Welcome back to the program.
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I'm Charles Mills here with
cardiologist, Dr. James Marcum
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We're talking
about smoking today,
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and Dr. Marcum has made a point
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that the "Affordable Care
Act" basically discriminates
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against smokers and
you're saying that...
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#1- that's not a very good idea
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Why not discriminate
against other things
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that can cause us to
have health problems.
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But also, it's a window of
opportunity for those of us
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who love health and
like to promote health
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to do something for our friends
and neighbors and family members
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who may be smoking.
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The first question we got
here, Dr. Marcum, from the
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heartwiseministries. org
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website on this topic is
about electronic cigarettes...
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GOOD IDEA - BAD
IDEA? How do we use them?
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Well you know my saying
here is we try to love people
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and not judge them.
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I've learned in taking
care of people that smoke,
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and I take care of
lots of people that smoke
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because they end up
in cardiology offices
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because they have heart attacks.
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Many different ways
to work with people...
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The 2 things that I
think they MUST have
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is they must have support
from doctors, from friends,
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from churches, from
someone that must support them
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to give them the encouragement,
YES, you can do this!
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This is a journey, we're
going to travel this together!
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And #2, they also,
in addition to support,
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it's very important
that they have at least
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some desire on their own.
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Now that's IT, doesn't
smoking destroy the desire?
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I mean, aren't we
talking about something that
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actually keeps you
from fixing yourself from it
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because it's a habit?
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Now remember, smoking turns
on some of the stress pathways,
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makes our brain go fast, so
the thinking part of the brain
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is not very good
and it's very addictive.
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So you get these
pleasure pathways,
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these nicotine
paths, they're strong cords,
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they're very hard to break.
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Some people say that
there's nothing harder in life
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than breaking
the nicotine habit.
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It's the most potent addictive
substance we have known for man.
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It must be true because that's
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why so many
people are still smoking.
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It's very addictive and a
lot of people, when they start,
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they have no idea
how bad that it is;
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they have no idea
how hard it is to stop.
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So getting back
to our question...
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These things are important.
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You gotta have support and
I think you have to want it
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at some level yourself.
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Either want it
to help your family,
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want it to help
yourself, to serve God better;
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something in it that you have
to want - those 2 components.
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Now, there are many
ways to quit smoking
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that will help aid in that.
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One is E-Cigarettes.
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E- Cigarettes are
electronic cigarettes.
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They are a little bit heavier.
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I've never used them,
but other people have.
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They also release nicotine,
but supposedly the plan is to
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release less and less to
slowly take away the addiction,
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okay, slowly over time.
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The same way it
works with the patches.
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Some people have a
stronger patch, a lesser patch,
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and a lesser patch.
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What does NOT work is
if you take E-Cigarettes
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AND you smoke or if you
take the patch AND you smoke,
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then you get double the whammy
and becomes to get more harder.
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Now some people are
using prescription medications,
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and for some
people that works as well.
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But remember, there's always
a risk versus the medicine
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versus the benefits.
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So it usually takes a
lot of different approaches.
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Some people work in
classes with these 5-Day Plans,
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the 3-Day Plans.
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Sometimes a doctor
can work with the patient.
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Sometimes I can
tell a patient and I say,
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"Listen, you really need to quit
smoking, here's all the reasons"
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I'll try to educate them.
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Then the next thing I'll say is,
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"Do you think
you need some help,
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or do you want to
do it on your own?"
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And if he says, "Well,
let me try it on my own"
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I'll say, "Well let's cut back"
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Some people can do cold turkey
but I find that the minority.
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I have them take less and less.
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"Now maybe you can do 5
this week and then 4 this week,
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then 3, then 2, then
1," and then I ask them,
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"You have to
replace the hand habit"
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Replace it with something
else, maybe chewing gum
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or pixie sticks
or chewing a straw,
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or a toothpick
or something else.
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You have to have people that
will help you and remind you,
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and then I tell them it's
very important that you replace
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a good habit with a bad habit.
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So every time you get
that terrible desire to smoke,
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we'll do something - go to
the Scripture, read a Scripture.
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In other words, though
cigarette-smoking has taken
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that bad habit has
replaced good habits.
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Now you're saying,
let's reverse that,
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let's go from bad to good.
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Yes, let's find something...
when you want to have
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that bad habit,
replace it with something good!
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Go for a walk, sing a song,
read a passage of Scripture,
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call your friend,
break the pathway.
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Now, statistics show
that most people, Charles,
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don't quit the first
time, it's a journey.
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So I tell people, just
because you quit smoking,
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you know, you start smoking
again, don't beat yourself up.
