Exercise Shown To Powerfully Decrease Cigarette Cravings

Reproduced without permission from:
NaturalNews.com
Originally published April 4 2007
by David Gutierrez, staff writer

Even mild exercise can help stave off cigarette cravings and withdrawal symptoms as well as decrease a smoker's chance of reaching for a cigarette, according to a study published in the journal "Addiction." Researchers from the University of Exeter and the University of Toronto reviewed 14 previously published studies and compared the results.

What you need to know - Conventional View

• Twelve of the studies reviewed demonstrated that a bout of exercise caused a rapid decrease in cigarette cravings, withdrawal symptoms and other negative effects of cigarette addiction.

• As little as five minutes of simple exercises such as walking, isometrics, or muscle flexing proved as effective as a nicotine patch in decreasing an immediate craving.

• A high-intensity bout of exercise decreased cravings for 30 to 40 minutes, whereas a light bout decreased them for 15 minutes.

• The majority of studies that looked at withdrawal symptoms found that exercise caused a significant decrease in at least two of six symptoms: anxiety, irritability, restlessness, stress, tension and poor concentration.

• The researchers noted that further studies are needed to discover the mechanisms by which exercise affects the body's response to addiction.

• Quote: "Relatively small doses of exercise should be recommended as an aid to managing cigarette cravings and withdrawal symptoms." - study authors Adrian H. Taylor, Michael H. Ussher and Guy Faulkner

Bottom line:
• Exercise can be used to stave off cigarette cravings.

Tobacco Industry Accused of Aggressively Marketing to Women and Girls.

Anti-smoking groups are criticizing the tobacco industry for launching “its most aggressive marketing campaigns aimed at women and girls in over a decade.”
Philip Morris USA and R.J. Reynolds in the past two years have been selling smoking as “feminine and fashionable,” according to a report released last week by the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network, American Heart Association, American Lung Association, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids.The groups criticized Philip Morris for marketing Virginia Slims with mauve and teal “purse packs” that are half the size of regular packs, allowing them to fit into small handbags. By using descriptions such as “Superslims Lights,” the company is trying to associate smoking with weight control, the report says.
The groups also take on R.J. Reynolds, which has spent more than $25 million to launch “Camel No. 9” cigarettes, sold in glossy black boxes with fuchsia and teal accents. The ads include slogans such as “now available in stiletto,” a thin cigarette for “the most fashion forward woman.”
David Howard, a spokesman for R.J. Reynolds, says his company hasn’t run any print ads in more than a year. He says R. J. Reynolds has a right to market its products to adult women. Howard says R.J. Reynolds developed its new products through market research with women.
Howard said the idea that women will begin smoking because of pink packages is “offensive” and insults women’s intelligence. Howard adds that data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention show that Camel is not a popular brand among teens, showing that the company’s advertisements are reaching adults, not kids.

By Liz Szabo, USA TODAY

Posted on February 20, 2009 in Cancer, Women's health Permalink

Warning: Hot Dogs Kill ~

First there were No Smoking Sections on Airplanes followed by a total ban. Then came peanut free zones and now many airlines won’t even serve peanuts on their flights.

Are we soon looking at hot dog free zones? Will a baseball game in America soon resemble the stands in Japan with fans eating Lo Mein with chop-stix rather than stuffing our faces with a quality all beef Frank??

This may be what’s ahead if The Cancer Project, a nonprofit anti-meat consumer group based in Washington DC, has their way. Recently, in Essex County, New Jersey the group alleged in a class-action law suit that hot dogs pose serious health risks and need to carry warning labels similar to those on a package of cigarettes. Something to the effect of:

“Warning: Consuming hot dogs and other processed meats

pose a serious increase in the risk of cancer.”

The suit cites a two-year study by the American Institute for Cancer Research stating that the amount of processed meat in a single hot dog (consumed daily, mind you) increases the risk of colorectal cancer by 21 percent.

