A Million Lives

A million lifestyle hacks...unlimited possibilities

by

Eight Great Ways to Kick Your Smoking Habit

Quitting smoking is the right choice for a better life!

However, this deadly habit can be a nightmare to overcome and some methods of quitting may not be enough to help you ‘packet’ in for good.

Whether it’s patches, nicotine gum or even going cold turkey, there’s a method best suited to everyone.

If you think you’ve tried everything in your power to give smoking the boot, check out these eight alternatives methods and give quitting another try:

Find a quitting partner

You’ll notice when you’re trying to quit, that the help of others -whether they smoke or not –  is a necessity.

You’ll need someone there every step of the way as quitting smoking is not a short-term choice, it’s a life-long one.

By finding a fellow smoker to quit with you, you can both be at each other’s side to offer encouragement in the most testing of times.

Turn to vaping

Breaking your routine can be hard when figuring out how to quit smoking.

Whether it’s a swift cigarette before work, or a pleasurable evening treat, sometimes it hard to snap out of what you’re used to.

By opting to use a vaporizer rather than a packet of cigarettes, you’re able to continue your smoking routine in a healthier fashion.

Investing in a vape pen is one the of the smartest moves you can make as they contain fewer cancer-causing chemicals.

Vape pens also come with many different flavours of e liquid, allowing you to stray away from the typical taste of tobacco.

With a vaporizer you can still get your daily fix, without having to worry about polluting your body.

Put a bet on it

If the thought of losing money turns your stomach, then perhaps placing a wager with a friend or family member will give you the spur of encouragement you need to never touch another cigarette again.

There you have an additional incentive to quit, and by making money from your triumph you’ll have an even greater sense of fulfilment.

Set yourself reminders

As urges come and go, it’s important to keep yourself reminded of the overall objective, and that’s a healthier lifestyle.

Giving up on your habit can add years to your life, so continue to remind yourself of that, either in the form of post-it notes, alarms or phone reminders.

Some smokers can be dependent on reminders to help them push on. Use reminders as a source of encouragement, to see how long you have lasted without a cigarette and let yourself know what an achievement giving up nicotine is.

Get out and exercise

A large part of figuring out how to quit smoking, is keeping yourself occupied.

Boredom can trigger the need for a fresh pack, so by exercising regularly, you’ll have too much on your plate to contemplate having a cigarette.

Exercise reduces hunger and can help reduce your stress levels, which are two major smoking triggers. Any amnesty you feel can be combated by raising your heart rate and getting fit, rather than something that can lessen your lifespan.

Or if putting your trainers on fills you with dread, an alternative would be get a new hobby to help you to take your mind off cigarettes.

Take inspiration from others

Success stories are perfect proof that stopping smoking is possible.

Forums, articles or even friends and family can provide you with the boost you need to put down your cigarette.

Try to find a success story that relates to you and take on its advice and tips to find out whether you can follow suit.

Consider acupuncture

Nicotine can be so addictive for some that strong measures have to be taken.

Acupuncture treatment is not a hundred percent fool proof, but it can benefit you from a psychological perspective as it can create a placebo effect.

There are a number of things you should know before you tackle acupuncture, such as it’s known to help reduce smoking cravings, but it doesn’t help you lose your daily habit.

Avoid triggers

Every smoker has a trigger and on paper, this should make it easier for you to pinpoint why you’re smoking as much as you are.

For some people, it may be a couple of beers, for others it may be stress. To ensure you smoke less, combat these issues so you don’t succumb to these triggers.

Smoking is an alternative people use to lose weight. Nicotine is an appetite suppressant, so by eating more you’re going to eliminate triggers which are induced by hunger.

By taking these quitting smoking tips on board, you’re on the path to a healthier life. If you’re not ready to fully wave goodbye to your smoking habit, consider alternatives like vaping e-liquid, which are a good place to start.

by

Four Common Mistakes that People Make when Quitting Smoking

When people do their research about quitting smoking, they rarely look for what not to do when they’re trying to stop this bad habit. Often, people fail to quit smoking not because they don’t know the steps towards the goal; instead, they don’t know the pitfalls that they’ll encounter while trying to reach the goal.

To help you have a better chance on how to quit smoking, here are four common mistakes that people make while trying to quit, and how you can avoid them:

  1. You can’t quit smoking if you have the wrong motivation.

The first step to effectively quit smoking is to figure out your motivation. Ask yourself: Why do I want to quit? When people answer this question, the common answers include “I want to be healthy” or “I’m doing this for my family.” However, although their reasons are good enough to quit, their motivations may be in the wrong place. Your motivation should not be “I’m staying away from cigarettes” but “I’m making healthier choices.” Try to make every motivation as positive as your reasons to quit smoking.

