blank

Breathing Happy Author

Take Your Freedom Back and Still Be Fooled

blank

Take our freedom back? Our habit, our cigarette. I just watched this commercial on TV about the new electric cigarette called BLU. Sure, it's tobacco-less and all, but it still is a way of taking nicotine into the body. Nicotine is a terrible poison that will end up killing you.

Did you know that even more nicotine has been found in cigarettes over the last few years? But an electric cigarette is just another way to get pure nicotine (in liquid form) into your body.

You figure, you take anywhere from four to fifteen puffs per cigarette. Each puff delivers one milligram of nicotine to the brain. With twenty cigarettes in a regular pack, that adds up to between 100 and 300 doses of nicotine per day. Who knows how much you smoke with the electric acquivalent.

The dose is taken through the lungs, and within seconds of inhilation, it hits the brain. Thus the behavior of smoking is reinforced with a nicotine dose. The behavior itself is also addictive just through sheer repetition, whether electric or otherwise. So what if there is no tabacco? So you aren't exhaling smoke into another's space, and it is more socially exceptable?

Did you know that nicotine can enter the body through the skin or mucous membranes as well as being inhaled into lungs with a cigarette? This is another reason second hand smoke is so deadly. Electric cigarettes are a miraculous find toward eleviating that.

Nicotine fools the body into thinking there is more glucose in the bloodstream, which gives a smoker the feeling of not being hungry. We all know what going without meals and nourishment can do to us (like making us cranky and tired).

When nicotine hits the brain, it prevents the neurons from transfering information throughout the chain that helps it receive needed information that helps with muscle movement and energy level. Because it makes the brain release more chemicals than it would normally, it makes the person feel more alert and even relaxed. Nicotine even fools the brain into making you feel happy, due to other chemicals being released. This is a good part of the reason for addiction.

So it all comes down to this: Do you want to become even more addicted to nicotine and have a heart attack even sooner? Are you more concerned with the social aspects of smoking? Aleviate that and you're free and clear! How much more fooling is your body going to take, before it's heart breaks down and you have a heart attack? How much longer?

Or do you really want to be healthy and live longer? They say you take about seven minutes off of your life every time you smoke a cigarette. So if you smoke just one pack a day (electric or tabacco) you are losing over two hours of life each day.

 

Smoking in the Elements

blank

I didn't realize just long I'd been away from this lovely community until Breathing Happy sent me an email wondering about my two week absence. It wasn't that I'd forgotten; I've felt my lack of blogging. Life just keeps intervening.

My grandpa is now home from the hospital (thank you for all the kind thoughts, by the way), his healing process is being really slow, so we've all been trying to take care of him the best that we can. That, plus the fact that I'm a full time college student and a part time cashier makes life a little stressful.

However, this doesn't mean that Breathing Happy hasn't been on my mind.

I was actually talking to one of my managers where I work about my plans for the future, which lead to my passion for blogging, and, specifically, this blog.

When I told him that I was blogging here and what Breathing Happy is, he said, "But you don't know anything about smoking! You don't know what it's like to try to stop doing something like that."

And, he's right. I don't understand, but I have empathy for people who are trying to quit, and I can give advice based on research and what people I know who do, or have in the past smoked, tell me.

Here, in Kentucky, it's been super cold all day, and it wasn't until I started working on my laptop and bundled up on the couch that I actually felt truly warm.

While walking in the cold and wind between classes, I thought, "Smokers must be miserable right now…" If you quit smoking, one less thing that you'll have to worry about is having to stand outside in nasty weather to soothe your craving.

Besides that, the very fact that you have to go outside in some situations must get old.

In the city I live in, there was a law passed that made it to where all public places are smoke free. Now, I'm happy that I don't have to worry about secondhand smoke, but I have plenty of customers who are upset when they discover that we don't have a smoking section. This is understandable; I wouldn't want to stand outside because of my addictions.

So, if you quit smoking, you not only loose the annoyance of being forced outside of public places in some situations, you also don't have worry about having to stand in the cold, the snow, the rain, etc. to feed your addiction.

Take care and never give up.

Getting Burnt?

blank

Only a headless turkey would sunbathe without protection. Why then would reasonable people put themselves in harms way and bake in the sun? We all know that over exposure to the sun causes skin cancer and wrinkles.  

On the same note, it only makes sense to not contaminate yourself and those around you with toxic tobacco or marajuana smoke (yes 420 friendly smokers are at risk, too).

