessible to those that are seriously considering ways to help them stop smoking.

Because nicotine is a very addictive drug, smokers need assistance controlling cravings, irritability, anxiety as well as other symptoms of withdrawal during the process of smoking cessation. Many quit smoking programs offer gum or chewable tablets that supply a low dose level of nicotine to the system decreasing or controlling cravings. In addition, they offer a replacement for the need to have something in the mouth. Many of these quit smoking aids are available over the counter or by prescription. Other prescription medication options include tablets, patches, and inhalers. These operate in various ways, some by blocking nicotine receptors in the body, others are antidepressant that decreases cravings and inhalers and patches act as vehicles that secrete prescription low dose nicotine to maintain and control the symptoms related to smoking cessation.

Regardless of the option one chooses, the best way to quit smoking is to develop a plan. Some of the best stop smoking programs will walk one through a period of self-realization, to include personal reasons for wanting to quit smoking for good, and identify the obstacles in our life that may derail our plan. Many smokers do not realize that people, places and routines trigger our need for a cigarette. Once these have been addressed, then a quit smoking date should be set, working around stressful events or triggers that cause one to smoke. Moreover, you must make plans for ways to cope with the inevitable temptations you will encounter. When you come across a trigger that makes you want to smoke, what distraction can you use until the craving passes? Maybe it is as simple as chewing on a flavored toothpick or maybe you need a friend that will be available to talk when these moments arise. The more personal support you have around you, the more likely it is that you will succeed and remain smoke free.

~BizzyBuyer

Tags: healthy lifestyle, quit smoking, stop smoking, stop smoking programs

One of the hardest things to do is to quit smoking for good. If someone you know is quitting, there are some things you can do to give them help to quit smoking for good.

Things You Should Do

Respect the quitter: he/she is in charge and it is their decision to quit smoking for good, not yours. Ask the quitter how much encouragement they want when quitting. Do they want you to call them or stop by and ask about their progress? Do they want encouragement? Make sure you know what kind of help to quit smoking the quitter needs and wants from you. Help the quitter out by supplying him/her with straws to chew on or candy to suck on. Give the quitter help to quit smoking by keeping their mind off of smoking by keeping them busy with hobbies or outings. Help the quitter out with chores or other household tasks that may contribute to their stress level. Help keep them calm as much as possible. Try to look at it from their point of view. Many smokers speak of the reliability of smoking. It is always the same, the ritual of smoking has been a comfort and a crutch to them for many years, try and understand those feelings. Most importantly, celebrate all successes, a day without smoking, a week without smoking; every day without smoking should be celebrated!

Things You Should NOT Do

Do not yell, scold, nag, pick at or otherwise try to cajole the quitter into quitting smoking for good. It rarely works and actually works against the quitter. Remember being stressed and upset are two major triggers for smokers. Do not trigger a relapse by yelling. Do not preach or judge the quitter. Again this may work against the quitter’s favor. Do not take the quitters attitude, no matter how grumpy or nasty, personally. This is a symptom of nicotine withdrawal and will resolve itself after a few weeks. Instead of offering advice, simply ask what you `can do to give them help to quit smoking for good or ask what program they are trying.

What To Do About a Slip

If the quitter should happen to slip up and have a cigarette, don’t make the assumption that they will just start smoking again. Slipping up once or twice is normal. Just remind him or her just how long they made it without smoking and remind them why they wanted help to quit smoking for good in the first place. Let the smoker know you care about them whether they quit smoking for good or not
What To Do About a Relapse
Studies show most smokers will try to quit an average of six before they succeed, so all is not lost if there is a relapse. Remind the quitter of what a great job they had done and that managing to quit for any length of time is a success. Offer them help to quit smoking for good and encourage them to try again by letting them know you are ready to support them whenever they are ready to quit smoking for good.
To quit smoking for good is a very difficult thing. If a friend or family member is quitting, give them help to quit smoking. Help keep them stress free and relaxed. Your assistance can be the difference between a successful quitter and a failure!

~BizzyBuyer

Tags: healthy lifestyle, healthy living, quit smoking, stop smoking

Are you thinking about quitting smoking? This is the number one thing you can do for better health. Not only will you reduce your risk of side related health issues from smoking but you will also get added benefits you might not have thought of.

