So many people are telling you that smoking is bad and that you should give up the habit, but not everyone really knows just how hard it can be. After all, there’s nothing like destroying your respiratory system and inhaling lungful after lungful of carcinogens when it comes to making you feel good. If you really want to quit but cold turkey hasn’t really been so hot with you, here are ten new ways to stop smoking that you probably haven’t thought of yet.

10.Become antisocial. That is, keep away from other smokers. Whether you’re 13 or 31 years old, peer pressure can be just as big a factor in the decisions you make. If ‘your clique’ means you and the smoking room regulars, you really shouldn’t wonder that you can’t quit your pack-a-day habit. Keep away from regular smokers for a while, just so you minimize the temptation.

9.Annoy someone – the guy at the cigarette store, especially. It’s not so much testing your powers to pester as it is attaching a negative association to cigarettes in general. Besides, where are you going to get new smokes if the cigarette store guy already put a price on your head? The trick here is to make it inconvenient for you to get another ream of cigarettes, and it definitely won’t be easy buying even a stick from someone who’s after your blood.

8.Talk to a non-quitter and listen to him/her hack and cough his/her lungs out. Smoking really does destroy your lungs and the rest of your respiratory system. Maybe you just need a physical reminder of that fact coughing up mucus in front of you every 5 minutes to motivate you to stop.

7.Visit your local emphysema ward. No, you’re not campaigning to be the next Mother Teresa. Pay the ward a visit and listen to all those people who didn’t quit until it was too late – or haven’t quit at all yet. And as you listen to the symphony of coughing and hacking, keep telling yourself that that may very well be where you end up in a couple of years.

6.Always request for a good spot in the non-smoking section. Whether you’re at a baseball game or in a swanky restaurant, staying in the non-smokers’ area will help in reducing the temptation. Besides, it puts you in an environment where you couldn’t smoke even if you wanted to.

5.Move back in with your mother. Few people are as effective as your own mum when it comes to nagging you to quit smoking. No, she’s not there reason with you and persuade you to stop smoking. She’s there to berate you for your “disgusting habit” and for “destroying your health” until you finally quit just to get her off your case. But whether you move back into your old address or not, finding someone to constantly remind you of your goal will be a big help toward reaching it.

4.Stick something in your mouth. For a lot of people, the need to smoke is as much psychological as it is physical. Scientists have found out that smoking also forms an oral habit, which means that you simply get used to having something in your mouth. Using a substitute like a lollipop or some gum might not be the key to make cold turkey work, but it’ll make quitting a little bit easier anyway.

3. Build a smoking room – and then put a smoke detector in it. If quitting cold turkey hasn’t worked for you so far, a loud, shrieking siren should be a good incentive to help you quit. In psychology, this is known as negative reinforcement because it uses a punishment – the irritating noise of the smoke alarm – as a counter-incentive for your smoking. It may sound juvenile but, again, it’s just another structure to help motivate you out of smoking.

2. Put up posters of your ‘idols.‘ Images of people who have suffered the negative effects of lung cancer are very, very graphic. The next time you get an urge to light up, these should convince you otherwise.

1. Tell your spouse that your in-laws can stay over the next time your caught smoking. Drastic times call for drastic measures and this time, your spouse will be on board. Again, it always helps when you’ve got someone else helping you and constantly reminding you to finally quit. The reinforcement – that is, the reward or the punishment – should also help strengthen your resolve.

Quitting isn’t easy, but it’s most certainly doable. This is the one time when you’re a winner only if you quit.

A hot steaming cup of coffee is something every one of us cherishes. For many people, a cup of coffee is synonymous with a good morning or relaxation. There are also people who just don’t remember how many cups they consumed in a day. Is that good anyway? While sipping coffee, do we pay heed to its positive and negative effects on our life? If not, let’s do it now.

Advantages of drinking coffee:

Yes! For your information, coffee is good and has some awesome properties that help our health positively. What are the advantages of coffee that makes it our good companion?

1)    Keeps Alzheimer’s disease at bay: You know how dangerous the Alzheimer’s disease is. This brain disorder has kept scientists busy as they try to find a sure remedy. Coffee is said to slow down this neurogenerative disease, though exact means by which coffee prevents Alzheimer’s disease is currently not known.

2)    Diabetes prevention: the whole world is battling against the hazards of diabetes and the incidence is fast increasing even in developing countries. Different studies have shown that coffee has potential anti-diabetic properties if drank regularly.

3)    Caffeine benefits: though certain bad effects of caffeine are known, there are also some potential benefits from caffeine. Apart from giving the much needed boost for efficient work, caffeine is known to improve the focus of an individual while enhancing the short term memory as well as other cognitive functions.

