What Should I Eat?
Food Portion Awareness
Holiday Nutrition Tips
10 Easy Steps to Get More Active
Walking Vacations
Spa Vacations
How to Cut Down on Your Drinking
Heart Healthy Recipes
Walk 10,000 Steps a Day!
Healthy Weight Tips
Stop Smoking Now
Healthy Heart Exercise Tips
By Wendy Kohatsu, M.D.
East Tennessee State University
The same patterns of inertia that drag us back into our old habits are often the ones that put us at risk for heart disease in the first place take action! Exercise not only reduces your risk for further heart disease, but breaks up your day, reduces stress, and increases quality of life. Take a moment to ask yourself what you really need:
TIPS
1. Find an exercise buddy. Often, you are not alone in your quest for wellness. Make plans to exercise with a friend. Take your pet, spouse, or kids for a walk. Join a walking club.
2. Create a backup plan for exercise. For example, on rainy days, go to a mall to walk, or if your walking partner can't join you for a session, commit to going anyways.
3. Explore your exercise "style." Do you like being outdoors, or do you prefer exercising in the privacy of your own home? You may find you enjoy swimming, water aerobics, or biking better than walking. Any exercise you enjoy doing will make it easier for you to incorporate it into your daily life. Try dancing, check out a Pilates class, or see what your local recreation center offers.
4. Vary your exercise routine. During a workout, alternate periods of moderate walking with brisk walking (really swing those arms!), or even skipping. Listen to music you enjoy with a tempo that matches your pace. If you find you stop your walking routine after a few weeks, accept it, and switch to a new activity for the next few weeks.
5. Prepare your success. Set goals. Put exercise on your "to do" list, or day-planner. If weight loss is a goal, and you need a dose of motivation, take a photo of yourself in a bathing suit and post it over your mirror or on your refrigerator! Enlist the aid of a personal trainer to keep you committed to your fitness program.
6. Consider trying resistance training. Increasing your lean muscle mass through resistance training only not helps you burn calories more efficiently, but tones up flabby body areas, improves your physique and posture, and increases your strength so that your aerobic activities are actually easier to perform. Check out the book Strong Women Stay Young, by Miriam Nelson, Ph.D. for resistance exercises you can start at home.
7. If you find you have trouble adhering to exercise and other life goals, then stop and kindly ask yourself if depression or anxiety is blocking your efforts. Don't let depression or anxiety be the thief in the night robbing you of enjoying the fullness of life. Remember that exercise increases natural mood enhancers, painkillers, but talking with others or seeking professional help may be advised.
8. Making time to exercise and committing to regular workouts pays off in improved health, and efficiency so you work better, not longer. You are a survivor of heart disease, and a success, not a statistic. Remember, you're worth it!
What Should I Eat?
One of the most confusing and frustrating aspects of recovering from heart disease is learning how to eat a diet that's healthy for our heart. Many of us love to eat good food and love even more to cook. Unfortunately, we don't eat enough fruits, grains, and vegetables as we should, and face it we are creatures of habit, family traditions, and culture. Truth to tell, we probably eat too much fried foods, cream sauces, snacks foods, fast food, desserts, and red meats foods that contribute to the build up of fatty plaque in our arteries and put the pounds on! Both can kill us.
But the thought of doing without our favorite foods fried chicken, hamburgers, lobster mousse, lasagna, quesadillas, potato chips, chocolate cake, or ice cream is down right depressing! But we must face the fact that eating these foods sparingly (several times a month) or learning how to prepare them in more healthy ways is exactly what our heart disease requires.
Changing your eating habits, tastes, and cooking methods will take time and effort you'll need to be flexible and open to new tastes, and willing to learn new low-fat cooking methods and recipes. (Start buying or subscribing to Cooking Light, Vegetarian Times, or Weight Watchers magazines they all have great recipes!) You don't have to exist on rice cakes -- these food changes can be adventuresome and fun, and you may even come to prefer the taste of these new foods!
