1. Kill the craving

Every time you are tempted to reach for that cigarette take a deep breath. Instead of the poison, inhale the fresh air and visualize it cleansing your lungs. Breathe out the desire to have that drag which will lead to another and yet another one. Every time you beat it you are nearer to your goal. Remember the urge is momentary and it will decrease with time. Learn to recognize it and kill it before it kills you.

2. Flush out the nicotine

The nicotine in your blood is going to trouble you and coax you to take more. Take as much water and fluids as you can and get your insides cleaned. The sooner you do it the better it would be for you.

3. Eat the right foods

Alcohol sugar and coffee are an absolute ‘no’. They will only strengthen your craving for a smoke. Not only this you might gain weight as quitting smoking slows down your metabolism and horror of horrors you may turn the calories into unwanted fat! Now this does not in anyway mean that smoking will help you lose weight! You can activate that metabolism by munching on a harmless apple, celery or a carrot. Keep them handy to nibble on.

4. Do not pick a new addiction

Some people resort to chewing gum or cinnamon sticks or even artificial cigarette sticks as an alternative. The best is to take a clean break. It is easier in the long run and kinder too for every time you take a substitute you are reminded of the craving that is apparently still alive

5. Exercise and yoga

Both are excellent aphorisms and will smoothen the way. Yoga calms and soothes you and exercise revitalizes you. Take on an active hobby or game to burn the calories and help you stabilize. Or simply pamper yourself with a massage at that luxurious spa you have wanted to visit.

6. Get support from friends

First of all TELL them that you are going to quit. Brag about it. Then ask your friends to help you and themselves incidentally by not smoking around you. Don’t be afraid of losing friends. You won’t lose them if they are your friends! Friends are meant to stand by you through ‘smoke’ and fire. Tell them to be prepared for grumpiness too.

7. Destroy! Destroy!

Don’t forget to throw away all those cigarettes, which you had stashed away. How ever expensive or rare they might be just chuck them out. Keep no temptation around. Be strong and take the plunge.

8. Write it down in black and white

You know smoking is injurious to health, you have read it and heard it often enough why not write it down? Make a poster or a slogan or write it in your planner…anywhere where it will be highly visible. It will be a constant reminder to quit.

These simple tips will surely help you quit and quitters always win in this case!

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The simple act of quitting can produce immediate results, with better circulation and breathing. The ability to smell is improved as is the taste of food. After the first year of being smoke-free, your chances of getting heart disease is cut in half.

While there is no disagreement with such facts among smokers, they find it impossible to kick the habit. There are many reasons why quitting proves so difficult. Nicotine alone does not explain why some can quit easily while others must struggle with their habit. In order to quit the habit for good, you need to understand why you started and under what conditions. Once you know, you have a better chance to eliminate the habit for good. Here are a few ways to kick the habit:

• Remember that you are in control of your health. Cigarettes are inert objects and have no power to influence you.
• Analyze the psychological factors that determine why you smoke. You will need to get some help from a psychologist who can help you determine the reasons for your addiction. Many people use smoking as a way to relieve stress, feel good or enhance a feeling of self-worth.
• Get support from your family and friends. Or join a group dedicated to kicking the habit. You are never alone and neither should you feel embarrassed because you’ve tried and failed so often.
• Like Pavlov’s dog, you may have become responsive to triggers. For example, reading bad news in the paper or watching TV may trip your desire to reach for a cigarette. Rather than read about bad news, turning off the news and reading a self-help book will prevent you from reacting to the trigger. If you feel your hands must have something to do, reach for an apple or have some nuts instead of a cigarette. Smoking may be your way of replacing a food craving.
• Think like a non-smoker before you take the first step to quit. Instead of reaching for that first smoke of the day, delay it as long as you can. If you do smoke, take a few puffs and crush out the cigarette before smoking down to the filter.
• The smokers patch, chewing gum and inhalers can help you curb the habit. But you should consult a doctor before using them if you have heart disease, are pregnant or are taking any psychiatric medications.
• Set a goal for the day you want to quit and write it down where you can see it.
• Stay away from places where smoking is allowed and don’t go out for smoking breaks. If your friends are true, they’ll understand your efforts to quit and may even want to quit with you.
• Keep yourself occupied with something you love to do. A favorite hobby can wrestle your attention away from the need for a cigarette. Preferably it is something that you find enjoyment in doing but is also constructive.
• Expect the nervousness, constipation, sweats and trouble sleeping that comes from nicotine withdrawal. The symptoms generally last between 7 to 10 days, but won’t kill you.
• Stay upbeat. Quitting the habit is a major challenge and you won’t always accomplish your goal the first time you try. Don’t berate yourself because you gave in to temptation. Such an attitude will only reinforce the psychological need to continue smoking.

