I don’t smoke, but I have a lot of friends who do. When I’ve asked some of them how long they’ve been craving nicotine, many—to my disappointment—admitted getting into it only a few years prior.

It was the social thing to do in college, one of my friends said, lighting up while we were driving one afternoon. It was hard for me to meet people. But at parties, these huge groups of people would be outside smoking. I’d go out there, bum a smoke, and talk to everyone. She exhaled, trying to blow it out the window, but only succeeding in covering me with poison. I tried not to breathe, and nodded.

Another time, a different friend and I were backpacking through Europe. Our hostel had a small back porch, and a lot of people sat outside at night and smoked. Whenever we would go out there, she’d light up, and start talking to everyone. I knew she wasn’t a big smoker, and it felt strange to watch her light cigarette after cigarette, laughing and joking and going through a half a pack in only a few hours.

You know, I said as we were going to sleep that night (in a room that consisted of us, and 7 Argentinean boys…so I guess when I say sleep, I mean, “as we were attempting to try to sleep, something that never happened the whole time we were there”) you could just go out and talk to people and not smoke. Just because other people are smoking, you don’t have to. Read More »

I can recall a specific conversation with a friend who invited me to go to a Hookah bar. “No, thanks,” I replied. “I’m not a huge fan of really smoky environments.” She looked at me like I was nuts and replied, “It’s hookah, it’s, like, more healthy, cause you are smoking it out of water.”

Hm, well I can’t say that I was ever really totally sold on the argument that any type of smoking is considered “healthy,” but now there is new research out that suggests smoking hookah can be just as harmful as cigarette smoking. And, not to sound like an anti-tobacco ad or anything, but we all know the effects of tobacco on a person.

“Using a water pipe to smoke tobacco is not a safe alternative to cigarette smoking,” the U.N. health agency said in a seven-page document on the practice. “Contrary to ancient lore and popular belief, the smoke that emerges from a water pipe contains numerous toxicants known to cause lung cancer, heart disease and other diseases.” USA Today.

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If there was a magic potion I could take to rid me of my sweet tooth, I’m not going to lie, I would probably take it. The day I swear off sweets for good always somehow falls on the same day of an office party at work or someone’s birthday, aka lots of cake and sugary foods to ruin any type of healthy kick.

Apparently, the makers of Sugarest read my mind. These tablets supposedly rid you of your sugar cravings for 20-30 minutes after you place it in your mouth for a few minutes. The main ingredient causes sugary foods to lose their sweetness. Sounds like a pretty sweat deal right? Anticipate a need for a treat, pop a pill, suck on it, and voila! You have conquered sugar.

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