Make the changes gradually, learn how to bake and broil rather than fry foods, and experiment with lots of herbs and spices to add interesting new tastes to your food.
Mediterranean Diet
Research studies show that the Mediterranean Diet is very good for you heart. It emphasizes eating breads, pasta and grains, fruits, vegetables, nuts, olive oil, and cheese and yogurt each day. It also allows fish (salmon, especially) and chicken, eggs, and sweets a few times a week, and red meats a few times a month.
Drinking wine in moderation is permitted (for women that means one glass a day), but women who have had heart attacks should not drink any alcoholic beverages. Instead, they can get the same heart protective benefits in a glass of grape juice that are in a glass of red wine.
Some researchers advise that a non-fat vegetarian diet is more heart healthy while others suggest, Don't eat anything that ever had a face or Don't eat anything that ever moved. You are bound to get conflicting advice, so read books to educate your self about healthy foods and cooking methods. Also, ask your doctor or a registered dietician for advice.
New research studies are coming out almost every day that shed new light on healthy diets for women with heart disease. The National Coalition for Women with Heart Disease offers you the following link to subscribe to free E-mail newsletters from the Johns Hopkins Medical Center's award-winning Web site, InteliHealth.com. Follow the easy subscription directions and when you reach the heading "Weekly E-Mail Subscriptions," check the box for the Heart Health E-mail newslettter, as well as for others that may interest you; just click here.
Food Portion Awareness
Knowing Standard Serving Sizes Helps Control Calories
Penny M. Kris-Etherton, Anne Quinn Corr, and Valerie Fishell
The Pennsylvania State University
University Park, PA 16802
Portion sizes have increased markedly for many foods in recent years. Food descriptors such as "Super-size, King-size, Jumbo, Value Meal" are widely present in the contemporary marketplace in the U.S. These food products are higher in calories. Research has shown that when people are served larger portions, they eat more calories. Implicit to weight control is calorie control. The following recommendations for number of daily servings and serving sizes from the different food groups have been made by the USDA and AHA.
Bread, Cereal, Rice and Pasta Group:
(6-11 servings/day)
1 slice bread, ½ bagel (Lender's size)
1 cup of ready-to-eat cereal
½ cup cooked cereal, rice, pasta
1, 6" pancake or waffle
Vegetable Group
(3-5 servings/day)
½ cup cooked vegetables
1 cup leafy green salad
¾ cup vegetable juice
Fruit Group
(2-4 servings/day)
1 medium apple, banana, orange
½ cup chopped or canned fruit
¾ cup fruit juice
Milk, Yogurt, and Cheese Group
(2-3 servings/day)
1 cup milk or yogurt
1 ½ oz cheese
Meat , Dry Beans, Eggs & Nuts Group
(2-3 servings/day)
2-3 oz lean cooked meat
2 Tbsp peanut butter
½ cup beans
1 egg or 2 egg whites
½ cup tofu
Fats, Oils and Sweets Group
(use sparingly)
both naturally occurring and added
To visualize portions sizes use these familiar images as mental measuring cups and spoon. The palm of a woman's hand is about 4 ounces and the palm of a man's hand is about 6 to 8 ounces. Your thumb equals about 1 tablespoon. A computer mouse or a deck of cards is about the size of 3-4 ounces of meat. A baseball or tennis ball equals about 1 cup. A woman's fist is equal to about 1 cup of food. Visualizing the amount of food on your plate before you eat it will help you control portion sizes.
The National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute has recently released a Portion Distortion Quiz (http://hin.nhlbi.nih.gov/portion/index.htm). Click on this to take a fun and education excursion to learn more about how serving sizes have changed. This mini-quiz provides interesting information about the amount of physical activity needed to burn off the extra calories from larger portion sizes. You will be amazed to see how much portion sizes have increased.
The recipe(s) below are intended to provide one serving from the bread and cereal group, one from the meat group and at least two from the fruit and vegetable group. Not only will you be able to see what a standard serving is from the different food groups, but you also will experience a very satisfying and calorie controlled meal. Bon Appetit!