Quitting the habit is never easy if you’ve been smoking for years. It take a good deal of discipline to force yourself to throw out your smokes and say no for that next puff, but the good news is that you can recover health and extend your life once you quit for good.

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Some smokers who are on the process of quitting resort to drugs to assist them during the withdrawal stage. Despite the help that you may get from drugs, you still have to put in mind that you still need to exert effort in order for you to successfully overcome the temptation to smoke.

For example, you may need to avoid certain places where you may encounter a lot of smokers, because you might be tempted to join them. For some people, they try to substitute a cigarette with healthier foods life cinnamon sticks or celery just to satisfy the need to have something pressed between their lips; and if it is your hands which crave for something to hold on to, try to replace the cigarette stick with a pencil or anything which may take its place. If you are the type of person who likes to smoke and drink, then you may need to avoid drinking alcohol as well. Stay away from the idea of smoking, and find some activities to do so that you would forget the temptation to smoke.

If despite all your efforts to avoid smoking, you are still craving for a puff, you may want to try these few tricks just to satisfy your longing:
You can always treat yourself with a refreshing bath. Think of why you are quitting, and stay focused. Remind yourself of your objectives, and constantly repeat to yourself that you are strong enough to win this battle against smoking. Do not think that a single stick will have no effect on your journey to stop smoking, otherwise you might start from the very beginning again. And, do not be afraid to ask for your family’s and friends’ support, because in your battle to stop smoking, you need a strong support from them.

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One method to help you stop smoking is to use nicotine patches. The patch reduces craving. But the nicotine patches do not completely eliminate the cravings they go through. Smoking carries with it some physical and mental effects on one’s person, and some aspects cannot be handled by nicotine patches.

There are some side effects from using patches. These side effects include headaches, constant vomiting, stomach pains, and nausea. In some cases these effects are temporary.

There are a few things you need to know before using Nicotine Patches;

1. Consult with your doctor if you have medical conditions that may get aggravated when you use patches.

2. The first application of the patch will tingle a bit, so select a section of your skin that’s got less hair. Also, vary the areas you stick the patch to. Inspect the areas well, they should not have open wounds and rashes. Should you feel any sudden palpitations of breathing changes, go to your doctor and have yourself checked out.

3. Monitor the doses. You may have to try lower doses after maybe two weeks, as your body will have gotten used to them by then. These things vary from person to person. You may experience a surge in appetite, so bear with it.

It’s recommended to consult your doctor before you use the nicotine patch, and to stay in touch during the process. So weaning yourself away from the substance by getting less and less of it is key to your decision to stop smoking. In this case, nicotine patches can help you deal with the withdrawal symptoms.

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For many people, they found an easy way to stop smoking: they simply did it at the right moment. This means that instead of deciding you will quit tomorrow, or on January 1st, you should do it any time when you feel a strong desire to quit.

You need to remind yourself how great it is to have better health as a non-smoker. After a couple of days, you will find it is easier to sit through a long movie or plane journey without getting anxious and wishing for the end so that you could smoke.

People who use aids like nicotine replacement, hypnosis, or any kind of therapy or support group usually get better result than those who do not. It may be that their willingness to spend money on these things is an indicator of higher commitment.

Most people have activities that remind them of smoking. Try to avoid these activities for a couple of weeks if possible. It is a good idea to give up alcohol temporarily, not only because you probably associate it with smoking, but because your motivation will be much lower when you have had a couple of drinks. You may need to avoid certain friends or even certain places as well.

At this time you need to try to occupy your mind, your hands and your time. Spend your time with some hobbies or make a list of things that need fixing around the house and do them one by one.

