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Keep Yourself Young Looking by Not Smoking!

Smoking has a detrimental effect on the way people look, especially when it comes to the skin. Smokers can be identified easily by the wrinkles which appear on the face, particularly around the eyes and mouth – an effect which is hugely ageing. The reason wrinkles appear so markedly in these areas are due to the action of drawing or puffing on cigarettes.

Smokers' skin often appears dull and lifeless because less oxygen and nutrients are available. In older smokers arteries may become clogged decreasing the levels of these even further.

If you want to keep young looking then it is imperative not to smoke. There are other factors which will help keep the effects of ageing at bay such as avoiding the sun, using high quality skin care and having peels and dermabrasions. But the single least expensive way to keep looking young is to give up smoking. (more...)

How to Stop Smoking without Gaining Weight?

Some people don't put on any weight when they stop smoking, but the majority will put on an average 5-7 pounds in the months after quitting. The reason for this is that the nicotine in cigarettes speeds up the metabolism, burning an extra 250 calories per day in an average smoker. When a person quits smoking they are left with these extra calories to burn.

The best way of giving up smoking without gaining weight is to plan ahead. Make arrangements to increase the level of aerobic exercise you have each week incorporating at least three sessions lasting half an hour. Or change your lifestyle to incorporate more activity in general; walk to work, take the stairs rather than the lift, or swap the car for a bicycle.

Make sure the hands are occupied. Smoking means that the hands are busy and when you quit there is a sense of not knowing what to do with them; the result is that people tend to occupy their hands by reaching for snacks. Find an activity which keeps hands busy such as crossword puzzles, knitting, doing jigsaws, or even playing video games. (more...)

The 5 Keys to Quit Smoking

1 In order to succeed you must prepare yourself mentally and physically in advance. Set a firm date for quitting and make sure you clear the house of smoking paraphernalia such as ash trays, lighters and obviously the cigarettes themselves. Inform others in the house that you are giving up – if another member of your household smokes ask them to do so out of your vicinity for a while.

2. Change your habits. Smokers associate certain things such as drinking a cup of coffee with smoking. Try to change the types of drinks/times of day when you have a drink or break, in order to break the routine. Take the bus to work instead of the car – stick to places where you are not allowed to smoke.

3. Use a form of nicotine replacement medication – with so many products on the market you are sure to find one which suits you. There is a far higher success rate for people who Quit smoking using one of these aids, but check that they are suitable for you; pregnant and nursing women must ask their GP or local health practitioner first. (more...)

What is the Best Way to Stop Smoking?

There are many different ways to give up smoking and all have varying success rates. The most important thing is to plan ahead and set a date for quitting – in order to quit smoking and stay a non-smoker there must be a complete commitment to giving up.

The most popular route to giving up smoking is going cold turkey. This means quite simply stopping smoking without any aids, simply using willpower. This is a very difficult thing to do and the success rates of quitting in this way are not high; after a year of giving up an estimated 95% of people will be back on the cigarettes.

The upside is that it costs nothing to give up in this way, and the confidence boost for people who stop smoking using willpower alone is immense. (more...)

How to Stop Smoking Cigarettes and Cannabis (Pot) at the Same Time

Smoking cigarettes and smoking cannabis involves people taking part in habits which can be ruinous to health. Many people would argue that smoking cigarettes is more lethal due to the fact that cigarettes are known to be the cause of diseases such as cancer.

Cannabis or pot, although considered a health hazard, does have a positive side and is sometimes used as a drug to help alleviate symptoms in people suffering from certain medical conditions such as Parkinson's disease. The downside to smoking cannabis is that users tend to develop a sense of apathy towards life. The other main downside is that it is illegal!

The decision to stop smoking both cigarettes and cannabis (for recreational purposes) has to be the right one. However for someone who smokes both substances giving up both at the same time may be too difficult. Cigarettes contain a large number of carcinogens, whereas marijuana is purer, but also has a stronger effect on the brain. (more...)

What are the Different Methods to Help Quit Smoking?

Smokers have access to more resources than ever when attempting to quit smoking. The two barriers to stopping smoking are those which are emotional and those which are physical.

