• Quit Smoking
• Get Sensible Exercise
• Get Tested for Diabetes
• Control High Blood Pressure
• Form a Partnership for Health
• Keep Alcohol Use Moderate
• Strive for Balance
• Maintain a Health Body Weight

• What is Blood Pressure? What Happens When It's High?
• How is Blood Pressure Checked and What Do the Numbers Mean?
• What Causes High Blood Pressure?
• Preventing High Blood Pressure
• If You Have High Blood Pressure

• Activities and Calories Used in Exercise
• Sample Walking Program
• Test Your Physical Activity and Heart Disease IQ
• Successful Exercise at a Glance

• Low-fat Cooking
• Eating Right in Every Location
• Diet tips at a Glance
• Calculate Your Body Mass Index
• Using the Food Label
• What is Cholesterol and Why Does it Matter?
• What Your Cholesterol Numbers Mean
• What Affects Blood Cholesterol Levels
• What Can You Do to Lower Your Blood Cholesterol
• Eating Right and Staying Active
• A Daily Food Guide
• Shopping the Heart-Healthy Way

Nicotine, which is contained in all cigarettes, is one of the most powerfully addicting chemicals and makes quitting smoking very difficult. However, the benefits of quitting smoking make this battle one worth fighting. When you stop smoking your body starts repairing itself almost immediately, and the risks of heart attack, stroke, and cancer are reduced continuously.

Additionally, more noticeable benefits may begin within only a few days. These include:

• Three to four days after you quit smoking, cravings for cigarettes start to lessen as nicotine leaves your blood.

• After two years, your risk of heart disease is nearly as low as that for a nonsmoker.

• Your "smokers" cough becomes less and less severe.

• Food starts to taste better.

• Your sense of smell sharpens.

• Your clothes will smell laundry fresh.

• The nicotine stains on your hands or face will start to disappear.

• You’ll be saving money.

• You’ll feel more energetic.

Following are some steps you can take as you start your quest to become cigarette-free.

Step One

Develop a plan. For example: decide that you want to quit, and pick a date that you intend to quit for good.
Make a list of the reasons you would like to quit. Add to your list as other reasons occur to you.

Step Two

Stop yourself each time you light a cigarette. Most urges go away in two to three minutes, whether or not you give in to them. By taking that minute or two to think before you light up, you may realize that you are smoking as much from habit as from addiction. Make a list of the number of cigarettes you DID NOT smoke because you decided you didn't really need that cigarette. You might find that you could reduce your