Drinking a small glass of water every time you have a craving is a good way to avoid overeating. Or simply notice how quickly a craving disappears. You may be surprised. Even if you do nothing to satisfy it, the strongest craving will disappear within 90 seconds. Sure it comes back, but 90 seconds is not long to hold out each time.

If you have a lot of anger coming out and you are taking it out on your friends and family, do not use that as an excuse to give up your resolve. Your irritability is only temporary. Remember that your friends will be better without you blowing smoke into the air that they breathe.

The easy way to stop smoking is to do the right things at the right time.

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Many people decide to stop smoking as a New Year’s resolution, they want to quit smoking, but January 1st comes and goes and they are still smoking. Instead of finding yourself in this position, choose a day to quit and stick with it. On that day, all of your cigarettes need to be gone, and you need to be prepared mentally to eliminate the smoking habit for good.

It’s a good idea to set up a rewards program for yourself; use the money that you are saving by not buying cigarettes to buy something you want. A year of smoking can easily cost more than $1,800 so you have a generous budget to work with if you are working towards permanent outcome. Make sure to look for things that you really want to help encourage you. If you just depend on the financial rewards, or just the physical and health rewards you are much more likely to fail, it’s better to mix several types of rewards to keep yourself truly motivated.

As you are working to quit smoking you need to increase the amount of exercise that you are doing, you should also start to watch how you are eating.  Many smokers find that as they quit smoking, they start gaining weight.  This can often be a huge shock, but if you are exercising and eating right, you can minimize the weight gain to ensure that you are instead focusing on quitting smoking, rather than splitting your time between trying to quit smoking and trying to lose weight.  Be prepared to pack on a small amount of weight but these small changes will ensure that you are not gaining large amounts.

Another thing to consider is your overall health. If you are in poor physical condition, you should consult your doctor about your plan to quit smoking. While a doctor is not going to discourage your from quitting, they may have some useful advice and information that is specific to your health situation. This can also be great because your doctor will be able to monitor your health to make sure that you can make the most impact in the shortest amount of time.

If you aim to stop smoking, you are surely facing with difficult challenges, but you will be able to find better health at the other end of the road.

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Carbon monoxide is present in cigarette smoke. It binds with hemoglobin, the molecule in red blood cells that helps transport oxygen throughout the body, including the heart. Lowering the oxygen to the heart ups the odds of heart disease.

Nicotine also decreases the amount of oxygen in the blood, while contributing to other conditions that are potentially harmful. It increases blood clotting, which can have a direct effect on the risk of heart attack, as we saw above.

But even more subtle, yet still dangerous, effects are produced by nicotine. One of the most serious, long term, is that it encourages the growth of fatty deposits on the arteries, constricting blood flow and hardening the blood vessel.

One of the ways smoking carries out that damage is by decreasing the amount of HDL (high density lipoprotein), the ‘good’ type of cholesterol. That encourages the growth of those fatty deposits. That condition is called atherosclerosis and it’s a main factor in heart attack risk.

Reducing the diameter of the artery increases blood pressure. That makes it more likely that any weakness present in the artery wall, something termed an aneurysm, will lead to a rupture. That leads to oxygen starvation to the brain, resulting in a stroke. That’s why one so often sees ‘raises the risk of heart disease and stroke’ discussed in the same sentence.

Hardening an artery makes it less able to withstand the normal stresses and strains of its function, as well. Remember, a blood vessel is both similar to a hose and different in important ways.

Like a hose, it carries fluid and can only do so when there are no holes. At the same time, unlike most hoses, it’s ‘on’ all the time. Any stoppage of blood flow, however temporary, causes instant health problems. Tissues need a continual supply of blood or they die very rapidly.

There’s also an overall effect from cigarette smoking that contributes to the risk of heart disease. Smoking causes numerous physical effects that lower health condition. Reduced oxygen, shortness of breath and other effects make exercise more difficult and unpleasant. That, and lifestyle choices often associated with smoking, reduce overall fitness.

That lack of exercise, and the increased weight gain and body fat percentage that tends to accompany it, increases further the chances of heart disease and heart attack. The body is unable to withstand strains that might otherwise be minor. It is less able to withstand the serious biological shock that occurs when a heart attack finally happens. That ups the odds that the attack will be critical.

