FitSugar

How to Ditch Cigarettes Without Gaining Weight

Jenny Sugar — Tue, 25 Oct 2011 14:48:46 PDT

Quitting cigarettes can be tough to endure; nicotine is so addictive. That's why we're thrilled to hear Jennifer Aniston is putting herself on the nonsmoker list. People reports that in a recent press conference Jen said:

"And rumor Number two: no, we're not pregnant. It's just I quit smoking, so I've gained a couple of pounds."

It's common when quitting smoking to put on a little weight since you tend to reach for other things to keep your mouth busy. Cigarettes can also suppress your appetite, and when you give them up, your hunger may increase. If you're a smoker and are worried giving up the habit will cause you to pack on the pounds, here are some tips to help you quit without gaining weight.

Tell everyone you're quitting: You need all the support you can get. If everyone close to you knows you want to quit, your friends can help distract you when your cravings strike, and your co-workers will know not to ask you to come out for a cigarette break.
Avoid your triggers: Whether it's hitting a nightclub with friends, your morning cup of joe, or driving with the window down - know your triggers and steer clear of locations, food, or people that cause cigarette cravings.
Exercise: Studies show that people have an easier time quitting when exercise is part of their cessation plan, because exercise can reduce nicotine cravings. Plus working out burns calories helping prevent weight gain.

Keep reading for more tips to help you quit cigarettes without gaining weight.

Don't Inhale! The Truth About Secondhand Smoke

LilSugar — Tue, 30 Aug 2011 10:45:55 PDT

It's a given (hopefully) that pregnant women and kids don't light up. There's been enough consciousness raising about the dangers associated with cigarette smoking that if an adult decides to smoke - while knowing all the risks - that's their business. Or is it? The harmful effects of secondhand smoke on children and expectant mamas are pretty unsettling. Test your knowledge on what secondhand smoke really does to an unborn baby, and how it affects tots.

Take the Quiz

Hypnosis Proving to Offer Health Benefits, Studies Say

Jenny Sugar — Mon, 22 Aug 2011 12:48:50 PDT

When I hear the word hypnosis, a man swinging a pendulum in front of a person squawking like a chicken is what comes to mind. Stage hypnosis, performed by entertainers, is vastly different than therapeutic hypnosis, which is used to improve a person's well-being. Over the last 10 years hypnosis has gained more recognition because more and more research shows hypnotherapy can effectively treat medical conditions. A number of studies have discovered that this type of treatment can help alleviate chronic pain, reduce stress and anxiety before surgery, and also lower health care costs since patients using hypnosis have shorter hospital stays.

The hypnotic state has been likened to meditation or daydreaming; when hypnotized, one has a heightened sense of inner focus and concentration. When under hypnosis, people tend to feel calm and relaxed and be capable of paying attention to one specific thought, memory, emotion, or sensation while blocking out any other distractions, making them extremely open to the power of suggestion, although they remain completely aware and in control of their actions. This is why hypnosis is used for weight loss, smoking cessation, pain control, childbirth, dental procedures, anxiety, and gastrointestinal problems such as IBS. It should be noted that one session won't instantly "cure" your ails, so don't expect to instantly despise cigarettes after your first appointment.

Should Cigarettes Be Prescription-Only?

FitSugar — Wed, 13 Jul 2011 14:22:09 PDT

Faced with a worrisome increase in young smokers, Iceland's government has come up with something a little radical - prescription-only cigarettes.

The country has proposed a new law that would make it illegal to buy cigarettes without a prescription from a doctor and would make cigarettes available only from pharmacies. The government hopes this practice will cut the amount of smokers from 15 percent of the total population (and 20 percent in teenagers and kids) to less than 10 percent.

Who would get a prescription to smoke? Since under the law nicotine would be classified as an addictive drug, only those who are unable to quit following addiction programs, or those who refuse to quit, would be able to get prescriptions.

If passed, I wonder if doctors in Iceland will feel uneasy about prescribing something that is known to be a major public health issue, or if the program would be the best option for reducing the amount of new addicts. What do you think?

US Restaurants, Bars, and Workplaces Could Be Smoke Free by 2020

Heather Dale — Thu, 21 Apr 2011 14:34:04 PDT

With smoking-related deaths on the rise, US health officials are predicting that smoking bans will cover all US workplaces, bars, and restaurants by 2020. As of December 2010, the CDC reports that 26 US states had imposed comprehensive smoke-free laws and that nearly half of the country's residents were covered by some sort of state or local smoke-free laws. The laws have certainly come a long way baby, considering back in 2000 there weren't any indoor smoking bans. If trends continue, all 50 states should have implemented some form of protection for nonsmokers by the end of this decade.

But what's interesting to note here is that the perceived smoking capital of the world, France, adopted the nationwide ban on smoking in public places back in 2007. Is the US lagging behind in its smoking-ban laws? Is another nine years too long to wait for all of these laws to take effect? Please weigh in below!

