DrSugar Answers: Nicotine Withdrawal From Secondhand Smoke?


Updated 10/14/11 11:51 AM · Posted by DrSugar · 1 comment

Can I Experience Nicotine Withdrawal From Secondhand Smoke: A Doctor Answers

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 Read more

8 Tips For Quitting Smoking


Updated 10/14/11 11:49 AM · Posted by FitSugar · 25 comments

8 Tips For Quitting Smoking

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 Read more

Cool Health Tool: HabitForge


Updated 10/14/11 11:50 AM · Posted by FitSugar · 5 comments

HabitForge Helps You Set Habits in 21 Days

Building good habits is a big part of living a healthy lifestyle. Whether you're trying to quit smoking, exercise daily, or get more sleep, it helps to have some accountability. A coworker recently turned me on to HabitForge, a simple yet brilliant site that helps you set goals and stick to them. The idea behind HabitForge is that it takes 21 days to form a new habit. When you sign up for the Read more

No Such Thing as "Social Smoking"


Updated 10/14/11 11:50 AM · Posted by FitSugar · 6 comments

Just One Cigarette a Month Can Be Addictive

One cigarette a month may not feel like a habit, but it can still get you hooked on nicotine. That's according to a study of adolescent smokers published in Pediatrics, which suggests that teens' experimentation with the occasional cigarette can lead to a lifetime of addiction. The four-year study started with 1,246 middle school students and found that those who smoked even one cigarette a Read more

Why McDonald's May Be Worse Than Marlboros


Updated 10/14/11 11:50 AM · Posted by FitSugar · 8 comments

Obesity Poses a Bigger Threat to Health Than Smoking Does

As far as vices go, smoking has always taken top honors as being the worse thing you can do to yourself. Not anymore. A new study says that obesity is becoming a bigger threat to a person's quality of life than having a cigarette habit. The results are based on interviews conducted with 3.5 million adults in the United States from 1993-2008 — the largest ongoing health study of its kind. During Read more

DrSugar Answers: How Can I Cut the Nicotine Habit?


Updated 10/14/11 11:49 AM · Posted by DrSugar · 1 comment

Doctor Recommendations on How to Quit Smoking

DrSugar is in the house and he's answering your health questions. Dear DrSugar, I have been smoking ever since college, which I know is dumb, but I just haven't been able to cut the habit. I started smoking only at parties, but now I'm at about a half pack a day for the last few years. I'm totally healthy otherwise. I go to the gym three or four times a week and try to eat healthy. What do you Read more

Quitting Smoking? Timing Might Be Key


Updated 10/14/11 11:48 AM · Posted by FitSugar · 3 comments

Quitting Smoking? Timing Might Be Key

For women, the ebb and flow of monthly hormones impacts so many seemingly unrelated things, quitting smoking among them. New research from the University of Minnesota suggests that successfully quitting smoking might be related to the menstrual cycle. Research found that women who stop smoking during the second half of their cycle, after ovulating, were more likely to stick to their guns and not Read more

Another Reason Not to Smoke: Quitting Is Hard


Updated 07/14/09 4:30 PM · Posted by FitSugar · 22 comments

Katherine Heigl on Quitting Smoking

Even though we like to scoff at celebrities and say they have everything so much easier than we do, quitting smoking is rough no matter who you are. Katherine Heigl, well-known as a heavy smoker, recently talked to the Washington Post about her troubles with quitting. And guess what? It's not easy even for her. Here are highlights: "It's so stupid. I started when I was like 22 or 23, and I had Read more

Another Reason to Quit Smoking: Hearing Problems


Updated 02/10/08 1:55 PM · Posted by FitSugar · 7 comments

Smoking May Decrease Hearing Ability

Maybe you or someone close to you is thinking of quitting smoking. All I can say is: Go for it! Quitting smoking is a win-win situation; it puts more money in your pocket and more air in your lungs. Plus, it is one of the most important things you can do for your overall health. No joke! It turns out that there is yet another reason to give up smokes: It could affect your hearing. A recent study Read more

Hypnotherapy to Quit Smoking


Updated 10/23/07 7:30 PM · Posted by FitSugar · 14 comments

Hypnotherapy to Quit Smoking

You might have heard that Lily Allen lost weight using hypnotherapy but have you heard the same technique works for giving up smokes too? A recent study found that to quit smoking and stay smoke free, hypnotherapy is more effective than going cold turkey or just using the nicotine patches or nicotine gum. Free hypnotherapy was offered to both heart and lung patients after hospitalization, and 50% Read more