The emotional aspects of quitting smoking can be addressed by undergoing counselling – a GP should have access to information as regards contacting a local organisation which provides free services in this area. One to one counselling is believed to have the highest rate of success in converting wannabee quitters to actual ex-smokers.

The support of family, friends and colleagues is extremely important when giving up smoking and it might be helpful to spend more time with non-smokers or ex-smokers when trying to give up. This doesn’t mean giving up all friends who smoke – but during the transition period when trying to quit it makes sense to limit time spent with people who smoke to avoid the risk of temptation. (more...)

Quitting is Hard, Not Quitting is Harder

Quitting smoking is hard because smokers rely on tobacco products, both physically and emotionally. The physical addiction is down to nicotine, which is believed to have a level of addictiveness on a par with heroin.

Nicotine, once in the system can take several days to leave the body after Quitting smoking. When nicotine is inhaled it travels in the blood and affects the heart, brain, hormones and metabolism – no wonder people miss it so much when attempting to give up.

Nicotine causes pleasant sensations in a smoker which makes them want to smoke again, and over time the body increases its tolerance to the drug which means that a minimum amount of cigarettes need to be smoked in order to keep levels up. (more...)

Should the Government Ban Cigarettes?

Some cynics believe that the Government has no real wish to stop people smoking because so much of the money spent on tobacco products goes to them in taxation. The government could counter this argument by reminding people that much of the accrued taxation has to be spent on medical bills for people who smoke.

In a bid to prevent a government ban on cigarettes, some smokers will state that people should be free to do as they wish with their own bodies and that banning smoking would be an infringement of their human rights.

Others will say that the government has not gone far enough in banning smoking from public places – and that smoking anywhere is bound to have a knock on effect on passive smokers and on society in general. (more...)

Smoking Patches, Do They Really Work?

Nicotine Replacement Therapy or NRT is a form of medication which has been developed in order to help people give up smoking. Medications come in a number of different forms including Patches chewing gum and nasal sprays. Their aim is to reduce a person\'s withdrawal symptoms which are mainly due to an addiction to the nicotine within cigarettes.

NRT patches are applied directly to the skin where they release nicotine steadily into the bloodstream. The amount of nicotine varies – heavy smokers usually need to receive more than light smokers, and will be able to reduce their dose as time goes on.

A patch which releases 21mg of nicotine is generally recommended to people who smoke more than 20 cigarettes a day, and one containing 14mg is usually the advised amount for lighter smokers. (more...)

A List of Smoking Related Diseases!

We are all aware of the link between smoking and lung cancer since the incidence of lung cancer in people who don’t smoke is very small. But smoking is also a major factor behind a whole other range of diseases.

Cardiovascular disease is the highest cause of death in smokers. Smoking speeds up the hardening of the arteries and as the vessels get blocked clots can occur; clots which can cause heart attacks and strokes. In fact over 30% of heart attack victims are smokers.

The risk of lung cancer in smokers is extremely high – an estimated one in five heavy smokers (those smoking over 15 cigarettes a day) will go on to develop this. But smoking is also related to many other types of cancer such as mouth and throat cancer, bladder cancer, cancer of the oesophagus, cancer of the kidneys and pancreatic cancer. (more...)

How to Stop the Cravings for a Cigarette?

It is often said that quitting smoking is harder than giving up heroin. While that is difficult to prove with any degree of certainty, we do know that smokers are more likely to relapse than heroin addicts. According to the results of a recent study, the average smoker tries to quit seven times before it takes. In this article we are going to discuss a few basic tips that might help smokers achieve success more expeditiously.

First, do not make deals with yourself! Like most addicts, smokers tend to lie to themselves by promising that they will have just one cigarette to stop the cravings. Of course, one cigarette then turns to two and two four and before very long their plan to quit has been aborted once again.

Second, it is important to eliminate triggers. Trigger is a rather broad term that can include places, situations or even other drugs. For instance, if you always lit up while watching the football game at your local pub, it may be best to stay away until you feel confident that you have kicked the habit (if you'll excuse the pun?). (more...)