The study recommends consumption of red meat should be limited to 18 ounces or less per week and processed meats such as hot dogs, bologna and cold cuts be eliminated from your diet all together.

According to The Cancer Project, Americans eat approximately 1.5 billion pounds of hot dogs annually. Also, the average person eats 32 pounds of processed meat every year. Sixty-two percent of Americans eat some form of processed meat. The conclusion then is that this is the reason 150,000 Americans are diagnosed with colorectal cancer every year.

Personally, I really like the study released earlier this year by The National Cancer Institute which found that people who eat large amounts processed meats (ie: Hot Dogs) are more likely to die (Duh!) … especially from cancer of heart disease. Now, I’m no statistician, but if I’m not mistaken the death ratio among humans is still one in one!

I gave up smoking for a multitude of reasons – one was health issues, obviously. There was also the cost factor along with regaining control of my life.

I love hot dogs, I’m not totally sure about the health issues of me having an all beef frank on occasion but unless I was eating an entire package of Nathan’s Famous or Hebrew Nationals daily, (both great hot dogs, by-the-way) I don’t foresee a major cost issue. Further, my need for a Hot Dog doesn't have me running out on the side walk a few times each day.

For those of you who've in the past "wished you were an Oscar Meyer Wiener" ... all I can say is be careful what you wish for.

Be Careful What You Wish For ~

Warning: Smoking Hot Dogs Can KILL You!

Do It For Your Penis ~

The Questions are:

*Did you know there is a valve inside your penis that traps the blood inside so you can get an erection?

*That every time you smoke this valve is damaged?

*That if you don't stop smoking now, it might stop working all together?

Well, if you've been following along for the past month you do!

Reading: E D; (Part Two) ~ on August 9, or Erectile Dysfunction ~ Two days earlier.

Men, don't make the mistake I did -- take heed NOW!

Be prepared for next year's Mardi Gras!

50 Days ~

Since I left my lover ...

Today marks Fifty Smoke Free Days (if you don't count the times I purposely walked past a smoker just to catch a whiff of tobacco smoke).

The hold this stuff has on us is incredible. After all the things I've read and posted, not to mention we've all grown up with about the Hazards of smoking -- the desire still sometimes continues. (Read ~I Heart New York ~ )

I've just returned from a short road trip to Graceland and Beale Street in Memphis -- there were so many times I just wanted to stop walking, sit on a bench or stool, watch the crowed pass by around me while I enjoyed a cigarette along with my Beale Street Hurricane.

(As every smoker knows you can enjoy a smoke without booze, but it's darn hard to enjoy a cocktail with out a smoke.)

On top of it all -- Fifty Days and I still dream about smoking! Usually, it's a dream of me smoking a cig and being disappointed that my streak of smoke-free days has been broken.

Incredible -- But goal hasn't changed -- 365 smoke-free and cheat-free days!

Pammy said...

(Editor's Note: Reprinted from: July 20, 2009 12:57 PM ).

I've added your blog to my favorites in order to help myself.

My quit date has always been when I

"finish the cigarettes that I've already paid for".

Problem with that has always been that I have cigarettes stashed everywhere.

Car, bathroom, living room, laundry room.

Imagine my delight when I found an unopened pack

in a box in my storage facililty!

I have chosen my quit date of August 21st.

That's a special day for me as it is the 1 year anniversary of

my husband passing away.

He quit smoking almost 30 years prior while I kept on.

I don't know how he did it. So, in his memory, I have chosen that date.

This has been a stressful time for me but it's time.

Good luck and thanks for creating this blog.

I really think that it will help me to follow your progress

and try harder to quit this time, for the last time.
Coffee Black ... Cigarette ...

More Editor's Notes for Above Comments Hi-Lited in Red:

A). Add to favorites --

Good Advice for Anyone.

B). Choosing a 'Quit Date' --

Good Advice for all Smokers. See post directly below!

C). Good Luck --

Back at You -- I hope you're still following along.

