Article by Wendy McCance

During the last few weeks, I have been fighting the flu.  I haven’t been this sick in quite some time.  The worst part this time I got sick was the amount of drainage I had.  Not to get graphic, but it got scary when it felt like it was starting to get into my lungs.

I should mention that I smoke cigarettes.  It started back in my early 20′s when I worked as a waitress.  Everyone I worked with smoked and I started smoking too.  A few years later, I began having kids and I quit smoking.  I refused to smoke while pregnant and did an okay job of staying away from cigarettes once they were born.

It wasn’t until my mid 30′s when I began working on the line at a truck plant that I began smoking again.  Sure I had the occasional cigarette before I worked at the plant, but it wasn’t something I did often.  At the truck plant, boredom mixed with depression over the work I did and the amount of time I was away from my kids  was enough to get me smoking again.  I would say at it’s worst, I smoked half a pack of cigarettes a day.

So, back to being sick.  When my lungs felt like they were filling with fluid, my breathing became hard and the experience scared the hell out of me.  I actually debated going up to the hospital because it was difficult to get a good breath in.

Well, that experience was enough to scare me out of smoking.  I began to picture what my daily life would end up like if I didn’t stop immediately.  I didn’t like what my future looked like so I stopped cold-turkey.

It’s been a few weeks now since I walked away from a life as a smoker.  It’s interesting what you start to pay attention to once you are motivated to live a healthier life.  I am looking forward to working out without becoming winded.  As soon as the weather is warm enough, I will begin to take bike rides around the area.  I am paying more attention to what I eat and I am losing my interest in sweets.  I have also begun oil pulling.  Not sure if you have heard of this, but it is when you swish a tablespoon of coconut oil around in your mouth for 20 minutes and then spit it out.  It is said that oil pulling makes your teeth whiter, gets rid of toxins and bacteria in your mouth and clears your skin.

I have used this oil pulling method for almost two weeks now.  My teeth do look whiter, but I can’t attribute it to the coconut oil.  It’s probably because I am not smoking.  My skin looks clearer and not to get to personal, but my body seems to have become quite regular in being able to get rid of waste.

I am excited to see how my lifestyle will evolve.  I am hoping that I continue to find ways to stay active and focus on eating right.  We’ll see how it turns out.

What about you?  Have you ever had an incident that caused you to really make over the way you take care of yourself?  I’d love to hear about your experiences.  Leave a comment below and let’s get a discussion going.

• About
• Latest Posts

Wendy McCance

Wendy McCance is a Michigan based freelance writer and social media consultant. Wendy has gained attention as the founder of the popular blog Searching for the Happiness which can be viewed in 6 local papers online, including the Oakland Press.The combination of writing skills and social media knowledge is what makes Wendy such a powerhouse to work with. Stay tuned for opportunities to advertise, guest post and as always, have your questions answered.

To contact Wendy McCance about a writing assignment, interview or speaking engagement, please email her at: [email protected]

Latest posts by Wendy McCance (see all)

• How To Create Incredible Opportunities - June 26, 2014
• Is it Better to Live Life as an Introvert or Extrovert? - June 24, 2014
• If You Want to Succeed, Throw Away all of the Rules - June 19, 2014

Powered by Starbox