Have you often thought that you need to quit using tobacco products but are not sure just how to go about it?

There are ways to assist you so you’re not alone in your quest for a healthier and longer life. Bridgeway Center, Inc., in partnership with FSU’s College of Medicine, offers the Area Health Education Center Tobacco Cessation Program called Quit Smoking NOW to patients, clients, patient/client caregivers, staff, and staff families free of charge. Patients/clients who have a substance abuse diagnosis or a mental illness diagnosis will find the benefit of the smoking cessation program improves their chance for sustained recovery.

When you stop smoking changes happen immediately! The air around you is no longer dangerous to children and other adults. After 20 minutes your blood pressure drops to normal, pulse rate drops to normal, temperature in hands and feet increase to normal. After 2-12 weeks circulation improves, breathing improves, and walking becomes easier. As your smoke free time increases so does your increase in a healthy life. Find ways to re-direct your cravings such as changing your daily routine, drinking more water, and increasing your exercise. If you work in a building with an elevator, or have access to one, take a break and ride it, you can’t smoke in elevators.

Nicotine replacement therapy is also a way to help with cravings. These can be purchased over-the-counter and don’t require a prescription. NRT comes in the form of patches, gum, and lozenges. NRT slowly provides a small amount of nicotine through your mouth or skin. The patch is a long-acting NRT and the gum and lozenges are short-acting. The use of gum or lozenges is one of the keys to your success.

Some tips to help you succeed in your attempt to stop smoking are: if you feel anxious, try going for a walk, working out, or any activity you would normally do to relax. Does your not smoking making you hungry? Try eating veggies, make a salad or have some of your favorite raw veggies to replace your smoking. Do you have coffee and a cigarette first thing in the morning? Changing this habit is as easy as switching to tea, or having your first cup of coffee an hour after waking. Ice water is also a good way to help with cravings. Find what works for you and stick to it…you can beat this!

The public is made aware of the dangers of second hand smoke, but not many people are aware of third hand smoke. This is the smoke residue that is deposited on walls, furniture, carpets, etc. It affects animals and children by contact. When a child or animal crawls or walks on the floor and then puts their hand or paw in their mouth they are being affected by third hand smoke. The nicotine is entering their system by physical contact, not by breathing in the smoke. Be mindful of the dangers smoking has not only on you but on those you love.

There are resources available to help you quit smoking and using tobacco products. Don’t do it alone. Some resources are free to the public as well as the availability of NRT products.

To talk to a “Quit Coach” call 1-877-U-CAN-NOW (1-877-822-6669). Online help is available at www.quitnow.net/florida, or if face-to-face meetings work best for you, find local classes at www.ahectobacco.com.

Remember, with the determination to quit, the support of friends and family, and the help of available resources, you can enjoy and happy and healthy life.

WANT TO GO?

QUIT SMOKING CLASSES: open to the public. For more local classes, see the calendar at http://www.ahectobacco.com/calendar/.

•5-6 p.m. Oct. 8 and 15, Crestview Health Center, 4100 S. Ferdon Blvd., Crestview, 682-1164.

•10-11 a.m. Oct. 9 and 16, Okaloosa Dept. of Health, 810 E. James Lee Blvd., Crestview, 689-7808.

•5:30-6:30 p.m. Oct. 13, North Okaloosa Medical Center, 151 E. Redstone Ave., Crestview, 689-8100.

Mary Cox is a tobacco treatment specialist for Bridgeway Center, Inc.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Quit Smoking Now program, classes available

Anxiety, hypertension, elevated heart rates, interrupted sleep patterns and headaches are just some of the side effects commonly associated with energy drinks, and those problems are more pronounced in children, according to a recent University of Miami study.

But that’s just the tip of the iceberg. These drinks have also been linked to heart palpitations, strokes and sudden death.

The term “energy” drink is an unfortunate misnomer, says food science expert Budge Collinson. They don’t give your body energy; they stimulate you with brief jolts of caffeine and unregulated herbal stimulants, he says.