Penne with Asparagus, Chicken and Walnuts
Serves 8
2 teaspoons salt
1 pound penne
one half cup chopped walnuts
6 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
4 garlic cloves, chopped
1 pound asparagus, cut into one inch segments, tips reserved
one-half cup of chopped parsley
one-fourth teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
Freshly ground pepper, to taste
One half cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 pound cooked chicken, cut into bite-size pieces
Bring five quarts of water to a boil in a deep pot and add the salt and the penne. Stir to separate the pasta. Boil according to package directions. While the pasta is cooking, heat a sauté pan and toast the walnuts slightly. Remove to a pasta bowl when golden brown and fragrant. Add the olive oil and butter to the saute pan and heat. Add the garlic and cook briefly. When the pasta is still not fully cooked, two minutes before the end of its recommended cooking time, add the cut asparagus stems and cook for 1 minute. Add the tips and cook for another minute. Put the parsley and the crushed red pepper into the pasta bowl with the nuts. Drain the pasta and asparagus, and place it in the pasta bowl on top of the walnuts, parsley and peppers. Add the garlic mixture, the freshly ground pepper and the Parmesan cheese and cooked chicken. Toss well to combine. If desired, serve with additional grated Parmesan. This dish is good both hot and at room temperature.
Nutrition Information per serving: Calories 514, Total Fat 23 gm, Sat Fat 5.5 gm, Cholesterol 61 mg, Sodium 173 mg, Total Carb 46 gm, Dietary Fiber 2.5 gm, Sugars 3 gm, Protein 30 gm.
Each serving is 2 servings from the pasta group, 1 serving from the meat group, 1 serving from the vegetable group, ~ ½ serving from the cheese group, and 1 tbsp from the fats group.
Simple French Salad Dressing
Makes 8 servings
2 tablespoons cider vinegar
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
one half teaspoon sea salt
one half teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
one half cup sunflower oil or other neutral salad oil or light olive oil
24 ounces salad greens
Combine all ingredients except the oil and the greens in a 2 cup jar and shake to blend. Add the oil and shake again to mix ingredients together. Shake well just before serving on clean, dried greens.
*Tips*
If your vinegar is very acidic, you may need to add a small amount of sugar and a tablespoon or so of water.
Plan on using about 3 ounces of cold, dry greens per person for a side salad.
Add leaves of fresh herbs such as tarragon, parsley, oregano cilantro or dill to the greens mix for interesting flavor variations. A little fresh herb goes a long way.
Nutrition Serving per serving: Calories 135, Total Fat 14 gm, Sat Fat 2 gm, Cholesterol 0 mg, Sodium 171 mg, Total Carb 3 gm, Dietary Fiber 0 gm, Sugars 1 gm, Protein 1 gm.
Each serving is 1 ½ servings from the vegetable group and 1 tbsp from the fats group.
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Holiday Nutrition Tips
Savor the Holidays - Tips for Healthy Eating
Penny M. Kris-Etherton, Anne Quinn Corr, and Valerie Fishell
Department of Nutritional Sciences
Penn State University
The Holidays are here. With this comes an abundance of eating occasions, including parties, dinners and festive celebrations and these can pose challenges for weight control. However, savoring the Holidays is a part of our tradition and is not to be missed. Thus, being mindful of healthy eating practices you can make the transition to the New Year guilt free. Here are some simple eating tips for enjoying Holiday food and controlling calories throughout the season. The goal is to not gain weight and, yet, join in the Holiday fun.
1. Plan ahead and eat lightly throughout the day before a holiday party, but don't go to a party hungry. Eat something filling but low in calories right before you go to the party. Then you won't be tempted to overeat because you are so hungry.
2. Portion control is essential to calorie control. So, take small portions of foods. By doing this, you can enjoy a little bit of everything and not feel deprived.
