How to Kick Your Smoking Habit

There are few things more damaging to the human body than a smoking habit. Smoking has long been conclusively linked to many forms of cancer, stroke, coronary heart disease and many other life-threatening diseases. Not surprisingly, many of the 45 million smokers in the United States try to quit smoking every year. Unfortunately, smoking is notoriously addictive; of the roughly 44 percent of smokers who try to quit each year, only 4 to 7 percent actually succeed.

Given the importance of quitting smoking, a number of methods have been developed over the years to make it easier for smokers to quit. By implementing these changes in lifestyle, you could stand a better chance at finally eliminating your addiction to smoking.

Remove All Temptations - Breaking nicotine's deadly grip on your body is tough enough without constantly being reminded of smoking. Leaving ashtrays, lighters, match trays and cigarettes around your house or apartment only adds to the temptation to resume your smoking habit.

Another Reason to Drink Water - We all know that water is important for the body - who hasn't heard the "eight glasses per day" recommendation? But did you know that water can help you quit smoking? Water helps cleanse the body of nicotine, while simultaneously reducing your mouth's craving for this dangerous narcotic.

Anticipate Your Cravings - During the quitting process, you will inevitably feel the urge to break down and have a cigarette. While being tempted by the toxic allure of nicotine, it is absolutely crucial to remember that the urge will pass. Simply remind yourself to persevere, and you can ride out the craving until it subsides. Many times, these urges dissolve after a short period of time. You might consider writing a note with this very message, pulling it out whenever necessary.

Seek Support from Others - Fighting against cigarettes is often too big a struggle for one person to handle. A lack of external support can often derail a smoker's efforts to live a healthier life. Interacting with other smokers in the same boat might make it easier for you to accomplish your goal. There are a number of smoker support groups that offer encouragement and assistance to recovering smokers.

Manage Your Stress Level - A stressful day at home or work is often enough to get ex-smokers to reach back into the cigarette pack. By controlling your stress levels, you can cut off many of your urges at the root, thereby reducing your overall desire to smoke. You can reduce your body's amount of stress by listening to relaxing music, getting massages or practicing yoga or tai chi.

Put Down the Bottle (and Other Triggers Too) - If you truly want to quit smoking, you might have to temporarily give up alcohol as well, or at least reduce your alcohol intake. Alcohol is leading triggers of relapses for smokers, so you could very well feel an irresistible urge to smoke after downing a few beers.

Alcohol isn't the only substance that can lead to a nicotine craving. Many people find that they "need" a cigarette after drink a cup of coffee. Whatever your trigger turns out to be, it's important to try and avoid it while quitting smoking.

Patch Things Up - Recent decades have seen the advent of the nicotine patch, a patch that slowly injects its user with nicotine throughout the day. Nicotine is the chemical compound that gives cigarettes their addictive quality. The user then switches to less and less potent patches, until he or she no longer needs nicotine. Patches are not without side effects, as they can cause upset stomach, diarrhea, headaches, itching near the patch and even vomiting. Nicotine patches can also cause nightmares, so you may want to remove them

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By Michael V Harris

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Top 10 Positive Things About Diabetes

Diabetes is not all gloom and doom. There are some positive things about Diabetes. Knowing them helps one cope better. Obviously there are many health related positives like weight loss, regular diet, but there is more to it than just health. Let's look at some key takeaways about Diabetes.

Diabetes can benefit all including you, your family and your community or a social circle.

Top 10 positive things about Diabetes:-

1) Dietary habits get disciplined :- It's not in human nature to control the desire to eat favourite junk foods. Diabetes forces this discipline upon you. Although reluctantly, everyone will accept that its a good habit and they always felt the need for it.

2) Weight loss:- As a Diabetic,1st advice you will get from all is to control your sugar levels. And 2nd is to lose weight. Therefore most Diabetics focus the most on these 2 things and they actually do very well after following this advice. It's a major benefit considering the positives it brings to your health profile. It reduces risk of acquiring other major illnesses. Overall fitness level too goes up.

3) Special food demands:- There is a palpable change in food habits after Diabetes. You get more say in the daily diet plan and it is often cooked after consulting you. Hence the prospects of getting your favourites improve.

4) Improved cooking skills:- Diabetes imposes several restrictions on many daily food items. Hence, it forces the homemaker to think out of the box, innovate. They later go on to make some great new recipes that are healthier and more delicious. One would get to taste those recipes otherwise.

