Smoking is very dangerous to your health. Most smokers feel that
there is nothing that they haven’t tried in order to quit. However,
they may not be aware of the many natural means available which others
have used to finally end this very destructive habit. It is possible to
quit smoking, if you devise a plan, cleanse and support the body and
use natural methods to curb nicotine cravings.
Most,
if not all, people in the United States believe that smoking is
unhealthy. Why then do people smoke? The answer lies in the addictive
nature of nicotine. Over 80 percent of smokers declare that they want to
quit and plan to do so at some point. Even heroin addicts admit that
nicotine is truly the hardest drug habit to kick. (Haas, p.964)
Almost
one-third of cases of pancreatic carcinoma can be attributed to
cigarette smoking. Most lung cancers are caused by cigarette smoking.
(Smokers are five to ten times more likely to suffer from lung cancer
than nonsmokers). The more cigarettes you smoke per day and the earlier
you started smoking, the greater the risk of lung cancer.
Children of smokers have an increased risk of sudden infant death syndrome, respiratory infections and lung cancer.
"Children
of smokers have a much higher incidence and severity of asthma,
bronchitis, colds and ear infections. They also have impaired lung
development and reduced lung function tests." American Journal of Public
Health, p. 209, Feb. 1989)
If you eat a balanced diet, drink a
lot of clean water and take a vitamin supplement daily, you may feel
that you are generally healthy. However, if you smoke, this is typically
not the case. Heavy smokers do not get as much of a benefit from a
healthy diet. Blood levels of Vitamin C are much lower in smokers.
Zinc, Vitamin A and folic acid are often depleted in the bodies of
smokers.
Now that we have covered just a few of the negative
effects of smoking on the body, let’s figure out how to quit - and
without drugs! It may come as a surprise to you that there is a way to
be free of this horrible addiction without using prescription medication
for help.
Let’s now cover some ideas on how to actually go about quitting.
Have
you tried to quit before and failed? Did you quit for awhile and then
start again? You may feel that because you tried and failed, that it
proves that you can’t quit. However, this is not the case. In reality,
you get points each time you attempt to quit. You inevitably learned
something each time you tried, which gets you that much closer to being
successful in quitting. Most quitters did not do it on their first try.
So just think of it as your "practice" run! (3)
A main part of
your quit smoking plan, is to figure out which interventions you will
use when you are hit with a craving to smoke. Try to avoid being around
other smokers. Learn some deep breathing exercises that you can use to
de-stress. Exercise is also a great way to limit stress and keep you
busy.
Something to consider once you have decided to quit smoking,
is how to get the toxins out of your body. One theory is that many
dependencies originate in the liver. Cleansing and detoxifying the liver
is a crucial first step toward breaking free of these addictions.
Detoxifying the liver will reduce the cravings for nicotine. (ESP, p.
279)
You can use echinacea to help flush the nicotine out of the
lymph system and lungs. Vitamin C is a great chelator of toxic
substances in the body. (Which means it will "grab" the offenders and
flush them out through the waste system). A usual dose of C is 1000 mg
four times per day. N-Acetyl-cysteine 1000 mg, two doses of glutamine
1000 mg, four capsules of Evening Primrose Oils and 20 Sun Wellness
Chlorella tabs are a good regimine for removing nicotine toxicity from
the body. (Page p. 548)
It is important during your detox and
quitting time that you "avoid junk foods and sugar that aggravate
cravings" (Page p.548) Ginseng can help you to normalize sugar
cravings, as can stevia, stevioside or FOS. Trace mineral and mineral
deficiencies can play a part in some addictions. Magnesium, potassium,
calcium and zinc should all be included in the diet when trying to quit
smoking. (ESP, p.279)
The main concern when quitting tobacco are
the cravings! There are many choices when it comes to this issue.
Essential oils, vitamins and herbal teas are all on the list of items in
the "cravings" category.
Eating a diet which promotes body
alkalinity is said to show less desire for tobacco. To calm your nerves,
try Magnesium 800 mg daily, stress B-complex 100 mg daily,
valerian/wild lettuce drops in water. (Page, p.548) Young Living
Essential Oils offers a blend called "Peace and Calming" which, some
people have reported, was all they needed during their quitting time.
Oil
of clove is also reported by many people to be extremely effective in
their war with nicotine cravings. In Stanley Burrough’s “Master
Cleanser” book, he states "For those who wish to quit smoking, place a
small amount (of clove oil) on your finger - place it on back of the
tongue and you immediately lose your desire to smoke. This is an easy
way if you really want to quit." Peppermint oil has also been reported
to be effective. Just a touch of it on the tongue, in the same manner as
you apply the clove oil will do it.
Single oils which may be
helpful in smoking cessation in addition to clove and peppermint, are
cinnamon and nutmeg. Other blends of oils recommended for reducing
addictive behavior are Harmony, Thieves, Exodus II, Peace and Calming,
JuvaCleanse and JuvaFlex. These can be directly inhaled or diffused,
applied topically on the temples and/or back of the neck four times
daily, or used as a warm compress over the liver.
Quitting smoking
is not an easy task to undertake. However, if you give your body the
right tools, you can repair the damage done by smoking, you can reduce
your cravings and YOU CAN QUIT! Try some of these simple, natural and
effective helpers. Nature is the best medicine, so believe in yourself
and watch it happen!!
Renee Suchy 