Preparing To Quit:

Overview of the Basic Steps ~
In keeping with my 'quitting soon' theme;
here's a shorter version of the ~ 11 Steps ~

Remember, just thinking about quitting may make you anxious.
But your chances will be better if you get ready first.
Quitting works best when you're prepared.

**Note:I shamelessly copied these from

http://www.smokefree.gov/quit-smoking/index.html --

** Let's never mind the fact for now that our Government continues to profit excessively off tobacco products -- for our purposes here we'll just concentrate on our shared goal of becoming Smoke Free!

~ Before you quit ~

START by taking these five important steps:

S = Set a quit date.
T = Tell family, friends, and coworkers that you plan to quit.
A = Anticipate and plan for the challenges you'll face while quitting.
R = Remove cigarettes & other tobacco products from your home.
T = Talk to your doctor about getting help to quit.
(I highly recommend this one --
as you may know because I've written it multiple times.)

~ About Me ~

For the more curious, here’s a short synopsis:
I was born the year before the Flintstones Winston Commercial I posted last month: Fred & Barney Enjoy a Smoke! A few months past the Kennedy Assassination; and a lot has changed since then.

It’s been suggested my Profile in the About Me section is insufficient … I’ve been asked to give a better description of myself … My thought’s however, have been; Does it Really Matter? I am everyman (or woman) struggling with an unhealthy, undesirable addiction. A social outcast in today’s world -- pretty much a second class citizen. Smoker’s are now the pariahs of the modern era.

But if your mind is still inquiring -- The abridged version of me:
Handsomely slender, slightly balding, dashing smile (stained teeth, of course), and a darn fun personality! Also a smoker for nearly 30 years.

In addition to Smoking is Bad For You! Other things I’ve learned includes:
Flossing is important; laughing is essential; and if life were perfect we’d all use a lot less duct-tape…
When the lemons are rotten why should I believe the lemon-aid would be any better…
And -- Blue Suede’s ‘Can’t Stop This Feeling’ is better with the ooga-chaka’s than without!

I usually drink coffee in the mornings, coke classic in the afternoons and beer or bourbon in the evenings …
I’ve smoked cigarettes on three continents but plan to be totally smoke-free by the time I visit my fourth…
I used to hang in smoky lounges; I prefer a bar and grill and a quiet time in the corner booth…
I refuse to Karaoke out my love for humanity.

The photo attached to the ‘About Me’ page is of the last pack of cigarettes I bought. For those still inquisitive about what I look like, I trust you can tell I must be rather fetching and quite appealing by the way I write!

In case nobody’s noticed up to this point, I’m new to the bloggasphere.
My latest attempt at conquering my own insanity -- not only because of health issues but also to not allow this addiction to have such control over my life!

~ Smoking Kills ~

You know me -- Always Trying to Add Some Humor to the Cause!
I thought this was funny, I hope you like it too ~

~ Quitt'n Time ~

If you've been following along here for a littel time thus far you may remember Pammy and her great comments July 20, 2009 12:57 PM having chose her

quit date as August 21st.

Since Pam has just one more week to go, I thought I'd try a little here to help her prepare for her big day ... Hopfully she's still out there and still has the same goals.

For those who've read the ~ 11 Steps ~ program (or watched the video) you'll remember it's best to start your preparation early. First step being, choose a date -- just as Pammy did -- and stick to it.

The only change I'd make to the ~ 11 Steps ~ would be to change the order of 'seeking help' as I wrote about when I asked the question -- If Not Now ... When?? I'd move step TEN to the #2 spot, or at least make it 1.5 --

Drugs! Call your Doctor if you Need … I DID! & I think it helps. (See my ‘Cold Turkey’ -- High Anxiety ~ --Post). Also Try a Hypnotist.

I highly recommend a trip to ~ Hypnotherapy ~ -- It was first suggested to me on a trip to the hospital a few years back. I finally gave it a try and although it did take me two visits to the hypnotist, it was one of the best investments I've ever made.

