Congratulations to my Aunt on Quitting! Maxine thanks you for the smoke free environment. Quitting smoking is hard work but it gets easier every day as the body loses its dependency on nicotine and the health benefits begin almost immediately.

20 MINUTES

Blood pressure drops to normal. Body temperature of hands and feet rises to normal.

EIGHT HOURS

Carbon monoxide level in blood drops to normal.

Oxygen level in blood increases to normal.

24 HOURS

Chance of heart attack decreases.

TWO WEEKS TO

THREE MONTHS

Circulation improves. Lung function increases up to 30 percent.

ONE TO NINE MONTHS

Coughing, sinus congestion, fatigue and shortness of breath decrease.

Cilia re-grow in the lungs, allowing lungs to handle mucous, keep clean and reduce infections.

Body's overall energy rises.

ONE YEAR

Risk of coronary heart disease is half that of a smoker.

You've saved around $1,058 - a vacation!

Five Years.

Lung cancer death rate for average former smoker (a pack a day) decreases by almost half.

Stroke risk is reduced to that of a non-smoker five to fifteen years after quitting.

TEN YEARS

Lung cancer death is similar to that of a non-smoker.

Precancerous cells are replaced.

15 YEARS

Risk of coronary heart disease is that of a non-smoker.

Your diet can mean all the difference to success in quitting. Many people have been successful in the quest to stop smoking by going on a juice fast. For best results start with a three day liquid cleansing diet with fresh fruits and vegetable juices and miso soup to clear blood of nicotinic acid and fortify blood sugar. Add magnesium rich foods like dark leafy vegetables, whole grains, sea foods, sea vegetables and legumes.

Avoid junk foods, sugar, white flour products and processed foods that can aggravate cravings. Also avoid oxalic acid foods like chocolate and spinach that bind up magnesium in the body and eliminate coffee. Take a cup of green tea instead to help detoxify or a cup of camomile tea if you find yourself barking at friends and family.

A simple Epsom salt bath using half a pound of salt per bath will help pull nicotine and tar from the skin to prevent its introduction into the blood stream. Shower or bathe normally after the Epsom salt bath to rinse off. Dry with a white towel. The brownish residue from the skin usually enforces the desire and need to stop smoking.

Exercise is also useful in helping the body to eliminate toxins from smoking. Start with a brisk ten minute walk and increase by five minutes each day.

Nothing replaces willpower but nutritional supplements can help.

Try a combinations like Natra Bio's Smoking Withdrawal Relief which can help with a variety of symptoms.

Acupuncture has also proven successful in treating addiction. The World Health Organisation has cited 104 different conditions that acupuncture can treat, including migraines, sinusitis, gastrointestinal disorders, asthma and addictions.

Dr. Jay Holder, M.D., D.C., Ph.D., Director of the Exodus Addiction Hospital in Miami, Florida reports success rates of more than 80 percent for nicotine and other substance addicts. Dr. Holder was the first American to be awarded the Albert Schweitzer prize in medicine for his work in developing a form of ear acupuncture for addiction.

According to Dr. Holder each type of addiction correlates to specific receptor sites. "We meet the needs of that receptor site by by supplying and directing endorphins through acupuncture. This allows the body to turn itself back on again. So, the body is helped through the difficult period of withdrawal, until its natural restorative powers return."

Today, even companies like Chevron and General Motors are employing acupuncture to counteract addiction while creating data bases for further research.

For acupuncture contact Sifu Reginald Cann B.Sc., OBT., HHP, MTOM, L.AC., Dipl. Ac. 295-7612.