Talk to Kathy

I just wanted to share some beautiful words from one of Michael Jackson’s songs it goes like this “before you judge me, try hard to love me. Have you seen my childhood.”

This is a wonderful video about a woman with cancer who rescues a dog that was used and abused in a puppy mill and how this little dog changed her life-when you rescue a dog it’s so rewarding and healing.

Congress and the President Kick tobacco’s butts.  Congratulations last week President Obama signed the Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act into Law.  Thanks to everyone’s support, this law will help save countless lives.

This is a huge victory for the health of all Americans-and a major step forward in our fight against cancer.  Just take a look at what the new law does:

.Tobacco companies must reveal all product ingredients to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and seek FDA approval for any new products.

.Our nation’s children-potential first-time smokers-will no longer be seduced by flavored tobacco products, including candy-and fruit-flavored cigarettes, which will banned.

.Consumers won’t be misled by cigarettes labeled “light,” “mild,” or “low-tar” as healthier choices.  These terms have also been banned.

.Warning labels will be clearly visible, taking up at least half of the front and back of cigarette packages.

.No more public cigarette vending machines in places where IDs haven’t been checked.

.Children will be further protected from tobacco advertisements and sponsorships, which will be banned near schools and playgrounds and at sports or entertainment events.  The law also restricts colorful store displays.

As a former smoker, I feel these 5 tips from Ezine Articles are essential and very helpful!

1. Use the tools science has developed to replace nicotine:  There are two different things that happen to the body when you quit, first its the addiction to nicotine and second its the mental - you enjoy the process of smoking.  I suggest the patch or gum. 
2. Understand there is a mental side to the addiction: Understanding the mental side is very important because the patches or gum can only help the addiction portion of smoking.  Smoking is something you do and you need to break your habits.  Thing about how involved your body gets with smoking.  You hold the cigarette in your hands, you taste the cigarette and you blow the smoke out.  Working on replacing those actions are difficult that’s where hypnotherapy or acupuncture can help.  Smoking is something you have to want to stop, then deal with what comes with quitting.
3. Change your environment: Some changes could you how you eat or what you eat, take supplements and use aromatherapy for sense of smell to change.  Small changes will help you change your patterns.
4. Stay on top of new treatments: I didn’t use this treatment because I quit quite a while ago, but the newest treatment is laser treatment.  I suggest going out there and seeing what’s new and trying it!
5. Never give up: They say most people try to quit 9 times before they are successful.  It took me a few times before I actually committed to quiting for good.  Keep your chin up and keep trying until it sticks!

If you have any questions, please contact me at: kathy@talkkathy.com

There was a study done in the UK that was published in Nicotine and Tobacco Rearch, which states that ex-smokers are overwhelmingly happier after quitting.   The researchers studied the responses of 879 adults who had stopped smoking.  More than two thirds said that they feel happier now than when they were smoking and only one third felt less happy.

Ex-smokers who had stopped more than a year ago reported feeling happier than ex-smokers who stopped within the last year.  So time does matter.  The more time you give yourself, the happier you’ll become.

Recent research also showed that most smokers would like to give up but have a tough time doing so, which in turn means sometimes they fail and have to try again.  Generally it takes more than one attempt to successfully quit.  The most important thing is to keep trying.

Not only does quitting make you happier, but it also makes you richer.  Smoking is very expensive.  Once you quit, that money you spent on daily packs of cigarette’s can stay in your wallet!

Here is a little breakdown of hours, to days to years of giving up smoking and the better you’ll feel:

After:

• 20Min - your blood pressure and pulse return to normal
• 8 hours - nicotine, carbon monoxide and oxygen levels in your blood begin to return to normal
• 2 days - your lungs start to clear and your sense of taste and smell begin to return
• 3 days - breathing is easier and your energy levels increase
• 2-12 weeks - circulation improves and exercise gets easier
• 3-9 months - breathing problems, coughing, shortness of breath and wheezing improve
• 5 years - risk of having a heart attack falls to about half that of a smoker
• 10 years - risk of lung cancer falls to about half that of a smoker.  You have the same risk of a hear attack as someone who has never smoked.

For more information, please visit stopsmokingconnection.com or contact me at: kathy@talkkathy.com

Quitting smoking is a process and takes time.  First step is throwing out that pack or not buying the next one.  Once you take that first step, you MUST keep yourself busy.  I think getting on the patch is a really great way to stop the physical addiction.  However, you need to figure out what triggers you to smoke.  Is it when you wake up in the morning and just want that cigarette or is it during your coffee breaks?  You need to stop those patterns.   Here are two key things to try to do:

Distraction- this works really well.  It can get you past the point of desperation and back to the calm resolve you need to remain smoke-free.  Remember to keep yourself busy, maybe take up an exercise class or take on another project at work.

