In grade four, my teacher told me if I smoked one cigarette, I’d be addicted for life and could never quit smoking.
The thought of being addicted to anything for life terrified me, so…I never became a smoker.
For years, I watched my friends, my family, and my patients battle their nicotine addictions and I wanted so badly for them to quit.
They all knew what it was doing to their lungs, their skin, and their health. But breaking the habit seemed impossible.
The truth is I never fully understood their challenges. In their eyes, I was a ‘non-smoking naturopath’ that ‘just didn’t get it.’
And they were right.
I didn’t.
I didn’t think about lighting up a cigarette when I got into the car every morning. I didn’t have the urge to smoke after dinner. I didn’t depend on nicotine during stressful times.
Today, as you read this, you may also be thinking, “What does she know? She’s not a smoker!”
Sure, this may be true, but over the last decade, hundreds of people (just like you) have visited me at the clinic looking for natural ways to ditch their bad habit.
Today, I have a fabulous treat for you!
I’m sharing my 4 Step Smoking Cessation protocol that has been proven successful many times.
In the last ten years, hundreds of my patients have called to say thank you, or have sent me Christmas cards with a ‘p.s. I quit!’
I can’t count how many times I’ve had to pinch myself feeling pure joy that this system really works.
Let’s dive right in …
#1 – WRITE DOWN WHY YOU WANT TO QUIT ON A CARD.
This may seem pointless, but when you’re craving a ciggy, this little card is definitely handy. It reminds you of all the reasons why you’ve nuked smoking in the first place.
When you’re out with friends for a night on the town and so badly want a cigarette, pull out your card and read it.
Wait 60 seconds, read it again.
Wait another 60 seconds.
Then ask yourself, “How badly do you want to go back to smoking?”
It’s not just one cigarette that you’ll be puffing on with your friends. Having just ‘ONE’ smoke may mean becoming a smoker all over again.
#2 – TELL YOURSELF “THIS IS GOING TO BE EASY!”
You’ve already taken the first step by deciding to quit. You’ve got your ‘WHY’ card handy in your wallet but now all you can think about is ‘how crazy difficult quitting is.’
Every moment of every day, we send our brain messages.
Some we consciously send, but the majority have been programmed and wired into our brains since childhood.
If you watched your parents attempt to quit many times, you’ve likely registered negative messages which have convinced you that quitting is almost impossible.
Now I don’t believe in false advertising, so I never tell my patients that the process is going to be easy.
That being said, the mind is powerful.
The American philosopher Wayne Dyer said it right…
“If you change the way you look at things, the things you look at change.”
In order to successfully quit, you’ve got to send motivating messages to your brain. The positive messages will eventually crowd out the old tainted ones.
Rather than focusing on endless challenges that you may face and how ‘hard’ quitting will probably be, send encouraging and supportive messages to your brain as many times as you can throughout the day.
Time to let the re-wiring begin!
#3 – KEEP A DAILY JOURNAL OF TRIGGERS, FEELINGS AND ACCOMPLISHMENTS…
Journaling is an absolute must on a smoking cessation program. Pop into your local book shop and pick up a journal.
Each day, write in it. You can answer questions like:
- What are my triggers?
- How do I feel today?
- What am I most proud of today?
By knowing your triggers, you can avoid them ahead of time, or set up a plan to always be prepared.
In addition, by tuning in with yourself daily, you stay connected to your goals.
Rather than rely on outside sources to be our cheerleaders, if we pause, we can often find the cheerleader inside of us.
My advice?
Stay connected to yourself as much as possible.
Check in with your feelings daily and always write them down!
Stay connected to yourself as much as possible. Check in with your feelings daily and always write them down!
Lastly, celebrate your accomplishments.
If you normally smoke 10 cigarettes a day and you’re down to zero, celebrate. Heck, if you normally smoke 10 and are down to 5, that deserves a celebration too.
A daily journal will help you get through each day and will remind you to focus on the present time.
In other words, focus on the next 12 hours, not the next 8760 hours.
#4 – USE HERBS, VITAMINS, AMINO ACIDS, AND ANTIOXIDANTS.
I can’t stress this enough. With the right Smoking Cessation formulas, you could be dancing your way to a smoke-free you!
Whether you’re ready to quit today or just need additional support in getting there, a 30-day herbal program may help.
The ingredients are combined in a unique way to expel mucus, repair the respiratory system, reduce cravings and best of all, curb the effects that nicotine addiction has on the brain.
Naturopathic Doctors support the use of the right herbs in the right dosage to help boost mood, reduce cigarette cravings and assist with relaxing the nervous system.
We use powerful ingredients like GABA, L-Tyrosine and Green Tea Extract, which often help make quitting that much easier.
There you have it. I hope this information inspires you to break the bad habit of smoking.
Finally, here are some additional facts to help you get started.
- By stopping today, you’ll instantly decrease your risk of developing cancer, lung and heart disease.
- Within 72 hours, your entire body will test 100% nicotine-free and over 90% of all nicotine metabolites (the chemicals it breaks down into) will now have passed via urine.
- Within 21 days, you may notice a stronger immune system, elevated energy levels, and a calm, relaxed body.
There’s no perfect day to quit and there’s no ideal way to do it.
In the last ten years, I learned that support is absolutely necessary – whether it’s from a friend, an online community, or an app on your smartphone.
Temptation is part of the process. So if you’ve been down this road before, don’t feel discouraged.
You’re making one of the best decisions of your life…and soon you’ll see, feel, and measure major improvements in your health.
Imagine what life would be like if you could go up a flight of stairs without having to catch your breath.
What would a phlegm-free morning feel like?
How wonderful would it feel if your lungs could fully expand?
This is your chance to break the habit once and for all.
Happy Quitting!
Dr. Sara has appeared on multiple radio shows/podcasts, the W Network, Breakfast Television and CP24. For almost 5 years, she worked as the National Spokesperson for a well-known digestive wellness brand, educating across the globe on gut health. Dr. Sara has been named a rising star in Canada receiving the Generation Next award for her outstanding contribution to shaping the future of Canada’s grocery industry. She frequently contributes to large publications and has been published in Best Health Magazine, The Globe and Mail, Sweat Equity, Grocery Business, Inside Fitness, Canadian Living, Elevate, HELLO, and ELLE Canada.
Dr. Sara’s approach to healthcare is not as easy as taking a pill. The “quick-fix” approach is not one she subscribes to. While there’s a pill for just about everything, rarely do prescription drugs stop the course of disease - they merely mask symptoms. Dr. Sara believes true health requires a commitment from both the doctor and the patient.
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