Pammy -- Smoke all you want this week, visit your doctor if you think you need, see a hypnotist next Thursday or Friday -- And prepare to wake up next Friday Morning, 8~21~2009, to your new Smoke Free Life!

And above all else -- Please Keep Us All Informed!

Fourty Smoke Free Days ~

Almost like Lent!

40 days without a cigarette ~

Some may remember one of my first posts:

Coffee Black ... Cigarette ...

(That great old Don Williams tune)

posted just over one month ago.
I used to look like this cartoon:
(which I shamelessly scanned out of

USA TODAY)

Just more handsome!

Only now, I have to make a choice,

Smoke or Blog --

I choose to Blog!

Letters, comments & emails ~

If you can't tell --

I love, LUV, getting feedback and notes of support.
Thanks to all who have written and

I hope to encourage more.

It gives me hope not only that there are readers here but also that some are finding this whole journey helpful.

From Yesterday:

A new comment on your post "Letter From Vickie ~":

FJW,

That was a great e-mail.

I'm still going strong and your blog is still a huge support.

I haven't posted in a while and wanted to say congrats on the month and stay strong.

Be Well,

Kevin

Thanks and Congrats to you too Kevin!

It would seem Kevin, Travis and I all have been smoke free for nearly the same amount of time -- the beginning of July.

As you may know, one of my main goals here is to remain smoke free --

no cheating what-so-ever -- for an entire year. Part of the process for reaching this goal is to maintain this blog with frequent up-dates during this time.

Everyone who adds comments help me in this process and I

THANK YOU all for that.

FJW.

Letter From Vickie ~

Below is one of the best emails I've received in support of our on-going efforts.

I hope anyone still reading my blog finds this helpful and maybe even inspiring.

The post script remarks should be well heeded!!

Thanks -- FJW

If you haven't smoked a cigarette in over a month,

then you are not still trying to quit smoking...
I don't want to frighten you, but you are QUIT - DONE!
Just For Today...if you are taking a drag here and there, or a cigarette here and there,

then you are still trying to quit.

I remember I walked into a room where a lady I worked with had just lit up a cigarette,

and she was puffing away. I said, gee, I didn't know you smoked...

she said, "I don't!" -- Funny, but we all do and say this kind of deceitful behavior...
(I told her, either you smoke or you don't, he-he)

So if you are not smoking for a month, I say to you,
Congratulations! You are off to a great start!
One day at a time, one breath at a time...
and if you are playing around...Congratulations just for trying...you will succeed eventually.

I tell myself, I am one puff away from a pack- one puff is too many and a thousand is not enough.

Just like Alcoholics Anonymous Principles, it can be applied to smoking, and it helps....

I remember I never got the kind of support I felt I needed when I quit smoking. It seemed no one I knew even wanted to talk about quitting smoking! I remember crying a lot for a few days, feeling like I lost my best friend. Some friend, huh! And I realized, cigarettes were my best friend! I didn't know who I was without a cigarette in my hand, mouth,
ashtray, or anywhere else I could smoke one or
obsess over smoking one....

I wish you well. Take one day at a time, and it will get easier. It might get so easy, you might fool yourself into thinking you can have just one cigarette! I hope
not, because it is hell, and you know we are slaves to
this twofold addiction....a smoking obsession,
with a nicotine addiction! Most folks think the nicotine addiction is the worst. I disagree. After a few days, we are usually free from nicotine and left with that damn smoking obsession, and that does not go away as easily; it seems to come and go, so just be aware
when it is talking to you....and talk back, say, nope,
I don't want one cigarette! One is too many and a thousand is not enough. Good luck to you....

Sincerely,
Vickie

PS- A hard-on is useless if you can't breathe...
so just worry about not picking up that first cigarette.

E D; (Part Two) ~

Nicotine is a vasoconstrictor, (huh?)

Meaning it tightens blood vessels and restricts blood flow. In the long term, it has even been shown to cause permanent damage to arteries. Since a man's erection depends on blood flow, researchers assumed smoking would affect erections.
(As I wrote about in part 1.)

