Fear of weight gain drives many smokers away from quitting. Moreover, according to the American Cancer Society and the National Cancer Institute, the fear is not unfounded: Four of every five individuals who quit smoking gain weight during and/or after quitting. Until now, no quitting program or technique has addressed weight gain, let alone provided the ability to achieve weight loss during smoking cessation. The Smoke Free Diet does not fit within a niche; it creates an entirely new one. Utilizing a scientifically-validated and proven dietary approach originally intended solely for weight loss, The Smoke Free Diet liberates potential quitters from this fear, but takes it one step further: Followers of the prescribed dietary regimen will lose weight at unprecedented levels, lower cholesterol, blood pressure, and triglyceride levels, all the while eating in unrestricted quantities and freeing themselves of both chemical and psychological withdrawal symptoms. Furthermore, the dietary strategy is, already, one of the most widely successful, researched, and popular approaches to weight loss in history. The Smoke Free Diet, however, capitalizes upon a previously unrecognized synergy between the biochemical and psychological principles and applies it to smoking cessation. The Smoke Free Diet allows followers to eat permitted foods in unrestricted quantities while dropping weight by the kilogram. This lack of quantity restriction satisfies, mimics, and replaces a primary psychological addiction created by smoking: The oral fixation. In addition, the biochemical effects of smoking (increased dopamine in the "reward circuitry" of the brain and a reduction of insulin secretion by the pancreas) are mimicked by The Smoke Free Diet; this synergy had yet to be recognized and/or capitalized upon. Decreased dopamine levels are a primary source of withdrawal symptoms for those trying to quit; yet, food intake, especially in large quantities, which is permitted by The Smoke Free Diet, activates this reward circuitry in an identical manner to smoking. Moreover, The Smoke Free Diet suppresses insulin secretion in the pancreas; insulin is the 'router' hormone for fat storage and, as stated above, decreased insulin output is a chemical byproduct of smoking. Rapid changes in insulin levels, a byproduct of smoking cessation yet to be addressed by any technique/program, can lead to unpleasant mood changes; The Smoke Free Diet stabilizes insulin levels, facilitating rapid weight loss and preventing unpleasant, withdrawal-related mood swings due to changes in insulin levels. The Smoke Free Diet analyzes, addresses, and eliminates other, psychological "triggers," as they are referred to in the book, as well as delves into a thorough analysis of the initial triggers, conscious and/or subconscious, that led the reader to begin/continue smoking. This identification of psychological stimuli assists in eliminating and/or replacing these "triggers" at the conscious level. The Smoke Free Diet provides a thorough description, in 'human' terms, of the biology behind the prescribed dietary approach and clearly explains how this biology simultaneously facilitates weight loss and quells the withdrawal symptoms of smoking cessation. The Smoke Free Diet book also offers a detailed list of acceptable foods and quantities, a protocol for beginning, following, and completing the diet, as well as a "lifelong eating plan for the addictive personality" that further prevents relapse by allowing users, once they reach their target weight and successfully quit, to continue eating in a quantity-unrestricted manner, all the while maintaining this target weight. It provides an analysis of helpful, as well as potentially harmful, dietary supplements that will aid completion of the program. It offers tips and advice to "beef up" the quitting arsenal, as well as workout routines that will aid in smoking cessation, weight loss, and relapse prevention.
About the Author: Bradley Burnam studied neuropsychopharmacology at the graduate level at both Stanford Univeristy and the Univeristy of California Los Angeles. Following this, in 2004, he entered a career in the medical field and has served as the national clinical expert for a multi-national, cardiac device manufacturer since 2008. A certified personal trainer, as well as avid, competitive level fitness and nutrition enthusiast of 17 years, Bradley is both accomplished and knowledgeable.