Long-term, one-pack-a-day smokers have 2-4 times the chance of developing coronary heart disease than do non-smokers. Quitting today improves your odds immediately. Within 3 months circulation improves. After a year, the odds are half that of a smoker. After 5-15 years, the odds are that of someone who has never smoked.

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It is known that cigarette smoke contains many carcinogenic substances.

Tar, for example, is present in cigarette smoke mainly from the burning paper that holds the tobacco, about 10-14 mg per cigarette. It slowly builds up in the alveoli, the small sacs in the lung that make possible absorption of oxygen into the blood stream. It’s believed that their presence is a continual irritant to the cells. That irritation eventually leads to uncontrolled growth of abnormal cells.

Other compounds, called nitrosamines, are present in varying amounts. They’re known to be carcinogenic from hundreds of clinical studies on small mammals. NNK is present in a very low concentration: 56.53 nanograms per cigarette. Other nitrosamines, like NNN and NAT, are present in nearly similar amounts.

A few dozen nanograms (one billionth of a gram – 1 g = 0.0353 oz) may sound like a small amount. But sometimes small amounts can have a large effect. Dog’s noses, for example, are so sensitive they can detect a few molecules of certain substances. Some systems in humans are equally sensitive to certain chemicals. Add to that the fact that many of the compounds and their effects are cumulative and the case begins to look very strong.

No study has found any relationship between cancer and consuming one or two cigarettes per day. But such smokers are extremely rare and the chances of them catching some other serious disease are so much higher it may be masked. A smoker who consumes a pack a day for 20 years has 2-4 times the chances of getting lung cancer than a non-smoker.

Non-smokers do, in fact get it. But that doesn’t show that smoking isn’t a cause, only that other causes can lead to the same effect. One reason scientists have good reason to believe that smoking increases the odds of getting lung cancer is just the odds cited above. Studies also show that lung cancer was much more rare prior to WWI when smoking rates were much lower. As the number of people smoking cigarettes rose, so did the cancer rate. Similarly, as people smoke more, the rates go up.

Long-term, heavy smoking greatly increases the chances of acquiring lung cancer. It’s estimated that 87% of lung cancers are attributable to that habit.

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For example, even apart from specific damage to the lungs or larynx or arteries, smoking reduces the desire to exercise in most people. By using a chemical to lower stress, that motive for exercise is reduced. By lowering oxygen concentration, constricting arteries and causing “smoker’s hack” the incentives for healthy exercise are lowered still further.

The end result is that smokers tend to be more sedentary. That reduces overall fitness. As a result, the body is less able to deal with the normal strains put on it. What would otherwise be minor health problems, become larger and harder for the immune system to deal with.

Long term, heavy smoking has more direct effects on the body, in every area. It increases the chances of acquiring a variety of other cancers, such as cancer of the esophagus, the stomach and the cervix. It causes a form of leukemia.

Smoking ups the odds of having an aortic abdominal aneurysm (a weakening of the lining of the blood vessel). That makes it much more likely to rupture, which is generally fatal if not corrected within minutes.

COPD, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, is one of the possible conditions among long term smokers. About one in four contract it and it’s estimated that 80-90% of COPD cases are among those who smoke. Emphysema, chronic bronchitis and asthma (types of COPD) are much more prevalent among smokers than non-smokers.

Postmenopausal women smokers have, on average, a lower overall bone density than those who have never smoked. That makes it more likely for them to suffer hip fractures from falls, a problem among many of the elderly. Such bone fractures are sometimes fatal, as a result of subsequent complications.

The most well known ill-health effects from long-term, heavy smoking remain, of course, lung cancer and heart disease.

Some UK studies, for example, show that those in their 30s and 40s are five times more likely to have a heart attack than non-smokers. Long-term, one-pack-a-day smokers have 2-4 times the chance of developing coronary heart disease than do non-smokers.

It’s estimated that 87% of lung cancer cases in the U.S. are the result of smoking a pack per day for 20 years or more.

Stopping smoking now provides immediate health effects. Within 3 months the circulation improves. After a year, the odds of acquiring heart disease are half that of a smoker. After 5-15 years, the odds are that of someone who has never smoked.

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