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Figure out what in
your plan didn't work.
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Was it - you didn't
have enough support?
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Did you not really
want to do it yourself?
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Did you not wean yourself down?
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Did you not have a substitution?
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A lot of people
just do it because...
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I asked them, "Well why
did you start smoking again?"
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"I got bored. "
Well, have a plan for that!
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"I got nervous"
Well, have a plan for that!
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Or, "I was around
some friends that smoked"
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So each scenario that
comes around, have a plan.
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It might take you 4, 5, 6,
7, 8 times to quit smoking.
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This is a very addictive habit.
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I can't say I fully
understand it, Charles,
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because I've
never smoked before,
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but I watch people that do
it and it's just like it's a
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BATTLE inside them.
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And I just applaud
people that are able to do that
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because if they could do
that, they could do anything.
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But what an
opportunity for us now,
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for people that are interested
in health, to help people
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to come up with great
plans, to help them to this...
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We're going to see more
and more people interested...
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We're going to see the
government reimbursing for it.
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There's going to be a
lot of that desire that we
00:06:04.62\00:06:06.97
haven't had before.
00:06:07.00\00:06:08.03
Now, we need to supply
the support and give them
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the mechanisms to be
able to beat this habit.
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But at the same
time, we need to point them
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to the real source - the
real source of your power
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to do things for
the right reasons.
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Who are you doing this for?
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Are you doing it for yourself
and for selfish reasons,
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or are you doing it
for a God that loves you
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and wants you to feel better.
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I like that - I like
that! Doing it for God.
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God has done so much for us,
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now, we can do a
little bit for Him.
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What a good idea
that is! Another question!
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Okay, another question here from
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heartwiseministries. org
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OH MY! Maybe we can
appeal to people's vanity.
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"Is it true that cigarettes
cause you to AGE faster?"
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Now what does it mean - how
do you age faster by smoking?
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That is absolutely true. It is?
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When you smoke cigarettes,
it damages your skin.
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Have you ever looked
at a smoker, look at him,
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you know, someone that
might be in their 30s or 40s,
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they look much OLDER
because actually the nicotine,
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it actually damages -
the cigarette smoking,
00:07:02.63\00:07:05.72
the whole process, the
chemicals damages the skin,
00:07:05.75\00:07:09.58
it increases the aging process.
00:07:09.61\00:07:11.82
Anything,
Charles... here's another step,
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anything that causes this
chronic stress accelerates aging
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You see what I'm saying?
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So cigarettes
really accelerates aging.
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That's a major stressor
on our body at many levels,
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so it's going to
super accelerate.
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Some people can do that just
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because they
want to prevent aging.
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All right, here's
a question again from
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heartwiseministries. org
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"If you don't smoke,
how about chewing it?"
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"Chewing tobacco,
is this a good thing?"
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Well, you know,
everyone asks that question,
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"Is chewing a good thing?"
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I would say, "No,
it's not a good thing"
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Why is that?
00:07:50.28\00:07:51.74
Well, you still, in your
buccal mucosa, you absorb things
00:07:51.77\00:07:56.67
very fast into the bloodstream,
00:07:56.70\00:07:59.36
and actually, when you have
tobacco - nicotine in there,
00:07:59.39\00:08:02.07
you absorb that
stimulant in the bloodstream.
00:08:02.10\00:08:04.72
Also, in the absorption
process, you also damage tissue
00:08:04.75\00:08:09.68
with carcinogens.
00:08:09.71\00:08:11.40
People that chew have a
lot higher risk of having
00:08:11.43\00:08:15.05
head and neck cancer.
00:08:15.08\00:08:16.68
And this buccal mucosa is in the
mouth... Yes where it's absorbed
00:08:16.71\00:08:19.67
Several baseball
players through the years,
00:08:19.70\00:08:22.73
they used to chew and several
of them have come up with
00:08:22.76\00:08:26.42
cancers because of this process.
00:08:26.45\00:08:29.67
So it's not good to chew either.
00:08:29.70\00:08:32.73
It's not good to smoke.
00:08:32.76\00:08:34.38
These are things that are
both harmful to our health,
00:08:34.41\00:08:36.91
and we want to help both people
to be able to stop these things.
00:08:36.94\00:08:40.43
Chronic pain is
the next subject here.
00:08:40.46\00:08:42.26
"Can stopping smoking
help with chronic pain?"
00:08:42.29\00:08:44.72
I guess the reverse of this is..
00:08:44.75\00:08:46.43
"Does smoking create
chronic pain somehow?
00:08:46.46\00:08:49.75
Well, I don't know
if smoking creates pain.
