Counseling Sheet

Agatha M. Thrash, M.D.
Preventive Medicine

‍DAY 1

Psychological:

‍One of the characteristic attributes of man is the ability to learn, to modify behavior as a result of experience or judgment. Today, make a deliberate, reasoned choice to stop smoking and set in motion certain processes that will ensure that your decision is backed up by your actions.

• Say, "I choose not to smoke," several times during the day.
• Call your "buddy." Encourage your buddy to completely quit today.
• Tell others about the meetings. Ask other smokers to attend with you.

Physical:

Diet

‍Fast on the first day. To follow the diet closely is important for all five days. Cravings are known to be associated with eating certain foods.

‍What to avoid

• Comics, TV, other smokers. The suggestions and images made on the mind by these modalities are best avoided for a few days.
• Alcohol. You need all the strength of neurons working for you during this week. Alcohol reduces neuronal strength.
• Spices (including black pepper), aspirin, sugar and other sweets, coffee, tea, and colas. These are all known to initiate cravings.

Water

• Drinking plenty of water promotes cleansing of the tissues.
• Two cool showers daily are recommended to give a gentle stimulant effect, and to remove any toxic substances that may be excreted by the skin.

Breathing

• Rhythmical. This maneuver consists of a series of moderately deep breaths, in and out through the nose. It can be done while you are busy at your work. Very soothing to cravings.
• Pulmonary gymnastic. This exercise is designed to return your respiratory structures to as good a condition as possible. It will promote elasticity, cleansing of debris from surfaces, and opening up of plugged air passages. This exercise also promotes good digestion and lifts a gloom from the spirits.

Walking

• Make that coffee break an exercise break.
• Get 20 minutes of walking. Gear your pace and time to your level of physical conditioning.

DAY 2

Psychological:

‍It is a law of the mind that an established habit tends to "reinforce" itself with each repetition. On the other hand, a habit denied tends to undergo "extinction." Make full use of this law of the mind today to extinguish an unwanted habit.

• "I choose not to smoke," a decision you need to make again today, deliberately planning your course so that it leads to a non-smoker's life.
• Call your "buddy." Make yourself feel partly responsible for his success.
• Tell others, if you can report success, understand that to tell others will strengthen your position as a non-smoker.

Physical:

Diet

‍Break your fast tomorrow morning with bread, fruit, and sugar-free cereals. For dinner, have the same three types of foods. Eat generously, but do not overeat. Buy some exotic fruit if you would like; you can afford it now that you are not smoking.

‍What to avoid

‍During these five days, continue to avoid things that suggest smoking, also people who smoke, and foods that stimulate cravings.

Water

• Keep up the water drinking. The key to quantity is the color of the urine. Keep it pale, almost colorless.
• Today is the day to begin the cold mitten friction. After your usual slightly warm shower, turn off all hot water and carefully dance around in the cold water for 10-20 seconds, vigorously frictioning the body with a coarse wash cloth wherever the cold water strikes the skin. Use a coarse towel to friction the skin dry. Try to work up a rosy color to the skin.

Breathing

‍Continue the rhythmical and gymnastic breathing exercise.‍

Walking

‍Check your own pulse. Try to keep your pulse continuously over 100 for 20 minutes on a stretch. This is the length of time required to achieve a "training effect" on the heart and lungs.

‍DAY 3

Psychological:

‍The proper use of the will is as a rudder is used on a ship, to give direction, not power. When you are tempted to smoke, the proper use of the will causes you to turn in another direction from the temptation. Then you must use the power or strength of the muscles of the body to physically remove yourself from the tempting object. Finally, use the power or strength of the mind to think of other subjects than the object of temptation. Thus, the three factors, the decision of the will, the strength of the muscles, and the effort of the mind, are all used to direct the actions, and prevent your yielding to the suggestion to smoke. The direction-making, and the ability to continue with an action are two separate functions of the mind. Both need to be exercised in order to be successful in breaking a strong neuromuscular habit such as smoking.

• "I choose not to smoke."
• Call your "buddy" today with a strong word of encouragement.
• Resist discouragement. Tomorrow is often the longest day. By now you should understand much about the psychological and physical factors involved in breaking a long-established habit.

Physical:

Diet

‍Add nuts to your breakfast of cereals, breads, and fruits. Make dinner a simple vegetable meal with peanut butter as a spread on whole grain bread. Have a light supper several hours before going to bed.

‍Remember to drink 6-10 glasses of water daily. Continue to get the benefits of two cool showers daily.

The breathing exercises should be paying dividends in improved respiratory function.

Keep the resting pulse well under 80 by a judicious program of daily exercise. Walking and gardening are highly recommended.

You should be able to tell that your digestion is improving. You may be sleeping better, having better appetite, and showing other signs of good health.

‍DAY 4

Psychological:

‍Come to understand as many reasons as possible that will explain why the smoking habit is injurious. Review each day's instructions. Keep busy. Idleness is the strength of bad habits. Do not give up the struggle even though your resolutions are like ropes of sand and are broken once, twice, a thousand times; that merely shows how firmly entrenched the habit is and how determined you must be to become victorious. Rethink the matter through. Understand at what point you were caused to fail, and guard that point carefully in the future. Do not think it an easy thing you have undertaken. You will not be secure in a day against a habit that has taken years to establish.

‍Physical:

‍Continue former instructions relating to drinking water, exercise, showers, and breathing.

Diet. Eat a wide variety of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and nuts. The ideal diet consists of the following:

‍Generous Breakfast

• Main dish (see examples*)
• Raw fruit
• Other fruit (may be raw, also)
• Whole grain bread
• High protein spread or side dish (see examples*)

Good Dinner

• Main dish (see examples*)
• Raw vegetable or salad
• Cooked vegetable
• Whole grain bread
• High protein spread or side dish (see examples*)

Spare Supper

• Fruit or fruit sauce Grains (bread, crackers, cereals)

Examples of main dishes: meat, milk, eggs, beans and all other legumes, brown rice and all whole grains, nuts, Irish and sweet potatoes.

‍Examples of spreads and side dishes: peanut butter, sesame butter, almond or other nut butters, margarine, olives, avocado, seeds and nuts, brown gravies, and some of the many soy spreads.

‍DAY 5

Psychological:

‍Review the reasons why you decided to stop smoking and say to yourself, "I choose not to smoke." Call your "buddy." Tell others what you are learning about health. Advise the young to avoid starting smoking, as it tends to destroy the weight control mechanism. (See Arch-Environ. Health, vol. 28, June 1974, p. 327)

‍Physical:

‍Things overweight people have in common:

• Skip or skimp on breakfast
• Eat too fast, chew poorly, take bites that are too big
• Do not drink adequate water
• Do not have adequate exercise
• Like refined foods
• Use fermented or aged products such as vinegar, pickles, mustard, cheese, and overripe fruit
• Use salt freely (recommend less than 1 teaspoon a day)
• Like caffeine-containing drinks and other stimulants
• Use stomach irritants, such as alcohol, pepper, and spices
• Do not have a definite satiety level
• Do not understand the proper use of willpower (See day 3 instructions.)

You do not need to gain weight. The same factors that helped you to stop smoking will help you not to gain weight.

Drinking plenty of water helps one to control the appetite, since much that is felt to be hunger is actually thirst.

Make it a lifelong habit to breathe deeply every time you stand up and every time you pass through a door.

Continue walking and other outdoor exercise. Vigorous outdoor exercise helps one in the control of the appetite.