FitSugar

8 Tips For Quitting Smoking

FitSugar — Wed, 17 Nov 2010 16:00:29 PST

Tomorrow, Nov. 18, is the Great American Smokeout. The American Cancer Society, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and even our own DrSugar all urge you to quit smoking! It is one of the best things you can do for your health.

We all know that quitting is not an easy feat, so I'm offering some timeless tips for kicking the habit. Whether you have a pack-a-day habit or consider yourself a social smoker, smoking is wreaking havoc on your health, so here are some strategies to help you stop for good.

Exercise more. Getting moving is a great way to remind yourself why you shouldn't smoke. Exercise can reduce your stress and help you relax far better than cigarettes. Even just five minutes of walking can help fend off urges.
Go over the counter. Stop-smoking aids like gum, lozenges, and patches really do help ease withdrawal symptoms. Even if you want to go cold turkey, it might help to have some gum on hand for the times when you're especially irritable or antsy.
Chew away your cravings. Regular gum can also be effective at battling cravings. Keeping your mouth busy will help keep your mind off smoking.
Play with your phone. Harness the power of your smartphone with handy apps like Quitter, which is free and calculates how much money you're saving by not buying cigarettes, or spend $3.99 for LiveStrong's My Quit Coach, which helps you set goals and monitors your progress.

I have more tips, so keep on reading.

Today Is the Great American Smoke Out

FitSugar — Thu, 15 Nov 2007 02:30:00 PST

Today is The Great American Smokeout, sponsored by the American Cancer Society (ACS). So if you are looking to quit smoking, today is the day!

There are amazing health benefits to giving up the smokes. Here are highlights of the health improvement from the first 365 days of being smoke free.

20 minutes after quitting: Your heart rate and blood pressure drops.
12 hours after quitting: The carbon monoxide level in your blood drops to normal.
2 weeks to 3 months after quitting: Your circulation improves and your lung function increases.
1 to 9 months after quitting: Coughing and shortness of breath decrease; cilia (tiny hair-like structures that move mucus out of the lungs) regain normal function in the lungs, increasing the ability to handle mucus, clean the lungs, and reduce the risk of infection.
1 year after quitting: The excess risk of coronary heart disease is half that of a smoker's.

The ACS knows that quitting is difficult and they have created some great widgets for your computer desk top to help. You can also find helpful resources at the Smokeout website.

If you need even more motivation to quit check out these reasons to quit smoking and here are some tips to help you quit.

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Quitting Smoking? Give It a Shot

FitSugar — Tue, 13 Nov 2007 07:30:00 PST

Being that the Great American Smokeout is this week, I thought I'd share this exciting news for anyone looking to quit.

A new anti-smoking shot that robs smokers of the nicotine buzz from cigarettes may someday offer a new and effective way to quit (though the shot is still in the testing phase). The vaccine works by keeping nicotine from reaching the brain, taking a lot of the fun out of smoking and hopefully making it easier to give up.

This is exciting because it gives anyone who has not been able to quit using other popular methods available now another option to try. Unfortunately it's not available yet so if you're looking to quit smoking today then you're going to have to go about it another way. Here are some tips to help!

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THE GREAT AMERICAN SMOKEOUT

FitSugar — Thu, 16 Nov 2006 09:00:00 PST

TODAY is the GREAT AMERICAN SMOKEOUT sponsored by the American Cancer Society. So if you are trying to quit smoking - today is the day. If you know someone who is trying to quit, you can be supportive and send them the link.

Looking for a little motivation in kicking your habit? Here are a few health reasons:

You will significantly lower your chances of developing lung cancer (the number 1 cancer killer of both men and women), heart disease, stroke and other forms of cancer.
Your lungs will regain normal function - which reduces the risk of infection and makes breathing easier. And you know that Fit is way into breathing.
Your circulation will improve - which means you heal from injuries more quickly and this is great for every single inch of your body.

Looking for more reasons? Think of all the money you will save and your clothes won't smell like smoke. Smoking makes your breath stinky, makes your skin wrinkle more, and yellows your teeth (see above).

Let us know if you're trying - we're here to support you and so is the American Cancer Society's Quitline (1-800-ACS-2345). And, of course, GOOD LUCK!!!