It's time to quit smoking

Smoking is a difficult habit to break, especially when done abruptly. Mark Twain described the more gradual and reasonable approach when he said " habit is habit, and not to be flung out of the window by any man, but coaxed downstairs a step at a time".

To help quitting smokers, there are several OTC acids available as well as new prescription products to help them gradually overcome the strong urge to smoke.  

The Nicotine patch (which is absorbed through the skin) and the nicotrol nicotine inhalation system are available in doses and prescription.

Nicotine patches are available for purchase over-the-counter from various manufuctures without a prescription. It is used in nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) and it is far most considered as one of the safer NRT available.

A meta-analysis found that fewer than 20% of people treated with NRT remain abstinent from smoking at one year.

The Nicotrol nicotine inhaler consists of a mouthpiece and a plastic cartridge delivering 4mg of a nicotine from a porous plug of 10mg. when a smoker “puffs” on the device, nicotine vapors are absorbed through the lining of the mouth and throat. It takes about 80 puffs to deliver the amount of nicotine obtained from a single cigarette. One of the advantages of using this method is that the smoker still mimics the hand-to-mouth behavior of smoking, a part of habit that will be easier to break once nicotine withdrawal symptoms subside.

Another newest prescription method that has been designed to break the smoking habit that does not contain any nicotine is an antidepressant called bupropion hat has shown to be effective. Bupropion is taken in tablet and is available only by prescription in most countries.        

     

Does food density matter when you are trying to lose weight?

When it comes to losing weight, it seems like there is a new fad diet out every month. Low fat,low carb, high protein, vegan, vegetarian low carb....these choices are endless.What really works for weight loss? The answer varies among individuals and likely depends on a combination of genes, food preferences, and lifestyle. But one of the most important concepts for achieving permanent weight loss is the energy density of the food you consume. Energy density refers to the number of calories per gram in a given type of food. Eating foods that have lower energy density allows you to eat larger, more satisfying, portions while consuming fewer calories.Research has shown that this is important both mentally and physically when it comes to weight.