Studies have confirmed this time and again. In a study published in Addiction Behavior, it was shown that just two cigarettes could cause softer erections (Yikes Again!) in male smokers. Results are corroborated by a review of all studies done on impotent men over the last two decades.

Research shows that 40 percent of men affected by impotence were smokers, as opposed to 28 percent of the general male population. That is either a really amazing coincidence, or there is a relationship between smoking and male impotence.

It should be noted that most of these men were older, (like me -- and Thank Goodness for Viagra!) and smoking is considered just one cause of erectile dysfunction. The others include stress, hypertension, alcoholism, diabetes, and prostate surgery. Young smokers may not notice negative effects right away, but they could be setting themselves up for "failure" later on. (Back to that whole ‘Ball Players Juicing Up’ thing).

It's hard to say whether your sex life will improve if you quit smoking, since there are many factors influencing your sex life beyond genital sensation. Although most of this has been tailored towards men there are other benefits that are not gender specific and will certainly benefit women as well --
’kicking the habit’ will also eliminate stained teeth, unhealthy skin, rapid accumulation of wrinkles on the face, -- and clothing, hair, and breath that smell of smoke. These additional changes may also improve one's sex life.

Of course, cancer and heart disease — which tend to have negative effects on one's sex life — decreasing the risk of those could also be sexy in the long run.

Erectile Dysfunction ~

effects roughly 1 in 10 men between the ages of 21 and 75. Smoking cigarettes can increase the risk of impotency by 50% for men in their 30s and 40s. (Yikes!)

You would think the inability to have or maintain an erection would be stimulus enough to quit smoking! But let’s face it -- if shrinking one’s penis to a tiny nubbin doesn’t keep Major League Baseball players from juicing up -- Why should threat of a soft shell keep the rest of us from lighting up?

This is Your Brain Nicotine Free! Any Questions?
If you’re curious -- here’s the graphics of the situation:
During an erection, blood flows into the penile arteries causing the veins which drain the penis to become compressed, preventing blood from leaving the penis. This process is significantly impaired by smoking. Less blood flows into the penis if the route is blocked by fatty deposits in the arteries, which can be caused by smoking.

Acute vasospasm, contraction of the penile tissue, and restricted blood flow to the penis is a result of nicotine stimulation in the brain. The valve mechanism that traps blood in the penis is impaired as a result of nicotine in the blood stream.

Some of the other male sexual dysfunctions cause by smoking cigarettes include:
Reduced amount of ejaculate, lower sperm count, abnormal sperm shape and impaired sperm mobility.

I know, a soft erection and less stamina may not worry female smokers as much but how about this:
During sexual arousal, the labia, clitoris, and vagina also swell up with blood, similar to a man's penis, enhancing sensation and excitement. If nicotine can restrict blood flow and cause erectile dysfunction in men, it may be reasonable to predict that blood flow is restricted in women as well, and may also have a negative effect on sensation.

And who really wants that?

One Month Exactly ~

From the 5th to the 5th ...
(remember 3 days - 3 weeks - 3 months? Threesome Anyone?). My Anxiety's still a Roller Coaster Ride, though~

One thing I’ve noticed lately, which I mentioned the other day, is when it comes to my cigarette ‘cravings’ is they seem to be more situational than circumstantial …

What I mean by that is there are situations that make me desire a some more than circumstances -- Situations like work over load, morning coffee, a beer while waiting for my charcoal to prepare.

Circumstances such as passing a smoker on the street, smelling if whiff over from an adjacent car at the intersection, even last night at Buffalo Wild Wings (the next town over still allows smoking in the bar)… None of these circumstances really increased my desire to smoke.

In fact, sometimes they go along way to reaffirm my decision to quit. It’s not just a health issue, it’s also a ‘take back control’ issue. Me being in control of my life not an outside force controlling me.