4)    Weight loss: Coffee aids in reducing excess weight by burning more fat and increasing an individual’s metabolic rate.

5)    Coffee reduces the risk of both Parkinson’s disease and gall-stone disease.

6)    Coffee is also said to have a potent anti-cancer molecule, though more research is required to confirm and add to the current knowledge. Additionally, coffee is said to also protect against liver cancer.

7)    Potent anti-oxidant: Due to its potent anti-oxidants, Coffee prevents accumulation of free radicals in the body and builds good resistance to diseases.

8)    Because of coffee’s diuretic properties, it keeps the body clean and aids in waste expulsion.

Now, we must also look at the negative aspects of drinking coffee, otherwise we run the risk of overindulgence!

Disadvantages of drinking coffee:

1)    Addictive effect: Many people have fallen into coffee addictions. They have to drink coffee to liven up and therefore their mood varies with their coffee drinking patterns.

2)    Caffeine side effects: Insomnia may result due to excessive coffee consumption. Aldditionally, heightened pulse rate increases the risk of high blood pressure.

3)    Expectant women who drink a lot of coffee run the risk of developing caffeine dependency syndrome later on and the infant too may experience breathing difficulties.

4)    Teeth staining: this is a widely ignored but important negative aspect of coffee drinking habit. Yellow teeth and cavity formation can occur especially if sugar is added to coffee.

5)    Other people addicted to coffee may suffer from constipation.

6)    Large quantities of coffee can have sudden negative effects on blood sugar levels.

Thus, our favorite beverage has a combination of advantages and disadvantages. If we want to be healthy and happy, “moderation” is the word we should remember!

A lot of articles and books out there will tell you that a religious exercise regimen and a hardcore diet plan are the keys to sure weight loss. What they don’t tell you, though, is that there are little strategies you can employ to cut down and manage your weight. These tricks might sound a bit funny or strange at first, but you probably won’t be complaining once you step on the bathroom scale afterwards.

1. Take a picture. Of your food, that is. While this activity is usually reserved for food critics at a new restaurant, having a visual log of your eating history will go a long way in helping you keep tabs on what you eat. It’s harder to forget that cake you had after lunch if there’s an icing-heavy photo of it in all its high-resolution glory on your camera.

2. Fix your playlist. Believe it or not, studies have found that rock music has an unusual tendency to increase people’s appetites. Take out all the Nirvana and The Clash tracks when you’re eating, even if it means listening to Britney Spears or Miley Cyrus. It’ll be good for you (though maybe not for your reputation with the neighbors).

3. Change your plates. No, don’t go to a buffet. When you’re eating your meals at home (or anywhere else, for that matter), try to use small- to medium-sized plates. The play on proportions will trick your brain into thinking that you’re eating more than you really are. It’ll also be useful for tricking your date into thinking that he or she is eating more than you paid for.

4. Sit down! If you’re planning to ingest anything, find the nearest table and take a seat. Eating while in a standing position distracts your brain away from how much is going down your gut.

5. Use a plate. It’s more than just table manners. Eating from a plate, bowl or any other table service gives you a measurement of how much you’ve eaten so far. At any rate, it’ll sound better than just using ‘handfuls’ to measure how much you’ve eaten from the chips bag.

6. Gross yourself out. Whenever you’re feeling the urge to eat, you’ll probably need something stronger than your weight goals to resist the temptation. Whether it’s the memory of the smell of that sewer under repair in the summer heat or the roadkill you passed on the interstate, prepare a small array of things to help dissuade your stomach.

7. Focus! This is another concentration thing. When you’re eating at the table, lay the newspaper aside, keep the remote control out of sight and just focus on your eating. Getting caught between boredom and focusing entirely on what you’re chewing will give you a better idea of how much you’ve eaten. Don’t despair; you can always get that new episode of House on TiVo after you’re done eating.

8. Slow down. Like trying to watch YouTube on a dial-up connection, it takes a while for the stomach to tell your brain that you’re eating and that you’re not starving anymore. Take your time – at least 20 minutes – to finish your meal. You never know, you might end up eating less than you planned.

9. Get small clothes. Seeing clothes in your closet that are just a little too small to fit you will give you a concrete and easily measurable goal to work toward. Besides, few goals offer the same satisfaction as looking great in that form-fitting pair of denims.

10. Set a date with your thin friend. Even if he or she isn’t the type to comment on your weight, you’ll inevitably compare yourself to your more diet-conscious colleague. There’s even a good chance that you’ll get the same Caesar salad as he or she does for lunch. Talk about good influences.

Perhaps the best thing about these wacky methods is that they don’t involve any expenses (save for maybe a small plate or two). If you’re the kind who can’t afford a gym membership or doesn’t have the patience for weird diets, this is the kind of weight loss you’ll enjoy.