Of course, this turkey could swath itself in sunscreen and limit exposure in short incriments of time. This would allow for a protective suntan, which is healthier and more comfortable than a blisterining sunburn. 

What about smoking? The only protection any of us have to avoid it, to not partake in administering the poisons and sufficating smoke into our systems.  Drinking more water or eating more vegetables and fruits, even getting more excercise and fresh air won't make up for or elieviate the detrimental effects of draging on a cigarette or joint.

Buy a pacifier and tug on that for a while instead of the butt of a smoke.  It might look silly, but it would be a lot smarter.

Only turkeys taste better when they are smoked!

 

 

THE MANY DEATH TRAPS OF SMOKING

blank

Kudos to goodblogs.com for creating a blog of this niche. I have longed yearned to write as per this topic. In this series, I will be addressing the many death traps been made available to smokers which they may or may not be aware of. On cigarette wraps all we see is "smokers are liable to die young", from what type of death and how long it will take to kill them, all this are not specified. In this series of mine I will be writing on the many diseases attached to smoking and how it affects the human body system.

In my part of the world (West Africa sub region) people who fall prey to smoking are young ones between the ages of (14-29) years and adults ages (30-60) years. I have seen smoking kill many young people and financially wreck many adults. This points to the fact that smoking does not only kill the body, it also kills bank accounts.

SMOKING is an ATTITUDE of burning a substance (commonly a tobacco cigarette), after which the smoke produced from that substance is tasted and inhaled. The pleasures of smoking last for only a few minutes, but they lead to life threatening issues in the long run. Smoking consistently over a long period of time could be detrimental to a smokers health as his/her body is prone various diseases which may either kill them or leave them with a bad health condition.

Diseases caused from smoking can affect every part of the body from top to bottom. Commonly known diseases caused from smoking are: Lung Cancer, Bronchitis, Asthma, Emphysema, Coronary heart disease, Stroke, Hypertension, Atherosclerosis (buildup of fatty substances in the arteries), Impotence. In subsequent series, I will be talking on each disease and its effect on the human system.

I will also like to highlight possible risks attached to each part of the body as caused by smoking, starting with the head.

HEAD Regular headaches Risk of Alzheimer Stroke Multiple Sclerosis

EYES Macular Degeneration Negative effects on sight

MOUTH Gum Disease Poor Dental health Oral Cancer

NECK AND THROAT Cancer of the Pharynx and Larynx Thyroid Disease

CHEST Lung Cancer Asthma Esophageal Cancer COPD (Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease) Colds

HEART Coronary Artery Disease Atherosclerosis High Blood Pressure Elevated Cholesterol Level

ABDOMEN Heartburn Abnormal Aortic Aneurysms Poor Digestive System Peptic Ulcer Pancreatic Cancer

REPRODUCTION (WOMEN) Early Menopause Infertility

REPRODUCTION (MEN) Impotence Erectile Dysfunction Kidney Cancer Prostate Cancer Infertility

BACK Osteoporosis Fibromyalgia Rheumatoid Arthritis Peripheral Vascular Disease

These are few of many effects of smoking on the human body. They are death traps which manufacturers will never alert the the customers to. In my next writing I will be talking on the possibility of STROKE as a smokers death trap.

 

 

 

I hope you find this piece useful to you. Thanks.

Green Tobacco Will Make You Sick

blank

The more research I do about smoking, the more I find how universally harmful it is, and the more the reasons keep stacking up for why everyone should quit! I have recently discovered that the harvesting of the tobacco (called green tobacco, when it first comes out of the fields) is poisoning the pickers, and in particular children, who are doing this job. Read more

Quitting Naturally

blank

There are some forms of naturopathic care that can help alleviate the task of quitting smoking. Although some people swear by things like Nicorette and the patch, others would prefer to search for alternative treatments that are natural and healthy.

Tobacco Absolute is one that is available and smells just like tobacco, which could be sufficient for those who only require a similar scent to help alleviate the cravings. You only need to put a drop on a paper tissue and bring it up to your nose like you would for a cigarette.

Black peppercorn is another one that is excellent to help reduce cravings by making you more alert and energized. Mix it with other oils if you want, or use it alone, in a diffuser or on a paper tissue left in the corner. This type of oil is also good to help improve blood circulation and you can dilute it in a large quantity of almond oil and rub it on your aches and pains.

