If you read my article on natural remedies to quit smoking, you’ll recall that I mentioned cayenne pepper but it was a brief mention. My recent research has revealed that cayenne pepper is hugely beneficial to smoking cessation. I publish my findings below:

What Is Cayenne Pepper?

You can call it red hot, long and spicy peppers used by cooks to add colour and flavour to their servings but Wikipedia gives its’ other names as “guinea spice, cow-horn pepper, aleva, bird pepper, or, especially in its powdered form, red pepper.” It agrees it’s a hot chili pepper used to flavour dishes. From this, we can safely say, cayenne peppers are used for both food and medicinal purposes. In this article however, I want to examine cayenne pepper as a quit smoking supplement and detoxification agent.

What Makes Cayenne Pepper Hot?

Most peppers have a special ingredient called capsaicin; it gives peppers their heat. The hotter the pepper the more capsaicin it contains. Cayenne also has a large concentration of vitamins E and vitamin C. These are vital to rebuilding the body after smoking cessation.

Benefits of Cayenne Pepper to Quit Smoking

• Prevents Lung Cancer

This is a major benefit as ex and even present smokers stand at huge risk of contracting lung cancer. An antibacterial agent, cayenne pepper has been established to prevent Lung Cancer. A book titled “Prescription for Herbal Healing” by Phyllis A. Balch published this evidence.

According to the book, “scientists at Loma Linda University in California have found a link between the consumption of hot peppers and the prevention of lung cancer in smokers. Tobacco contains a substance known by the abbreviation NNK that is an important factor in the promotion of lung cancer in smokers. Animal studies have shown that the capsaicin in cayenne peppers stops the activation of NNK and inhibits the tobacco-induced formation of lung tumours. To a lesser extent, capsaicin also protects against the tobacco-induced formation of liver tumours.”

• Helps Raise the Mood

Just like nicotine excites the brain and raises the mood of smokers, a book titled “500 Health Tips” by Gareth Zeal and Hazel Courteney states that “hot spicy foods that include cayenne pepper produce endorphins that help raise mood.” This means smokers can get the same effect nicotine gives them by consuming foods that include cayenne pepper. With this, they’re able to avoid a relapse by overcoming nicotine cravings.

• Helps to Beat Nicotine Cravings

Among many other health benefits, cayenne pepper is said to bring down nicotine cravings. It allegedly does this by making the respiratory system less senstive to tobacco and chemical irritants (this reduces nicotine cravings to a large extent).

• Assists Weight Loss and Curbs the Appetite

Most smokers find that they eat above their normal ration while trying to quit. This happens because of what I’ve decided to call ‘comfort eating.’ They’re trying to comfort themselves with food (an oral therapy – in the same mould as smoking). Due to this, many ex-smokers gain weight while trying to quit but a research conducted at the Laval University in Quebec noted that participants who took cayenne pepper for breakfast had a reduced appetite (and could not eat much throughout the day). This meant fewer calories but even in cases where smokers gained weight, Cayenne was also found to assist the body in burning excess fat. This it does by boosting the metabolism system to perform efficiently.

Another study, led by researcher Richard Mattes, PhD, RD, distinguished professor of foods and nutrition at Purdue University in West Lafayette, Ind., supports this body of evidence. The research which is published in “Physiology & Behavior” concludes that cayenne pepper may help burn calories and reduce appetite, particularly in people who are not used to consuming it.

The study discovered that eating food mixed with 1/2 teaspoon of cayenne pepper resulted in young adults burning close to 10 more calories over a space of four hours. It’s not the same when they ate the same meal without the red pepper.

• Aids the Detoxification Process

By nature, cayenne pepper stimulates perspiration and the detoxification process. It helps the body excrete the nicotine and other poisons that have built up due to smoking over the years. According to “Prescription for Herbal Healing”, “cayenne is a digestive aid. It stimulates the production of gastric juices, aids metabolism, and relieves gas.” All I can say is, a good digestion system will process food and other consumables promptly and convert the useful ones into the nutrients the body needs and excrete the useless or harmful ones.

How Do I Use Cayenne Pepper to Stop Smoking?

Cayenne pepper comes in various forms: fresh pepper, ground pepper powder, capsule, tea form, etc. One thing experts agree on is that taking cayenne daily is hugely beneficial to quit smoking. They say adding a couple of pinches to your glass of water can be beneficial in more ways than one.

They also talk about drinking a mixture of warm water and ¼ teaspoon of cayenne pepper. They say it is wonderful for the heart and an expectorant for the lungs. Even though it can make you cough (because of its detoxification qualities), it’s advisable to slowly drink this mixture few days after dropping off cigarettes. It can really sustain your health in the long term.

There is a caveat though: don’t use cayenne pepper in any form if you have any sign of stomach ulcers or acidity. Or let me just say, consult your doctor before using cayenne pepper!

Check Out This Cool Video on The Cayenne Pepper Diet

References:

Prescription for Herbal Healing; Phyllis A. Balch; Penguin; January 1, 2002

500 Health Tips; Gareth Zeal, Hazel Courteney; Struik, Apr 1, 2004

Cayenne Pepper May Burn Calories, Curb Appetite; Brenda Goodman, MA; WebMD.com

Feed Your Body With Healthy Alternatives; Brian; iquit-smoking.com

Image Credit: Itsgus

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The first few days after your last cigarette, experts advise that you drink acidic fruit juice, with Cranberry juice being an excellent choice. According to them, the acidic nature of the juice helps to flush nicotine from the blood stream faster. They however say drinking too much juice the first 72 hours can lead to gaining extra pounds.

What is Cranberry Juice?

Simply put, Cranberry Juice is the juice of cranberries (which are native to North America). When processed as a pure juice, it tastes bitter, just like lime juice but when diluted and sweetened, it becomes pleasing to the tongue. Most often, the term Cranberry juice refers to the sweetened version and not the pure juice. However, you need the pure juice which you can get at health food stores. The taste, like I earlier said, is slightly bitter, but you can dilute it with apple or any other fruit juice can for sweetness. Alternatively, you can dilute the juice with water for a refreshing and beneficial drink. It’s got all the vitamins and minerals the body needs and you can buy fresh cranberries and juice them yourself.

Benefits of Cranberry Juice when Quitting

• Makes nicotine cravings a thing of the past. Just drink it when a craving hits you. It’s a little known technique but it works all the time.
• Cranberry juice raises your blood sugar level, just like nicotine. If you quit smoking and succeed in keeping your blood sugar level, you experience an easy and stress-free cessation. This is because most of the nasty feelings and mood swings after cessation are blood-sugar related. The situation improves after a week or two. It’d suffice to say that most juices, aside Cranberry would help; it’s a minor sugar imbalance.
• Replacing a substance you want to quit with the same substance isn’t going to help. Quit smoking cold turkey and beat cravings by drinking cranberry juice.
• According to the University of Maryland Medical Centre (UMMC), Cranberries are rich in antioxidants which fight cancer-causing free radicals.
• Cranberry Juice also speeds up the process of excreting nicotine from the body. It operates in the same manner alcohol and stress cause smokers to smoke more because they lose nicotine faster and need to replenish it. The cranberry juice also speeds up the excretion process but because a quitter is no longer smoking, it means faster withdrawal from nicotine.