00:08:49.78\00:08:52.76
It might cause internal pain,
but smoking does contribute
00:08:52.79\00:08:56.91
to pain that you
already have... OH, okay
00:08:56.94\00:08:59.50
Especially related to back pain.
00:08:59.53\00:09:02.95
What smoking does is not
only does it take away your
00:09:02.98\00:09:05.90
oxygen - your
oxygen from your tissues,
00:09:05.93\00:09:08.82
it takes away in
healing powers that you have.
00:09:08.85\00:09:11.75
It also makes the disks unable
to get a good blood supply.
00:09:11.78\00:09:15.95
When it doesn't get a good blood
supply, that can cause pain.
00:09:15.98\00:09:19.70
So different things that
are related to the cigarettes
00:09:19.73\00:09:21.97
that make pain a
lot worse than it is...
00:09:22.00\00:09:25.06
Everyone claims, "Oh, the
smoking, it helps relax me"
00:09:25.09\00:09:29.22
"It helps my nerves. "
00:09:29.25\00:09:30.93
And it seems to help with that,
00:09:30.96\00:09:32.82
but it
definitely makes pain worse.
00:09:32.85\00:09:35.14
But there are other BETTER
ways to help relaxing the nerves
00:09:35.17\00:09:38.77
other than smoking cigarettes.
00:09:38.80\00:09:40.39
All right, very good.
00:09:40.42\00:09:41.61
Well this final question we
have here from our website...
00:09:41.64\00:09:45.78
"What are your thoughts
on the Affordable Care Act,
00:09:45.81\00:09:48.66
the pros and cons. "
00:09:48.69\00:09:49.81
When this program
airs, the Affordable Care Act
00:09:49.84\00:09:51.91
will be up and running and
what are your thoughts on this?
00:09:51.94\00:09:56.39
Well, you know, I've given
several interviews about that
00:09:56.42\00:09:59.99
the last couple of
months and it's sort of like,
00:10:00.02\00:10:02.79
as this might come
out in a few months,
00:10:02.82\00:10:04.56
I'm sort of like -
well, I'm prophesizing.
00:10:04.59\00:10:07.37
When there are 11
million words of regulation,
00:10:07.40\00:10:11.39
and when the website, as
we're talking now, is having a
00:10:11.42\00:10:14.90
hard time getting up
and anything that doesn't
00:10:14.93\00:10:18.65
really answer the reason
WHY, that treats symptoms,
00:10:18.68\00:10:24.23
that doesn't get at the cause,
I think might be subject to
00:10:24.26\00:10:29.36
problems and remember,
are we really solving the
00:10:29.39\00:10:33.71
healthcare dilemma?
00:10:33.74\00:10:34.84
We've talked about
this on this program before.
00:10:34.87\00:10:37.83
All the symptoms, but the
symptoms aren't the problems.
00:10:37.86\00:10:41.22
What's causing the
symptoms is the problem.
00:10:41.25\00:10:43.90
Just because someone
has access to healthcare,
00:10:43.93\00:10:47.03
doesn't mean
they're getting better care,
00:10:47.06\00:10:50.24
just because
they're having access,
00:10:50.27\00:10:52.78
doesn't mean
they're getting better care.
00:10:52.81\00:10:55.17
If you're getting
the wrong type of care,
00:10:55.20\00:10:56.98
the wrong type of
direction in your healthcare,
00:10:57.01\00:10:59.21
that's making
things worse, is it better?
00:10:59.24\00:11:01.44
In other words, we now
have access to the #1 killer
00:11:01.47\00:11:03.89
in America - the drugs
and the medical profession.
00:11:03.92\00:11:07.44
We now have a more affordable
access to THAT... WOW!
00:11:07.47\00:11:11.77
So are we really
solving our healthcare dilemma?
00:11:11.80\00:11:15.19
The real solution to the
healthcare dilemma, I think,
00:11:15.22\00:11:18.64
is getting back to that
relationship that we have
00:11:18.67\00:11:21.40
with the Ultimate
Physician who can help us
00:11:21.43\00:11:24.53
see what we need to
do along life's path
00:11:24.56\00:11:27.14
to make our chemical
changes for the good;
00:11:27.17\00:11:29.75
to help us eat better;
to help us pick out the
00:11:29.78\00:11:33.15
time for modern medicine;
help us to find doctors
00:11:33.18\00:11:36.13
that work with us that
makes sense with us to use
00:11:36.16\00:11:39.79
medicines and
procedures when we need to;
00:11:39.82\00:11:42.81
to help us avoid these things.
