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Tuesday 16 May 2017

Quit Smoking Diet

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Nicotine is as addictive as heroin, so quitting smoking is probably the hardest thing you will ever have to do. To fill the craving, many people eat. Eating gives you something to put in your mouth instead of a cigarette, and it temporarily satisfies a desire. Due to this desire, many people who quit smoking gain weight, and smokers often refuse to quit because they fear weight gain. However, eating certain foods can help you quit and stay thin.

Eating Habits

When you quit smoking, food takes on a whole new importance in your life. The first reason for this is the hand-to-mouth craving that needs to be replaced. Instead of munching on candy or potato chips throughout the day, eat nuts, seeds, grapes or berries, or chopped carrots or celery, perhaps with hummus or salsa for a dip. Such alternatives will fill your body with vital rejuvenating vitamins and minerals. Sugarless gum is also an excellent alternative. Secondly, because tobacco kills taste buds, food will taste so much better once you quit smoking. Additionally, nicotine suppresses your appetite, and without it you will be much hungrier. Instead of skipping breakfast and smoking instead, you will want to eat. The temptation is to binge eat, but this must be resisted. Several, small meals eaten instead of three large ones and plenty of nutritional snacks should help. This will also stimulate your metabolism and promote weight loss to alleviate the general weight gain quitters often experience.
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Foods

You will experience low blood sugar after quitting smoking, so you should regularly eat the type of snacks that slowly release sugar into your bloodstream, like brown bread slices, small portions of whole meal cereal, apricots, pears, whole wheat crackers and natural yogurts. Foods that release serotonin into your body should help stave off the depression many quitting smokers experience. Serotonin is the chemical released when you are in love or when you eat chocolate. Healthy food sources that contain serotonin are turkey, chicken, fish, beans and nuts. Nicotine improves your concentration and withdrawal symptoms include anxiety, according to the University of Massachusetts, so you will feel drowsy. Protein improves your concentration, so when you are working, eat fish, egg whites, beans, or poultry to keep you alert. Smoking depletes your body of vitamin C, which protects the lungs and lowers your risk of cancer, so eat citrus and tropical fruits like oranges and kiwis to replenish yourself, and top up on vitamin B with bananas and leafy green vegetables to improve your nervous system.

Drinks

Drink plenty of water throughout the day to flush out all of the toxins smoking has left in your body. This will also mean that you eat less. Drink a herbal tea or hot milk before bed to relax you. Alcohol and caffeine will only make you want to smoke, so avoid them until you are over your cravings.

Exercise

When you feel a craving coming on, run, do sit-ups or push-ups. Your craving will subside, and endorphins released by the exercise will improve your mood, meaning that you are less likely to gain weight. Eat whole grain carbohydrates like pasta and rice to gain the energy to exercise.

Expert Insight

Duke University psychologist Joseph McClernon found that fruits, vegetables and dairy products, like milk, make cigarettes taste bad, but meat, coffee and alcohol make them taste good. Incorporate the first group into your diet to encourage your quitting efforts.
For further information log on website :
http://www.livestrong.com/article/253163-quit-smoking-diet/

How to Stop Eating After Quitting Smoking

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Smokers who quit are at risk for overeating and gaining weight, and the reasons are many. Smoking speeds up the metabolism and suppresses the appetite. Ex-smokers often turn to food to satisfy their renewed hunger or cravings. Some also use food in place of cigarettes to cope with feelings such as boredom, anger or depression.

Step 1

Rework your diet. You can't simply stop eating to avoid weight gain, but you can avoid overeating or eating unhealthy food. Plan your meals and snacks around a balanced diet that includes foods high in fiber, such as apples, oatmeal and beans, to keep you feeling fuller longer. Eat several small portions of healthy food instead of one or two big meals a day to avoid hunger and poor food choices. Keep a journal of what you eat so you're aware of the amount and type of food you consume.
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Step 2

Limit unhealthy snacks and alcohol. It's tempting to reward yourself for quitting smoking with high-fat and high-sugar food. But better health is your real reward. For snacks, try healthy substitutions such as a crunchy apple for chips and fat-free yogurt for puddings or ice cream. But don't deny yourself an occasional treat. Just watch the portion size. Rather than drinking high-calorie alcohol, substitute herbal tea or sparkling water.

Step 3

Start an exercise program. Instead of reaching for food, get moving. Physical activity helps you burn calories and control your weight. It also can increase the production of brain chemicals that elevate your mood and relieve stress. If you weren't exercising before, start slowly to avoid injuries and burnout. Begin by walking during your work breaks or after dinner. If working out at a gym isn't for you, take a class that gets you moving, such as yoga or dance.

Step 4

Get involved and keep busy. Smokers often reach for cigarettes when they're bored or filling time. When ex-smokers get bored, they often turn to food in place of cigarettes. Avoid the temptation to eat by doing activities that keep you busy and distract you from food cravings. Some ex-smokers find it helpful to keep their hands busy.

Step 5

Consider seeking professional advice about weight control. If you're unable to control your eating, you might need extra help. Talk to your health-care provider about healthy weight-management programs. You also can consult a registered dietitian or nutritionist for assistance in planning satisfying meals and snacks. An exercise professional, such as a personal trainer or exercise physiologist, can guide you in developing an exercise program. Check with your insurance company to see if any of these services is covered by your plan.
For further information log on website :
http://www.livestrong.com/article/355199-how-to-stop-eating-after-quitting-smoking/

Top 10 Ways to Quit Smoking

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Overview

You were not born smoking, and you can go back to being a non-smoker. According to the "Why Quit News" for November 16, 2005, 46 million successful quitters have invented lots of creative methods. One of their techniques might be the right one for you.

