Should Quitting Smoking be Your Number One Health Priority?

"What I’m going to say here may shock you, but I do not place quitting smoking as the number one priority if you still have not addressed other lifestyle factors. Yes, your goal is to stop smoking, but first, you need to fix your diet.

"Why?

"Because cigarettes are made up of many drugs, such as nicotine, that speed up your metabolism, causing you to burn calories more quickly. When you stop smoking and these drugs are no longer in your system, your metabolism slows down. This increases your tendency to put on weight. This, in conjunction with many behavioral components, causes people to reward themselves with sweets and desserts because they have accomplished such a great feat as quitting their smoking habit.

"Well, the problem is, sugar is actually more damaging to your body than smoking! And, ironically, sugar is one of the things people reward themselves with when they quit. In fact, many people are successful in quitting because they filled the void with something equally as addictive as cigarettes. But all this does is cause you to gain a large amount of weight as a result of raising your insulin levels, which will likely increase your risk for disease more than continuing to smoke.

"My advice to anyone who wants to quit smoking is to first address your dietary issues. You can do this by eating healthy foods that will nourish your body, instead of contributing to weight gain.

"Restrict your intake of sugar and grains. This change alone will boost your energy and help you feel more calm and collected. And if you have any allergies, this will go a long way to addressing them as well.

"In addition, it’s vital that you exercise, sleep well, and address your emotional challenges. Then, once you're feeling good and healthy, you will be better able to address the issue of quitting your smoking habit. What WILL help you to quit is the support of a balanced diet of high quality unprocessed foods, one rich in nutrients and live foods such as vegetables and fruits, all preferably organic and locally grown."

Dr. Mercola
November 21, 2009
www.mercola.com

Footnote: Hypnosis can be used to address any type of substance abuse including but not limited to Alcohol, Drugs, Tobacco, Caffeine, Sugar, Salt and Grain.