3. Using the smallest plate available helps with calorie control and gives the impression of no food restriction.
4. Be keenly aware of all foods and beverages consumed. Focus on the festivities, not the food.
5. Eating slowly helps control calorie intake. When you are full, stop eating.
6. Avoid second helpings.
7. Choose lower calorie or calorie-free beverages such as fruit juice/punches or diet sodas or sparking water. Limit intake of eggnog and alcoholic beverages. Focus on low calorie fresh fruits and vegetables in place of high calorie, energy dense foods such as fried appetizers, chips, rich desserts.
8. For food preparation, strive to decrease calories in all dishes prepared. A simple way is to decrease fat in the recipe. Substitute applesauce and pureed dried plums in baked goods. Use an artificial sweetener such as Splenda where possible. Skim fat from sauces and gravies before serving.
These tips can help promote a healthy and, yet, enjoyable Holiday season. If you keep these tips in mind when you are hosting a party, your guests will enjoy themselves and not over indulge also. The following recipe illustrates one way to reduce calories and still have scrumptious food.
Cranberry Chutney
A chutney is a savory fruit condiment that adds lots of flavor with a minimum of calories. Try this at your next holiday gathering as an accompaniment to turkey.
Makes 2 quarts - enough to take you through the entire holiday season!
2 pounds cranberries
1 cup water
2 cups apple cider vinegar
6 seedless navel oranges (zest removed and reserved, white pith removed and discarded, pulp of each orange coarsely chopped)
2 cups white sugar
2 cups brown sugar
one half cup honey
1 tablespoon each of red pepper flakes, cinnamon, allspice, ginger, mace, salt
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 large onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
three fourths pound of raisins
Combine cranberries, water and vinegar in a large stainless saucepan and bring to a boil. Boil for 6 minutes or until the cranberries pop. While they are cooking, measure the remaining ingredients and place it all in a bowl. After the cranberries have burst, add the remaining ingredients and simmer until the consistency is jam-like, about 30 to 40 minutes. Stir frequently to prevent scorching. This makes a wonderful accompaniment to turkey.
Nutrient Analysis per 2 Tbsp
Calories 81
Total Fat 0
Cholesterol 0
Sodium 113 mg
Total Carbohydrate 22 gm
Dietary Fiber 2 gm
Sugars 17 gm
Protein 0 gm
Vitamin A 2%
Calcium 2%
Vitamin C 17%
Iron 2%
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30 Helpful Hints for a Healthier Weight from Shape Up America!
Here are some everyday, helpful hints to get you started, keep you going, and help you Shape Up:
- Never leave home starving. Always have a light snack before eating dinner in a restaurant, such as a piece of fruit, a glass of juice or a carrot.
- Don't go food shopping on an empty stomach! You'll be tempted to buy everything in sight.
- Out of sight out of mind: if you must keep tempting treats around, store them out of view, off counter tops and out-of-reach as possible.
- TV and meals don't mix. Watching the tube instead of watching your plate lulls you into overeating; so will the food and snack commercials.
- Make it a rule in your house to confine your meals to the dining room or kitchen table! And don't eat standing up!
- Think before you drink. Alcohol adds lots of calories, but no nutrients. Also, it weakens your willpower to avoid the wrong food choices.
- Begin a meal with non-cream hot soup; it forces you to eat more slowly and fills you up so you won't overeat.
- Savor the flavor! Rushing through your meals doesn't give your brain adequate time to register and signal you when you're full.
- When dining out, request sauces and low-calorie dressings on the side.
- There is no law that requires you to finish everything on your plate.
- Prepare a shopping list (with menu ideas in mind) and stick to the list.
- Use non-stick pans to reduce the need for cooking with fat.
- If you must use oil, try a flavorful one like olive or sesame oil and remember, a little goes a long way.
- A pinch of grated cheese (parmesan) or full bodied cheese (blue) will provide a flavorful kick without a lot of calories.
- If you cook in large quantities for you family, store left-overs in individual serving size containers.
- Nibbling off someone else's plate may seem harmless but those calories do add up!
