How to Quit Smoking Naturally

Monday, January 19, 2009 by: Jo Hartley
Tags: quit smoking, health news, Natural News

(NewsTarget) In the US today, cigarette smoking causes one-third of all cancer fatalities and one-fourth of all fatal heart attacks. In addition to this, there are many illnesses and diseases that are a direct result of cigarette smoking. This includes chronic bronchitis, emphysema, assorted respiratory ailments, angina, peptic ulcers, heartburn, and diarrhea. A recent estimate is that smoking is a factor in more than 15% of all of the deaths occurring annually in the US. Obviously, smoking is a high-risk behavior with deadly consequences. Smokers can expect to shorten their lives by approximately ten to fifteen years. Intellectually most people will agree that smoking is a very harmful activity. Overcoming the addictions associated with cigarette smoking can be an overwhelming prospect, however. It can be done, though, and it can be done naturally without substituting other harmful ingredients that can further jeopardize one's health.

For every cigarette smoked, over 4,000 toxic chemicals are inhaled into the body. Over forty of these chemicals have been directly linked to cancer. Nicotine is one such chemical and is considered extremely addictive because with ingestion it facilitates the natural release of serotonin, dopamine, and norepinephrine. In so doing, it also stimulates the production of adrenaline, which elevates blood pressure and heart rate.

Nicotine can be ingested by chewing, sniffing, or smoking. When ingested it creates a relaxed feeling. With continued use, the body develops not only a physical and psychological addiction to nicotine, but a drug tolerance as well. This means that more nicotine will be required to achieve the same feelings of relaxation. This also means that if nicotine ingestion is stopped, withdrawal symptoms will result.

Nicotine Withdrawal Symptoms

-Anger
-Anxiety
-Craving
-Difficulty Concentrating
-Frustration
-Irritability
-Elevated Appetite
-Elevated Blood Pressure
-Headache
-Reduced Heart Rate
-Feelings of Restlessness
-Stomach Irritability

Smoking cigarettes places nitrogen dioxide ozone in the body. This chemical damages DNA and reduces the amount of vitamin C available for use by the body. When DNA is compromised and vitamin C is reduced the body will not be able to fight off illness and aging will be accelerated.

Aside from the physical addiction to the chemicals in cigarettes, there is also an emotional addiction to smoking. Many smokers smoke in response to stress, boredom, and anxiety. For this reason, people who are in the process of quitting smoking may benefit from counseling or a support group for smokers. Subliminal or hypnosis recordings are effective tools to stop smoking as well.

Tips to Quit Smoking

-Acute cigarette cravings typically last no more than five minutes.
-Nicotine cravings will become more manageable with each passing success of not smoking.
-Try exercising or taking a walk when cravings occur.
-Avoid other people smoking.
-Completely eliminate alcoholic beverages while quitting smoking.
-Drink large amounts of water.
-Increase the amount of raw fruits, vegetables, and fiber in the diet.
-Eliminate saturated fats, processed foods, and refined sugars from the diet.
-Consider a colon and/or liver cleanse.
-Avoid stress during the quitting process.

After quitting smoking, the lungs must be given adequate time to heal and regenerate. During this time, it is important to be very careful about one's environment and the surrounding conditions.

Suggestions to Help Lungs Repair:

-Wear a mask if working with strong chemicals.
-Avoid air filters that emit ozone into the air. These may further damage the lungs.
-Do not attempt to dry up lung mucous. Mucous is the body's method for expelling toxins from the lungs.
-Avoid second-hand smoke at all costs, as well as other strong toxic chemical odors.
-Avoid dairy foods because they produce excess mucous. Mucous producing foods place added stress on the lungs.
-Aromatic herbs such as rosemary, thyme, ginger, horse radish, and cayenne may help one feel better.
-Get lots of fresh air and outdoor exercise every day.
-Yoga may also helpful.

Source: http://www.healthynewage.com/quit-smoking.ht...
http://www.healthynewage.com/smoking-cessati...

About the author

Jo Hartley
Wife, Mother of 8, and Grandmother of 2
Jo is a 41 year old home educator who has always gravitated toward a natural approach to life. She enjoys learning as much as possible about just about anything!
http://loftymatters.com - Current Events
http://winemaiden.com - Simply Abundant Living