A Contrary View on Stop Smoking and Cranberry Juice

As much as experts encourage the consumption of Cranberry Juice, a book titled “How to Stop Smoking” by Review and Herald Publication Association warns intending quitters to avoid cranberry juice. According to the book, “drink six to eight glasses of water between meals. Keep a record if necessary. The more liquids you can down, the quicker the nicotine leaches out of your body. Take no alcoholic beverages-no beer, no wine. If you prefer fruit juices, avoid cranberry, prune, and plum juice.”

Interestingly, Patrick Meninga, a successful cigarette smoker reveals how he quit by drinking cranberry juice. According to him, “on the first day off, I quit smoking at night before going to bed. I woke up the next day and started flushing my system by drinking massive amounts of cranberry juice. I drank the stuff all day long….”

So, Where Does That Leave You; an Intending Quitter?

I highly suggest you use cranberry juice; it’s effective, safe and natural. What’s more, it doesn’t cause a re-addiction like some other quit smoking aids. Also, consume a lot of water, alongside the juice. Review and Herald Publication Association suggests a water schedule in the book titled “How to Stop Smoking.” “Upon rising in the morning”, the book says, “try to drink a glass or two of warm water. Then drink two glasses of water between breakfast and noontime, plus another two sometime during the afternoon. That will total six glasses …in addition to fresh fruit juice.”

By substantially increasing your fluid intake during the first twenty-four hours, the book opines that you may find yourself rounding the corner on craving much sooner than later.

There’s a caveat however; if you have diabetes, please consult your before committing to this juicing program.

Check Out This Cool Video On Making Cranberry Juice At Home

References:

How to Quit Smoking for Good and Overcome that Nasty Cigarette Habit; Patrick Meninga; www.spiritualriver.com

How to Stop Smoking; Review and Herald Pub Assoc; 1992 Edition

Quit Smoking Tip Sheet; Joel Spitzer; www.ffn.yuku.com

Beneficial Quit Smoking Tips that are Unlike Any Other; hypnosis4u2; www.hypnosis4u2.hubpages.com

Image Credit: CaptPiper

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If you have ever tried to quit smoking but relapsed shortly, you need to know how to stop smoking for good. This is because smoking cessation is more than making an attempt, you must be able to sustain the attempt and avoid the temptation to go back to smoking.

Thomas Edison, the famous inventor, realized the importance of sticking to his goals even in the face of impossibilities. At the end, his persistence was rewarded as he entered public consciousness as “the inventor” of the light bulb, and was credited with several inventions including the phonograph as well as the motion picture camera.

Once quoted to have said, “I am not discouraged, because every wrong attempt discarded is another step forward,” Edison is worthy of being emulated if you have just quit and want to stay permanently smoke-free.

Aside emulating Edison, please know that transforming yourself into a non-smoker for life involves living, breathing and thinking like one, even under the most trying circumstances. This way, you can actualize your resolve to stay quit.

Your job when you initially quit was to wean yourself from cigarette addiction and successfully go through the initial days, weeks, and months as a quitter. After you conquer those challenges, your job becomes to stay quit for life. Cultivating such a lifestyle is not mince meat and may force you to make tough decisions, and say “no” to people, situations and objects that tempt you to smoke. Suffice to say, quit smoking can sometimes be a lonely path to tread but keep at it and delight yourself in the fact that it’s one of the greatest things you have ever done.

11 Tips for Staying Smoke-free for Life

To permanently stay quit, engage the tips below for effective results.

* Quit smoking is a difficult challenge, never forget that

You definitely don’t want to experience the nasty nicotine cravings you experienced when you first quit. You and I know it’s a difficult challenge, so, why put yourself through that the second time by relapsing? Remembering the difficulties you faced when you first quit will help you stay on track; knowing that you can’t afford to face the same challenges again – sleepless nights, headaches, irritability, nausea, anxiety, and battling the constant urge to smoke. Remember this all the time and try to relieve the experience on an intuitive level. I’m sure you will not want to experience such again.

* After quitting, smoking just one cigarette can be harmful

After smoking cessation, reject any voice that tells you to smoke just one cigarette as it cannot harm you. I can tell you it is harmful as one cigarette will lead to two; two will lead to four and eventually, will cause a relapse.

* But when you slip and smoke, don’t be too hard on yourself

The quit smoking process is not devoid of slip ups, rather, it’s about falling and getting up again and again. It’s about sticking your neck out and resolving to stay quit, no matter the circumstances. Also, smoking cessation is not a one time event, it’s a culmination of events; it’s a process. It’s a journey so don’t be disappointed when you slip; it’s all a part of the stop smoking process. Stay true to your resolve; you’ll surely achieve your goal if you persist long enough.

Studies reveal that it takes the average smoker 5 to 7 times before they quit smoking for good. So, each time you slip, forgive yourself for your smoking indiscretions – no matter how many times they occur – and get right back into your cessation program. As Ralph Waldo Emerson wisely wrote, “our greatest glory is not in never failing, but in rising up every time we fail.”

* Reach out to your support network

When you decide to quit smoking, try as much as possible to establish a support network of friends, family, and smoking-cessation experts that you may call upon to help you deal with setbacks. Anytime, you’re tempted to some, all you need do is to call them for help. Don’t underestimate the impact your support network can have on your quitting effort. Engage your support network today!

* Never give up

Just by making the decision to cease smoking, realize you have become capable of realizing your goal. It may not happen in an instant, and you may stop and start smoking several times throughout your life, but the moment you made the decision to quit, you put yourself on the right path. Relish in that moment; remember it often, and tell others about it. And, when faced with challenges that cause you to doubt your decision, remember you’re already on the right track; all you need is to keep on walking. No matter the number of quit attempts you have to make or how many relapses you must overcome, refuse to give up. Every day you conquer nicotine cravings and refuse to smoke brings you closer to your goal of permanently becoming smoke-free.

* Never forget your reasons for quitting

Why did you quit smoking? Is it because of your health, kids or to save money? Never forget this reason, keep it close to your heart and mind as you move through life as a non-smoker. If you quit because you had a lung cancer scare, never let the fear you felt become dull. If you quit because of your kids, never let the memory of facing your kids to tell them you’ve started smoking again leave you. If you quit cigarettes to save money, never forget that reason for one minute. Always keep your reason in mind as it will keep you permanently smoke-free.

