Nicotine and atkins
The following message was posted by Michael who goes by "mapasone" on the board. Michael is 55 years old and joined our board in November of '03. He wanted to share this information with others since he was a "smoker" not long ago. Please read his very informative post and if you have thought about quitting in the past, after reading Michael's article, please think about it again. I'm sure he will be happy to receive PM's from members who may want to ask him questions.

This answers a lot of questions I had about smoking while doing this WOL. Those stalls and sugar cravings are from the smoking and Atkins is the perfect way to live and kick the addiction of nicotine!

Light a cigarette and inhale. This takes 7 seconds. During this inhalation, nicotine enters the blood stream through the nasal membranes and rushes directly to the brain. This is a faster transfer method than direct intravenous injection. Once in the brain, nicotine causes large releases of Dopamine and Serotonin neurotransmitters. These neurotransmitters cause that 'relaxed and powerful' feeling. But soon the brain cells become resistant to these neurotransmitters. The brain then requires even more nicotine to create the same effect. Smoking becomes addictive and self-perpetuating.

Seven seconds to fifteen minutes later, nicotine also enters the liver, which in turn releases sugar into the blood stream. This results in a physical uplift, not from the cigarette, but from the release of sugar into the blood stream. Combined with the high neurotransmitter levels, you feel confident and full of energy.

Due to the high sugar content in the blood, the pancreas will release insulin into the blood stream and blood sugar levels will drop lower than when you started to smoke. At the same time, neurotransmitter release also stops. This combination makes you feel fatigued, irritable, hungry and craving another cigarette! This same cycle occurs when you eat candy bars. This is why it is important to avoid sweets as much as possible. Sweets can trigger the desire to smoke.

Fifteen to twenty minutes after beginning to smoke, the nicotine stimulates the nervous system and causes the release of adrenaline into the body, producing increased heart rate and respiration along with feelings of tension. This tension begins just when blood sugar and neurotransmitter levels are "crashing".

Because of the tense feelings, and because of the lower blood sugar and neurotransmitter levels, you begin to desire another cigarette, which has the false illusion of helping you to relax, and thus the smoking cycle begins again!

The addictive effects of smoking and nicotine appear very depressing when the true reality of it is presented as it is in the above section. But it is also a reality that this progression is physically rewarding and pleasurable while it is happening. Because of the physical pleasures, most people find it difficult to overcome the immediate pleasures despite the well-known health risks involved in smoking. Studies have shown that most of the decisions we make are made by the subconscious mind. Since birth, our subconscious minds have been programmed to seek pleasure and avoid pain. This lifelong programming makes it very difficult for most people to delay an immediate gratification in favor of future health benefits.