- Drink six to eight glasses of water a day. A beverage before mealtime will also help you feel full faster and longer. Water also helps your body digest food, which is especially important now that you're eating a fiber rich diet.
- Hide and seek: store really tempting treats in opaque containers or silver foil and stick them in the back of the refrigerator.
- Are you stuffed? If you have to loosen your belt a few notches after meals, you're definitely eating too much!
- Mashed bananas, prunes, and applesauce are great baking substitutes for fat.
- When you choose to eat fast food, choose wisely: skip fried foods; avoid large portions; and opt for a small hamburger.
- Sauté foods, if possible, in chicken stock, low-sodium soy sauce, or water instead of fat.
- When cooking, broil, bake, roast, boil or stir-fry to leave the fat out.
- Sauces and soups can be thickened with a puree of potatoes instead of cream.
- Instead of eating directly out of a box, pour a reasonable portion onto a plate or bowl, and put the box away.
- If a recipe calls for a cup of oil, cut that amount in half; your taste buds won't know the difference, but your waistline will.
- Add spice to your life instead of fat; fresh herbs will perk up any dish without adding calories. Experiment with different ethnic foods and seasonings; they're full of flavor not fat.
- Freeze leftovers immediately so you can't raid the refrigerator later.
- Seconds, anyone? Watch portion size by dishing out meals and bringing plates to the table. Don't set bottomless bowls and platters where they'll tempt you to reach for more, unless it's a salad or bowl of vegetables. You can never get enough of those greens.
- Start saving now. When you reach your Healthier Weight target, you can buy yourself some fashionable new clothes!
Check out the Shape Up America! Web site www.shapeup.org which features a Cyberkitchen that helps you select healthy meal plans and a Health and Fitness Center that will help you determine how to become more physically active.
10 Easy Steps to Get More Physically Active
- Find a friend to join you in becoming more active. Exercising together will provide you both with support and encouragement to stick with exercising when you get tired or discouraged.
- Take a walk every day. Start smallwith a five-minute walk and gradually build up to at least 30 minutes or more each day. (Or take several fifteen-minute walks). Walking with a friend or spouse make the walks even more enjoyable.
- When watching television, get up and walk around or march in place during commercials. And hide your remote get up each time you want to change the TV channel.
- When at work, take the steps down (and several flights up) instead of the elevator. Hand deliver messages to colleagues instead of using the telephone or E-mail.
- Going to and from work, park you car several blocks from your office or get off at several bus stops before your stop. Walk the rest of the way.
- When talking on the telephone, get up and walk around. Dance when listening to music.
- When you go shopping at a mall, walk twice around the mall before you start shopping. Also, park your car far from the mall as possible. (Many malls open early for morning walking clubs see if your mall has one).
- Include active activities walking, golfing, hiking, bicycling, skating, or swimming in your vacation plans.
- Be sure to drink lots of water before, during, and after you exercise.
- Try several kinds of exercise and find ones that you really enjoy.
Before you begin exercising, talk with your doctor to see if you should take any precautions.
Walking Vacations
Many women with heart disease are including physical activity in their vacation plans as a way to improve their overall health and fitness. Weight Watchers Magazine listed the following companies that offer vacation packages that include walking tours, cycling, and hiking.
NOTE: Most of these trips are not for beginner walkers or cyclists so be sure to ask about the fitness level required for a particular trip. Also, check with your doctor to see if you'll need to take any precautions during the trip.
Backroads (800-GO-ACTIVE) features hiking, biking, and walking trips worldwide.
Butterfield & Robinson (800-678-1147) offers upscale (expensive!) walking and bicycling trips that include stops at five-star restaurants, inns, and hotels.
Country Walkers (800-464-9255) offer trips to 44 destinations around the world, including exotic places such as the Costa Rican rain forest and Asia Minor.
The Wayfarers (800-249-4620) offers six-day tours in 20 locations, including Ireland's Ring of Kerry and Italy's Cinque Terre.