10 Reasons to Quit Smoking

* Volunteer to help someone else quit smoking

Volunteering to help someone quit smoking with the knowledge and experience you’ve gained during your smoking cessation journey will not only help you stay quit; it also reminds you how difficult quitting actually is in a compelling way. It would help you stay on course because you cannot help someone when you’ve relapsed.

Remember the universal principle of getting more by giving more? This would surely help you stay permanently quit.

* Celebrate milestones and anniversaries

After everything you have gone through to quit smoking, you deserve to celebrate! In fact, rewarding milestones and celebrating anniversaries is an integral part of staying smoke-free for life. When you commemorate important dates, you acknowledge your hard work and track the increasing distance between you and smoking. You can reward yourself in different ways but always tell the whole world you’re celebrating a week, month, year or more of not smoking; as this helps reinforce your decision to stay quit. You definitely cannot face the same people you’ve told you’re celebrating your non-smoking status that you’ve started smoking again. It’s shameful, so, let the whole world know you’re celebrating and reward yourself with a massage from your favourite masseur, a night out at the movies, exotic cuisine from your favourite restaurant, a vacation to a country you’ve always wanted to travel to, etc. There are many ways to reward yourself with the money you’ve saved from not smoking, so, go out there and celebrate.

* Get deep into exercises

Exercise and smoking are said to be incompatible habits, so, if you get deep into exercises and workouts, you’re going to hate smoking and that will help you permanently stay quit. It’s vital to get involved in physically challenging exercises like long distance running, jogging, swimming, etc. These exercises give you the same high that nicotine gives you and when you engage in them, you lose interest in smoking.

* Be lively; instead of feeling depressed

Staying permanently quit requires you to avoid feeling irritated, tempted, angry, or depressed and in dire need of a cigarette. Be lively, never envy smokers. You’re not disadvantaged in any way because you decided to stop smoking. Rather, you’re gaining a lot; your health, finances, relationships, society, are benefiting in one way or the other.

The health benefits of smoking cessation

General quit smoking benefits

* Recognize your weak point, and steer clear

We’re human and all have our weak points. As a quitter, you definitely have some weaknesses as regards your smoking habit. If you want to stay smoke-free, you have to recognize this weakness and steer clear of it. For instance, if you discover you’ll be tempted to smoke after a cup of coffee, steer clear of it. If you discover you’ll be tempted to smoke during a night out with friends, avoid such occasions.

Now that you know these 11 tips, it’s time to make your next quit attempt a permanent and successful one. So, all I’ll say is, stop smoking today! Stop smoking now! The dangers of smoking to the human body, family or society cannot be quantified.

References:

Quitting Smoking Made Easy, Alex A. Lluch, WS Publishing Group, 2011,San Diego,California,

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_Edison

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Yes, bananas do help quit smoking because they contain high levels of Vitamin C, B6, B12, A1 as well as potassium and magnesium which assist the body to cope and deal with the effects of quit smoking.

When I wrote about foods that can help smoking cessation, I mentioned bananas and the role they play in giving up the smoking habit but in this article, I hope to do a more thorough explanation on the exact role(s) bananas play in the stop smoking process and why you should use them to quit smoking.

What are Bananas?

They are one of the fruits known to help quit smoking. They come in a variety of sizes but most of them are curved in shape; have a fibre-rich, spongy flesh and yellow, purple or red skin when ripe. They grow in bunches and are cultivated throughout the tropics, especially Africa and Asia.

Bananas are made up of three simple sugars – fructose, glucose and sucrose which work to boost body energy instantly. Experts say consuming two pieces of bananas can provide sufficient energy for a tiring one and a half hours exercise. It’s not surprising therefore that the world’s leading athletes consume bananas. In fact, if you’ve watched a tennis match before, you’d realize that tennis players consume bananas in between playing breaks to replace lost energy and sustain playing. Have you ever asked yourself why athletes consume bananas out of all the fruits available? Now, you know.

How Exactly Do Bananas Help the Smoking Cessation Journey?

Bananas help quit smoking by battling the side effects of nicotine withdrawal while keeping you energized and satisfied.

Smoking cessation probably means a big change in your life, prompting a lot of stress, strong cravings for nicotine (which may never be satisfied, leading to more stress in the first few weeks of quitting) and anxiety. Other side effects of smoking cessation include nausea, irritability, misplaced aggression or agitation, depression, headaches, low energy levels, etc. This is really a difficult period for quitters as their brain and body screams (or is it craves?) for its usual dose of nicotine but smart quitters know all they need is to avoid giving in.

Bananas can help the body cope through this difficult period as it contains a good supply of magnesium, which is crucial for relaxing muscles and calming the nervous system. Most smokers say they use nicotine to calm their nerves but in the absence of cigarettes, bananas can come in handy and help quitters cope with their cravings for nicotine when they are frustrated, stressed or just angry.

If you’re experiencing withdrawal symptoms like agitation or irritability, experts advise you take an additional 300 milligrammes of magnesium per day as it boosts serotonin levels and helps improve sleep, mood or behavioural patterns (nicotine withdrawal reduces serotonin levels in the brain).

A normal level of serotonin props up feelings of happiness and relaxation. Serotinin is produced by the body with the help of tryptophan, an essential amino acid which can be gotten from bananas. Please note that our body does not produce tryptophan naturally; the only way our body gets it’s supply of tryptophan is through our diet (milk, peanuts,  cheese, eggs, bananas, etc are good sources).

Advantages of Using Bananas to Quit Smoking

* They’re tasty and filling. They also keep the mouth and hands busy, thereby serving as a source of distraction to cope with cravings.

* They’re cheap and available all year round. Unlike other fruits like the kiwi, passion, etc bananas are more accessible the world over.

* They contain dietary fibre which help bowel movement and result in the excretion of some of the toxins that have built up in the body as a result of years of smoking. A single helping of banana is said to contain 16% of the daily recommended dietary fibre intake for a normal adult.

* Unlike some stop smoking medications, bananas have no side effects when used to quit.

* They put the body in a relaxed mode, thereby eradicating stress, which is a huge cause of relapse.

* They help to deal with nicotine cravings naturally

* Bananas contain carbohydrates, which serve as a major energy boost to quitters experiencing low energy levels.

* They also help to overcome depression which arises as a result of quit smoking. Bananas are able to do this because they contain tryptophan acids (which gets converted into serotonin) and helps in lessening depression symptoms and improving the mood generally.

* They can also be used as a substitute to cigarette as they’re much better than cigarettes.

* Bananas contain Vitamin A (which promotes healthy bones, teeth, soft tissue, and more), Vitamin B6 (which helps the body’s immune system, promotes brain health, heart health, and more), Vitamin C (which assists in healing, growth of tissue, ligaments, and more) as well as Vitamin D (which helps the body to absorb calcium).

From the nutrients and their functions, we can safely say bananas can help to repair the damages caused by smoking and put the body back into shape. In the same vein, bananas assist the body in retaining nitrogen, phosphorus, calcium and nitrogen, all of which work to build healthy and rejuvenated tissues.

