“My habit controlled me from

the time I was young.

Everything I did revolved around

smoking. I would drive to the

shops and stop and have a

cigarette before I did the shop-

ping. I would do my shopping

and then have another smoke.

When I quit I found it tough.

real success came when I

started to tell myself that my

will to enjoy a healthier life was

stronger than my withdrawals

and my habit. Positive talk

makes a world of difference.”

- Community member

In This Issue

From the team: R U Ok?

Day

Special feature: Young

people, smoking, and your

mental health

Food for thought: A weighty

issue

Spring Starter recipe :

Homemade burgers

September 14th marks R U Ok? day

R U OK? Day reminds us to ask family, friends and colleagues the question, "R U OK?", in a

meaningful way, because connecting regularly and meaningfully is one thing everyone can do to

make a difference to anyone who might be struggling.

As we discussed last month, smokers are more likely to develop depression or

anxiety disorders than non-smokers.

We know that smoking damages our heart and lungs, but research from Johns Hopkins Universi-

ty in the United States of America, found that lighting up increases your odds of developing

mood and anxiety disorders too. The more cigarettes you regularly smoke, the more susceptible

you are to mood problems, the researchers say.

Many smokers reach for a cigarette to help ease their anxiety during stressful periods. However,

the research has also found that quitting smoking makes people happier, and the effect lasts for

as long as they manage to kick the habit.

When you quit you may grieve the loss of your habit

Many people feel depressed when they quit smoking. You may feel sad, lonely and miss smoking

your cigarettes. Smoking is like a constant companion who is there in good times and bad, guar-

anteed to help boost your mood. Giving up this perceived friend may cause you to feel deprived

of the enjoyment of smoking. No need to worry—the loss of this friend is replaced with more

money, more time and control over your life so you can live it in the healthiest way possible!

The good news is that all this emotional upheaval is temporary. It will take some time and prac-

tice to get used to the new you – the person who no longer uses cigarettes to control moods

and feelings. In the meantime here are some ways you can manage these emotions:

Talk to your support person(s) and vent safely, or journal and write out your thoughts

Do deep breathing exercises, use relaxation techniques

Exercise, take a walk, get outdoors, breath fresh air, enjoy nature

Do things you truly enjoy

Practice your personal affirmation(s)- use positive self talk, "I love being a non-smoker!"

Consider using a quit-smoking medication to help minimize the emotional withdrawal symp-

toms

Quitting smoking is about gaining back control of your life -- emotions and all!

From the team September 2017

Young people, smoking and your

mental and physical health

Author: Robyn Young, Youth Worker and Community

Engagement Officer—Headspace Goulburn

If you have mental health problems, smoking can make it

more complicated. You might start or keep smoking be-

cause you think it helps with your anxiety or depression,

and then find that when you try and quit, your anxiety and/

or depression becomes much worse.

If you keep smoking, it becomes a vicious cycle. Smoking

can also affect your physical health, causing things like

shortness of breath, more regular colds and flu, yellow

stained fingers, ashtray breath, and in the long term, heart

disease, and cancers.

When you inhale the nicotine in a cigarette, it hits your

brain in about 10 seconds and it wears off within a

minutes. Teenagers who smoke become addicted quickly

and are more likely to be highly dependent smokers for

life. This is why most teens feel like they need to keep

smoking throughout the day, and why it’s easy to become

dependent on smoking.

It is normal to crave cigarettes when you first quit because

your body is withdrawing from the nicotine. Gradually the

cravings will become less and less.

You may find that after quitting you ‘relapse’ and start

smoking again—don’t worry, every relapse is an oppor-

tunity to learn something new about yourself, your smok-

ing habits and triggers, and what works for you and

doesn’t.

Some people manage to quit smoking without any help,

but those that are highly addicted will need some

assistance. Your GP or headspace Goulburn or Quean-

beyan can talk you through the options.

If you or someone you know would like help to quit, or to

chat about smoking contact your GP, headspace Goul-

burn: 02 4824 4944 or headpace Queanbeyan: 02 6298

0300

Follow these easy tips

from our resident

dietician Emily for

keeping you feeling

refreshed and energised

as you give up smoking:

While our appetite does in-

crease after quitting smoking,

this is an opportunity to eat a

variety of quality foods to al-

low our body to get all the nu-

trients in needs. Satisfy your

appetite with a range of fruits,

vegetables and wholegrains.

Slow down and pay attention

to your eating habits. Wait at

least 30 minutes after a meal

before deciding if you want

dessert and make a list of ac-

tivities to combat boredom

apart from eating.

Talk to your doctor or make

an appointment with a dietitian

if you are concerned about

excess weight gain after quit-

ting smoking.

A Weighty Issue

We’ve all heard it, or maybe we have used it as an excuse to keep smoking ourselves: “Smoking keeps my weight

under control”. Did you know that a person who quits smoking, on average only gains about 2 kilograms? That’s not

even half a clothes size!

We are often pushed with the message that in order to be healthy, we have to be thin. This is not so. But in order to

be healthy, we have to quit smoking. This is a fact. We can gain a couple of kilograms and at the same time be gaining

health by quitting smoking and instead filling our body with the nutrients it needs. Just as everybody can be at different

heights and still be healthy, we can be at different weights and be just as healthy too.