DrSugar Answers: How Dangerous Is Social Smoking?

DrSugar — Tue, 12 Apr 2011 09:45:37 PDT

DrSugar is in the house! This week she's reminding us that smoking, even in moderation, is a habit worth breaking.

Dear DrSugar,
I don't consider myself a smoker, but do smoke socially. I have three or four cigarettes almost every weekend - I tend to smoke when I have a few drinks. I don't think this is dangerous, but am wondering just how bad this is for my health?
One Social Smoker

Thank you for asking this question, as I'm certain that there are many people out there who can relate to you in terms of your smoking patterns. Even though you don't consider yourself a "smoker," you actually are, and can be labeled as a "social smoker." According to the University of Montana website, social smoking is a pattern of tobacco use that is based on the context of its use - smoking in social settings like bars, nightclubs, and sporting or music events. The social situations act as a trigger or cue to the person to smoke. Now that we've defined social smoking, keep reading to learn the health risks of the occasional smoke.

Could Cigarettes' Negative Sexual Side Effects Make Smokers Consider Quitting?

Annie Scudder — Mon, 14 Mar 2011 10:35:18 PDT

The post-coital cigarette is something of legend, but have too many, and you might not have many chances to light up after sex. Smokers are twice as likely to develop erectile dysfunction and nicotine impacts blood flow to lady parts, too.

Quitting smoking is hard because it forces us to put off immediate gratification. The latest episode of Radio Lab explores this challenge and follows 80-year-old Zelda Gamson, a woman who tried to quit smoking for decades. She couldn't until one day she told her friend she would donate $5,000 to the KKK if she ever smoked again. And it worked!

Neuroscientist David Eagleman explains that rewards offered right now (a satisfied cigarette craving) have so much more power than the things offered later (avoiding cancer and death). Zelda could quit when she tied the long-term plan to quit to an immediate feeling of disgust associated with the KKK. The immediate disgust fought the immediate desire. It was now vs. now. This reminds me of the cigarette packages plastered with graphic pictures of sick patients, or as they do in Europe, with bold letters warning that smoking causes sexual dysfunction - they try to illicit an immediate threat.

Since sex is about immediate desire, maybe reminding smokers that they can trade the instant gratification of a cigarette for better sex will help them rethink the cigarette. Let's just hope they don't hit a dry spell!

Does Onscreen Smoking Make You Want to Light Up?

Colleen Barrett — Wed, 19 Jan 2011 02:30:25 PST

There's a reason there are laws to regulate when cigarette smoking is shown on TV and in movies: watching it is addicting. Now a new study found viewing a character smoke on screen stimulates the brain's action-planning center, leaving us contemplating a walk to the nearest corner store.

Smoking has a short but sexy history, so when you watch shows like Mad Men or Boardwalk Empire, nostalgic for a time before all the smoke got in our eyes, do you want to light up?

DrSugar Answers: Nicotine Withdrawal From Secondhand Smoke?

DrSugar — Wed, 12 Jan 2011 14:15:02 PST

DrSugar is in the house! And she's answering your health-related questions.

Dear DrSugar,
My partner has been smoking since he was in high school and he is 27 now. He has been smoking about two packs a day and is trying to stop. This weekend he has cut down on the amount he smokes. Last night, both he and I had trouble staying asleep. I was wondering if his smoking has been affecting me too? And what side effects would I have for just being around him when he smokes?
- Secondhand Smoker

I commend your partner on trying to quit smoking, not only for his health, but also for yours. Nicotine (the main drug component in tobacco) dependence is a serious problem, and according to Medline Plus, it has a potential for addiction similar to alcohol, cocaine, and morphine. Dependence on nicotine means that a person cannot stop using tobacco products, despite the products causing them likely harm. According to the Mayo Clinic, nicotine produces physical and mood-altering effects in your brain that are temporarily pleasing. These effects typically make you want to continue using tobacco and can lead to dependence. However, stopping tobacco can lead to unpleasant withdrawal symptoms, which it sounds like your partner is experiencing. To learn more about nicotine withdrawal symptoms and the issues surrounding secondhand smoke, keep reading!

The History of Women and Smoking

Colleen Barrett — Fri, 07 Jan 2011 10:45:18 PST

It's easy to forget there was a time when it was unladylike for women to smoke. When they did, it was done defiantly, late at night, and behind closed doors. So how did we go from taboo to addiction in less than a century?

Well, as we saw Sunday on Mad Men: advertising. Monday I pulled out specific cigarette ads targeted at women, but ads always capitalize on the social climate of the time. So I enlisted the expertise of former ad man and coauthor of The Cigarette Book: A Celebration of the Culture of Smoking Fletcher Watkins to find out how cigarette companies, advertisers, and the media made those ads stick.

Source: Flickr User bobster885