Help to Stop Smoking Weed

There are two common misconceptions that make it difficult for people to stop smoking marijuana. The first is that marijuana is not addictive. While it is true that weed does not contain nicotine, there is a reason why some people smoke it every day of their lives. No, it may not be a chemical addiction, but people become addicted to the way marijuana makes them feel, which can be just as powerful.

Another familiar myth is the marijuana is harmless. Well, we hate to burst your bubble, but smoking weed is still smoking. Yes, marijuana cigarettes contain tar and other carcinogens that can and will adversely affect your health if used for extended periods of time. We also know that weed affects short-term memory. So, if you are wondering why your grades are falling, it might just be the joint.

How do you quit? Believe it or not, quitting weed might be harder than saying no to cigarettes. The reason for this is simple: smoking marijuana is a sort of social activity for most folks. This means that people that smoke weed tend to stick together. (more...)

Blood Clots and Smoking is there a Connection?

Each year, about one-hundred thousand UK residents die from smoking-related illnesses. As you might expect, most of these deaths are attributed to cancer or pulmonary disease. But smoking can also increase the risk of strokes and heart disease.

At present, heart disease is the number one killer in the UK. And while most people assume that a bad ticker is the result of a poor diet, many patients that suffer from heart disease are also smokers. This is not a coincidence.

How does it work? For one thing, nicotine impedes the release and distribution of a natural blood thinner that prevents clotting. As a result, chronic smokers have much higher levels of a clotting agent known as fibrinogen in their systems. Naturally, this results in more blood clots. (more...)

What is Cheaper? To Buy Cigarettes Online or to Just Stop Smoking?

Smoking is an expensive habit no matter where you live. Most governments tax tobacco products heavily because they are unhealthy. But we are not here to judge you. If a person chooses to smoke that is his own business. In this article we are going to discuss how to buy cigarettes online.

Why buy cigarettes on the internet? As you might expect, buying cigarettes online helps smokers avoid high taxes and surcharges that make it nearly impossible for regular people to afford cigarettes. On average, smokers can save 30-50 percent when they buy cartons of cigarettes online.

But is buying duty-free cigarettes legal in the UK? The answer is not as obvious as you might think. Because the international customs laws allow for gifts, it is possible to legally purchase cigarettes from foreign countries at a respectable discount. There are only two rules: the buyer must be over 18 years of age and it must be purchased as a gift, which means that the recipient cannot use his own credit card. (more...)

Using Your Will Power to Stop Smoking!

The average smoker will try to quit seven times in his life. He will waste thousands of pounds on patches, gums, and pills. He may even try hypnosis or laser treatment. But there is one tool most smokers ignore or intentionally avoid trying: will power.

Why would a person avoid using his will power? Think about it. If a smoker tries to quit and fails while using a popular product, he can simply blame the product. He can say that it didn't work! But if he relies on will power and he fails, then there is nothing and no one to blame but himself.

What does it mean to rely on will power alone? Quite simply, it means not using any of the popular products or procedures we described earlier. Not that there is anything wrong with these aids. But there is ample evidence to suggest that they may act as a crutch for certain people. As we explained, they provide a built-in excuse for people that may not be serious about quitting. (more...)

What Appetite Suppressors can I use While Giving Up Smoking?

Though quitting smoking is undoubtedly a good thing, there is one unfortunate side effect that most smokers dread. We are talking of course about weight gain. The average smoker gains about ten pounds in the days and weeks after he quits.

Why does this occur? According to the experts, smoking speeds up the metabolism and can help a person burn more calories. It is estimated that a heavy smoker can burn as much as 200 additional calories per day. We also know that nicotine works as an appetite suppressant. Perhaps that is why the average smoker consumes fewer calories than the average non-smoker. It may also be the reason why people suddenly feel hungry once they have said goodbye to cigarettes.

What can you do about it? To begin with, you can prepare for it. When a smoker makes the decision to quit he should expect to gain at least 5 to 10 pounds. That is, unless he can find a way to burn those additional 200 calories a day. He can also buy appetite suppressors to keep food cravings at bay. (more...)

Giving Up Smoking is Not as Hard as you Think!

Most smokers are well aware of the quitting statistics. There's a one in seven chance they will succeed if they try to quit. As a result, many smokers believe that they are bound to fail before they begin. In this article we are going to review a few basic tips for smokers who truly want to quit.