When you quit smoking you will find that you generally feel better. It seems those headaches or persistent tiredness could be linked to your smoking. When you quit smoking you might find that you can taste your food again or you may notice an improvement in your sense of smell. Also when you quit smoking you will be letting your heart work better without the stress that tobacco has on it. Did you even imagine that all these relatively minor issues were or could have been related to your smoking cigarettes?

You probably already knew about the big issues related to smoking that harm your health, like cardiovascular disease. This is the main cause of death due to smoking today. Cardiovascular disease is where your arteries are hardened and narrowed by smoking. Like with cancer, a person that smokes is much more likely to be diagnosed with cancer than a non-smoker. Smokers particularly seem to get lung cancer, throat or mouth cancers. Did you know that 90% of people diagnosed with lung cancer smoked or that if everyone stopped smoking completely, the lung cancer rate would be less than 0.5%?

The lung cancer risk would be very small if smoking was eradicated. Another serious health risk from smoking is a disease called COPD. This is a disease that means there is a breathing problem. Usually COPD will mean that you have emphysema, where you are not able to get enough air in because of damage to the alveoli or you have chronic bronchitis. Chronic bronchitis is where you are coughing and when you cough you have a lot of mucus build up. This condition can last for months.

But do you realize the other risks that are related to smoking. These risks include high blood pressure, fertility problems, asthma, bloodshot eyes, macular degeneration, cataracts, and brown stains on teeth, gum disease, and the risk of possible ulcers. Not only that but you run the risk of making yourself look years older than you should because smoking lowers the bodies level of vitamin A, which causes a smoker to have pale skin and many more wrinkles than they would if they did not smoke.

With all these health issues being related back to an individual’s smoking habit, it is no wonder that so many try to kick the habit. The biggest item a smoker can commit to that will improve their health is to stop smoking. They want to feel better, they want to look better. But many smokers find it harder to quit than they thought it would be. Someone that is trying to stop smoking will find many advertised methods to quit but none that can guarantee success. This leads many smokers to be disappointed in their quest to break the smoking habit.

Tags: cardiovascular disease, quit smoking, stop smoking

Did you know that when lung disease is diagnosed that 87% of the people are smokers? Or that smoking is a factor in other cancers in as much as 30%. These numbers are very high. Researchers estimate as many as 440,000 people die in America each year from diseases caused by smoking. That means that cigarette smoking is a cause in 1 out of 5 deaths.

But almost everyone that smokes is aware of the risk of lung cancer. Everyone knows that the number one cause of lung cancer is smoking. But is that really going to affect you? I would say yes. That is because the cigarette that you smoke is known to have been made with over 4000 chemical compounds. The smoke that is burned off the cigarette itself is known to have chemicals and carcinogens that get drawn right down into the lungs and cause damage, stress and inflammation. This sets the stage for tumors, and damage that the body is unable to repair. Your lungs are such vital organs that do not function well after ingesting all those chemicals. The risks associated with smoking and lung cancer are great, the best way to avoid it is to not smoke at all, or if you are a smoker to quit.

But there are other cancers associated with cigarette smoking. They include mouth cancer, throat cancer, and bladder cancer. As recently as 2004, scientists and doctors have added 5 new cancers to the list associated with smoking, and 4 other diseases. These would be cancers of the stomach, pancreas, kidney, cervix and acute myeloid leukemia. The 4 diseases put on the list as being linked to smoking are pneumonia, abdominal aortic aneurysm, cataracts, and periodontitis. These findings were all issued in a statement by the US Surgeon General in 2004 reiterating the fact that cigarette smoking is bad for you.

Doctors and physicians are getting better at recognizing and treating cancers, but they will be the first ones to tell you that your health will dramatically improve once you stop smoking. They will tell you that within 20 minutes of stopping to smoke your blood pressure drops. They will tell you that within 12 hours the CO2/carbon monoxide in your blood drops back to normal. They will tell you that after 3 months your lungs will breathe freer and function better. Nine months after you stop smoking, any shortness of breath diminishes and after 1 year of stopping to smoke your risk of heart disease is cut in half what it was when you were a smoker.

The doctor could go on with the good news and tell you that after 5 years your risk of stroke could be cut to that of a nonsmoker and after 10 years your lung cancer risk is cut in half. If you remain smoke free for up to 15 years your risk of heart disease will be the same as someone that has never smoked. The effort to stop is hard, but the benefits are huge.

Tags: cancer, quit smoking, stop smoking