QUIT SMOKING ~ It’s Worth It!

Quit Smoking ~ It's Worth It!
Whether this is your first time or your tenth time trying to quit, it really is worth it. Research shows that smoking causes disease in nearly every organ of the body. Smoking is linked to diseases such as leukemia, cataracts, pneumonia, and cncers of the cervix, lung, kidney,, pancreas, and stomach. Lung cancer alone claims the lives of more women than any other cancer. So as you can see, it is well worth your while to quit once and for all.

Why is it so Difficult to Quit?
If you have tried to quit smoking before or you know someone who has, have you ever wondered why it is so hard? This is because smoking is not only a habit, it is an addiction.. Those who have tried to quit before become very irritable when they do not have a cigarette to puff on. This irritability is a result of nicotine withdrawal. The nicotine makes your body to crave for more of it and this makes you keep smoking.

Environmental Triggers
If smoking has become a routine for you, you probably find that there are certain things that you associate with having a cigarette. These may be things like when you have a cup of coffee or a drink of wine or beer, or after lunch or dinner. You may also feel the need to have a cigarette first thing in the morning. You may also be triggered to smoke when you are around with others who are smoking. Smoking routines create instructions to the brain telling you that you are suppose to smoke at specific times. So, if you tell yourself it is time to quit smoking expect to meet a lot of resistance from your body.


The Benefits of Quitting
20 minutes after quitting your blood pressure drops and the temperature in you hands and feet rises. 8 hours after quitting the carbon monoxide in your blood drops to normal. 24 hours after quitting your chance of having a heart attack goes down. 2 days after quitting you can taste and smell things better. 2weeks to 3 months after quitting you have better circulation and your lungs are working better. 1 to 9 months after quitting, coughing, sinus congestion, fatigue and shortness of breath decrease; your lungs start to function better, lowering your risk of lung infections. 1 year after quitting your risk for heart disease is half that of a smoker’s. 5 years after quitting your risks of having a stroke is the same as someone who doesn’t smoke. 10 years after quitting your risk of dying from lung cancer is half that of a smokers, 15 years after quitting your risk of heart disease is now the same as someone who doesn’t smoke. All-in-all you will have the chance to live a longer, healthier life.

Making the Commitment/Creating a Plan
You must make a commitment to yourself. List reasons why you want to quit. If you are health conscious do this for yourself , your family, your children. You will definitely need the support of your family and friends. Here are some tips to help you with your plan:

• Plan and write down a start date
• Remove cigarettes and ashtrays from your surrounding
• Do not permit anyone to smoke in your house
• Choose people around you that will encourage you and who are not smokers themselves
• Learn ways to distract yourself ~ avoid the ‘smoking triggers’
• Understand that you may be faced with setbacks so expect them and be prepared.
• Consider the use of a stop smoking aid. There are several on the market such as inhalers, patches , gums and nasal sprays.

Quitting will most likely take a lot of hard work and effort on your part. Your decision to quit now is one of the most important decisions that you will make this year.  For more information visit: Assitance in Quitting.


To Your Continued Health and Success!
Miss Julia