
You're almost there. You want to quit. In fact, 80 percent of your brain is sure you can. But 20 percent insists that you can't. How do you make it over to the other side without falling SPLAT on your face?
Do this. Make a list. Of ten reasons you should quit.
Here's mine.
1. Smoking Made Me Sick
For real. Within a few minutes of inhaling a few cigarettes, my throat would start to tickle and my head would begin hurt. The day after a binge, I'd wake up with a nasty cold that kept me in bed when I had a million things to do.
Smoking shrinks your blood vessels, clogs up your lungs, and wears down your immune system. Your body is less able to fight off bacteria and viruses, so, yes, you get sick. And there's of course the lung cancer and increased chances of heart attack, stroke, and other serious health conditions.
2. My Husband Told Me I Smelled
He didn't issue an ultimatum: "It's either me or the lung rockets."
But he did, one night right after we had sex, say, "You smell like smoke. And it's not sexy." I could have, theoretically, told him to visit a place where there are no lemonade stands. But I knew he was just being honest with me, and that I needed to file that information in the "reasons I should quit" box.
3. I Wanted to Set a Good Example for My Kids
I got tired of hiding it from them. It was getting complicated. I rationalized that smoking in front of 11-month-old Katherine was okay because she would never remember it and she would be unable to tell on me. But three-year-old David could very well process it and file the picture (and definitely debrief the rest of the house on the white candy sticks). It was too much of a risk. One day I finally said to myself, "Self, if it's so important to hide this habit from my kids, shouldn't I quit?" And there was silence.
4. I Looked Stupid Lighting Up After a Run
You can picture it, right? Here I was working so hard on my wellness
program: eating lots of greens, loading up on Omega-3 fatty acids, trying to get adequate sleep, meditating, and of course exercising five times a week. So when I'd light up after a good run, you can imagine the stares. The snapshot was like a Sesame Street episode where you have to pick out one thing that doesn't belong in the picture. That one thing was the white stick.
Continue reading why I quit smoking.
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Are you more susceptible to illness than other people? Do you have difficulty establishing proper boundaries in relationships, and communicating your needs?
You could be a Type C personality, which makes you more susceptible to illnesses, says Michael Jawer in the fascinating book he wrote with Marc Micozzi, M.D, Ph.D., called "
The Spiritual Anatomy of Emotion: How Feelings Link the Brain, the Body, and the Sixth Sense," which you can read about at
www.emotiongateway.com.
Here's what Michael writes about the Type C Personality:
In recent years, a cluster of personality characteristics has come to be identified as the Type C personality, someone who is at heightened risk for a slew of afflictions, from colds to asthma to cancer. In contrast with the Type A person (who angers easily and has difficulty keeping feelings under wraps) and the Type B person (who has a healthier balance of emotional expressiveness), the Type C person is a suppressor, a stoic, a denier of feelings. He or she has a calm, outwardly rational, and unemotional demeanor, but also a tendency to conform to the wishes of others, a lack of assertiveness, and an inclination toward feelings of helplessness or hopelessness.

I dance the Macarena whenever I come across an article that argues against healthy living. I cautioned you against too much positive thinking a few days ago. I laughed while reading
research about dark chocolate firing up the happy brain. And I high fived the doctors who warn folks against too much sunscreen--because it blocks the
vitamin D that all of us need. I hate that stuff and was looking long and hard for an excuse not to look like a clown this summer. Thank you!
I've even performed the opposite of an intervention with one of my friends last week who was foolishly trying to give up alcohol and nicotine at the same time.
"No, no, no," I told her. "You can't do both of these together and expect to keep friends. Now I suggest you go pour yourself a glass of Merlot or light up the lung rocket pronto, and do us all a favor."
Alas, I bring you one more doctor you will like: Dr. Erika Schwartz, Medical Director of Cinergy Health (www.cinergyhealth.com). She's here to tell us not to get too carried away with our healthy habits. Thanks, Erika!
As a society, we are constantly striving to lead healthier, happier lives. But with these efforts, we sometimes run the risk of going too far. As a rule of thumb, any extreme is unhealthy, but rarely are we made aware of the "cons" of healthy habits, instead led to think any good thing is better if done as often as possible. Not so fast...
Here are some examples of healthy habits that can backfire when done in excess:
1. Over-Exercising: Your body and mind do not need more than 3-4 days a week of 30-45 minutes of cardio activity. Cardio/aerobic exercises should be done every other day alternating with Yoga, Pilates, walking, and weight training on the off days. Hiking, swimming, tennis, golf, team sports and a simple variation in exercise over the course of the week, month and season is the best way to stay lean, toned and energized.