Smoking suppresses our appetite, so when we quit we do tend to eat more. However, this is not a bad thing! Eating

more food allows us the chance to get all the nutrients we need, which as we have discussed in previous newsletters,

are often depleted when smoking. When we nourish our bodies with quality food, such as wholegrains, fruits and vege-

tables, unhealthy weight gain is very unlikely. Furthermore, when you quit smoking and nourish your body with healthy

food, it improves skin and hair health, as well as inner health.

If you are concerned about gaining weight after quitting smoking, here are some ideas to help you keep your weight

“under control” without feeling like you need a cigarette to do so:

Wait for at least 30 minutes after finishing a meal before deciding if you want dessert.

Often we reach for a smoke straight after a meal. When we quit smoking, more often than not that smoke is swapped

for dessert. Many people crave something sweet after dinner, even when we are full. By waiting 30 minutes, even if we

have to distract ourselves by doing the dishes or reading the newspaper, that sweet craving will disappear. If you still

find you want to reach for the sweets half an hour later, that’s ok: savour it and enjoy it! If you enjoy it, rather than

feeling guilty about it, you will probably find you won’t eat as much and won’t feel the need for after-dinner sweets

every day.

When your head tells you you’re hungry, check in with your stomach too.

We often think that we are hungry when we might just be thirsty, bored or we walked through the chocolate aisle at

the supermarket. Ask yourself, “Am I really hungry? How do my energy levels feel – do I need something to eat?” if so,

think about what you actually feel like eating. Do you really want that chocolate bar, or do you only want it because

you saw it? Remember food quality and what will give your body the nutrients it needs. Again, if you really want that

piece of chocolate, make sure you savour it and enjoy it. There’s no shame in enjoying food!

If you find yourself eating out of boredom, what can you do instead?

Eating is a common go-to activity when we are bored. Make a list of what else you can do. Could you call a friend? Go

for a walk? Does the dog need a bath? Could you go for a drive? Have a relaxing bath after dinner yourself?

Don’t swap every smoke for a snack.

It’s easy to swap the hand-to-mouth action of a cigarette to snacking instead. Again, catch yourself and think about if

you are actually hungry. Could your new hand-to-mouth be a drink bottle? Perhaps you could snack on carrot sticks or

celery instead. Brush your teeth or chew some gum to help take away the urge of non-hungry eating.

If you find that you have gained a lot of weight after quitting smoking and can’t work out why, consider making an ap-

pointment with a dietitian or talking to your doctor about your thyroid hormones.

Homemade burgers

Healthy homemade burgers are a fun way to pack in plenty of nutrients. Grating vegetables into your homemade burger patties gives them

an extra boost and the kids will hardly know they’re there! Lean beef mince is a good source of zinc, while the capsicum and salad veggies

have Vitamin C – combined, great for your immune system! Choosing wholemeal bread and packing in the salad will give you a good amount

of fibre to keep you feeling full until your next meal.

You will need:

Lean beef mince (400g)

Potato (1 potato, grated)

Carrot (1 carrot, grated)

Zucchini (1 zucchini, grated)

Red capsicum (1, finely chopped)

Egg (1)

Breadcrumbs (2 tablespoons)

Wholemeal bread rolls

Salads of choosing (e.g. lettuce, tomato, cucumber)

MAKES 6

Method:

Combine mince, potato, carrot, zucchini and capsicum in a bowl.

Add egg and breadcrumbs and mix well (get your hands in there!)

Roll small handfuls of mixture into balls and squash into patties.

Heat frypan over medium heat and spray with oil.

Cook patties for about 4 minutes on each side, or until lightly browned and cooked through.

Serve in wholemeal bread roll with salad

If you’re contemplating quitting and need someone to

talk to, please call Aboriginal Quitline on 13 78 48

or visit www.gph.org.au/BoB

YOU’RE STONGER THAN YOU THINK

Contact Us

Queanbeyan Office

Ground Floor, 34 Lowe Street,

Queanbeyan

Goulburn Office

13-17 Verner street, Goulburn

Butt Out Boondah Team

02 4824 4900

TIS@gph.org.au

Visit us on the web

www.gph.org.au

Upcoming Events

September 2017

5th—7th: Nicotine addiction and smoking cessation workshop,

Canberra

13th: Aunty Jean’s smoking cessation group, Munjuwa Aboriginal

Corporation, Queanbeyan

14th: Aunty Jean’s smoking cessation group, St John of God,

Goulburn

15th: Yass Schools and Community NAIDOC, Yass High School

17th: Koori Knockout, Queanbeyan

29th—2nd Oct: Koori Knockout, Lilyfield

October 2017

11th: Aunty Jean’s smoking cessation group, Munjuwa Aboriginal

Corporation, Queanbeayn

12th: Aunty Jean’s smoking cessation group, St John of God,

Goulburn

For more information or to join in the mental health and smoking

cessation program:

Contact: Jessica Auciello or Emily Bonnell

Grand Pacific Health Goulburn 02 4824 4900 or TIS@gph.org.au