Nicotine addiction is very powerful and you know it is tough to quit smoking if you've tried and failed. Most smokers become edgy just thinking about quitting. But why is it so hard? The answer is nicotine which is a drug naturally found in tobacco and is highly addictive. The body becomes psychologically and physically dependent on nicotine over time. To be successful in quitting you must overcome both of these.
Withdraw Symptoms
When you try to cut back or quit smoking, nicotine's absence leads to withdraw symptoms. Psychologically, the smoker is giving up a habit, which means a major change in behavior. Physically, the absence of nicotine makes the body react. If you want to successfully quit smoking you must deal with both. Withdrawal symptoms can include depression, feelings of frustration and anger, trouble sleeping, restlessness, irritability, trouble concentrating, headache and increased appetite.
You may start smoke again to get rid of the symptoms but who said it will be easy to quit smoking? Withdrawal symptoms will occur if a person who has smoked regularly greatly reduces the amount smoked or abruptly stops using tobacco. Symptoms start after a few hours from the last cigarette and about 2 to 3 days later peak, and they can last several weeks.
Why Quit?
Why should you quit smoking? Health concerns should be on top of the list of reasons. Smoking can cause not only lung cancer but also many other kinds of cancer such as cancer of the mouth, throat (pharynx), voice box (larynx), esophagus, kidney, cervix, some leukemias, bladder, pancreas and stomach. Smokers are more likely to die from heart attack than nonsmokers. Smoking also causes yellow fingernails and hair, wrinkling of the skin, bad smelling clothes and hair, bad breath and increased risk of macular degeneration.
Special Risks at Women
Smoking at women over 35 who use birth control pills is a risk factor for heart attack blood clots of the legs and stroke. Also a lower birth-weight baby and having a miscarriage are unique risks for women.
It is Never to Late!
No matter how long you've smoked or your age, quit smoking will help you live longer. Quitting before age 35 you will avoid 90% of the risks attributable to tobacco. And even if you quit smoking later in life you can significantly reduce the risk of a premature death.
If you find it hard to quit smoking remember that in a long run your life will improve with fewer illnesses from flu viruses and cold, reduced rates of pneumonia and bronchitis, and better self-reported health status.
Nguang Nguek Fluek is a person who enjoys and values health. He is also the
publisher of the website
http://www.quit-cigarettes-quit-smoking.com where he publishes advice about
how smokers can rid of their smoking habit one way or another. Visit his website
to learn more about
quit smoking!


Quit Smoking Cold Turkey,A Free Method by Nguang Nguek Fluek
For the many people who have tried to stop smoking, many will be unsuccessful due to the method they chose to help them stop smoking. Most people who have stopped smoking completely have tried several times before success came for them. When you quit smoking cold turkey you are applying one of the oldest and well-known methods use to help people quit smoking.
To quit smoking cold turkey you need to be prepared. Meaning that most people think that you can just stop and that will power will be the motivation to not start again. For many people this is not feasible. The suggestion is to make sure that you are prepared for any type of method used to quit smoking. Most people also assume that when you quit smoking cold turkey, it means to quit smoking without using any smoking cessation aids such as nicotine gum or patches.
The cold turkey method to help you quit smoking is great if you use the aids listed above because those aids will help you if your body starts to go through withdrawal symptoms, which are often associated when you stop smoking. When you quit smoking cold turkey, you tap into probably the most popular albeit not the most successful method for quitting.
You can improve your chances for permanently quitting with the cold turkey method if you follow a few guidelines: such as understanding what the withdrawal symptoms are, and making sure that you treat them properly. Drinking lots of water will help to flush the body out quickly. Keeping your mouth busy and keeping a chart of what is occurring when you have a craving will help you to keep an eye on what is going on with your body.
Taking a walk or calling a friend when you feel like smoking will help you to be able to be successful while you are trying to quit smoking. Willpower is important and your success will depend on how badly you want to quit smoking and whether or not you believe that you can do it. Now keep in mind that not everyone will have feelings of withdrawal. You may have none or just one or two withdrawal symptoms and they will differ from person to person and from time to time.
Why not today? When you quit smoking cold turkey, you access virtually the only method that is free, and you can do it at any time. The good news is, if you are not successful trying the cold turkey method to quit smoking, then you will be happy to know that there is now more effective treatments available that can more than double your chances of quitting successfully.
Nguang Nguek Fluek is a person who enjoys and values health. He is also the
publisher of the website
http://www.quit-cigarettes-quit-smoking.com where he publishes advice about
how smokers can rid of their smoking habit one way or another. Visit his website
to learn more about
quit smoking cold turkey!


Reduce Cholesterol - How I Keep A Fascinating Diet To Reduce Cholesterol Without Drugs
A month ago, I received news that a former colleague of mine collapsed in his office, and had a sudden massive heart attack and did not survive the night to see his family. He was in his early fifties.
This incident motivated another former colleague to have his blood checked for cholesterol. The cardiologist recommended immediate hospitalisation and he was operated on for a triple coronary bypass within days. Without that bypass, this friend would likely encounter a fatal massive coronary heart attack.
These two ghastly incidents jarred me into researching ways to bring down my own level of cholesterol, and to read medical books on cholesterol.
In my research, what amazed me was there were safe and effective ways to lower blood cholesterol and hence reduce the probability of a heart attack.
I was encouraged that it was possible to cut the risk of heart attack by more than half by limiting the amount of cholesterol produced by the body, and increase the amount of cholesterol eliminated by the body.
I discovered a fascinating diet of oatbran and a vitamin called Naicin that was being used by hundreds of concerned individuals throughout the world, popularized by the medical writer Robert E. Kowalski in his program and best-seller "The 8-Week Cholesterol Cure".
Oatbran contains soluble fibre that encourages the liver to produce bile acids. The more oatbran that is consumed, the more bile acids are produced, and excreted from the body. These bile acids draw the cholesterol from the blood, and therefore remove the cholesterol from the body when they are excreted. This means the chances for a congested artery is much reduced.
I was encouraged by the numbers. A study showed that six males who ate a high-fibre diet containing 50 grams of oat bran daily were able to maintain a 23.5 % decrease from their original cholesterol levels.
To me this was a convenient and natural strategy to reduce my personal cholesterol. It was a matter of getting down to the supermarket and to buy a packet of 500 grams oatbran.
By taking half a cup of oatbran a day, which is equivalent to some 50 gram of oatbran, a single packet of 500 grams will last me for around 2 weeks.
Now, I am not a great baker, and so I did not start by making oatbran muffins which is actually a great way to consume the oatbran. Instead, I mix the oatbran in a hot chocolate drink, consuming 25 grams of oatbran twice a day to get the 50 grams of oatbran.
As for the vitamin Naicin, I was encouraged that as far back as in 1975 the United States Coronary Drug Project singled out Naicin as being responsible for a 29 percent reduction in nonfatal heart attacks.
I have Naicin in the multivitamins I consume daily, and so I am not opting for single larger intake of this vitamin, and will prefer to let the soluble fibre of the oatbran to do its work.
It took one fatal case of a heart attack and a triple coronary bypass on another friend of mine to jolt me into serious action to take control of my cholesterol.
It is time to take some action to lower your cholesterol if you have been postponing this. Of course, you may opt for exercise and a balanced diet as well. It is never too late to begin a structured personal program to take control of your cholesterol.
Peter Lim is a Certified Financial Planner. In researching for natural methods to reduce his personal cholesterol, Peter has compiled a website that he hopes will be of help to many others who are concerned about cholesterol. You can access the website for free at http://reduce-cholesterol.get-health.info