Going Places (707-935-0595) offers leisurely walking tours in many locations -- from the Black Forest to the Olympic Peninsula in Washington State.
HF Holidays - A British nonprofit company staffed by volunteer leaders that offers inexpensive and friendly walking trips in Britain and special interest programs in Europe, North America, Costa Rica, New Zealand, and Nepal. To obtain their brochure, send an E-mail message to: hfholidays@compuserve.com (or call them at 011-44-181-905-9388).
Spa Vacations
The ultimate pleasure -- a stay at one of the nation's top spas where you will receive beauty treatments, massages, great tasting low-fat meals, and tips for long-term health and weight control. Go hiking or horseback riding, take brisk morning walks or water aerobics classes. There are many different types of spas in all price ranges - none of them is cheap but all are worth the investment in your health (rates quoted below are for each person in a double room). Traveler Magazine (September 1999) listed the nation's top spas as follows:
Destination Spas
Cal-A-Vie-Vista, CA (San Diego)
Tel: 760-945-2055
www.cal-a-vie.com
7-night stay starts at $4,400
Canyon Ranch - Lenox, MA
Tel: 800-742-9000
www.canyonranch.com
7-night stay starts at $2,670
Canyon Ranch Health Resort - Tucson, AZ
Tel: 800-742-9000
www.canyonranch.com
7-night stay starts at $2,250
The Golden Door - Escondido, CA (San Diego)
Tel: 760-744-5777
www.thegoldendoor.com
7-night stay starts at $4,750
The Greenhouse - Arlington, TX (Dallas)
Tel: 817-640-4000
www.thegreenhousespa.com
7-night stay starts at $4,775
Green Valley Spa - St. George, UT
Tel: 800-237-1068
www.greenvalleyspa.com
7-night stay starts at $2,400
Miraval - Catalina, AZ (Tucson)
Tel: 800-232-3669
www.miravalresort.com
7-night stay starts at $2,000
The Oaks at Ojai - Ojai, CA (Santa Barbara)
Tel: 805-646-5573
www.oaksspa.com
7-night stay starts at $945
Spas at Resort Hotels
The Spa at the Broadmoor - Colorado Springs, CO
Tel: 800-643-7711
www.broadmoor.com
3-night spa package starts at $938
Claremont Resort & Spa - Berkeley, CA
Tel: 800-551-7266
www.claremontresort.com
Spa package is $270/day
The Spa at Doral - Miami, FL
Tel: 800-713-6725
www.doralgolf.com
2-night spa package starts at $565
Spa Grande at the Grand Wailea Resort Hotel & Spa - Maui, HI
Tel: 800-772-1933
www.grandwailea.com
Spa package is $269/day
The Spa at Camelback Inn - Scottsdale, AZ (Phoenix)
Tel: 800-242-2635
www.camelbackinn.com
3-night spa package starts at $850
Ojai Valley Inn and Spa - Ojai, CA (Santa Barbara)
Tel: 800-422-6524
www.ojairesort.com
2-night midweek spa package is $1,036
The Peaks Resort & Golden Door Spa - Telluride, CO
Tel: 800-789-2220
www.thepeaksresort.com
4-night spa package starts at $1,990
PGA National Resort & Spa - Palm Beach Gardens, FL
Tel: 800-633-9150
www.pga-resorts.com
2-night spa package starts at $440
Mineral Water Spas
Glen Ivy Hot Springs Spa - Corona, CA
Tel: 888258-2683
www.glenivy.com
Daily admission is $24 (does not include sleeping room)
The Greenbrier Spa & Mineral Baths - White Sulphur Springs, WV
Tel: 800-624-6070
www.Greenbrier.com
5-day spa package is $2,756
The Homestead - Hot Springs, VA
Tel: 800-624-6070
www.thehomestead.com
2-night golf and spa package $378
Ojo Caliente Mineral Springs -
Ojo Caliente, NM (Santa Fe)
Tel: 800-222-9162
www.ojocalientespa.com
Daily rate starts at $99
Safety Harbor Resort and Spa -
Safety Harbor, FL (Tampa)
Tel: 888-237-8772
www.safetyharborspa.com
5-day spa package starts at $849
Sonoma Mission Inn & Spa Country Club -
Sonoma, CA
Tel: 800-862-49-45
www.sonomamissioninn.com
Spa package starts at $185/day
Two Bunch Palms - Desert Hot Springs, CA
Tel: 800-472-4334
www.twobunchespalms.com
Spa package starts at $310/day
How to Stop Smoking
Have you decided you want to quit smoking? It's the best and most important decision you can make to keep your heart healthy and avoid a first or second heart attack. But make sure the decision to quit is yours and yours alone, and that you are not doing it to please or impress someone else.
