Creative Blogs

Just listen to anybody who smokes and quite regularly you’ll hear things like “I’m going to try and quit smoking, just as soon as I (fill in the blank)”. Perhaps you’ve heard them say these things a number of times and now you just don’t listen. Know what I mean?

So here’s what you need to do. You need to put down in writing the things you want to accomplish (quitting smoking) and come up with the reasons why. And while you are doing this, write down all the reasons why you can’t (your excuses).

Just putting excuses down on paper so that they are something solid you can see is enough to make some people look at how silly they really are. For others, they may have to analyze their list of excuses and figure out why they believe these reasons to be true. Usually it is due to repetition. You’ve been telling yourselves for years that these are the reasons why you smoke, and if you tell yourself something enough times, eventually it will become an ingrained belief, whether it is the truth or not.

Have a look at a few of the most often stated excuses and apply them to your list if applicable, however in the end it is your job to list every single excuse as to why you smoke that you can think of.

“Smoking helps to keep me thin.”

Yes, it is possible that you may gain a little weight when stopping smoking. However it is usually less than 20 pounds (which, by the way is WAYYYY better for you than continuing to smoke would be). But if you take proactive steps to assure that when quitting, the only snacks available to you are healthy rather than high calorie comfort foods, this should not become an issue.

“I enjoy smoking too much to quit.”

Not to point out the painfully obvious, but if that’s true, why are you looking at information on how to quit smoking? Don’t take it personally. I remember when I used to make the very same statement. Of course the major problem, as I mentioned earlier, is that the more you make statements such as this, the more deeply ingrained the beliefs become. So the time has come to be honest with yourself. Be truthful now. Is smoking something you really enjoy or just a lie you’ve convinced yourself of? Do you really like the stale smell of cigarette smoke in your car; your hair; your clothes? No really, what is it that you think smoking brings to your life that’s beneficial. Write your answers down and I think you’ll find everything is silly and you don’t really like smoking at all.

The thing is that I am not trying to come across as mean or condescending, so please don’t take what I am saying the wrong way. No, what I am trying to do is be truly helpful by telling you that none of the excuses that you are currently using or have used in the past do anything for you other than keep you smoking and once you come to terms with this fact, the easier quitting will be.

Don’t doubt your abilities to beat those lies. You can do this.

Being ashamed about, wanting to do something about, and being afraid of any horrible conditions which could be caused by varicose veins will lead you to the many options out there for varicose vein therapy.

These treatment options can help you look and feel much better about your self. The elimination of these veins should be a high priority to you.

The veins do also play a role in your mental health as well. How you look is often times how you feel, so having those veins on your body can also translate into a poor mental state.

A way to gain confidence in your physical appearance is by getting these veins treated for. It can be a huge positive impact on you and your life.

There are many varieties of therapies out there for you to pick from to get rid of those rather unsightly veins in your legs. Lotions and creams are common for this purpose and you simply apply it to the area of the veins and it will hugely diminish the appearance of the veins.

Creams and lotions are not perfect though. They require many treatments before you can see the affects. Most lotions help strengthen the skin over and around the veins which is how they eliminated.

Another treatment option involves the massaging of the veins, which will make them smaller, and thus less visible to people, including yourself. Another type is laser therapy which shrinks the veins to make them less noticeable too. Either way, no matter which path you go on, a success is still a success and you will end up feeling more confident in your own appearance.

These treatments will not only allow you to feel better about your appearance, but it will give you the peace of mind knowing that the veins will not cause any medical issues in the future.

Familiar can be good. But not necessarily when you’re talking about sex.

A common, if not always spoken to, challenge for couples is keeping the excitement of intimacy at a healthy level. The thrill of romance often lessens for couples over time. And there are times when the excitement dries up completely.

Lack of sexual interest can be the most common, the most troubling, the most uncomfortable indicator that couples have lost passion for one another. Sex that’s joyful and pleasing in healthy relationship couples becomes burdensome, or disappears altogether, in couples lacking passion.

The lack of an interest in sexuality isn’t a trivial matter. Poor levels of physical intimacy between couples can motivate infidelity. In this regard, bad sexual relations can literally end a relationship.

Lack of sexual dynamism is rarely the sole problem in a relationship however. Relationships, especially intimate ones, require work to maintain, and this work has to occur on various levels.

Still, a growing number of couples are dealing with lower passion levels by focusing on a familiar target: improved sexuality. And one of their main points of action is purchasing sexual enhancers.

Couples using aids for intimacy doesn’t trend recent. The sexual revolution years, emphasis on the 1960’s and 70’s, swung open the door for couples to expand physical intimacy. This intimacy expansion sometimes involved using sexual stimulators, or aphrodisiacs.

Sex stimulators, aphrodisiacs, of the past were essentially home remedies that didn’t work consistently, if they worked at all. Viagra was the first thing proven to make a difference in sex performance, albeit Viagra did this in the treatment of a physical dysfunction.

After Viagra, products that were specific to sexual enhancement, not to treating a medical condition, came on the scene. These were genuine enhancers, they were nonprescription, and they were easily purchased.

The market for these nonprescription enhancers is couples strong. Many of the couples using enhancers want a better sense of passion overall through better sexuality. The sales of nonprescription sex enhancers are way up.