Reinforcement - Remind yourself of the wonderful gifts you are giving yourself for becoming smoke-free.  It can become easy to forget why you quit if you are having a bad day and you just need to calm yourself down and breath.

Below are some tips from an article at StopSmokingConnection.com  and you may think some of these tips are funny or you may have already tried them, but it never hurts to try again.  These tips are when you are having a hard time and want to grab a cigarette:

• Drink a big glass of water
• Take a brisk walk
• Suck on a lollipop or cinnamon stick
• Write your feelings down
• Smell some flowers
• Repeat a prayer in your head
• Rub some mint on your wrist and smell it
• Chew some sugarless gum or eat a mint
• Take a deep breath and hold it, then exhale like you’re breathing out smoke
• Roll your shoulders, loosen up and stretch
• Eat an orange or some celery sticks ( keep various fruits and veggies handy)
• Brush teeth, floss and rinse your mouth out
• Visualize your lungs taking in oxygen
• Take a two-inch square sticky note and roll it up like a cigarette. Now hold it and puff through it and marvel at the absurdity of it all
• Tell your friends about how you are quitting smoking, having more friends cheer you on, gets you through rough times

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me at: kathy@talkkathy.com

It’s important to realize that  you don’t just affect yourself when you smoke, but you affect  everyone around you.  Smoking while pregnant “biologically primes” the unborn child to become a regular smoker as a teen and young adult, according to a theory put forth by University of Arizona researchers.

Lead researcher, Dr. Roni Grad states that  “Somehow smoke is changing the brain chemistry”.  If you are exposed to smoking prenatally or in the early years of your life, you are much more likely to be a chronic smoker in your teen years.   For more information on this article, please go to:

Biological Changes Take Place In Womb

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me at: kathy@talkkathy.com

Hi Guys,

I want to recommend a book that many of my friends have found very successful in stopping smoking.  They all swear by it, so i got a copy and read it.  I highly recomend it.  You can order it on amazon.com - link: The Easy way To Stop Smoking.

Allen Carr’s innovative Easyway method—which he discovered after his own 100-cigarette-a-day habit nearly drove him to despair—has helped millions kick smoking without feeling anxious and deprived. That’s because he helps smokers discover the psychological reasons behind their dependency, explains in detail how to handle the withdrawal symptoms, shows them how to avoid situations when temptation might become too strong, and enables them to stay smoke-free. Carr discusses such issues as nicotine addiction; the social “brainwashing” that encourages smoking; the false belief that a cigarette relieves stress; the role boredom plays in sabotaging efforts to stop; and the main reasons for failure. With this proven program, smokers will be throwing away their packs for good.

Can you really help someone quit?  Well, the answer to that question is Yes, if your friend has truly decided to quit.  In fact, when your friend has decided to quit, he/she will need the support of friends and family more than ever.  If your friend hasn’t decided to quit just yet, you can still help.  You can help him/her think of their own reasons for quiting, set a target quit date and offer to help in any way he/she asks.

How to Help? First off, quitting is different for each smoker.  You should ask your friend how you can be most  helpful.  This shows how much you care and that you are there for them. 

What things can you do/say to help the smoker trying to quit:

• Even if your friend has tried before and failed, you can tell them they can make it THIS time.  Sometimes practicing can lead to the real thing.
• Be available when they need you.  Oftentimes, smokers give up smoking, but need a talk a lot more or take coffee breaks to talk about it, whatever they need, try to be there for them to lean on you.
• Offer to come see him/her when they are feeling a need for a cigarette.  Always ask how your friend is feeling.  Being compassionate is necessary!
• No preaching - believe me, this doesn’t work.  Instead let your friend know how much you admire him/her for trying to quit.

What Other things can I do to help? Give lots of praises and offer rewards - ie) buy dinner, flowers, a card

Can I help my friend plan how to handle urges to smoke? The answer is yes.  The most important plan of attack is to plan ahead for roadblocks and how to deal with them.  When he/she feels like smoking, call you.  Remind your friend that the urge to smoke will pass in just a few minutes.  Have them leave the place that makes him/her want to smoke.  Go for a walk instead. Do some deep breathing if he/she is feeling tense.

If you have any questions, please contact me at: kathy@kathyvilla.com

Congratulations to the lungevity walk on May 17, 2009 in Manhattan Beach.  There was about 600 people and they  raised $100,000.00.  Wow, in this economy, that is amazing!  Lung cancer is the #1 killer of all the cancers in the U.S. today.

My dear friend Barbara Chodorow did the walk with me, the air was great and I was so grateful to be there walking for a cause so near to my heart.