* They are excellent immune-boosters. Bananas contain 25 percent of the recommended daily allowance (RDA) for vitamin B6, needed for generating antibodies and red blood corpuscles as well as aiding in the breakdown and assimilation of fat. In addition, vitamin B6 serves as an immunity booster. So, this fruit fortifies your defence against contagious diseases.

How to Use Bananas to Quit Smoking

Now that you know the immense benefits of consuming bananas during smoking cessation, I highly recommend you have bananas handy while attempting to drop off cigarettes. Any time a strong craving hits you, consume bananas instead of smoking a cigarette as the mere movement of your mouth while gobbling a banana helps to calm you down and replicate the smoking habit. Aside the relaxing effects, the vitamin boost of a banana helps to keep those nasty cravings in check. You’ll have less irritability, anxiety, headaches, nausea, and less nicotine cravings on the whole, to make your smoking cessation attempt much more successful. And when you become successful with quit smoking, you sure are going to enjoy some benefits; just check out some of the health benefits of smoking cessation.

References:

Nutritiondata.com, Chemistry Daily, Stanford Linear Accelerator Center, NIH MedLinePlus.

Journal of Pharmacognosy and Phytochemistry, Traditional and Medicinal Uses of Banana, K. P. Sampath Kumar, Debjit Bhowmik, S.Duraivel, M.Umadevi, September 2012

Stop Smoking the Easy Way, Sue Wells, New Holland Publishers, 2007 ,Page 151- 152

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bananas

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The health risks of smoking are immense but the most visible of them all is the effect on the skin. People can notice a smoker miles away because the skin looks dry, saggy, wrinkled, impoverished, and in dire need of a makeover. But the makeover won’t come until cigarette smoking is stopped. Experts say the body has an amazing ability to heal itself and all a smoker needs to prevent further skin damage is to quit smoking.

While you may say the damage smoking does to the skin is minute compared to the lung cancers, COPD, or cardiovascular diseases, I dare say any damage (whether superficial or otherwise) should be looked into to avoid further damage (because smokers can develop skin cancer and that’s not minute. Is it?).

How Smoking Destroys the Skin

Preventive Dermatology by Robert A. Norman and Max Rappaport gives an overview on how smoking affects the skin.

“Smoking”, according to the authors, “causes premature aging of the skin by affecting the color, tone and wrinkling.” They further stated that smoking can increase the risk for developing psoriasis (skin redness and irritation), melanoma (risky type of skin cancer), squamous cell carcinomas (form of skin cancer) on lips and tissue which lines the mouth. While stating that smoking could also be responsible for poor wound healing due to reduction of oxygen and nutrients to the skin, they also said it could cause acne and hair loss.

Robert Jones explains further in his book titled: Looking Younger: Makeovers That Make You Look as Good as You Feel.

According to him, “smoking destroys collagen and elastin in the skin. Nicotine actually has a harmful effect on tiny blood vessels in your face that feed and nourish your skin. Most experts consider smoking the number one cause of premature aging.”

In addition, Jones maintains smoking can alter the pigmentation of your skin, making it look dry and colorless and that the habitual use of certain muscles around the mouth during smoking can cause deep wrinkles.

He proffers a solution. According to him, “the best way to prevent these aging effects is to simply not smoke. Bottom line: Smoking is robbing you of beauty and youth.”

The Effects of Smoking on the Skin

Care to know some of the effects of smoking on the skin? Find out below:

Premature Aging: A 2001 Japanese study to investigate the association between wrinkle formation and tobacco smoking confirmed that heavy smoking causes premature skin aging. The results of the study conducted at the Nagoya City University Medical School, Japan were published in the Journal of Dermatological Science.

Wrinkles: The Tao of Quitting Smoking by Joseph P. Weaver, says scientists believe that smokers are three times as likely to develop premature wrinkling caused by smoking, which can show up in people as young as 20 years old. “The four thousand-plus chemicals in tobacco smoke interfere with microvasculature pathways which nourish your skin with oxygen rich blood, thereby causing wrinkling.”

Skin Tissue Composition: Smoking deteriorates the composition of the skin tissue and is sometimes responsible for serious acne breakouts. Skin becomes dry and brittle with increased lines and wrinkles.

Poor Wound Healing: A University of Oklahoma Health Science Center study co-ordinated by Silverstein, P concluded that smokers have a higher degree of poor healing after face-lift surgery, as well as a greater degree of complications following breast surgery. They should therefore be advised to quit smoking before undergoing any form of voluntary surgery or “when recovering from wounds resulting from trauma, disease, or emergent surgery.”

Skin Tone and Colour: Among many other effects, smoking leads to a discolouration of the skin as well as premature wrinkling.

Skin Cancer: While smoking has been scientifically linked to a couple of ailments like Lung cancer, COPD and heart disease, the evidence for skin cancer had not been too clear. But in June 2012, a study threw more light on this. It linked smoking to one type of skin cancer. After going through their pool of evidence, Fiona Bath-Hextall of the University of Nottingham in England and colleagues concluded that smoking is highly responsible for squamous cell cancer ( a form of cancer of the carcinoma type that may occur in many different organs, including the skin, lips, mouth, etc).

The Way Out for Smokers

Earlier in this article, I quoted Robert Jones (author of Looking Younger: Makeovers That Make You Look as Good as You Feel) as saying the way out is to stop smoking and even though this will prevent further skin damage, experts say it may not reverse past skin damage. The most sensible to do for most smokers is to quit smoking before any irreversible damage is done to their skin. And so if you’re reading this and still smoking as a chimney, you know just what to do. Throw the butts away and get a non-smoking life! As you do so, you will no doubt find a companion in this Action on Smoking and Health (ASH) ebook on how smoking affects the way you look.

References:

Looking Younger: Makeovers That Make You Look as Good as You Feel, Robert Jones, Fair Winds, Sep 1, 2008, p. 65:

The Tao of Quitting Smoking, Joseph Weaver, Apr 30, 2004, Chapter 18

Preventive Dermatology, Robert A. Norman and Max Rappaport, Springer-Verlag London Limited 2010, p. 17:

Journal of Dermatological Science, Volume 27, Supplement 1, Pages 26-31, August 2001

Smoking and Wound Healing. Silverstein, P. The American Journal of Medicine vol. 93 issue 1 July 15, 1992. p. S22-S24

Smoking Tied to One Type of Skin Cancer. FoxNews.com, June 20, 2012

The post What Are the Effects of Smoking on the Skin? appeared first on 2stopsmokingtips.com.

If you’re one of those looking for information on how to quit smoking for teenagers, please read this post to the very end as it contains all you need to know. Enjoy it.

Many celebrities confess to taking up the smoking habit in their teens. Celebrities like Lindsay Lohan and a couple of others took up smoking right from their teens and even at 26 and after a few health challenges, Lindsay still smokes like a chimney.