“Soccer moms and dads buy these ‘stimulant’ drinks for their kids before matches because both kids and parents want that competitive advantage,” says Collinson, founder of Infusion Sciences and creator Youth Infusion, a natural multivitamin beverage that helps people maintain consistent and healthy higher energy levels. 

“For a few moments, you’ll get that spike, but it’s a short-term experience with a heavy long-term toll.”

So, what are some ways kids can get a healthy energy boost? Collinson offers the following tips.

•  Go for a speedy bike ride together, take a brisk walk or hold foot-races in the yard.Numerous studies demonstrate the power of vigorous exercise in boosting energy. Exercise pumps more oxygen – pure, healthy fuel — into the bloodstream and to the brain and muscles for a short-term energy boost. Exercising regularly will increase lung capacity, so the body will gets more oxygen on a sustained level for the long term. Exercise also releases endorphins, the body’s natural feel-good chemical, which makes us feel happy. And happy people are energized people.

•  Seek nutrition from a variety of sources. As humans, we need more than 40 different vitamins and minerals to keep our bodies functioning optimally. Since there is no single food that contains them all, it is important for children and adults to eat a variety, including as many different vegetables and fruits as possible. Adding a daily multivitamin supplement with essentials such as CoQ10, arginine, theanine, resveratrol and magnesium can help ensure bodies young and old are running at top speed.

Even mild dehydration can leave children (and adults) feeling listless, so encourage children to make a habit of drinking plenty of water. Kids need more water than adults because they expend more energy, and they may not recognize when they’re slightly thirsty. Parents, too, often don’t recognize the signs of dehydration; a national survey of more than 800 parents of kids ages of one month to 10 years found that more than half feel they don’t know enough about dehydration. A quick, light pinch of the skin on the child’s hand or arm is an easy check. If the skin is slow to resume a smooth appearance, the child is likely at least mildly dehydrated.

Budge Collinson founded Infusion Sciences. Collinson earned a bachelor’s degree in food and resource economics from the University of Florida and certification from the National Academy of Sports Medicine. Recently, he became a member of the American Academy of Anti-Aging Medicine and consistently attends the Natural Products Expo, where he learns the latest science and news about nutritious ingredients. Collinson is also a go-to source for media outlets across the country for healthy lifestyle and food source discussions.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Why your kid shouldn’t be guzzling ‘energy’ drinks

CRESTVIEW — With a giggle, Skylar Calhoun, 7, got on the floor and put her feet up on her chair. With her legs elevated, the Brownie Scout demonstrated the position in which a person in shock should be placed.

Skylar and 19 pals in Girl Scout Troop 676 learned outdoor safety and basic first aid techniques from7th Special Forces Group (Airborne) medics Sgts. Fred Gonzalez and Matthew Roper.

Skylar’s dad, Staff Sgt. Kirby Calhoun, was instrumental in arranging his comrades and their commander, Capt. Riley McEvoy’s, visit with the troop.

“They have a lot of training,” Calhoun said while introducing the medics. “They work in hospitals and in the field and do a lot of cool stuff. Even when it’s dangerous they come and take care of us.”

Adult leader Jaime Tambone, who started the troop with just four girls two years ago, said speakers from various backgrounds benefit the 27 girls as they earn different merit badges.

GOOD QUESTIONS

While visiting the troop’s meeting Monday afternoon, Roper and Gonzalez were peppered with questions.

“What do you do if you’re whitewater rafting and someone falls out of the boat and you can’t catch up with them?” Autumn Bell asked.

Rafters should be advised in advance to swim at an angle to escape the water’s current, get to shore and wait for the boat to rescue them, Roper advised.

The girls’ questions varied from snake and shark bites to broken limbs, asthma attacks, drowning, broken bones, sprains, allergic reactions, poison ivy and “really poisonous spiders.”