5) Family health improves:- While you get more say in daily diet, your prescribed food is served to the entire family. Diabetic diet being lighter and healthier benefits everybody. As the awareness about Diabetes increases, other members too adopt healthier lifestyles.

6) Regular health check-ups:- Health when normal is the most neglected part of life. Few people really appreciate their good health. Most take it for granted. They realize its value only when something goes wrong. This along with high expenses keeps most away from regular health check-ups. After Diabetes, the frequency of health visits increase. This helps in early diagnosis and proper treatment of other disorders.

7) Fear of needles decreases:- Diabetics (especially those with type I) are forced to take Subcutaneous Insulin injections multiple times daily. Frequent blood glucose testing also involve needle pricks. Initially its a big hassle. Everyone hates it but after a few days people get accustomed to it. Thereafter their fear about needle pricks and injections decreases substantially.

8) Helps understand people:- Diabetes, these days is one of the best conversation starters. It gets people going. Diabetics get a point to make while Non-Diabetics find it intriguing. It piques their interest to know how you are managing it. These conversations later turn into friendly chat and thus the social circle expands.

9) Become motivated in life:- Adversity always brings the best out of people. Thoughts about Diabetes cripples people at first. Later people learn about it. They accept it as a challenge and get motivated to deal with it.

10) Promotes Social Harmony:- In daily life, normal health brings many advantages that people take it for granted. After people get diagnosed with diabetes, they feel humbled. Their attitude towards the disabled, handicapped and not so lucky ones change. Their sensitivity towards social issues increases. They become more empathetic and develop an urge to do more.

Next time someone tells you Diabetes is really bad, shoot this mail at 'em...

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By Pushkar PM

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Guidelines to Help You With Weight Loss

Sometimes it is very hard to lose weight because it just seems like a losing battle. As with everything worthwhile, it is just a question of getting motivated and then planning what you will do to lose those pounds. Here you will find some points to help you do this.

Your first step is to motivate yourself. It is easy to dream but with something like weight loss you need to get active and start doing. One of the best ways to motivate you is to look in the mirror and realize that yes you are fat and need to do something about it today. This is sometimes hard to do but once you face up to the fact you can get yourself motivated and start to take action.

For a woman buying a nice outfit that is one size smaller can also motivate you. You know that you will have to lose some weight to get into the outfit. It will be like a reward when you lose enough to fit into the outfit.

Friends and family can help you to get motivated. Forums are sometimes good for support and motivation as you will find people with the same problem there. They often have some useful tips to help you with losing weight.

A food journal can also help you to stay motivated as you will be accountable for your progress. You can record the foods you have eaten and what progress you have made. It will help you to see what foods are effective in losing weight and which ones to avoid. When you see your progress you will feel more motivated and understand that you are working towards your goals.

You should get a calorie counter and see how many calories you are burning with your exercises. This will help you to do the most effective exercises and help you to stay motivated. Once you see the calories you have burnt you can calculate how many calories you should be taking in.

Planning is an important part of losing weight. You should make a plan and write it down. This will keep you on track and help you to lose weight. It is like going on a journey and not taking something to guide you as to which road you should be taking.

You should create goals and reward yourself when you achieve them. Do not use food as a reward or you may find yourself slipping. You can make your progress and achievement of goals part of your food diary. Try not to lose weight too quickly as this is not good for your body and you can find the weight coming back. 10 pounds a month is the right ratio to aim for.

Exercise and healthy eating go hand in hand when it comes to weight loss. So remember to exercise on a daily basis and eat healthy food. You should try to eat 6 small meals per day instead of 3 big ones to make sure that your metabolism increases. Eat plenty of fiber as this will keep you from feeling hungry. Try to eliminate junk food.

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By Emily J Jayden

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6 Benefits of Consuming Green Tea

I am not a big fan of consuming green tea, but I do take a sip or two every week. The main reason is because I need to keep my body weight balanced. Over the past week I was conducting a research on the benefits of consuming green tea and astonished to find out that apart from maintaining healthy weight, it also fights diabetes, tooth decay and Alzheimer's disease.

It has a rich history of over thousands years and is a popular drink in China. It has been a vital component of making weight loss medicines. From maintaining blood pressure to fighting diabetes, there are a number of advantages of consuming green tea. I have listed all of the possible benefits below:

1. Maintaining body weight - Consuming green tea helps in increasing the metabolism rate of the human body, thereby leading to faster digestion of food. When consumed on regular basis, it helps in maintaining body weight and shedding ugly fat.