Is using sex enhancers for overall improved passion in a relationship a healthy approach? It’s certain that using sex enhancers isn’t a substitute for communication and effort, and for doing all of the things necessary to keep a relationship balanced. Everyone rides an emotional high at first love, and getting along is easy then, but that high doesn’t last.

Having said that, a fulfilling sex life is vital to a long-lasting intimate relationship. Using mutually acceptable methods to maintain rewarding physical intimacy is a perfectly legitimate strategy.

Licorice, officially known as Glycyrrhiza glabra, is a European plant belonging to the pulse family, Leguminosae. The root of the licorice plant when pounded or pressed manufactures a sweet substance for which it was widely known. Since ancient time, the licorice root has been used for medicinal purposes. It was used as a laxative and as a cure for coughs. It was also brewed for candy and for flavoring, like in some tobacco.

The Licorice Plant

The licorice plant is perennial, with blue, pea-shaped blossoms. True licorice is cultivated primarily in the Middle East, however there is a subspecies known as glycyrrhiza lepidota, or “wild licorice” that is native to North America. Most types of licorice are found in Persia, Southeast Europe and several Asiatic regions, and there are currently fourteen known varieties.

The licorice plant has long graceful stems and lightly spreading, pinnate leaves. From a distance, they display an almost feathery appearance because of their tiny leaflets which resemble those of the False Acacia. At night, the leaves hang down on each side of the midrib. The flowers are little, growing from the axils of the leaves. Licorice flowers are purplish in color and occasionally pale-blue, violet, or yellowish-white. At the peak of maturity, small pods are formed which somewhat resemble a partly grown peapod.

Health Benefits of Licorice

You can find licorice in the histories of herbal medicine and folk healing. There are long and varied legends on the use of licorice. For example, Ancient Chinese healers considered licorice to be one of the important herbs in traditional medicine. Chinese folk healers primarily used licorice as a demulcent for its soothing and coating effects in the digestive and urinary tracts, as well as a cure for diseases including diabetes and tuberculosis.

Since ancient times, the plant has been commonly used in connection with the treatment for coughs, sore throats, and as a flavoring. As a matter of fact, it got its name from the Greek word for “sweet root.”

More up-to-date studies have shown that licorice contains compounds, called glycyrrhizin and flavonoids. Glyccyrrhizin, according to some studies, has anti-inflammatory properties and may have inhibiting actions that hinder the breakdown of cortisol, an important substance produced by the body.

Although it has yet to be proven to work in humans, licorice may also have anti-viral properties. The flavonoids found in this herb are powerful antioxidants that work to protect several organs of the body, most importantly the liver. Chalcones, which are closely related to flavonoids may also help treat digestive tract cells. Preliminary studies on the results of licorice have shown that the flavonoids can kill the ulcer-causing bacteria, Helicobacter pylori. These bacteria are responsible for most stomach inflammations as well.

Liquiritin, an extract made from licorice, has been used as a treatment for melasma, a pigmentation disorder of the skin. According to a study conducted by medical researchers, 70 percent improvement is observed on melasma patients after a twice daily topical application of liquiritin cream for a duration of four weeks.

How to Buy Licorice

When using licorice, keep in mind that there are two types available in the market. The first is the “standard” licorice which contains glycyrrhizin and used to treat respiratory infections, chronic fatigue syndrome, or herpes. The second type is called the “de-glycyrrhizinated” licorice used to relieve conditions of the digestive tract, such as ulcers.

Licorice can be purchased in tablets or in capsule form. If you need to treat canker sores, you can also find de-glycyrrhizinated licorice in powder form.

If there was one word I wish I could remove from the English language, it would be the word ‘try’. It’s one of those words that take the proverbial wind out of the sails of anything we do. Just ‘trying’ will not get us anywhere with most tasks and it certainly won’t take us to where we want to go when quitting smoking.

Even though you are looking to convince yourself or someone else that you truly desire to quit, by saying ‘try’, you are conditioning your subconscious beliefs for potential failure.

Let me give you an example. My wife has a fear of roller coasters and fast rides. I know she doesn’t haven’t a fear or heights or a fear of going at the speeds the coasters go, but for some reason I have not yet been able to determine, she doesn’t like roller coasters.

And during the rare times my son and I have been persuasive enough to get her into the line, it is always tempered with ‘I’ll try’. This gives her the opportunity to reneg on her offer without too much teasing. And she always does.

So how does she get out of it and still feel good about herself? Because she only said she would ‘try’ and that doesn’t really count. The same goes when you are the path to becoming a non-smoker. By only trying, you are leaving yourself an easy exit down the road. And this isn’t something you want to do.

I encourage you to seek out any smoker who has failed in their quest to quit and in almost all of the cases they will say these exact words to you - I tried! And perhaps they might even say that they soon plan to ‘try’ again.

Try and do that with this statement - “I am quitting (enter your chosen date) for good. For the good of my health; for the good of my family and for the good of my finances. FOR GOOD!” No excuses. You see the difference. You cannot allow any alternative options or ‘outs’ for yourself. You must commit fully and stick to your resolution. Of course your commitment doesn’t have to say exactly that but it must state the most powerful reasons as to why you want to quit.

If you want to hold yourself accountable to your goal of becoming a non-smoker, then you MUST put statements like this onto paper. And then you MUST place these pieces of paper where you can see them often so that you never lose sight of your ultimate goal.