If you have quit before, then returned to smoking, simply consider it a rehearsal for your next and final quit.

Cold Turkey

Quitting cold turkey, meaning all at once, instantly transforms you into a non-smoker. Joel Spitzer, director of "Freedom From Tobacco" in Evanston, Illinois, says the cold turkey motto is simply “Never Take Another Puff.” Spitzer says 91 percent of successful quitters do it cold turkey.
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Group Support

The American Lung Association recommends quitting with a group of like-minded people. You can support each other, trade winning strategies and swap successful tips. The most successful groups are conducted by trained, experienced leaders.

Hypnosis

In a 2009 report by physicians at the American Cancer Society (ACS), hypnosis helped some people quit smoking. However, techniques, practitioners and success rates vary widely. Coaches at Smoking Cessation.org report a 66 percent success rate with a four-session protocol administered by licensed psychologists.

Replacement

Nicotine replacement therapy, or NRT, replaces cigarettes with patches, gums, nasal sprays, lozenges or inhalers. These enable tapering off the addictive nicotine so you can manage your cravings in gradual steps, while eliminating smoke and its other harmful chemicals from your lungs.

Sabotage

Sabotage your habit. The American Lung Association advises quitters to prepare by tossing out their ash trays, lighters and matches. Also, eliminate triggers like coffee and alcohol from your pantry, then buy tea and other beverages. Remove every cigarette from your home. Without tobacco and its paraphernalia, you can not smoke.

Phone a Friend

According to the ACS, as of 2009, all US states and the District of Columbia provide free telephone links to trained counselors who match programs to individuals' unique needs. Phone counseling is twice as effective as quitting without help. The ACS, at 1-800-227-2345, can locate your state's phone program.

Zyban

Bupropion, brand named Zyban, reduces nicotine withdrawal symptoms. It can be prescribed alone or with NRT. Start one or two weeks before quitting tobacco. Do not use Zyban if you have seizures, serious head injury, bipolar or eating disorders, or a tendency to abuse alcohol.

Chantix

Varenicline, brand named Chantix, interferes with brain receptors for nicotine, diminishing the enjoyment of smoking, and reducing nicotine withdrawal symptoms.

The ACS reports that several studies have shown varenicline more than doubles success rates for smoking cessation. Other studies suggest better short-term effectiveness than with bupropion.

Nicotine Anonymous

This is a 12-step program for living nicotine-free. Nicotine Anonymous offers group support along with the "12 Steps" approach pioneered by Alcoholics Anonymous. The toll-free number is 1-877-879-6422 for printed materials, information and meeting schedules.

Follow the Money

The American Lung Association says reward yourself for quitting. Hilary Smith, writing for "MSN Money," says the average 2010 cost of cigarettes is nearly $5 per pack. Smoking one pack a day might cost $35 per week, or $1,820 per year. If you think about what else you can buy with that, you will probably find a way to stop smoking.
For further information log on website :
http://www.livestrong.com/article/132979-top-10-ways-quit-smoking/

Medications to Treat a Rapid Heart Rate

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Overview

Heart rate is controlled by electrical impulses that travel through contractile heart muscle and when there is a defect in the heart tissue, contractions can greatly increase. According to the Mayo Clinic, a healthy adult heart beats between 60 and 100 times per minute when at rest. A rapid heartbeat, or tachycardia, can be a temporary and normal response to stimuli, such as fear or stress, but many causes of tachycardia are serious and even life-threatening. Tachycardia has the potential to increase the risk of stroke, heart attack and sudden cardiac arrest, but there are medications to help treat the effects of tachycardia.

Antiarrhythmics

Antiarrhythmic medication works to slow and stabilize heart rhythm by decreasing abnormal firing of the heart's electrical system, according to Peacehealth.org. The atrioventricular (AV) node is a part of the electrical impulse system that coordinates the electricity that runs between the upper and lower chambers of the heart. Some antiarrhythmic medications reduce the number of impulses that can pass through the AV node and thereby reduces heart rate.
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Beta Blockers

Beta-blocking medication interferes with the specific receptors in heart muscle that normally would cause an increase in heart rate and force of contraction. These medications, such as propranolol (Inderal) and esmolol (Brevibloc), can reduce stress on the heart and mediate its tendency to beat faster than normal.

Anti-Anxiety Medication

Anxiety is a relatively common cause of a rapid heartbeat and doctors may attempt to treat the tachycardia by reducing anxiety with medication. Many of these medications have serious side effects and can be physically addicting, but can be very helpful in temporarily reducing anxiety, according to Helpguide.org.

Calcium Channel Blockers

The heart requires calcium to perform a contraction and calcium channel blockers can interfere with both the force and rate of contraction. These medications do this by reducing the hearts contractibility and lowering blood pressure, both of which reduce stress on the heart.

Anticoagulants

Some people who have tachycardia that is ongoing are at an increased risk of developing blood clots that may lead to a stroke or heart attack, according to Mayo Clinic. A doctor may prescribe medication that prevents rapid blood clotting, known as blood thinners or anticoagulants, to reduce the risk of these life-threatening complications.

Digoxin

Digoxin, also known as digitalis, is a medication that is derived from the leaves of a digitalis plant, according to Drugs.com. Digoxin helps those with tachycardia by slowing down and controlling heart rate, but digoxin may take weeks or months to begin having an effect.
For further information log on website :
http://www.livestrong.com/article/109922-medications-treat-rapid-heart-rate/

Advantages and Disadvantages of Fasting for Runners

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