theasashanation:

Check Out This AWESOME Body-Repairing Guide to Inspire You to #QuitSmoking !

#smokingkills #healthyhottie

So I know, there’s always an excuse right? That’s certainly how I felt and lingeringly still feel. Life is tough, it calms me down, it’s a social way to meet people, I’m too old, busy, healthy, to worry about it now. The truth is we can come up with 1,000’s of perfectly justifiable reasons why we won’t give it up. Mine always was that there is plenty of time to quit. It has been my New Year’s resolution to quit smoking on February 1st but I’m getting a jumpstart 2 days early. You see today I read the stories of three people who all passed away from smoking related illnesses before the age of 35. That might sound old to teenagers, let me assure you guys, it’s not. At 28 I realize how young 35 is. It really just never dawned on me that young people get sick from smoking. So here’s the thing. Everyone goes on and on about the doom and gloom of death and disease from smoking so I’m going to take a reverse approach. Here is a list of health benefits I found online which is making me feel really good about starting quitting today. This is presented in real time, so instead of a generalization of saying “you’ll be healthier in 5 years” this actually breaks it down into hours, days, weeks, months, and so on. I found it very encouraging to know my body is working very hard after only 24 hours to begin the repairing process even if I can’t feel it and I hope you will too. There are a lot of things that could hurt us in this world, seems kinda crazy now to fight them all off everyday and then come home and do worse to ourselves.

  Within …

• 20 minutes

Your blood pressure, pulse rate, and the temperature of your hands and feet will all return to normal.

• 8 hours

Remaining nicotine in your bloodstream will have fallen to 6.25% of normal peak daily levels, a 93.25% reduction.

• 12 hours

Your blood oxygen level will have increased to normal and carbon monoxide levels will have dropped to normal.

• 24 hours

Anxieties peak in intensity and within two weeks should return to near pre-cessation levels.

• 48 hours

Damaged nerve endings have started to regrow and your sense of smell and taste are beginning to return to normal. Cessation anger and irritability peaks.

• 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 from your body via your urine.  Symptoms of chemical withdrawal have peaked in intensity, including restlessness. The number of cue induced crave episodes experienced during any quitting day will peak for the “average” ex-user. Lung bronchial tubes leading to air sacs (alveoli) are beginning to relax in recovering smokers. Breathing is becoming easier and the lungs functional abilities are starting to increase.

• 5 - 8 days

The “average” ex-smoker will encounter an “average” of three cue induced crave episodes per day. Although we may not be “average” and although serious cessation time distortion can make minutes feel like hours, it is unlikely that any single episode will last longer than 3 minutes. Keep a clock handy and time them.

• 10 days

10 days - The “average ex-user is down to encountering less than two crave episodes per day, each less than 3 minutes.

• 10 days to 2 weeks

Recovery has likely progressed to the point where your addiction is no longer doing the talking. Blood circulation in our gums and teeth are now similar to that of a non-user.

• 2 to 4 weeks

Cessation related anger, anxiety, difficulty concentrating, impatience, insomnia, restlessness and depression have ended. If still experiencing any of these symptoms get seen and evaluated by your physician.

• 21 days

Brain acetylcholine receptor counts up-regulated in response to nicotine’s presence have now down-regulated and receptor binding has returned to levels seen in the brains of non-smokers.

• 2 weeks to 3 months

Your heart attack risk has started to drop. Your lung function is beginning to improve.

• 3 weeks to 3 months

Your circulation has substantially improved. Walking has become easier. Your chronic cough, if any, has likely disappeared.

• 1 to 9 months

Any smoking related sinus congestion, fatigue or shortness of breath have decreased. Cilia have regrown in your lungs thereby increasing their ability to handle mucus, keep your lungs clean, and reduce infections. Your body’s overall energy has increased.

• 1 year

Your excess risk of coronary heart disease, heart attack and stroke has dropped to less than half that of a smoker.

• 5 to 15 years

Your risk of stroke has declined to that of a non-smoker.

• 10 years

Your risk of being diagnosed with lung cancer is between 30% and 50% of that for a continuing smoker (2005 study). Risk of death from lung cancer has declined by almost half if you were an average smoker (one pack per day).  Your risk of pancreatic cancer has declined to that of a never-smoker (2011 study), while risk of cancer of the mouth, throat and esophagus has also declined.

• 13 years

Your risk of smoking induced tooth loss has declined to that of a never-smoker (2006 study).

• 15 years

Your risk of coronary heart disease is now that of a person who has never smoked.

• 20 years

Female excess risk of death from all smoking related causes, including lung disease and cancer, has now reduced to that of a never-smoker (2008 study). Risk of pancreatic cancer reduced to that of a never-smoker (2011 study).

If you’re interested in learning more, follow this link. It will also link you to the three stories of the people I mentioned at the beginning of this article. I encourage you to read them and decide what is best for you after you are fully informed. http://whyquit.com/whyquit/a_benefits_time_table.html

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I have been 10 days SMOKE FREE and after reading this, everything my body has been going through now all makes more sense to me. 

I had no intentions of quitting anytime soon, i just decided not to buy another pack after i smoked my last cigarette Saturday, January 21st. Day by day i occasionally get the urge for one (more so when i’m at work, in the environment where most people smoke) but i continue to fight it and i think i’ve been doing a really good job. I didn’t even think i was ready nor did i think i was going to follow through with it at all, but now i am so glad i did this and feel so much healthier and better about myself. 

10 days may not seem like a long time, but it feels like a hell of an accomplishment for me.