Once you've decided to quit:
- Write down, post on your refrigerator, and frequently read a list of the reasons why you want to stop smoking.
- If you have unsuccessfully tried to stop smoking before, identify why these attempts did not work. Plan ways to avoid these problems again.
- Prepare to cope with temporary withdrawal symptoms (drink lots of water, chew gum, or take frequent walks whatever works for you). Warn your friends that you may be restless, irritable, and cranky for awhile!
- Ask your family and friends to help you stop smoking. Better yet, find a friend to stop smoking with you so you can offer each other support and encouragement.
- Many women try all sorts of ways to stop smoking gradually, such as: switching to an Ultra Lights brand, gradually reducing the number of cigarettes smoked each day, smoking only half of each cigarette, smoking only when the craving becomes desperate, or forcing oneself to go to inconvenient places to smoke. Others go cold turkey.
However, research studies show that less than 5% percent of people successfully stop smoking without outside help, so be prepared to reach out and take advantage of programs and treatments that can help you. These include:
- Stop smoking programs are offered in your community by the American Lung Association (call 800-242-8721) and the American Cancer Society
(call 800-227-2345).
- Rx Medicine. Research studies show that a prescription medicine called Zyban (bupropion), coupled with a nicotine patch/gum and individualized counseling, has proven very successful in helping people stop smoking. Ask your doctor for advice.
- Ask your pharmacist to recommend filters, nicotine gum and patches, or other over-the-counter products to help stem your craving for nicotine.
- Hypnosis is often effective and available from hypnosis centers and individual therapists.
- Self-help methods include kits, books, videos, and online programs (such as www.stopsmoking.com, www.ucanquit.com, and www.habitrol.com).
Take steps to keep you yourself smoke-free forever, such as:
- Throw out all reminders of smoking: ashtrays, matches, lighters, and cigarette packs at home and work.
- Spend free time in smoke free environments, restaurants, and facilities.
- Drink lots of water and fruit juices.
- Avoid beverages that you associate with smoking, such as coffee, beer and wine.
- Keep you hands busy so you won't miss handling a cigarette.
- Keep oral substitutes handy, such as carrots, hard candies, chewing gum, or apples.
- Associate with nonsmokers whenever possible.
- Learn relaxation techniques and/or meditation. Practice deep breathing exercises.
- Take a 30-minute walk each day, or other forms of exercise, to avoid a major weight gain.
- Eat healthy meals and get lots of rest.
- Congratulate yourself each day you remain smoke free quitting smoking is hard work and, some say, more difficult than kicking a heroin habit. Be proud of and celebrate your accomplishments!!!
How to Cut Down on Your Drinking
NATIONAL INSTITUTE ON ALCOHOL ABUSE AND ALCOHOLISM
NATIONAL INSTITUTES OF HEALTH
If you are drinking too much, you can improve your life and health by cutting down. How do you know if you drink too much? Read these questions and answer "yes" or "no":
- Do you drink alone when you feel angry or sad?
- Does your drinking ever make you late for work?
- Does your drinking worry your family?
- Do you ever drink after telling yourself you won't?
- Do you ever forget what you did while you were drinking?
- Do you get headaches or have a hang-over after you have been drinking?
