Dear Healthy Friend,

The first month of the year has disappeared already... Vanished in a puff of smoke. And speaking of smoke... Was one of your resolutions to give up smoking? How is that going? Have you been able to quit yet or are you still battling?

Today, I'd like to share some scary news with you. Some news that'll hopefully aid you in quitting...

In the name of good health,

Taryn Strugnell
Managing Editor of Nutrition & Healing

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A boost to your New Year's resolution
Christine O'Brien
Contributor, Nutrition & Healing

We all have our vices.

But come the changing of the year many of us start thinking about ditching one or two of them.

And it's probably about this time, the end of the first month of a new year, that many of us start to waver on our resolutions.

Over the past month, we've talked about a few ways to help out with the resolution to shed some kilos in 2011 and hopefully you're still going strong if that's your goal this year.

But what about that other popular New Year's resolution - the one to quit smoking? It's one of the hardest lifestyle changes to make - but also one of the very best things you can do for your health. And I've just read about a study that may strengthen your resolve to make this year the year you quit smoking - and to resist going back to the habit down the road.

We all know that smoking cigarettes causes cancer. But for a long time, the general assumption has been that it takes time, right? That people get cancer after smoking for years.

Not so, according to a study in the journal Chemical Research in Toxicology.

The scary truth seems to be that it doesn't in fact take years for smoking to cause cancer. In fact, it takes mere minutes.

Researchers focused on polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH). These are believed to be a major player in the development of lung cancer. They found that, through metabolism, PAH is quickly transformed into diolepoxides - chemicals that are mutagenic and carcinogenic.

This means they damage DNA and are directly involved in causing cancer. And the process of this transformation takes a shocking 15 to 30 minutes. That's right - the process of cancer development begins less than a half hour after taking a drag.

So, according to this study (the first to look at this particular pathway), the negative health effects of smoking cigarettes can in fact be immediate.

Is this news enough to boost your resolve to break the habit this year?

Whatever your New Year's resolution for 2011 may be, stay strong!

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Decoding CRP...

Q: At my last physical, I was told I had an elevated CRP level. What exactly is CRP and can I lower it naturally?

Dr. Wright: CRP stands for C-reactive protein. It is a protein that circulates in the blood, especially when there is inflammation in the body, including inflammation of the coronary arteries. Doctors are finding that it is a far more accurate indicator of a future problem with heart disease than cholesterol levels alone.

The simplest way to lower the CRP level is to reduce inflammation in the body. The best way to accomplish this is to pay close attention to the ratio of essential fatty acids in the diet.

Here's a simple rule to remember: Omega-6 fatty acids are pro-inflammatory and omega-3 fatty acids are anti-inflammatory. So the fatty acid ratio should be more 3s and less 6s. Unfortunately, the standard diet is much heavier on the omega-6s.

But you could reverse that with a few simple changes. Foods containing hydrogenated and partially hydrogenated vegetable oils are the biggest offenders for loading up on omega-6s. Staying away from potato chips, corn chips, crackers and biscuits are a good start - but when you start reading the labels at the grocery store, you might find that even things you considered "healthy" also contain it. Also, most nut oils, like sunflower, peanut and almond, are high in omega-6s. Olive oil is the best choice.

Fish oil is the best way to increase your intake of omega-3 essential fatty acids. I recommend 1 tablespoon of cod liver oil and 1,500 milligrams of DHA daily. And remember, whenever you take any type of fatty acid, you need to take vitamin E as well (400IU of vitamin E as mixed tocopherols). Vitamin E helps keep the fatty acids from breaking down too rapidly in the body.

Also worth noting, sometimes CRP can be elevated with other types of infection such as chlamydia and helicobacteria. These can also inflame blood vessels. Make sure your doctor checks all possibilities thoroughly.