First and foremost, you must think positively. Forget the hard statistics and focus on the reasons why you are quitting. Better health, better sex and more money in your pocket should be fairly compelling. Of course, wanting to do something and actually doing it are two very different things.

Where to start? As hard as it may be, you must destroy all cigarettes and smoking paraphernalia. This means ashtrays, cases, and even that lucky lighter. No, it will not stop you from running to the corner shop and picking up a new pack, but it may help strengthen you resolve. (more...)

Hypnotism Can Cause Permanent Behavioural Changes Like Giving Up Smoking

Most people see hypnosis as a trick magicians use to do get folks to do something funny on stage. Whether they are asked to dance like a chicken or bark like a dog, hypnosis has suffered from these foolish public displays. Even so, the technique is quite popular with smokers who want to quit.

What is hypnotism? Beyond the theatrics and the illusions to magic, the technique is really quite simple. A trained hypnotist will use his voice to help a person relax. Once the subject or patient has entered a state of extreme relaxation, the hypnotist is free to make suggestions. Since the conscious mind is not aware of what is happening in this state, these suggestions may be embraced by the subconscious.

What does this mean? Well, it's a bit like someone whispering something to you in your sleep when your mind cannot judge or edit the material. Rather, the mind will simply accept whatever is said. So, if a hypnotist tells you that you must quit smoking, the mind may follow this advice, even if you are not aware of it. (more...)

How to Stop Smoking When you are Pregnant?

Smoking cigarettes is arguably the worst thing a woman can do when she is pregnant. The four thousand plus chemicals can harm unborn babies in many irreversible ways. First and foremost, smoking increases the risk that a child will be born early. How risky is it? Smokers who refuse to give up the habit and smoke through the pregnancy have a ten percent chance of giving birth to a premature baby. That's about thirty times greater than the average non-smoker.

There are several reasons for this. The most obvious one is that carbon monoxide and nicotine make it harder for the baby to breath. This dangerous duo actually works together by narrowing blood vessels and delivering carbon monoxide to unborn babies in place of oxygen.

A lack of oxygen during pregnancy has been proven to adversely affect a baby's growth and development. For this reason, infant mortality rates for smokers are nearly twice as high. Children of pregnant smokers are also far more likely to have comparably low IQs and to demonstrate learning and behavioural problems in school. (more...)

How Does Smoking Affect Your Gums and Teeth?

One of the easiest ways to identify a smoker is by his teeth. The nicotine in tobacco causes brown staining that is almost unmistakable. This discolouration becomes progressively worse and is difficult to remove with brushing alone. In fact, the stains can penetrate into the core of the teeth, at which time they may become permanent.

Believe it or not, that is not the worst of it. It is reliably estimated that over half of the cases of periodontal or gum disease are due to smoking. What actually happens is that the bacteria introduced by the tobacco begin to feed on the plaque on your teeth. In time, the bacteria propagate and may result in serious infections.

Few people are aware of the fact that gum disease is so common in smokers. Fewer still are aware of the fact that smoking is one of the leading causes of dental extractions. That's right! When gums become infected they tend to pull away from the teeth, which weaken the roots and cause instability. Gums and Teeth must then be examined by a dentist, who often insists upon extraction. (more...)

Yellow Teeth and Smoking, are they Connected?

In addition to the obvious health risks, smoking can also stain your teeth, sometimes permanently. The nicotine and tar in cigarettes can causes yellow and brown discolouration. Now, that may sound like a relatively minor concern compared with cancer, but Yellow teeth are not the only consideration when we talk about smoking and oral health.

It is a little known fact that smoking increases the level of bacteria in the mouth, which can lead to serious infections. In fact, about half of all patients diagnosed with gum disease smoke cigarettes. Many of these unfortunate souls must undergo painful surgeries or risk losing their teeth.

What can a smoker do? Well, ideally they should stop. But if they refuse to stop smoking and they are concerned about their oral health, there are a few steps they can take. To begin with, they can switch to a brand that contains less tar and less nicotine. This will reduce the likelihood of bacterial infections and also limit staining. (more...)