Quitting smoking is not easy, yet there are a number of tips and strategies that are helpful in breaking the addiction. that Smoking kills almost 500,000 Americans each year and bla, bla, bla, bla…we all know the facts and the statistics so I won’t bore you with them again! What you probably didn’t know is that less than 3% of smokers who try to quit fail and most who succeed tried several times. So, what are some crucial keys to success besides the common prescribed patches and therapies out there (that obviously have a huge track record of FAILURE)? Here’s my personal strategies that have helped many of my patients:

1. Don’t even bother trying to stop smoking if you are TRULY not sincere. If you want to stop because your spouse or significant other is nagging you, don’t waste your time or money. ONLY if you have SINCERE PERSONAL Reasons for quitting and need help, the suggestions below will be successful! My success rate with my patients is well over 90%, mainly because I do NOT treat people who do not have those sincere personal reasons…I just tell them I can’t help them, which is true!

2. First, develop a plan. You must set a firm date for quitting and make a strategic daily plan, including a gradual decrease in the number of cigarettes you smoke. For example, if you smoke 20 cigarettes per day set-up a plan like this:

Day 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
# of cigarettes 18 16 18 14 16 12 14
Day 8 9 10 11 12 13 14
# of cigarettes 12 10 12 8 10 6 8
Day 15 16 17 18 19 20 21
# of cigarettes 6 4 6 2 4 0 2

3. Also set a plan of action for the cravings that will hit you. This plan of action could be a substitute activity, for example: walking the dog, checking your email, taking a relaxing bath, drinking a bottle of water, chewing some gum etc. every time a craving hits you.

4. Motivate yourself by constantly reminding yourself WHY you want to stop smoking. Maybe it’s because your health is suffering and you want to avoid doctors and hospitals, maybe you want to be alive when your grandkids grow up etc. Also think about the amount of money you will save and what else you could do with this money. Over a 10-year period, a two-pack-a-day habit costs approximately $52,000. If you have a difficult time motivating yourself, join a support group. These groups only meet once a week for about 20 minutes and they may really help. To locate a support group in your local area, contact the local hospital, the American Lung Association (800-586-4872 / www.lungusa.org ), or the American Cancer Society (800-227-2345 / www.cancer.org).

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5. Involve your friends and family. Most smokers try to stop secretly because they don’t want to be embarrassed in case they fail. You should do the exact opposite! Involve your friends, family, and even your doctor and inform them on exactly what your plan is. Ask them to check-up on you regularly to see how you are doing and apologize in advance for how irritably you may be at times as you go through nicotine withdrawals.

6. Do NOT switch to ‘light’ cigarettes, studies show is does not help because people who switch to low-tar, low-nicotine brands unwittingly compensate by inhaling smoke more deeply or frequently.
7. Do NOT ask your doctor for antidepressant therapy or drugs; you could become addicted to these ‘drugs of death’. For more information on psychotropic drugs, visit www.cchr.org

8. Get HELP. I strongly suggest a good, licensed acupuncturist who is knowledgeable about the protocols for smoking cessation(ask him or her about their success rate with previous clients) and who is skilled and legally able to inject methylcobalamin (a form of vitamin B12) into acupuncture point LI20 (3 injections, once per week, of 1cc bilateral) which will make your cigarettes taste bad. This recommendation of mine lacks scientific evidence but I have used it with great success for many years! Other complementary therapies that may assist you include acupressure and hypnosis.

If you need help or have any questions or concerns, please feel free to contact me anytime!

Yours in Optimal Health,

Dr. Mike.

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The American Cancer Institute’s quest was to find out whether the advice given by popular diets and weight loss programs – about nutrition and weight loss – is based on scientific science. The Institute also wanted to evaluate the potential effectiveness and possible health risks associated with these diets. The Institute evaluated 4 books:

1. Dr. Atkins New Diet Revolution by Dr. Robert Atkins.
2. The New Beverly Hills Diet by Judy mazel 7 Michael Wyatt.
3. Protein Power by Michael Eades, MD.
4. Get Skinny On Fabulous Food by Suzanne Somers

The American Cancer Institute concluded that ALL 4 plans are essentially low calorie diets, even though they were NOT advertised as such. Each one encourages the dieter to each as much as he/she wants of a particular food while still prescribing a daily caloric intake well below average requirements. All the diets also recommended omitting certain foods or even entire food groups resulting in major nutrient deficiencies. Dr. Atkins recommends supplementing his diet and conveniently offers his own line of products.

The diets lack a balance of protein, carbohydrates and fat; and prescribe a daily intake high in protein and low in fat and carbohydrates. This is a far cry from the recommendations by AICR, AHA, ADA, USDA and the Surgeon General.

Unbalanced diets also can lead to ketosis. Maintaining these diets causes a fasting state of the body, and the body starts metabolizing muscle tissue, NOT FAT! Symptoms include muscle breakdown, nausea, dehydration, headaches, light-headedness, irritability, bad breath and kidney problems. Long-term adherence to these diets can be fatal to the fetus of pregnant women and individuals with diabetes.

All 4 diets promote loss of water weight. The diuretic effect of high protein, high fat, low carbohydrate diets give a false sense of accomplishment. The water weight also returns quickly.

The American Cancer Institute also pointed out some significant other health risks while on these diets:

1. Long-term restriction of carbohydrates leads to lack of fiber causing constipation and GI-problems.
2. High amounts of cholesterol and saturated fat increase the risk of heart disease and some cancers.
3. High risk of osteoporosis because the excess protein leaches calcium from the bones.
4. Increased risk of Gout because of the increased intake of foods rich in purines (meat, poultry, nuts, seeds, eggs, seafood) cause an increase in uric acid levels in the body.
5. Uric acid and calcium oxalate stones formed by high protein diets can cause kidney stones.
6. High protein diets cause a significant loss of fluids and electrolytes, which may cause a rapid drop in blood pressure and fainting.
7. Bad breath can also occur as a result of an incomplete breakdown of fatty acids, also called “keto-breath”.

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Conclusions by the American Cancer Institute:

The Atkins diet follows NO logic. Other cultures follow high-carbohydrate, low-fat diets. The diet is also UN-safe and most of the weight loss is due to its diuretic effect. The diet also has POOR real-world results in keeping the weight off!

Food-combining is a baseless idea. Food combining is eating specific foods in a specific order and at specific times. This “magical thinking” has no nutritional basis!

Popular notions are based on studying the chemistry of foods, and wrongly assume that sugary foods (candy, ice cream) that are composed of simple carbohydrates are absorbed immediately while starchier foods (bread, potatoes) provide long-term energy. We already established earlier that the exact opposite holds true.

All the above are some important subtleties and contradictions ignored by authors of popular diets.

Yours in Optimal Health,

Dr. Mike

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