Just like Lindsay got into smoking as a teenager, several other teenagers get into the habit daily due to various and sometimes unfathomable reasons. And the statistics are alarming.

According to data from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Administration (1994), approximately 6,000 young people try a cigarette and more than 3,000 children become regular smokers everyday.

Michael Mannion in his book: How to Help Your Teenager Stop Smoking asserts that nearly four million teenagers smoke, and another 3,000 start each day. “While adult smoking has declined, the 1990s have witnessed a dramatic rise in teenage smoking’, he says.

In the same vein, the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), says “over 4000 teenagers between the ages of 12 and 17 become regular smokers everyday. Half of these teens will become daily smokers.”

According to Charles Herrick, Charlotte Herrick, Marianne Mitchell in the book: 100 Questions & Answers about How to Quit Smoking, this surge in the number of teen smokers is due to the fact that “teens get addicted faster than adults”. Other reasons the book alluded to include parental smoking, peer smoking, seeing smoking as ‘cool’ and easy accessibility to tobacco products.

As alarming as teen smoking is, 100 Questions & Answers about How to Quit Smoking, says smoking among young adults is the most worrisome as they constitute the group with the largest numbers of addicted smokers: 44.3% of those aged between 18 to 25.

 Reasons Why Teenagers Smoke

According to Dr David Brizer, in his book, Quitting Smoking for Dummies, “one big reason that teens smoke is to pump up their self esteem and self confidence.” As a parent, it’s therefore your duty to make sure your kids grow up with a healthy self esteem. If your kids are not confident about themselves, they will be influenced by their friends who smoke and adverts that depict cigarettes as passports to being ‘cool’.

Yet another reason why teenagers smoke is to avoid weight gain. Many teenagers and young adults erroneously believe preventing weight gain is possible through smoking. And so, they keep puffing only to discover it does not, according to this report.

Teenagers who have smoking parents would most likely smoke and that is another reason teenagers pick up the smoking habit.

To fit in and feel ‘cool’ among friends, some teenagers pick the smoking habit.

Yet another reason why teenagers get into smoking is the fact that celebrities who they look up to as role models smoke. They (teenagers) reason along these lines: If I adore an actor and want to be like him, whatever he does is ‘cool’ and if he is having fun smoking, why can’t I?

While teenagers get into smoking through all sorts of reasons, a recent study indicated it’s hard to quit the smoking habit is just as hard for teenagers as it is for adults.

The study made available online Sept. 4, 2012 in the journal Nicotine and Tobacco Research discovered that young people who are new to smoking experience similar negative psychological effects when they attempt to quit as people who’ve smoked for years. Scientists at Brown University conducted the research.

How Then Can Teenagers Be Helped to Quit Smoking?

Parents, schools and the society have a role to play in this regard.

Parents should spend quality time with their teenage smokers and vehemently discourage tobacco use but threats won’t help in this situation. Instead, a lot of convincing and appealing must be employed. Allow your teen smoker say his reasons for smoking and gently counteract each and every reason he gives. Make him understand the dangers of smoking. And without being harsh, assist him in setting a quit date, provide self-help materials, encourage him to think of the health benefits of quitting and monitor his peer relationships.

Encourage him to exercise frequently as an American Academy of Pediatrics report investigated the advantage of adding exercise to some teen smoking cessation programs. After the research, the AAP found that those teens who involved in physical workout had a greater chance of cessation at 24 weeks. This was particularly evident among the male folk.

Also, do a bit of calculation and come up with the exact figure your teen is expending on cigarettes in a week, month, and possibly, a year. And try to convince him or her to quit for just a week and invest the money in a gift he had always wanted. That can motivate him to quit. After that first week, convincing him or her becomes much easier.

If you realize in your interaction with your teen smoker that he is smoking because of lack of self confidence, try to involve him in activities that’ll help boost his self esteem and make him understand that he can live a full life without cigarettes.

While trying to help your teen get over smoking, please be a good example to him. You cannot give what you don’t have. You can’t expect your teen smoker to stop smoking while you’re actively smoking.

William L. Fibkins in his book: What Schools Should Do to Help Kids Stop Smoking, encourages schools to implement school -based tobacco prevention and intervention programs modeled after successful tobacco intervention programs like the Great American Smoke Out, CDC’s Project TNT, the American Medical Association GAPS program, and so many other successful community intervention programs.

The society should provide a clean and smoke-free environment for these teen smokers. It helps to strengthen their resolve to quit and stay smoke-free. There should also be advertising controls so that adverts that portray smoking as the passport to a fuller life can be eradicated. The society should celebrate and highlight celebrities who have successfully quit so these teens can see that smoking is truly dangerous.

For further help, please download CDC’s ebook on preventing tobacco use among youth and the young adult.

Study Confirms Risk of Death for Teenage Smokers

An October 2012 study revealed that teenage smokers are more probable to die of heart disease years down the line, even if they quit by the time they’re middle-aged. David Batty, who co-ordinated the new study at University College London,with colleagues, maintained it was never too late to quit. This study, published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology, is a huge wake up call to parents, societies and schools to help teen smokers overcome their addiction.

Earlier, a study made available in the journal Addictive Behaviours, linked smoking to depression among adolescents.

Michael Chaiton, the co-ordinating author of the research as well as a research associate at the Ontario Tobacco Research Unit of the University of Toronto, held that while cigarettes may seem to improve mood and have self-medicating effects in the short term, teens who began to smoke experienced higher depressive symptoms in the long term.

This is enough motivation to save our youth, our future from the devastating effects of cigarette smoking. Parents, teachers and the society at large, the ball is in your court!

References:

Quitting Smoking Just as Hard for Teens: Study; HealthDay News; FRIDAY, Sept. 14

100 Questions & Answers About How to Quit Smoking; Charles Herrick, Charlotte Herrick, Marianne Mitchell; Jones & Bartlett Publishers, Sep 22, 2009

Quitting Smoking For Dummies; David Brizer, M.D. ; John Wiley & Sons, May 4, 2011

How to Help Your Teenager Stop Smoking; Michael Mannion; Welcome Rain Publishers, Apr 1, 2000

What Schools Should Do to Help Kids Stop Smoking; William L. Fibkins; Eye on Education, Jan 1, 2000

bit.ly/T5AVCh Journal of the American College of Cardiology, online October 3, 2012

Smoking, Depression Linked in Teens, health24.com, Monday, August 30,2012

The post How to Quit Smoking for Teenagers -The Role of Parents,Schools and the Society appeared first on 2stopsmokingtips.com.

Even though smokers inhale deeply while smoking, they forget to continue deep breathing after they quit. Yet, deep breathing is so beneficial to quit smoking. It does not only strengthen lung capacity, it eases nicotine cravings and improves the moody feelings smokers experience upon quitting. It also releases the toxins that may have accumulated in the body or lungs as a result of many years of smoking and boosts the energy level. Shallow breathing is not good for smokers who recently quit because they need a lot more oxygen to get their body, brain and lungs into proper shape. Suffice to say, deep breathing exercises should be consistently practiced the first few weeks after cessation. Just like physical exercises which are beneficial to quit smoking, breathing exercises will also do you a lot of good.

