Have a healthy lifestyle, throw the burning stick away

By Victor J. Alfonso Jr.

FNRI-DOST S & T Media Service

Achieving a healthy lifestyle does not only involve eating right and exercising regularly but also entails stopping a bad habit like cigarette smoking  and avoiding excessive drinking of alcoholic beverages.

Cigarette Smoking

Why do we have to stop smoking? Smoking has been associated with different kinds of cancer such as cancer of the mouth, tongue, throat and lungs, as well as chronic bronchitis, emphysema, ischemic heart diseases, hypertension and other diseases. The heavier the smoking, the greater is the risk to these diseases. Even those who do not smoke but are exposed to cigarette smoke can also have the same diseases.

Aside from the diseases that smoking may cause, it also has a direct effect on nutrition. Smoking may also cause malnutrition because of decreased appetite. Moreover, because of the many diseases and infections brought about by smoking, vitamin C requirement increases, causing the body’s resistance to infection to weaken further.

A mother who smokes during pregnancy also causes harm to her fetus. Cigarette smoking tends to limit the growth and development of the baby in the womb, resulting to lower birth weight. This may be due to the reduced food intake of the mother resulting from lack of appetite brought about by smoking as well as to the ill-effects of substances found in cigarettes.

The three most common substances found in cigarettes and cigars that are found harmful to the body are:

1. carbon monoxide which is a gas that destroys the capacity of the blood to supply adequate amounts of oxygen to the vital organs of the body and is responsible for the shortness of breath among smokers and also that of the people around them;

2. nicotine which is the substance that makes one addicted to cigarettes. It raises blood pressure and heart rate; and

3. tar which is the brownish viscous substance found in cigarette/cigar smoke that causes lung cancer, emphysema, and chronic bronchitis.

The best rule is never start smoking because once a person is addicted, giving up smoking will not be easy. Among smokers, quitting smoking can be done only if the smoker is serious about it. To help you quit smoking, here are some tips:

1. Decide to stop smoking and set the date when you will stop smoking;

2. Throw away all cigarettes, cigars, matches, lighters, ash trays and all other things that have something to do with smoking;

3. Watch out for any untoward signs or any other unpleasant feelings when you stop smoking such as nausea, cold-clammy hands, too much perspiration, trembling and restlessness. Should you experience any of these, do not worry because these are usual withdrawal symptoms which may disappear in a week or two;

4. Drink plenty of water;

5. Get involved in different physical activities to divert yourself from craving for cigarettes;

6. Use the money saved from not buying cigarettes to get a special gift for yourself as a reward for avoiding smoking;

7. Avoid going to places where cigarettes can be bought and where people smoke;

8. Avoid lighting even just one cigarette as this will lead to lighting a second stick and another stick, and before you know it, you are back to the smoking habit;

9. Carefully observe your diet to avoid gaining weight because as you keep on with quitting smoking, you might turn your attention to food; and

10. Tell your friends and relatives that you have quit smoking.

A question often asked is: Will a smoker gain weight if he or she quits smoking? Yes, he or she will gain weight because while trying to quit smoking, food may serve as substitute for cigarettes because of the return of the usual appetite for food which may result to weight gain. Thus, there is a need to watch that you do not substitute cigarette with food to avoid weight gain.

This habit should be broken to start having a healthy lifestyle, Stop smoking for a healthier, happier you!

For more information on food and nutrition, contact:  Dr. Mario V. Capanzana, Director, Food and Nutrition Research Institute, Department of Science and Technology, General Santos Avenue, Bicutan, Taguig City; Telephone/ Fax Nos: 837-2934 or 837-3164; Direct Line:839-1839; DOST Trunk Line: 837-2071-82 local 2296 or 2284; e-mail: mvc@fnri.dost.gov.ph or at mar_v_c@yahoo.com; FNRI-DOST website: http://www.fnri.dost.gov.ph. Like our Facebook page at facebook.com/FNRI.DOST or follow our Twitter account at twitter.com/FNRI_DOST.