2. Fighting diabetes - After consuming a meal, it is normal for the blood sugar to rise, but for a diabetic patient, this could be dangerous. It helps in maintaining sugar level and avoids any sudden sparks in blood sugar.

3. Burning Cholesterol. There are two types of cholesterol, the good and the bad. We need good cholesterol to keep our bodies in healthy state, but also need to control and even shed away bad cholesterol. Green tea helps in eliminating bad cholesterol from our bodies so that we can remain fit, healthy and young.

4. Controlling Alzheimer's disease - Honestly speaking, I was really unaware of this benefit. A clinical study conducted on mice showed that it helped in recovering the damaged brain cells after consuming this tea.

5. Preventing tooth decay - My parents had always been yelling at me to regularly consume milk as it is good for the bones and teeth. Little did I know that green tea is equally beneficial? It helps in fighting the bacteria responsible for tooth decays.

6. Controlling Blood Pressure. Studies have proven that regular consumption of green tea could lead to stability in blood pressure. Many of my friends that I know have been benefitting in controlling their blood pressure this way.

Now that we know about the benefits, let us decide on the frequency of consumption. There is a widespread debate still going on as to how many cups of green tea should be consumed on daily, weekly and monthly basis. Clinical researchers do not have a definitive answer to this question.

Moreover, it contains some chemicals that could be harmful for pregnant mothers. So if you are thinking of becoming pregnant or currently conceiving a baby, stay away from it.

There have been many benefits of consuming green tea and it is important that you consult all of these with your medical assistant.

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By Yasir Saeed

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Does Drinking Water Help Weight Loss?

Can something as simple as drinking water help weight loss?

Before you dismiss this, ask yourself if you drink enough water every day. If you think that just because you work in an office and do not perspire much and hence do not need to drink so much water, you are wrong!

In fact, we corporate workers drink less water than we realize! In fact, we probably drink more coffee than water! We sit in the office all day checking emails and rushing deadlines. Before you know it, your next sip of water only comes at lunchtime. Personally I have gone for almost a day in the office without touching a sip of water. It is only when my throat was so dry and I can't even talk on the phone properly that I was reminded I haven't had anything to drink at all.

In this time and age where quick fix fat loss products flood our pharmaceutical shelves, we office workers are always searching for the next cutting edge fat loss pill for the quickest way to lose weight. But we often overlook the most basic and natural of our fat loss resource. One that is effective, free and completely without side effects. One of them is water.

Here are some little known facts about the impact of water on weight loss and some tips to keep your body properly hydrated throughout the day.

1. Natural appetite suppressant

In case you are wondering if this means you should replace your regular meals with gallons of water, no. When our bodies are dehydrated, it can sometimes misinterpret thirst for hunger. In the stressful office environment that we work in, we will usually reach out for a cup of coffee or grab anything sugary so it can both give us a quick boost in energy and at the same time curb what we believe is hunger. Since what our body is truly looking to be hydrated instead of being fed, this false signal of hunger will soon come back resulting in you indulging in a lot of unnecessary snacking. We all know what the outcome of that is going to be.

When you have a bottle of water at your desk, you have a higher tendency to drink it than if you had to constantly get it from the pantry. So at the start of the work day, keep a one liter bottle of water at your desk and aim to finish everything by lunchtime. After lunch, replenish that bottle and aim to finish it before you finish for the day.

For all you coffee drinkers, don't think for a second that all those coffee you drink is enough to hydrate your body. Caffeine is a diuretic that actually dehydrate you. So coffee drinkers should actually drink more water instead.

2. Improves Fat Metabolism

Our liver is an amazing organ that is responsible for metabolizing fat amongst many other important functions such as cleansing your body of toxins, breaking down alcohol, etc.

Metabolizing fat basically means converting fat to be used as energy.

Drinking water helps weight loss by ensuring your liver is metabolizing fat properly. When your body is dehydrated, your kidney functions are affected. If your kidneys cannot perform properly, the liver steps up to take on its duties and hence becomes overloaded. When that happens the liver won't be able to help you burn fat effectively.

If you exercise and don't drink enough water, this will negate the fat burning benefits of your workouts altogether.

Never wait till you are thirsty to drink water. When your body has to signal thirst to you, that means you are already on the verge of dehydration and your liver is about to work overtime and in the process affecting your fat burning effectiveness.

