The month of November presents the perfect time to quit your nicotine habit. D-Day, the Great American Smoke-out is Nov. 19 this year, always the Thursday before Thanksgiving. One way to be thankful for the body we have is to take care of it. Non-smokers enjoy heightened tastes and smells as well as many other benefits. D-Day started in Minnesota in the 1970’s and is sponsored, in part, by the American Lung Association and the American Cancer Society.
Smokers can gain significant benefits as soon as you quit. According to the American Lung Association within 20 minutes of quitting, your blood pressure and pulse rates drop, and eight hours after quitting, the oxygen level in your blood increases to normal. One day after quitting, your odds of having a heart attack are reduced. Within two weeks, lung function can increase up to 30 percent. Between two weeks and 3 months after quitting, circulation improves and walking becomes easier. One year after quitting, your energy level increases and the risk of coronary heart disease is cut in half.
D-Day is a day that many smokers try to cease use of nicotine for 24 hours. And hey, if you can go one day, try two! Or longer! To be successful you need a quitting attitude and remember to try, try again. Each time you attempt to quit you gain more skills and tools. There are many resources available to those who want to quit. Try adding acupuncture this time!
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