30 Days in the Hole ~

One month ago today I made my second trip back to the Hypnotist ...

Unfortunately, I can't claim this as my one month anniversary; I had five cigarettes on the Fourth of July. After that I just had to say to myself that this was absolutely ridiculous (word of the month; remember?) I had all the tools I needed (except the Bupropion at that time) and all the desire I needed. I just had to apply everything to my daily living.

I had to remind myself that all actions have consequences -- but so does in-action!

In just my second post -- Monday, Monday ... -- I likened the start of this journey to that of members of AA: "you need to take it one day at a time; and if that’s too much than you have to take it one hour at a time or one minute at a time."

Today -- Thirty days later, I can honestly say it's much easier. But the desire isn't totally gone.

What I've come to realize this past week or so is that my desire to smoke is more situational that circumstantial.

What I mean by that is there are certain situations I find myself in where I am used to having a cigarette and find myself, at least briefly, desiring one. However, it doesn't' seem to affect me as much during certain circumstances such as seeing someone on the street with a smoke or smelling it gingerly whiffing into my car from an adjacent car at the intersection.

In fact, seeing someone standing on the sidewalk enjoying their cigarette break usually re-affirms my happiness at my results so far. It's when I find myself in situations like wanting to get up from my desk at work for a break that I still have the desire for my smoke break.

The good news is, it's no longer minute by minute or even hour by hour -- my cravings are down to two to four a day.

Now, after Thirty days tobacco free, smoking related sinus congestion, fatigue or shortness of breath should have dramatically decreased. Cilia have started to regrow in my lungs thereby increasing their ability to handle mucus, keep lungs clean, and reduce infections. (According to what I've read)

But I'm still working on the whole Anxiety issue! High Anxiety ~

~ The First 28 Days ~

Today is my Four Week Mark!
According some research I’ve done, below are some of the benefits an ‘average’ recovering smoker should be experiencing by this time. (Assuming the ‘Cold Turkey’ approach was taken.)

~ Within the first 24 hours ~
* Blood pressure, pulse rate, temperature of hands and feet all returning to normal.
* Drastic reduction in remaining nicotine levels in bloodstream.
* Blood oxygen levels increased to normal and carbon monoxide levels will have dropped to normal.

* Anxieties peak and within two weeks should return to near pre-cessation levels.

~ Within the first Three Days ~
* Damage to nerve endings have started to re-grow.
* Sense of smell and taste begin to return to normal.
* Cessation anger and irritability peaks.
* At the end of 72 hours, entire body should be 100% nicotine free.
* Symptoms of chemical withdrawal have peaked in intensity and the number of cue induced crave episodes or ’triggers’ will peak.
* Lung bronchial tubes are beginning to relax breathing is becoming easier and the lungs functional abilities are starting to increase.

~ Within the First Week ~
* The "average" ex-smoker will encounter an "average" of three cue induced crave episodes (or triggers) per day.
* (Although we may not be "average" and although serious cessation time distortion can make minutes feel like hours, it is unlikely that any single episode will last longer than 3 minutes … Just like someone wrote in the comment section of my July 12, 2009 Post; What Would Bogey Do? ).

~ Within 10 days to 2 Weeks ~
* After 10 days the ‘average recovering smoker’ is down to about two ‘crave’ episodes per day.
* Within the Two Week period, recovery should have progressed to the point where the ex-smoker is predominately in control.
* Blood circulation in our gums and teeth are now similar to that of a non-user.

~ Within Three Weeks ~
* Brain receptor binding has returned to levels seen in the brains of non-smokers.
* Heart attack risk has started to drop; lung function beginning to improve.
* Circulation has substantially improved, so should have any chronic cough.

Most of these states are for the ‘Average’ ex-smoker … My experience thus far is I may not be ‘Average’ when it comes to the Anxiety issue -- but there are many variables that can affect that beyond nicotine withdrawal.

If you are not quite yet to your one month mark, you may want to read my July 7th post: Threesome Anyone?