3. Improve exercise performance

Everyone knows that maintaining proper hydration is crucial before, during and after exercise. If you do not drink sufficient water, your blood thickens and it becomes harder for your body to transport oxygen and nutrients to your muscles to effectively perform your workouts.

If you can't get the most out of your workouts, how are you going to burn fat efficiently?

Furthermore, as your exercise, your body heats up. Without proper hydration, your body clings on to whatever little water it has. This means you will not be able to perspire and cool your body down during exercise resulting in your body overheating and in severe cases, leading to heat stroke.

Before your exercise, aim to drink at least a tall glass of water. Keep a large bottle of water handy and drink it constantly during your exercise to keep yourself hydrated throughout the workout session.

4. Burn extra calories

Drinking water helps weight loss by helping your burn extra calories as well.

Scientists in Germany discovered that drinking at least 500 ml of water in one sitting increased our metabolic rate by 30% in 10 minutes. This increased metabolism will sustain for up to 40 minutes and during this time, 100 extra calories are burned.

Aim to drink at least 2 liters of water when you are in the office to burn up to 400 extra calories a day.

At the beginning, don't worry if you are suddenly visiting the washroom more often due to your increased water intake. This just means that your body is now able to release water that it has been keeping in your body. As you continue to drink more water, your body will recognize that it doesn't have store water anymore and will now allowing for a better regulation of fluid within your body.

We all know that water is life. It's no coincidence that drinking more water is always the advice we get whenever we are not feeling well. So before you reach out for the next "state-of-the-art" fat loss pill for the quickest way to lose weight, give drinking more water a try. And the answer to the commonly asked question, "Can drinking water help weight loss?" will be very pleasingly evident to you.

If you work in an office and can't seem to find time to lose weight, there are more great weight loss tips to show you how to get slim and the quickest way to lose weight. Also, you can get your hands on the free fat loss starter kit that has helped many others lose up to 5 lbs in the first week. Visit corporatefatlossplan.com now!

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By Daniel M.C. Ho

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Best Way to Lose Weight: Start Snacking in the Office!

I have a confession to make. I snack in the office. In fact I have a drawer in the office that's filled with all my midday snacks that you'd think I was preparing for an imminent war.

Truth is, one of the best way to lose weight is to eat every three hours as it helps to stroke your metabolism and prevent your body from storing fat. And snacking between meals is the easiest way to do that. But before you get too excited about your containers of cookies, crackers and candies that you display oh-so-proudly on your desk, understand that only certain snacks that will help you to lose weight.

Because we office workers are always in a rush for time, we need snacks that don't need a lot of time to prepare and hopefully is something that can be consumed immediately at your desk.

Lets take a look at some of my personal favorite fat burning snacks and see whether you have any of these in your office tidbit stash.

1. Baked Almonds:

Almonds or all nuts in general have gotten a bad reputation because they all contain fat. Just like there are good and bad carbohydrates, there are also good and bad fats (artificial trans fats). Fortunately, the fat that you get from almonds are healthy monounsaturated fat that can lower your LDL cholesterol levels and lower your risk of heart diseases.

So does almond prevent weight loss at all? Yes! Whfoods.org reported that in a 28 month study conducted in Spain, participants who ate nuts at least twice a week were 31% less likely to gain weight than those who didn't consume it.

Rich in Vitamin E, Almonds are also full of nutrients. When your body is nourished with nutrient rich food, you stay satiated longer after a meal. So popping a handful of almonds (No more than 20) as a midday snack will keep hunger pangs at bay.

2. Dark Chocolates:

Finally, one of the best ways to lose weight is to eat something that you all enjoy and can eat without feeling sinful. Chocolates - or more accurately, cocoa, is known to have one of the highest concentrations of antioxidants (flavonoids) in any food.

Thanks to the bitter taste and the cocoa butter, dark chocolate helps with weight loss by slowing down digestion and keeping you feeling fuller. In addition, the polyphenol present in cocoa helps absorbs glucose and burns fat.

Furthermore, the mood improving properties of cocoa actually helps reduce stress, which incidentally is one of the major reasons for emotional eating.

But don't mistakenly stock up on milk chocolates! Remember, only dark chocolates of 70% cocoa content and above will have fat loss properties. If you can stomach it, obviously the higher cocoa content the better.

3. Apples:

An apple a day can also keep the fat away. An ideal snack at anytime of the day, apples are low in calories, fat and sodium and its full of vitamins, minerals rich in fiber. If you have a sugar craving, the natural fructose in apples will take care of that as well.