According to Dr. Sukhraj S. Dhillon in his book; Cigarette Smoking: What It’s Doing to Smokers and Nonsmoker, “the first step in stopping smoking is learning how to breathe properly. Up until now, you have been steadily decreasing the amount of oxygen your body takes in because of your smoking. Initially, it may be difficult to take a deep breath,” but keep at it, it will soon become a part of you.

Dr Dhillon emphasizes that breathing exercises are beneficial because:

* They provide a physiological and psychological substitute for smoking,

* Educate smokers in the proper use of the lungs,

* And help the cleaning and regeneration of the respiratory system

How to do Deep Breathing Exercises

Breathing exercises are best done in the mornings when there is an abundance of fresh, unpolluted air in circulation.

Kicking It: The New Way to Stop Smoking Permanently, a book by David L. Geisinger and Claude M. Steiner, recommends smokers follow the instructions below to do deep breathing exercises. According to the authors,

“Sit down on chair, legs uncrossed, feet on the floor, hands in your lap, spine straight but relaxed. Take a long, deep breath through your nose, mouth closed, until your ribcage and chest are fully expanded with air. Hold your breath for about 10 seconds and then exhale exclusively through your mouth, all at once, allowing your chest to relax abruptly with a sigh. Let 10 seconds pass, then repeat the breathing pattern; after another 10 seconds, do it a third time. Wait about 30 seconds and then repeat the entire cycle of three relaxation breaths. Two or three cycles should produce the desired effects, though one is often sufficient.”

While claiming that this exercise will undoubtedly relax you, Geisinger and Steiner advise that you “do the relaxation breathing exercise while sitting because it may make you feel slightly light-headed for a few seconds, as a result of the enriched supply of oxygen to your brain.”

Advantages of Breathing Exercise after Quit Smoking

* It eases nicotine cravings and improves the moody feelings smokers experience upon quitting: The first few days after cessation is usually tough as you’ll experience irresistible urges to smoke. Each time a craving hits you, Review and Herald Publishing, authors of How to Stop Smoking say you should pause right where you are and say to yourself:”I choose not to smoke.” Then get a drink of water, start deep breathing, and ask for divine aid. You will note that the craving begins to lessen in a few minutes and that you have made it through a real crisis.”

* As regards emphysema, Building Healthy Lungs Naturally, a book by Mike White, Michael Grant White opines that some breathing exercises have contained and backed off shortness of breath classified or mis-classified as emphysema, while some breathing exercises have made it worse.

* It gets rid of the toxins that have accumulated in the body as a result of many years of smoking. The oxygen the body gets as a result of deep breathing clears off the carbon dioxide and other poisonous elements residing in the body as a result of smoking.

* Deep breathing boosts the oxygen levels in the body. This, subsequently, relaxes the brain, body and lungs of smokers. The pleasurable and relaxing feeling it brings is incomparable to the ‘relaxation’ smokers claim they get from lighting up.

* It also relieves the stress and tension that smoking cessation brings. There is no doubt about the fact that quit smoking is stressful but deep breathing can keep the stress at bay.

* Deep breathing also strengthens lung capacity and keeps shortness of breath in check.

Ultrabreathe asi7492 Compact Breathing Exerciser

If you’ve just quit cigarettes and feel breathless just after climbing a flight of stairs, you may need to use the Ultrabreathe ASI7492 Compact Breathing Exerciser to help you regain lung function. It’s convenient to use and helps relieve the feeling of breathlessness from some lung ailments like emphysema, asthma and bronchitis. It helps to exercise your lungs better; you’ll breathe deeper and more easily than before. Unlike other breathing devices, it’s small, compact and can be taken anywhere you’re going. You can get it for less than $35 from Amazon this very minute. Just click the link below:

Ultrabreathe ASI7492 Compact Breathing Exerciser

Conclusion

Deep inhalation and exhalation is a relaxing activity for both smokers and non-smokers alike. Enjoy your relaxation without a cigarette – the reason you find cigarettes pleasurable is because you deep breathe while puffing! Cigarettes never relaxed anyone by themselves. Relaxation should have nothing to do with smoking. Disengage those connections now! Clear your head, lungs and body of those toxins now! You deserve a clean life; you deserve a clean body; you deserve relaxation without toxins; you deserve deep breathing. So, get into the act now! Deep breathing is one of the healthy habits you must adopt after cessation, so, get into the act now!

Ultrabreathe ASI7492 Compact Breathing Exerciser

References:                      

* How to Stop Smoking for Life; Review and Herald Publishing; 2004

* Building Healthy Lungs Naturally; Mike White, Michael Grant White; Optimal Breathing Press; Jul 22, 2005

* Kicking It: The New Way to Stop Smoking Permanently; Wellness Institute, Inc.; Jan 1, 2000

* Cigarette Smoking: What It’s Doing to Smokers and Nonsmoker; Dr. Sukhraj S. Dhillon; Amazon and Barnes & Noble; 1985

The post What are the Benefits of Deep Breathing Exercises to Smoking Cessation? appeared first on 2stopsmokingtips.com.

A lot has been said and documented about the health benefits of green tea. Some say it’s a wonder drink while Jason Busell in his book titled: “The Asian Diet: Simple Secrets for Eating Right, Losing Weight, and Being Well” says green tea is the greatest beverage in the world. According to him, “the more I learn about this tea plant, the more I am convinced that it came either directly from God, or from aliens! It is the only plant of which I am aware that stimulates both the sympathetic nervous system (a.k.a the fight or flight response) with caffeine, but also stimulates the parasympathetic nervous system(the calm and relax response) with the compound L-Theanine. So it is a balanced substance: it wakes you up and calms you down, Yin and Yang.”

On her part, Mutsuko Tokunaga author of “New Tastes in Green Tea: A Novel Flavor for Familiar Drinks, Dishes, and Desserts”, says “ as a drink that heals the spirit as well as the body, green tea can indeed be called a “green treasure.”

She opines that “green tea can be a useful part of our daily life-it can be drunk and enjoyed for its soothing effect, and it can be used as a herb in savory dishes and desserts to make full use of its distinctive flavor and aroma.”

What Is Green Tea?

For some years now, green tea has received widespread media coverage as one of the reasons for the longevity of the Japanese, which ranks among the highest in the world. It’s an herbal tea that is full of antioxidants that keep the human body in good health. Various researches have revealed that green tea can be used for weight loss, to lower high blood pressure, reduce the level of cholesterol in the body, prevent lung cancer, aids digestion and prevents aging.

