The human body is an incredible thing. Even after years of smoking, your system can mount a strong recovery; it's possible you will even enjoy the same level of health as non-smokers.

I smoked two packs of cigarettes every day for many years. I couldn't go for any length of time without lighting one up.

If I was awake, I had a smoke going. And quite often I would get up in the middle of the night, smoke a cigarette, and go back to bed.

I'm sure you can imagine the state of my health during those years. I was a wreck.

I hacked and wheezed all the time. My nose and eyes were always burning.

I could barely walk a block without losing my wind.

In fact, I even had a heart attack as a direct result of my nasty habit.

I won't go into the details of how I finally quit; you'll have to get that scoop in another one of my articles.

But I do want to share some amazing facts with you about the body's ability to recover, even from the devastating effects of constant smoke inhalation and toxic chemical abuse.

At the time of this writing, I have been smoke free for four years. My heart is strong and relaxed, and I have the lung capacity to endure long walks and regular exercise sessions.

There was a time during my smoking years that I had pretty much thrown in the towel. I looked at my extremely poor state of health and just assumed I had ruined my body for good.

But I was wrong.

I think a lot of smokers fall into this mentality:

'I've done so much harm to myself already, what's the point of quitting now? I'll never be truly healthy again, so I might as well just keep on smoking.'

This is utter nonsense. And moreover, it's a copout.

Did you know that your body will begin significant reparations in as little as 12 hours after your last smoke? In fact, minor positive changes begin to take place as quickly as 20 minutes after you stop inhaling cigarette smoke.

Within just one year of being smoke free, your risk of heart attack, stroke, and aneurism is half that of a smoker's.

There is absolutely nothing natural about the act of smoking. Your lungs don't want to breathe smoke and poisonous fumes.

And there are a total of 4,000 chemical compounds contained in cigarette smoke. Many of these substances are known to cause cancer.

Your body actively seeks to rid itself of these toxins, and all of your major systems will begin a recovery process once the initial detoxification is complete.

One million people quit smoking every year, and many of these individuals enjoy long, healthy lives which simply would not have been possible had they continued to smoke.

Sure it takes time to achieve a full recovery, but it can happen. And I'm living proof of this fact.