Lung and throat cancer, tuberculosis, asthma, bronchitis and weakening of the immune system are among the many diseases and ailments smoking inflicts on our body. Smoking can also compromise sexual performance.



But there is good news - you can quit smoking. And you better quit smoking before it is too late, or when the smoking-related disease is hard to cure or irreversible.

While many doctors believe that the damage caused to the body by heavy smoking (at least one pack a day) will take months or even years to reverse, it is still worth it to save your body from further damage.

Many smokers have tried to quit smoking by abruptly stopping their habit immediately, only to go back to their habit one or two days later. Better to quit smoking gradually. Before we go to the steps on how to gradually quit smoking, it is very important that the decision to quit be made from the start. Otherwise, everything will be futile.

To strengthen your willpower, build up the motivation deep inside to rebuild your health, and enjoy life more. Or even to save money.

We recommend these steps:

1.) Reduce the number of cigarettes per day - going from a pack a day to ten per day then to five per day is easier compared to going from a pack a day to nil. Eventually, you have to go from one a few sticks (less than five per day).

When you reach the phase where you smoke less than half a pack a day, try to discard that cigarette when it is consumed halfway. And it will only be matter of time when you can go less than five sticks per day to one or two, then to zero.

2.) Set a no-smoking day - a weekend would be fine, since this is the time you are away from work (where there is much tension and stress that force many people to smoke). However, do not remain idle, since idleness also encourages smoking. Better to keep busy with leisure activities or your family. Just don't remain idle.

3.) Calculate your savings - calculate how much you are saving from reducing the number of sticks you are not burning. As your savings pile up, you should build up more motivation to quit smoking.

4.) Eat snacks - a few psychologists link smoking to an oral need, and smoking is one of the many ways to satisfy that oral need. So if you feel like eating a snack or two in between meals just satisfy that oral need, then go ahead! Gaining some weight is better off than destroying your body. Besides, you can shave that weight later (more on that).

5.) Practice meditation - tension (from one's job and what have you) is one of the many factors causing people to smoke. To better deal with tension, start practice meditation.

If you can't attend those meditation classes, try one of these many CDs offered in the internet that helps achieve meditative states (a more relaxed yet active state of mind) that can help people better deal with tension and stress.

6.) Go out an enjoy the fresh air - as the number of sticks you smoke goes down to less than five of which you discard halfway, try trekking to the outdoors where you can enjoy nature and lots of fresh air. And start thinking: this is the type of air you want to get into your lungs (and not toxic smoke from cigarettes).

7.) Educate yourself - start or continue reading and educating yourself about the dangers of smoking. The more knowledge you accumulate on the subject matter, your will to quit will become stronger.

8.) Be aware of withdrawal symptoms and tolerate them - irritability, lacking focus or concentration and the craving to eat snacks and junk food are just some of the withdrawal symptoms associated with quitting smoking. Better to know more about them than to guess to yourself as to what is happening to you. Anyway, many of the symptoms eventually disappear as you adopt a smoke-free attitude.

Using nicotine patches can also help, but quitting without using such is possible. Once you are no longer a smoker, try enrolling in a vigorous exercise program (with your physician's clearance) and watch how your body and endurance becomes stronger. For sure, you won't want to smoke anymore once you see your body getting stronger.