Even though there are other teas like white, oolong and black tea, green tea is said to be the most effective because its’ leaves are not fermented. Linda Page explains better in her book titled: Healthy Healing – 12th Edition: A Guide to Self-Healing for Everyone.

According to her, “all black, white, green and Oolong teas come from one plant, camellia sinensis, an incredibly productive shrub that ranges from the Mediterranean to 6 to 14 days for 25 to 50 years!”

While maintaining that tea is defined by the way its leaves are processed, Page explains that green tea leaves are not fermented while those of white, oolong and white teas go through fermentation.

Can Green Tea Help You Quit Smoking?

Research indicates that green tea can help you quit. A recent study by Chinese researchers says consuming green tea can help smokers overcome the urge to smoke.

The study titled ‘A Revolutionary Approach for the Cessation of Smoking‘, and available in Science China Life Sciences, a peer-reviewed open-access journal, mentions how investigators used custom-developed cigarettes with components of green tea as filters in a bid to treat or cure cigarette addiction.

How Exactly Does Green Tea Assist Smoking Cessation?

Green Tea Relaxes: Many smokers they smoke because of stress, so, when they quit, they can use green tea as a stress-buster. This will greatly reduce their urge to smoke each time they are under pressure. You can read this for more effective stress relief tips.

Phinse Philip, a lecturer in the Community Oncology Division of the Malabar Cancer Centre, collaborates this. According to him, “a majority of users smoke as it purportedly gives them some form of relaxation. The oral intake of the amino acid L-Theanine, uniquely found in green tea, is known to have anti-stress effects and acts as a relaxing agent. The study conducted in China shows that green tea may be an alternative to quit this addictive habit.”

Green Tea Prevents Lung Cancer: In January 2010, a Taiwanese researcher, I-Hsin Lin, discovered that consuming a cup or more of green tea a day may neutralize the effect of smoking on lung cancer, particularly in smokers who may not be hereditarily prone to the disease.

Linda Page corroborates this in her book titled: “Healthy Healing – 12th Edition: a Guide to Self-Healing for Everyone.” According to her, “a recent large Japanese study recorded that drinking several cups of green tea on a daily basis was effective in reducing lung cancer death rates even in men who smoked two packs of cigarettes a day. Smoking is far more prevalent in Japan than in the U.S. but the instance of lung cancer is much lower, indicating to researchers that green tea protects against lung cancer.”

In the same vein, Thomas Varughese, head of surgical oncology and reconstructive surgery at Kochi`s Lakeshore Hospital and Research Centre, said consuming green tea after cessation could help invalidate the possibility of lung cancer and help heal the lungs.

Green tea can boost the body’s immune system: By nature, Green tea is rich in antioxidants. Antioxidants help to defend the body against diseases and infections. Drinking green tea will therefore result in a healthy and strong immune system which can help in balancing the oxidant/antioxidant equation among those who have completely quit cigarettes.

Green Tea Fights Free Radicals: In her book titled: Quit Before You Know It: The Stress-Free, Guilt-Free Way to Stop Smoking – By Planning Your Relapses, Dr Sandra Rutter says “Green tea has more polyphenols, which help to scavenge those unhealthy free radicals in your body.  Drinking green tea on your quit day is a good way to remind yourself that you’re doing something wonderful for your health. Some people drink a lot of green tea for its benefits, but even a cup or two can help your body.”

Now that You Know, What’s Next?

Heed this advice by Jason Busell in his book titled: The Asian Diet: Simple Secrets for Eating Right, Losing Weight, and Being Well.

“If you do not smoke, the best thing you can do is to have one cup of cup of regular green tea a day. Quitting smoking and drinking green tea are on the same order of magnitude in terms of their respective.”

Because some tea manufacturers use chemical processes to decaffeinate their tea, Bussell recommends we use green tea in its regular form instead of the decaffeinated form.

References:

“The Asian Diet: Simple Secrets for Eating Right, Losing Weight, and Being Well”; Jason Busell ; 2009

“Healthy Healing – 12th Edition: A Guide to Self-Healing for Everyone”; Linda Page; Ph.D.; Healthy Healing, Inc.; September 2004

“Quit Before You Know It: The Stress-Free, Guilt-Free Way to Stop Smoking – By Planning Your Relapses”; Sandra Rutter; M.D.; Hazelden Publishing; Aug 30, 2006

 “New Tastes in Green Tea: A Novel Flavor for Familiar Drinks, Dishes, and Desserts”; Mutsuko Tokunaga; Kodansha International; Apr 9, 2004

Want to quit smoking? Drink green tea!

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In his book, Everyman’s Guide to Perfect Health, S.N. Khosla describes smokers’ cough as dry, occurring in the early hours of the morning and disappearing after smoking cessation. This cough is said to be caused by excessive smoking and most (not all) smokers experience it.

In this article, I’m not discussing smokers’ cough at all. Rather, I’m discussing the persistent cough smokers experience after dropping off cigarettes. With your kind permission, I’ll call it ex-smokers’ cough.

“If smokers cough because of their exposure to cigarette smoke, why do I cough after quitting smoking?” This, essentially, is the question this article will attempt to answer in the lines below.

Is it possible for smokers to experience persistent cough after nicotine cessation?

Yes it is and Charles Frederick Schafer, a retired surgeon corroborates this in his book titled “Health and Humor”. According to him, “don’t be surprised if you continue to cough after you quit smoking. It’s even likely to get worse! And that’s because the smoke has an expectorant effect (loosens the gunk in the tracheobronchial tree so it can be coughed up more easily). But don’t worry. In about six months time, it will go away if you haven’t suffered permanent lung damage or lung cancer or become a recidivist.”

So, why do I cough after quitting cigarettes?

Smoking cigarettes no doubt exposes the body to huge health risks. One of the body organs on the receiving end when it comes to tobacco damage are the cilia, the hair-like projections that line up the airways from our nose to the lungs. Their job, basically, is to rid the lungs and the airways of toxins and impurities. They sweep these impurities out 24 hours, 7 days a week and 465 days a year. But smoking hampers their operations. It renders them ineffective. This is because the tar, nicotine and other dangerous elements from cigarette smoke cover up the cilia and prevent them from functioning normally.

Immediately you quit smoking, the cilia begin a regenerative process. Joel Spitzer says Cilia regeneration and growth begins about 3 days after smoking cessation. The human body has an amazing ability to heal itself; same for the cilia. As the cilia start growing, they start functioning by cleaning out the lungs and the only way to get the impurities, toxins and mucous occasioned by several years of smoking is through coughing. It’s the body’s way of flushing out all the toxins and poisons that have accumulated in it as a result of smoking.

It’s therefore normal to cough persistently and produce an increased amount of sputum or phlegm after giving up smoking but the good thing is, it is temporary and common to most smokers. It’s a natural process which shouldn’t elicit any form of worry but if it becomes too persistent, you might want to check with your physician to make sure you don’t have any respiratory or tract infection. See your doctor immediately if you see blood in your sputum or if you experience noisy breathing or shortness of breath.