With regards to fat loss, Pectin that's present in apple's fiber is the key ingredient. Pectin is an insoluble fiber that helps digestive health and also keeps your body feeling full a lot longer.

Considering apples have such low calories, eating more of it instead of your usual candy bars will cause a calorie deficit resulting in weight loss!

4. Oat Meal:

Yes Oatmeal. Nobody said oatmeal is restricted to be eaten only at breakfast.

A staple in almost all serious weight trainers, the weight loss benefits of oatmeal is renowned and proven. High in fiber and an excellent source of complex carbohydrates, oatmeal helps to stabilize our blood sugar levels and suppresses hunger pangs. Other health benefits include lowering cholesterol and reducing the risk of heart diseases.

Contrary to popular belief, preparing oatmeal is not that difficult. I personally keep a tin of Quaker Instant Oatmeal (Natural whole grain oats. No Sugar) in my office pantry. All I do is mix about a glass of milk into a serving of oatmeal and sprinkle some trail mix (those without M&Ms) or almonds and I'm done. If you prefer to have it hot, then simply microwave it for about 3-5 minutes and you have a nutritious midday snack to last you till dinner time.

To lose weight doesn't necessarily mean you have to eat less and reduce calories. Not all calories are created equal. The calories you get from apples are definitely more beneficial to your body than a chocolate chip cookie. So go ahead and snack in the office! Replace your current office tidbits or snacks with the above and you will know why this is the best way to lose weight!

If you work in an office and are looking for the best way to lose weight or how to reduce tummy in the shortest amount of time, there's a effective fat loss starter kit at corporatefatlossplan.com that will help you to lose up to 5 lbs in the first week!

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By Daniel M.C. Ho

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Guidelines for Living With Diabetes

Listed below are some diabetes guidelines that you can use to help you manage your diabetes and avoid the possible serious complications that are associated with this disease.

Strategies for Diabetes Management

• When you have diabetes it is essential that you exercise at least three to four times a week for between 20 to 40 minutes each time. Routine exercise has been proven to improve your blood sugars, decrease the risk of heart disease, and help you lose weight. Before starting any exercise program you will want to talk with your physician especially if you are experiencing any neuropathy or vision problems.

• Eating a proper diet is essential. If you are having difficulty regulating your blood sugar levels you may want to visit with a dietitian on a regular basis to ensure that the foods you are eating are beneficial to your body and your glucose levels. You can find dietitians through your physician or hospital and they, along with your diabetes health care team, can assist you in finding a diet that is right for you.

• It is vital that you get plenty of rest. Adhering to a routine schedule and getting enough sleep will help avoid stress and help you keep your blood sugar levels under control.

• It is extremely important that you maintain your feet properly. You need to check your feet daily for any calluses, cracks, or sores. If you notice sores that do not heal in a timely manner, swelling that does not go down after you elevate your feet, redness, ulcers, or pus it is important to visit your physician immediately. Over half of all lower limb amputations are done on people who have diabetes but have neglected proper foot care.

The Importance of Diabetes Medications

• It is important to your health that you take any prescribed medications on time and on the schedule that was prescribed by your physician.

• You also need to understand your medications and recognize the side effects and how they work in conjunction with each other as well as how they work with any dietary supplements you may be taking. Prior to beginning any dietary supplement you need to check with your physician to see how it will interact with any medications you are currently taking as well as how it may affect your glucose levels.

Strategies for Controlling Your Blood Sugar Levels

• As you should be aware, maintaining normal blood sugar levels is essential. You always want to try to keep your blood sugar levels in the range recommended by your health care provider at all times. Use your glucose meter as recommended by your doctor yet when you are ill you will want to use it more often. If your numbers stay elevated over an extended period of time or fall below recommended levels you should call your doctor immediately.

• It is important to keep a log of your blood sugar levels, what you eat during the day, as well as any stress that you may be experiencing which may elevate your glucose levels. When you visit your physician you should take this log with you to determine any trends and take appropriate action.

Diabetes does not have to be a death sentence. If you use your own common sense and follow the strategies listed above you can control this disease and live a long and happy life. In some cases people have even managed to turn their condition around simply through diet and exercise.

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By Julia L Hanf

Julia L Hanf is a proud contributing author and writes articles about type 2 diabetes. A few years ago through a near tragedy with her husband, Julia was able to discover ways to prevent, treat and reverse diabetes. Reversing diabetes requires difficult choices but in the long run will benefit you for the rest of your life.

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