Posts Tagged ‘Detoxification’

25
Jun

Naturally Quit Smoking – Part 2: Action

   Posted by: Dr. Tonia Mitchell ND    in Quit Smoking

Okay, so you’ve read Naturally Quit Smoking – Part 1:  Preparation and you’ve taken some of the preparation steps and now it is quitting time.  You’re ready.  You know you’re ready.   Your family knows, your friends know, your co-workers know – heck even the mail person knows.  You are even pretty sure your dog suspects something is up.  It’s time to take action!

The first action you have to take is actually a NON-action.  The first action (non-action) is to not smoke.  Easy right?  Ha!  I know you’re probably rolling your eyes.   Below are some tips to help you actually do (not do) this.

Soooo… what to do when the craving hits?

Cravings feel like they last forever but actually fade in two minutes. TWO MINUTES.  One hundred twenty seconds.  Half the length of a standard pop song.  You need to create a plan to make it through those cravings as the non-smoker you are (see how I’m already coaxing you to think of yourself as a non-smoker?).

 To naturally quit smoking try any (or all) of The Doable Ds:

  • Delay: wait 2-5 minutes and the craving will pass. Occupy your mind or your body with another task or activity.
  • Distract: change your surroundings: take a walk, call a friend or support person, change your meal routine, repeat your affirmations, sing a song, do a dance, eat some vegetables (carrot sticks, celery sticks), do a sudoku puzzle, do your dishes, do MY dishes…
  • Deep Breathing: this will help you relax and provide a new focus during cravings.  Breath deeply and slowly into your belly.
  • Drink Water: at least 2 litres a day will keep your mouth busy, fill you up, decrease cravings caused by dryness and help you detoxify.  You may also drink herbal tea.  Oatstraw (Avena Sativa) is a great option to reduce cravings and calm the nervous system.  It should be available as a loose tea at your local health health food store.
  • Day At A Time: do not concern yourself with the next year, next month, next week or even tomorrow.  Once you’ve quit, concentrate on not smoking from the time you wake up until you go to sleep.
  • Develop the attitute that you are doing yourself a favour by not smoking.  Do not dwell on the idea that you are depriving yourself of a cigarette.  You are ridding yourself of smoking because you care enough about yourself and your health to want too.  Affirm your choice: I am becoming healthier.  I am a non-smoker.  I enjoy my smoke-free life.  I make healthy choices in my life.
  • Don’t smoke automatically: Be aware of the actual act of smoking.  Catch yourself before you light up a cigarette out of pure habit.  Make yourself aware of each cigarette by using the opposite hand or putting cigarettes in a unfamiliar location to break the automatic reach.  If you light up many times during the day without even thinking about it, try looking in a mirror each time you put a match to your cigarette and you may decide you don’t need it.
  • Depart: get out of the area that is making you think you want to smoke.
  • Diet: I don’t mean reduce your calories or starve yourself.  I use “diet” to mean all the foods that make up your daily eating routine.  Proper nutrition is paramount to naturally quit smoking. Often cravings happen at times of low blood sugar. People often fill the nicotine void with comfort or disease-promoting foods – and then put on weight.  Instead consider these alternatives.  I mentioned carrot and celery sticks earlier.  I bet you can think of some other healthy snack options for when those cravings hit. I recommend protein with every meal or snack and eating whole foods like VEGETABLES, Vegetables, vegetables, nuts, seeds and beans.  Oh, and vegetables.  It is beneficial to avoid refined foods such as sugar, white flour and candy. Refined grains and sugars disrupt blood sugar levels and can aggravate smoking withdrawal symptoms. Sugar substitutes increase sugar cravings.  Coffee can cause cravings and dehydration – causing further cravings, so it might be useful to avoid that too.   I know right?  With what are you left? A healthy body which will serve you much longer than a cigarette or that donut or that cup of coffee will. I bet (hope) there are things that you love in your life more than these vices.  Leaving them in your healthy dust will allow you to enjoy the things you love a lot longer.
  • Do Exercise: Moving your body is very important to improve mood and reduce cravings – it can even create the same feelings of euphoria that cigarettes can.  Exercise for 30 minutes every day.  Try walking to work, walking after dinner, take a friend to yoga!

What will happen when you quit?

Nicotine is a chemical in tobacco that is highly addictive. It is actually cleared from the body quite quickly. It is important to be aware of the possible side effects of nicotine withdrawal so you can be prepared to deal with these symptoms which might include: headache, difficulty sleeping, nausea, depression, irritability, fatigue, anxiety, poor concentration, constipation, craving for sweets, increased appetite.   Symptoms can occur for about 1 week and then are reduced.