Can this Persistent and Awful Cough Affect Smoking Cessation?

No. And a study titled “Cough following Initiation of Smoking Abstinence” agrees with this assertion. In a study which involved 176 subjects, Warner David and his colleagues concluded that an initial upsurge in cough is not likely to arise among relatively healthy smokers who cease smoking and that alterations in cough cannot stop most smokers from sustaining abstinence.

Coughing As a Nicotine Withdrawal Symptom

Nicotine withdrawal symptoms or signs are those feelings or experiences you have after smoking abstinence. They include anxiety, nausea, insomnia, helplessness, loneliness, etc. Coughing is definitely one of them and all the symptoms are temporary. They disappear with the passage of time and as the body experiences healing from many years of tobacco damage.

Soothing the cough that arises as a result of kicking the smoking habit

Because of the persistent and itchy nature of the cough, it needs to be controlled and you can achieve that by consuming plenty of fluids, including hot tea and honey to soothe the throat and keep the body hydrated, licking hard mints/candies and chewing gum that make the mouth produce more saliva to moisten the throat as well as steering clear of contact with air pollutants such as smoke, dust or others as they may worsen your cough.

Consume plenty of fruits and vegetables including lemon, cucumber and carrots. They’ll also help and greatly too.

Also throw in moderate exercise and you have a winning formula for coping with this awful cough.

If you feel you need a cough drop or expectorant, you can get over the counter at your local pharmacy or consult your doctor.

Whatever happens, just hang in there. You will be amazed at how much better you will feel in a matter of weeks. It’s well worth it. It’s worth the battle; you sure will get over it! But, if you feel stressed up or irritable, check out highly effective stress relief tips during smoking cessation.

References:

“Health and Humor”; Charles Frederick Schafer, M.D.; 2008

“Everyman’s Guide to Perfect Health”; S.N. Khosla; 2006

“Cough following Initiation of Smoking Abstinence”; Warner D.O et al; Nicotine Tob Res. 2007 Nov; 9 (11):1207-12.

“How to Control Coughing When Quitting Smoking”; Kigerani Po; eHow Contributor

The post Why Do I Cough after Quitting Smoking? Is it Smokers’ Cough or What Do I Make of It? appeared first on 2stopsmokingtips.com.

When you try to quit smoking, it comes with a lot of stress. This article examines ways to relieve stress when you eventually drop off cigarettes.

Smokers on Why They Smoke

Many smokers say they smoke to relieve stress. They claim cigarettes are an excellent stress reliever each time they are under tension or pressure but experts debunk their claim.

In a study published in the October 1999 issue of the American Psychological Association’s American Psychologist, Dr Andrew C. Parrot of the Department of Psychology, University of East London, Great Britain investigated more than 30 international studies on the relationship between stress and smoking and concluded that nicotine actually increases stress and anxiety, instead of lowering it.

In yet another British study involving researchers from Barts and The London School of Medicine and Dentistry, it was discovered that kicking the smoking habit reduces stress levels to a large extent. The study involved 469 smokers who attempted to quit cigarettes after being admitted to hospital for heart disease. They discovered that those who abstained from cigarettes for 12 months experienced a reduction in their superficial stress levels.

The study, published in the journal Addiction, recommended that quitting may not only benefit smokers’ physical health, but possibly their mental well-being as well.

Now that we have established that quit smoking and not cigarette smoking that reduces stress, let’s look at how to relieve stress when you decide to give up smoking.

Why Is Quit Smoking Stressful?

Smoking cessation is stressful because of the sudden changes the body goes through. Even though we say change is the most permanent thing in life, our body reacts angrily to this change. This is because it is being denied of a substance (nicotine) that helps it to function ‘normally’.

If you have ever smoked for a while, you’ll realize that very soon after picking the smoking habit, you somehow become addicted to cigarettes and seem to need more of nicotine in your blood stream to attain ‘normal’ functioning levels.

Experts say this is a chemical addiction which can lead to severe nicotine withdrawal symptoms should you decide to quit. Chemical dependence sets in because the nicotine that the body gets from smoking excites the brain; it elicits pleasurable feelings and the body craves more of such. So, a smoker keeps on smoking and even increases the pack of cigarettes smoked just to meet this body need. And because the body has become so used to having nicotine, a cessation of nicotine supplies is going to spell trouble. It’s going to bring about a lot of stress which have to be carefully handled to avoid a relapse.

So, How Can You Reduce Stress While You Quit Smoking?

1) Exercise: Avoid a sedentary lifestyle. Get physical. Several studies have indicated that mild to moderate physical workouts can greatly reduce stress. Walking for as little as 15 minutes every day is said to be hugely beneficial to the body and mind as you attempt to quit cigarettes. This is because exercise elicits endorphins, which make the body and mind feel good. Call it the ‘feel good’ hormone and you won’t be far from the truth. Once you have this ‘feel good’ chemicals in your system, you tend to detest the ‘feel good’ feelings you get from nicotine when you smoke and that is why researchers say smoking and exercise are incompatible; one has to make way for the other. Read more about the advantages of physical workouts to stop smoking.

2) Get Support; Don’t Go It Alone: Soliciting the help of friends and family while you quit smoking will no doubt go a long way to ensure your success. Each time you feel pressured to smoke, pick up your phone and call anyone who can help to discuss your challenges. Doing this immediately takes your mind off the need to smoke. You can even take this a step further and get an accountability partner (preferably someone who has successfully dropped off cigarettes) to help you through the stress smoking cessation elicits.

3) Develop a New Hobby. Learning how to do things with your hands will help take your mind off what you’re trying to achieve. A new hobby like knitting, sewing, playing the piano, sax or trumpet can greatly take your mind off the pressurizing need to light up. It makes you feel relaxed and confident that you can successfully cease smoking if you can learn and develop a new hobby.

4) Pamper Yourself: The early cessation period requires that you worry less about tomorrow and pay particular attention to your needs today. Eat a balanced diet devoid of caffeine and alcohol, drink plenty of water, take a warm bath, go for a massage, try on a new hairstyle, consume lots of fruits and vegetables and get plenty of sleep.

5) Practice Deep Breathing Exercises: Deeply breathing in and out can also relieve the stress occasioned by smoking cessation. Several times, throughout the day, just after you quit cigarettes, inhale fresh air in deeply. Take as many drags as possible and completely let out the air taken in without any reservations. Repeat this several times a day; it sure works wonders and frees up your chest, relieves your body of stress and fills your lungs with fresh air.

There you have it, 5 stress relief tips you can utilize during stop smoking; engage them today, you’ll be glad you did!

References

“Does Cigarette Smoking Cause Stress?” Andy C. Parrott, Ph.D., University of East London, American Psychologist, Vol. 54, No. 10.

“Quit Smoking Reduces Stress” News24.com June 17, 2010

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