00:11:42.84\00:11:45.01
All these things, I
think is the real solution
00:11:45.04\00:11:47.17
to the healthcare dilemma.
00:11:47.21\00:11:48.24
When we do that, then we're
going to see our healthcare
00:11:48.28\00:11:50.87
starting to come down because
there's not a lot of other
00:11:50.90\00:11:53.70
financial things that
are driving the system,
00:11:53.73\00:11:58.00
and we really have people
that understand what's good
00:11:58.03\00:12:00.57
for EVERYBODY
coming up with these ideas.
00:12:00.60\00:12:03.96
MY! I have my
doubts, I have my doubts!
00:12:03.99\00:12:06.80
I like what you're saying there.
00:12:07.58\00:12:09.27
You're saying that if we
want true affordable care,
00:12:09.30\00:12:12.53
let's take out a policy
with Christ as our insurer
00:12:12.56\00:12:18.29
because He was on a
cross and He paid the premiums.
00:12:18.32\00:12:20.60
And I think it's great
for people to be insured,
00:12:20.63\00:12:23.61
great for people
to be cared for...
00:12:23.64\00:12:25.67
I think everyone
needs to have care,
00:12:25.70\00:12:29.13
but at the same time, is it
solving all of our problems?
00:12:29.16\00:12:32.45
I don't think so.
00:12:32.48\00:12:33.61
Yeah, okay, well let's
talk to the God who has paid
00:12:33.64\00:12:38.43
the premiums for our
real, true Affordable Care Act
00:12:38.46\00:12:41.47
on our returns, so stay put...
00:12:41.50\00:12:43.14
Thank you for joining us today.
00:12:56.90\00:12:59.66
I might not have the answers,
you might not have the answers.
00:12:59.69\00:13:04.47
Cigarettes are
such a hard issue,
00:13:04.50\00:13:07.31
but a couple of
things we do need to know is,
00:13:07.34\00:13:09.67
we need to help those
that need to quit smoking.
00:13:09.70\00:13:12.54
If we're smoking out
there, we need to find ways
00:13:12.57\00:13:15.39
we can do to quit.
00:13:15.42\00:13:17.27
And one thing that we
all must do as part of our
00:13:17.30\00:13:20.64
prescription - as
part of our treatment,
00:13:20.67\00:13:23.01
is we must pray..
pray for each other.
00:13:23.04\00:13:26.84
Have God be part
of this prescription.
00:13:26.87\00:13:30.08
Have other people praying
that will give us the answers.
00:13:30.11\00:13:33.32
And realize that we
might not have all the answers,
00:13:33.35\00:13:35.98
but we have a
connection, a relationship
00:13:36.01\00:13:38.79
with the One that
has all the answers.
00:13:38.82\00:13:41.32
We've talked a lot
about cigarettes today,
00:13:41.35\00:13:43.63
and I hope people will
use this as a springboard
00:13:43.66\00:13:46.53
to help themselves quit smoking,
help your neighbors quit smoking
00:13:46.56\00:13:50.54
Show this to
one of your friends,
00:13:50.57\00:13:52.63
and for all those that
are trying to quit smoking,
00:13:52.66\00:13:54.83
I want to say a
prayer for you today.
00:13:54.86\00:13:57.28
Father God...
There are many out there
00:13:57.31\00:13:59.39
that are trying to
overcome different habits
00:13:59.42\00:14:02.01
including smoking and
we know that You are the
00:14:02.04\00:14:05.18
Ultimate Physician
with the Ultimate Power,
00:14:05.21\00:14:07.55
and You can give us the ways
to help and this way might be
00:14:07.58\00:14:11.01
suddenly quitting,
it might be through help
00:14:11.04\00:14:13.24
of a class, it might be
through help of a friend,
00:14:13.27\00:14:15.82
we know that You
can help us Father,
00:14:15.85\00:14:17.84
and we want to pray that
You come into our lives today
00:14:17.87\00:14:20.13
to help us overcome the power
00:14:20.16\00:14:22.08
of smoking... is
our humble prayer. Amen
00:14:22.11\00:14:25.06
If you might be interested
in asking me a question,
00:14:25.09\00:14:29.26
go to our website...
heartwiseministries. org
00:14:29.29\00:14:33.02
There are some
interesting blogs and some other
00:14:33.05\00:14:35.79
material that you
might want to look at
00:14:35.82\00:14:38.08
to help your health do better...
00:14:38.11\00:14:39.60
And we want to
thank you so much,
00:14:39.63\00:14:41.65
and we want to thank you
for allowing us to serve you
00:14:41.68\00:14:44.48
on the Ultimate Prescription.
00:14:44.51\00:14:46.47