Boy, did I love smoking. When it came to menthol lights and I, we were an inseparable pair. Those addicting little sticks would greet me every morning while I slowly sipped my coffee and they would help me pass the time while driving in my car. After eating a big meal, there wasn’t anything better than lighting up a smoke to help me feel less full. Yes, cigarettes and I were quite the couple for over 10 years. Breaking up was one of the hardest things I’ve ever had to do.
I’d tried to quit smoking many times. One weekend, I thought that going cold-turkey was the key to living smoke-free. Three days later, I was a raging maniac rushing to the nearest 7-11 to buy a pack of smokes. A couple years later, I decided to try out the patch. That didn’t work at all! In fact, those made me feel sick about an hour after I stuck them on. I read books, listened to CDs, meditated, and tried just about everything I could to break the habit. Nothing seemed to work and I felt downright awful.
My sinuses always ached and I had trouble breathing through my nose. My teeth were turning an ugly shade of muddy-yellow. There was a constant ringing always happening in my left ear. My clothes and hair smelled like a smoky bar. I couldn’t go more than 1 hour without lighting up a smoke. I knew that this was no way to live. Here’s what got me; if I hated smoking so much and wanted to stop, why couldn’t I? Why couldn’t I just quit?
It finally hit me. Whenever I tried to quit smoking, I was quitting for everybody but me. Quitting smoking was a way for me to please other people. I would quit because my boyfriend didn’t like it or so my mother would stop worrying about my health. I’d try to stop so my friends didn’t think less of me or so my coworkers would congratulate me on “taking charge of my health.” I never quit because I truly wanted to.
When I made the decision to start living authentically as my true self, that’s when great things began to happen in my life. I stopped living in fear and regret. I accepted myself for who I really was. I decided that my authentic self was not a smoker. One day, I stepped outside to light up a smoke. After taking the first puff, I looked at the cigarette and thought “I don’t want to do this. This isn’t me. I’m not a smoker.” I threw the cigarette into the ash-can, threw the can away, and haven’t smoked since. I made the decision that my authentic self was a happy, health, and smoke-free woman.
Easier said than done, right?
Absolutely! There was much more to it than that. Believe it or not, nutrition had a huge part of helping me stay smoke-free. It really helped to control the cravings and level out my emotions. The first thing I did was stop drinking coffee because it was too much of a trigger. I switched my morning drink to a fabulous type of tea called Rooibos. It’s caffeine-free, smooth, and rich in flavor. It reminded me of drinking coffee except I thought this tea tasted much better! It’s also high in antioxidants which helped me with the detoxification process.
Refined carbohydrates and sugar were other triggers that I had to eliminate. Instead of reaching for a box of crackers, I began eating foods straight from the earth. Carrots and bananas became my new best friends. I also started to eat a lot of beets (with their greens), Brussels sprouts, and sweet potatoes. I discovered a delicious seed (that looks and taste like a grain) called Quinoa. I served quinoa as a side-dish with just about every meal because it made me fill-up in a comfortable way. I purchased a big BPA-free water bottle and carried it with me everywhere! Drinking water helped me feel clean inside while flushing all those toxins out of my body.
After I made it about a week without smoking, I started to feel like my authentic self again. My sinuses cleared up and I could taste my food better. My head felt clearer and my mood improved dramatically. I had tons of energy and woke up in the morning feeling refreshed. Cooking and preparing nutrient-dense food really helped to occupy time and distract me from my cravings. Discovering new foods and ways to prepare them was an adventure! I felt amazing, was losing weight, and was eating better than I ever had in my entire life. Smoking just didn’t sound attractive to me anymore!
I believe that the key to a happy and healthy life is by living authentically as your true self. The foundation of this is good nutrition. Quitting smoking requires a lifestyle and diet change for permanent success against smoking. I tried many years to kick the habit and failed when I didn’t make these changes. By making the decision to live authentically, my life and health dramatically improved.
I know that many of our readers currently are struggling with quitting smoking. I want you to know that I’ve been there and I know how difficult quitting can be. To help you stop, I offer you my experience and the support of both myself and the Authentic Self Wellness community. Our FaceBook page has a support group specifically for quitting smoking and it can be found here: http://www.facebook.com/topic.php?uid=270395594142&topic=12362.
If you are a control-freak like me, you may find it helpful to know what happens to your body when you stop smoking. Celebrate each of these victories as they happen! Your authentic self deserves it.
20 MINUTES AFTER YOUR LAST SMOKE
-Blood pressure drops to normal
-Pulse rate drops to normal
-Temperature of hands and feet normalizes
8 HOURS AFTER YOUR LAST SMOKE
-Carbon monoxide level drops to normal
-Oxygen level increases to normal
48 HOURS AFTER YOUR LAST SMOKE
-Nerve endings start regrowing
-Ability to smell and taste enhanced
2 WEEKS TO 3 MONTHS AFTER YOUR LAST SMOKE
-Circulation improves
-Walking becomes easier
-Lung function increases up to 30 percent
1 TO 9 MONTHS AFTER YOUR LAST SMOKE
-Coughing, sinus congestion, fatigue, and shortness of breath decrease
-Cilia regrow in lungs, allowing lungs to handle mucous, keep clean, and reduce infection
-Body’s overall energy rises
1 YEAR AFTER YOUR LAST SMOKE
-Coronary disease risk is half that of a smoker
5 YEARS AFTER YOUR LAST SMOKE
-Lung cancer death rate for average former pack-a-day smoker decreases by half
-Stroke risk is reduced to that of a nonsmoker 5 to 15 years after quitting
-Risk of cancer of the mouth, throat, and esophagus is half that of a smoker’s
10 YEARS AFTER YOUR LAST SMOKE
-Lung cancer death rate similar to a nonsmoker
-Precancerous cells are replaced
-Risk of cancer of the mouth, throat, esophagus, bladder, kidney, cervix, and pancreas decreases