If you answered "yes" to any of these questions, you may have a drinking problem. Check with your doctor to be sure. Your doctor will be able to tell you whether you should cut down or abstain. If you are alcoholic or have other medical problems, you should not just cut down on your drinking--you should stop drinking completely. Your doctor will advise you about what is right for you.
If your doctor tells you to cut down on your drinking, these steps can help you:
1. Write your reasons for cutting down or stopping.
Why do you want to drink less? There are many reasons why you may want to cut down or stop drinking. You may want to improve your health, sleep better, or get along better with your family or friends. Make a list of the reasons you want to drink less.
2. Set a drinking goal.
Choose a limit for how much you will drink. You may choose to cut down or not to drink at all. If you are cutting down, keep below these limits:
Women: No more than one drink a day
Men: No more than two drinks a day
A drink is:
- a 12-ounce bottle of beer;
- a 5-ounce glass of wine; or
- a 1 1/2-ounce shot of liquor.
These limits may be too high for some people who have certain medical problems or who are older. Talk with your doctor about the limit that is right for you.
Now--write your drinking goal on a piece of paper. Put it where you can see it, such as on your refrigerator or bathroom mirror. Your paper might look like this:
|
My drinking goal
- I will start on this day ____________.
- I will not drink more than ______ drinks in 1 day.
- I will not drink more than ______ drinks in 1 week.
or
- I will stop drinking alcohol.
|
3. Keep a "diary" of your drinking.
To help you reach your goal, keep a "diary" of your drinking. For example, write down every time you have a drink for 1 week. Try to keep your diary for 3 or 4 weeks. This will show you how much you drink and when. You may be surprised. How different is your goal from the amount you drink now? Use the "drinking diary" below to write down when you drink.
|
Week:
|
| |
# of drinks
|
type of drinks
|
place consumed
|
| Mon. |
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Now you know why you want to drink less and you have a goal. There are many ways you can help yourself to cut down. Try these tips:
Watch it at home.
Keep a small amount or no alcohol at home. Don't keep temptations around.
Drink slowly.
When you drink, sip your drink slowly. Take a break of 1 hour between drinks. Drink soda, water, or juice after a drink with alcohol. Do not drink on an empty stomach! Eat food when you are drinking.
Take a break from alcohol.
Pick a day or two each week when you will not drink at all. Then, try to stop drinking for 1 week. Think about how you feel physically and emotionally on these days. When you succeed and feel better, you may find it easier to cut down for good.
Learn how to say NO.
You do not have to drink when other people drink. You do not have to take a drink that is given to you. Practice ways to say no politely. For example, you can tell people you feel better when you drink less. Stay away from people who give you a hard time about not drinking.
Stay active.
What would you like to do instead of drinking? Use the time and money spent on drinking to do something fun with your family or friends. Go out to eat, see a movie, or play sports or a game.
Get support.
Cutting down on your drinking may be difficult at times. Ask your family and friends for support to help you reach your goal. Talk to your doctor if you are having trouble cutting down. Get the help you need to reach your goal.
Watch out for temptations.
Watch out for people, places, or times that make you drink, even if you do not want to. Stay away from people who drink a lot or bars where you used to go. Plan ahead of time what you will do to avoid drinking when you are tempted.
Do not drink when you are angry or upset or have a bad day. These are habits you need to break if you want to drink less.
DO NOT GIVE UP!
Most people do not cut down or give up drinking all at once. Just like a diet, it is not easy to change. That is okay. If you do not reach your goal the first time, try again. Remember, get support from people who care about you and want to help. Do not give up!
All material in this pamphlet is free of copyright restrictions and may be reproduced or duplicated without permission from the Institute; citation of the source is appreciated.
Printed copies of this publication may be ordered from NIAAA by:
Telephone: (301) 443-3860
FAX: (301) 480-1726 or
it may be downloaded from the World Wide Web: http://www.niaaa.nih.gov
March 1996
NIH Publication No. 96-3770
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