As well, you can use the following oils for these symptoms:

Anxiety: bergamot, clary sage, frankincense, sandalwood, lavender, rose, mandarin

Calming: lavender, chamomile

Depression reduction: rose, sandalwood, orange, bergamot, clary sage, lavender, ylang ylang, grapefruit, frankincense, lemon, jasmine, neroli

Insomnia: chamomile, clary sage, bergamot

Stress reducing: clary sage, lemon, lavender, chamomile, bergamot, geranium, frankincense, grapefruit, jasmine, ylang ylang

These are only some of the oils and their properties. You can mix them together for better result and use them either in a diffuser, in a bath, or on a tissue left on a table nearby. To help you sleep, you can put a couple of drops on your pillowcase.

 

Please vote if you like this article!

Different Types of Smoking

blank

Cigarettes get a very bad reputation when it comes to the different forms of smoking. But, they’re not the only ‘guilty party’ involved. They may be the most popular, but other forms are very health damaging, too. Here are some of them. Read more

Why Smoking Harms the Environment

blank

As you may know – especially the The Flaming Vegan writers – I am quite the environmentalist and can link anything undesirable, such as smoking cigarettes, to environmental or social injustice. So, here goes: why are ciggies bad for the environment? Read more

Don’t Let Smoking Stump You (Pun Intended!)

blank

Smoking can be an expensive habit, and  it can end up costing you literally an arm and a leg! (Or a leg, anyhow). You may have heard of the medical condition popularly known as Smoker’s Leg, which is very serious and often horrifying and is one of the many compelling reasons to quit the habit! You can lose your leg because of it. Read more

Smokers Get A Bad Rap!

blank

"Everyone is addicted to somethin'

Most certainly those who say "To nothin!"

It's how we were made

So don't get delayed

Chasin' after wishful thinkin'!"

 

What do I mean?  Smokers get a bad rap!

I am all for quitting smoking and other bad habits, but I have found that smokers have been targetted by our society as "easy to hate."  Sure, the side-effects of smoking are rotten, even deadly, but no worse than most of the vices our society faces.

If you are reading this blog, you or someone you know is on the road to freedom from an enslaving habit.  I applaud you, and I hope I can offer some alternatives as you read a bit further.  But I need to start with an important truth: You are not a bad person.

A bad habit does not make a good person bad.

The truth is, I know many wonderful people who smoke.  Do I like that they smoke?  No. They have good personalities, though, and they are a blessing to other people.  They love their families.  They try to better the world around them.  Unfortunately, their skeleton just will not stay in the closet: smoking is too hard to hide for most people.

Why is a smoking habit worse than over-eating?  Or gambling?  Or destroying your self-esteem by always putting yourself down?  Each of these habits, and so many more, are detrimental to who you are.

You see, we as humans were made to flourish.  We were also made to "crave" what is good, which is exactly what opens the door to addiction.  Anyone who smokes knows that it is not good.  It is marketed as "cool."  It calms your nerves; it becomes a comforting routine . . . but it is not good.  It is painted pretty enough to get you to try it until you are hooked, and then you begin to see the lie for what it is.  You craved what is good, got fooled by something that wasn't, and now you are trapped.  Worse, you feel foolish.

Here is the problem, and the solution: You made a mistake, and you allowed yourself to get addicted to something that was not good. Everyone makes mistakes, but you keep re-living yours because you hate yourself for making that mistake.  Please remember the truth.  The truth is that you were made to seek after what is good.  Just because you made a mistake once, does not mean you have to remain subjected to it.

Now that you are battling the addiction, arm yourself with the truth.  The good is still out there.  You are not a bad person.  Mistakes are not the end of the world.

So what is the alternative to smoking?  Seek and find the good that is worth craving, instead of what seemed good but wasn't.  The good is out there.  Good and evil are real, and good triumphs over evil.

In other words, it is time to pick yourself up, brush off the dust of your mistakes, and learn what is worth craving.  The good is worth craving!

It is great to crave a good family.  It is good to take the money that you would have used on cigarettes and invest it in your children's health or education.  It is good to crave justice.  It is good to take the time you would have used smoking to research how you can fight against human-trafficking.  It is good to crave wisdom.  It is good to take the desire for another "fix" and instead learn helpful knowledge and apply it influencially.  It is good to crave what is good.

Cigarettes are not worth our time, nor is most of what the tobacco industry offers.  However, the farmers and businessmen in the industry are not bad people, and neither are the smokers, or the non-smokers.  Bad people do exist, but the vast majority of folks are good people deceived by lies and trapped by the desires of their flesh.

So I challenge you today: What will you crave?