2. Staying Out of the Sun: Our bodies need Vitamin D to stay strong by making healthy bones and ward off illness by boosting our immune system. The only way to get Vitamin D into our system is via sun exposure. Don't make yourself overly neurotic about sunscreen. If you are going to the pool or beach or participating in outdoor sports that involve more than 20 minutes of sun exposure, slather on the SPF 30, but if you are simply doing your daily errands outdoors, enjoy the feeling the sun on your skin. The only part of your body that should always be protected is the face.
This was sent to me awhile back in one of those emails that circulates the planet. I thought it might give you a much-needed laugh.
For the health conscious ....
I Love This Doctor
Q: Doctor, I've heard that cardiovascular exercise can prolong life; is this true?
A: Your heart is only good for so many beats, and that's it... don't waste them on exercise. Everything wears out eventually. Speeding up your heart will not make you live longer; that's like saying you can extend the life of your car by driving it faster. Want to live longer? Take a nap.
Q: Should I cut down on meat and eat more fruits and vegetables?
A: You must grasp logistical efficiencies. What does a cow eat? Hay and corn. And what are these? Vegetables. So a steak is nothing more than an efficient mechanism of delivering vegetables to your system. Need grain? Eat chicken. Beef is also a good source of field grass (green leafy vegetable). And a pork chop can give you 100% of your recommended daily allowance of vegetable products.
Q: Should I reduce my alcohol intake?
A: No, not at all. Wine is made from fruit. Brandy is distilled wine, that means they take the water out of the fruity bit so you get even more of the goodness that way. Beer is also made out of grain. Bottoms up!
Q: How can I calculate my body/fat ratio?
A: Well, if you have a body and you have fat, your ratio is one to one. If you have two bodies, your ratio is two to one, etc.
Q: What are some of the advantages of participating in a regular exercise program?
A: Can't think of a single one, sorry. My philosophy is: No Pain...Good!
Q: Aren't fried foods bad for you?
A: YOU'RE NOT LISTENING!!! .... Foods are fried these days in vegetable oil.
In fact, they're permeated in it. How could getting more vegetables be bad for you?

Inspired from all the comments she received from my interview with her on chronic illness, Dr. Elvira Aletta compiled some suggestions for finding a good-enough doctor. In her Psych Central post called "Tips to Find a Good-Enough Doctor," she throws out three basic qualities she looks for in a doctor:
- Expertise, knowledge, intellectual curiosity and all the right credentials.
- Warm, receptive, a good listener and communicator. The bedside manner thing.
- A well-run office, with smart, efficient support & medical staff.
Then she follows up with a few more points to keep in mind while shopping for a doctor:
- If you are in doubt, interview several doctors as if they were applying for a job and you are the employer. If you don't feel comfortable with your doctor or what s/he is telling you, get a second opinion. Don't even worry about hurting anyone's feelings. They are professionals and can handle it. If they can't and give you a hard time, run, do not walk, to the nearest exit.
- Only the actual physical examination needs to be done in the examining room with you in a hospital gown. Any good-enough doctor would allow you to change into street clothes and sit comfortably in a chair for the important post-exam conversation.
- If you want the best, search for your doctor among the medical faculty of a teaching hospital. Medical centers tied to a medical school, teaching hospitals are where the medical students and residents do their training. The faculty who teach and supervise there know the latest diagnostic procedures, tests and treatments because they have to teach it. Putting up with the gaggle of med students (who make Doogie Howser look like a geezer) is worth it as long as your doctor hears you.
- A good-enough doctor will admit when he/she doesn't have the answer but will work with you to figure out a plan, maybe even try something experimental if you're willing.
- Trust your gut. Filter out what others say, focus on what your physician is saying and make your own judgment. Don't micromanage your doctor, but don't just be a Yes person either.
- A good listening doctor can show compassion without getting all touchy-feely. If you need someone to pet you and say "Poor baby," (and we all do) go to your mother, a friend or your spouse. Don't expect it from your doctor.
- Remember that doctors, just like the rest of us, are not perfect. If you found one who is good-enough, celebrate and get to work.
To read more Beyond Blue, go to http://blog.beliefnet.com/beyondblue, and to get to Group Beyond Blue, a support group at Beliefnet Community, click here.
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