In all cases, Gonzalez stressed, “keep calm. It doesn’t help if everyone’s freaking out. Make sure the person’s calm and be calm yourself.”

The medics explained that most wildlife bites or stings only if disturbed or surprised. Hikers and campers should watch where they place their hands and feet to avoid an attack, they said.

“Don’t stick your hands in any dark holes,” Roper said, noting there are only two poisonous spiders in the area, the black widow and the brown recluse, whose bite is the most dangerous due to flesh-killing toxins in its venom.

After their presentation, during which they displayed some of the contents of their first-aid backpacks, the medics said speaking to the girls was a pleasant change from the safety briefings they give fellow soldiers.

“It is different,” Roper said. “I had to think of some other words to use, though. It was fun.”

EmailNews Bulletin Staff Writer Brian Hughes, follow him on Twitteror call 850-682-6524.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: 7SFG(A) medics help Girl Scouts earn first aid merit badges (VIDEO/PHOTOS)

CRESTVIEW — Saturday's Blue Jean Ball is more than a night of gourmet food, desserts and dancing.

The benefit is a chance to help friends, family and neighbors receiving Covenant Hospice’s end-of-life care.

The Rev. Sherrell Compton, administrative pastor at the Crestview New Life International Worship Center, Church of God, knows the value of Covenant’s services.

In May, her sister, Lisa Paterson Douglas, died of renal kidney failure.

“When they said we have to call in hospice, I said, 'Call Covenant,'” Compton said. “A covenant is an important word. They make a promise to do all they can to help the person. They made a covenant to take care of my sister.”

'GREAT EXPERIENCE'

Compton, a member of Covenant Hospice’s community advisory board,  was familiar with its services and commitment to care.

“It was a great experience for me because I’ve had the opportunity to be a part of their organization,” Compton said. “This gave me the opportunity to see what it’s like on the inside.

Covenant Hospice’s focused attention benefited family members almost as much it did her sister, Compton said.

“The 24-7 care really impressed me,” she said. “They wanted to make sure she was comfortable as possible and was pain-free.

“And not only did they make sure she was comfortable, but for family members who visited, they brought snacks and drinks. They made sure the family members were taken care of as well.”

Covenant Hospice’s team of physicians, nurses, social workers, chaplains, home health aides and trained volunteers makes regular visits to deliver medical care, help with personal care or facilitate legacy-building or reconciliation with family and significant others, senior development and communications manager Jenni Perkins stated.

EXTENDED LIFE

Care doesn’t end when a loved one has died, Perkins said.

“We also provide support for survivors as they move through bereavement to renewal,” she stated in an email.

Compton’s appreciation for her sister’s care and what Covenant Hospice does for the community led her to pay it forward.

Beautiful Ones, her church’s Women of Valor young women’s ministry, partnered with Moulton’s Pharmacy to provide personal care products for hospice patients.

“We adopted Covenant as our community outreach program,” Compton said. “I feel like Lisa’s life was extended because of the care that was given to her.”

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WANT TO GO?

WHAT:“Arabian Nights” Covenant Hospice Blue Jean Ball

WHEN:6 p.m. Saturday

WHERE:Crestview Community Center, 1446 Commerce Drive

COST:$60 each

NOTES:Tickets available at Covenant Hospice, 4100 Ferdon Blvd. S., 682-3628 or www.covenanthospice.org

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FAST FACTS

In 2013, Crestview's Covenant Hospice office:

•Served 200 patients and their families; 35 percent had cancer

•116 Covenant Hospice volunteers provided 2,142 hours of service

•Crestview and Fort Walton Beach Covenant Hospice staff members delivered 36 end-of-life care programs worth 272 credit hours to 429 healthcare professionals

•10 full-time and three part-time staff members serve the Crestview office

Email News Bulletin Staff Writer Brian Hughes, follow him on Twitter or call 850-682-6524.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Crestview pastor says hospice's care extended her sister's life