  1. You can’t quit without proper research.

Quitting smoking isn’t as easy as not buying a pack of cigarettes on your way to work. It’s not as easy as throwing away your lighter or avoiding the smoking area at your office. You need to do proper research about withdrawal symptoms and ways to make quitting much easier for you. What classes can you attend? Which support group can you join? What actionable steps can you take when you’re really itching for another puff of smoke? These are just a few of the questions that you need to find the answers to before you can even begin to consider quitting smoking.

  1. You can’t quit without the right plan.

After doing your research, you need to come up with a plan. Don’t quit cold turkey or else you’ll experience really bad symptoms as the days pass by. Start by cutting back on the number of cigarettes that you smoke daily. With each stick you don’t smoke, think of an alternative strategy that will “scratch the itch.” During this journey, you will also become irritable, so talk to your friends and family and ask for their support. You should also come up with activities that will transform your energy into good vibrations. Exercise and starting new hobbies will create positivity around you.

  1. You can’t quit if you’re thinking about failing.

If, in the back of your head, you’re already thinking about relapsing, then you’ve already failed. Quitting smoking takes a lot of mental effort, so you have to focus on the goal. Find ways to combat your triggers. If stress triggers you, then do an activity that relaxes and soothes you. For example, yoga works for some people. Meanwhile, if going to bars and nightclubs triggers you, then try to avoid this scene until you’re comfortable enough with not smoking.

Quitting smoking is a good decision but a hard goal to achieve. However, now that you know about the mistakes you may commit, ensure that you have a proper strategy while quitting.

these pitfalls, you will have a better chance of actually realizing this goal.

by

How to Get Started with Smoking Meat at Home

Smoking is a long and proven tradition to process protein. It is known to be healthier than frying or grilling, simply because you can have proteins such as beef, poultry, and seafood cooked at low temperatures to produce a very tender and flavorful dish.

Smoking is a lot easier than it was a few years ago. A lot of smaller restaurants and cooking enthusiasts at home are starting to smoke their own meat to get the best results. If you’re interested in giving smoking meat at home a try, here are a few basic things you need to know.

Pick a Good Electric Smoker

The avid smoking fans will tell you that you can get much better flavors using the more traditional wooden or charcoal smokers. This is true to a certain degree, but modern electric smokers are worthy alternatives to consider too.

Electric smokers are far more advanced and allow you to benefit from consistent results. You can still get a smoky flavor that is unique to traditional smokers by using the right wood chips, adding herbs, and allowing the meat to absorb flavors by letting it sit overnight.

Electric smokers are also easier to use in general, making them perfect for beginners. You can find the best smokers to pick up depending on your personal preferences with the help of review sites such as electricsmokercenter.com.

Choosing Wood Chips

As mentioned before, you can still get a smoky flavor by using the right wood chips. Keep in mind that wood chips are designed to produce different flavors when used to smoke meat. Choosing the right wood chips according to the flavor you want to achieve is one of the first things you should learn in the beginning.

Oak, for example, is great for bigger cuts of red meat. It is perfect for smoking over an extended period of time due to the more neutral and subtle flavor this type of wood produces. If you’re smoking pork, you can also go with apple or cherry wood chips to get that sweet flavor.

Mesquite, on the other hand, has a strong, unmistakable flavor. It is perfect for proteins that require only a short amount of time in the electric smoker, such as smaller cuts of red meat or seafood.

Know Your Protein

The last thing you want to master when you’re just getting started with smoking meat at home is the proteins you can smoke. Each meat requires specific handling to get the best results. A good example is when you want to smoke seasoned red meat. Wrapping the meat in aluminum foil and letting it sit overnight before smoking will bring out the best flavors.

With seafood, you want to keep the smoking time as short as possible. Seafood isn’t a durable protein, so to speak, and you want to be extra careful when smoking salmon or shrimp to maintain its stunning texture.

Smoking meat is a lot of fun. The more you learn the basics, the more you will find it interesting to explore. With the basic tips and tricks we have covered in this article, you can get started with smoking meat at home right away.

A Million Lives

Travelling in all its glory is fun and exhilarating but sometimes you might want to find some information on where to go, what to see and how to go about it from someone other than the go-to websites, especially when it comes to travel hacking and the coolest, most useful ways to get the most out of your next adventure.

Recent Posts