Within 20 minutes after you smoke that last cigarette, your body begins a series of changes that continue for years. Source: US Center for Disease Control

20 Minutes After Quitting: Your heart rate drops. 12 hours: Carbon monoxide level in your blood drops to normal. 2 Weeks to 3 Months: Your heart attack risk drops & your lung function improves. 1 to 9 Months: Coughing and shortness of breath decrease. 1 Year: risk of coronary heart disease is half that of a smoker’s. 5 Years: stroke risk is reduced to that of a non-smoker’s 5-15 years after quitting. 10 Years: lung cancer death rate is about half that of a smoker’s. Your risk of cancers of the mouth, throat, esophagus, bladder, kidney and pancreas decreases. 15 Years: Your risk of coronary heart disease is back to that of a non-smokers. That is pretty powerful stuff.

Naturopathic medicine is a safe, effective and natural approach to you and your family’s health.  Naturopathic doctors can and will empower you to live a healthy lifestyle while treating and preventing disease.  Find more information on the services I offer at Arbour Wellness Centre at Nanaimo Naturopathic Doctor. You can also follow me on my blog.  Happy Healing!!

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27
Jan

Improve Your Skin with a Home Sauna

   Posted by: author1    in Health and Fitness, Skin Care

Relaxing in a sauna after a good workout is a luxury not too many of us have the time for. And most people don’t even know where they could go to use a sauna. If you can’t get out to a sauna, how can you reap its many benefits? Bring the sauna to you!

A home sauna is a great addition to any home. It’s convenient and guaranteed to get lots of use, unlike that treadmill that’s gathering dust. It’s a worthwhile investment and it’s guaranteed to be enjoyed by all the family. It’s a great way to spend some time relaxing, and there are also lots of health benefits associated with a home sauna.

A sauna is a small room that is specially designed to be heated to very high temperatures, in order to induce sweating and offer significant health benefits. There are actually two different types of sauna that you can choose from, which are a steam sauna or a dry sauna.

Great Benefits

If you feel like your skin looks dull or tired then a home sauna could be a great way to restore a healthy glow to your skin. Very often, skin problems are a result of the toxins found in our bodies. When you wash your face using a cleanser, it only affects the top layer of skin.

If you want skin that’s deep down clean, a home sauna could be just the answer you’re looking for. The lymphatic system will be revved up and all those toxins that lead to a variety of skin problems will be eliminated.

Start your home sauna skin cleansing session with a workout. It needn’t be too intense. Just something that will get your heart rate up and produce a light sweat. After a bit of sweating, sit down and relax in your sauna for fifteen minutes or so.

Get in and out of your home sauna at fifteen minute intervals so that you spend at least forty five minutes in total in there. Following each session, you need to cool down by hopping in the shower briefly. Remember to keep hydrated by drinking lots of water before and during your skin cleansing session.

You’ll not only discover that your skin’s appearance is improved, but your overall health is enhanced. You’re likely to discover that you are more relaxed after spending some time in the sauna. It is a great way to ease stress if you’ve had a long day in the office and need a way to unwind and forget about all the annoying things in your day.

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9
Jan

What Are The Benefits Of A Colon Cleanse

   Posted by: author1    in Cancer: Colon Rectal Cancer

Cleansing the colon is one of the most common natural living trends today. But many people are still not sure as to the benefits of a colon cleanse. Colon detoxification, as you can see, is far from an uncontroversial medical practise. It is pretty new to our society, and hasn’t really been completely studied or tested, so the debate rages on. No matter, many found quite a bit of relief from various ailments through body detoxification.

One of the most famous benefits of a colon cleanse is increased energy. Many people believe that stagnant waste in our bodies stops us from absorbing the nutrients that we require. Through body detox, liver detox, and other complementary medical procedures, we can once again enjoy a renewed vitality similar to the feeling of abundant life that children have. There are many that have undergone the procedure, and this is an almost universal observation.

There is a medical theory popular among some alternative health doctors that diseases originate in the colon, and that through cleansing out those toxins, you can stop the diseases at their roots. In that colon cleansing is much less expensive and painful than many of the most popular medical tests, if this claim is true it can be a great way of addressing mysterious or troublesome chronic illnesses such as colon diseases

The benefits of a colon cleanse are enhanced through fasting because the fast stops new toxins from entering the body, while the cleansing at the same time helps to flush out the ones that are there already. It allows the body to focus all of its energy on getting rid of the toxins, which is supposed to be a recharging and empowering process. Some people try it once and feel that it is not for them. Other people, however, seem to absolutely swear by the detox treatment and claim that it has made them healthier than they have been in years.

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