If you quit smoking for your New Year’s Resolution, good for you, Quitter! This is one of the single greatest things you can do to improve your health. Dropping a nasty nicotine habit can be tough work, and most people end up replacing the oral fixation of smoking with something else oral- chewing and swallowing junk food.

On an average, people tend to gain 5 pounds during their quitting process. The action of lighting up, bringing the cig to and from your mouth and inhaling and exhaling the smoke is one that many people become addicted to just as much as the chemical addiction to harmful nicotine. In addition, when you smoke a cigarette, a chemical reaction occurs in the body and sugars are released into the blood stream. This is why many people consider cigarettes as an appetite suppressant. When cigarettes are removed, a former smoker may fiercely crave sweets.

The oral and chemical addiction can make quitting smoking a tough process, but there are things you can do to keep the cigarettes away and weight gain at bay.

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By Kelsey Murray

If you are a smoker, overweight, or have been diagnosed with high cholesterol, you may end up paying more for health care as many employers are following a new trend: penalizing those employees who have unhealthy lifestyles instead of rewarding those who have healthy lifestyles.

In the past two years, the percent of American employers who impose some sort of financial penalty on their employees has doubled, making it now 19 percent. This number should double again in 2012, according to Towers Watson, a benefits consultant company.

So why are these people being penalized for their lifestyle choices? It is common knowledge that those who smoke or are obese usually have higher health risks, which in turn leads to increased health care costs. As a result, some companies are now requiring these employees to pay more for their health coverage because it makes sense that these people will end up costing the company more in health care coverage.
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The Great American Smokeout always falls on a Thursday, one week before Thanksgiving Day. It is an annual event created to help inspire and challenge the 45.8 millions of Americans who use tobacco to finally kick the habit. The American Cancer Society held the first smoke out in 1977, and since then there have been several changes in rules and regulations concerning smoking in public places. As a result of these changes, the use of tobacco products is viewed less as a norm and more as a serious addiction that can severely damage one’s health.

The American Cancer Society’s Great American Smokeout is a key leader in spurring a cultural revolution in tobacco use. A big part of the day, which takes place on November 17, 2011, is geared toward educating smokers not just about the health risks of smoking but also about the myriad of ways one can stop.

Hypnotism, acupuncture and nicotine patches are clever ways to help you quit smoking, but if you’ve tried these to no avail, taking up a yoga practice may be just what you need to find success. The following are some examples how and why yoga can help you quit smoking, not just on November 17, but for good!

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Sporting my mo for the cause.

For the last eight years, November has been hijacked by the folks from “Movember,” a mustache-themed not-for profit that uses the month to raise awareness for prostate cancer and other men’s health issues.

What started out with humble beginnings in 2003 has blossomed into an amazingly powerful fund raising campaign. According to Movember’s CEO Adam Garone, his organization managed to raise $81 million in 2010, which makes it the largest prostate cancer fund raiser in the world. All by the power of the flavor savor.

Since Movember is all about raising awareness about health issues that affect men, let’s take a look at some of the most concerning and what we can do to prevent or minimize our chances of suffering from them.
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The fact that smoking is dangerous for one’s health is not news. However, the statistic that cigarette smoking is responsible for over a thousand American deaths every day may be an eye opener. A large portion of smokers do not want to end up as another death toll statistic, but quiting isn’t as easy as they wish it were. Less than five percent of smokers struggle to quit without help. Recent studies show that the weight room may be the best place for smokers to finally kick the habit.

A team from the Miriam Hospital in Rhode Island recently published a recent study conducted with smokers. 25 male and female smokers between the ages of 18 and 65 were enrolled. Those enrolled reported smoking at least five cigarettes a day for a least one year. All participants underwent a 15-20 minute counseling session focused on smoking cessation. Participants were also supplied with an eight-week supply of nicotine patches. Once these steps were taken, the participants were separated into two random groups. A resistance training group and a control group.

Those placed in the resistance training group participated in two, 60-minute training sessions per week. This training lasted for 12 weeks. Training involved full-body exercises, gradually increasing intensity every three weeks.

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