Foods and Drinks

4 Amazing Foods and Drinks That Can Help You Quit Smoking

To Quit smoking is a hard thing to do, but it’s an important step in taking charge of your health and reducing your risk of lung cancer and cardiovascular disease. Making a few changes in the foods you eat may help make the process a little easier.

In a recent interaction i had with some smokers i know living within my area, some actually told me that to quit smoking is a very difficult thing especially if you are addicted to it. Some complained that most of the places they visit, they always see that popular ”no smoking” sign pasted around and it ends up making them uncomfortable at the place.

There are so many benefits of quitting smoking because the truth is that smoking has never and will never be a good stuff for our health as it involves practically inhaling smoke into our body system.

Smoking affects your sense of taste. During a smoking cessation program, you may find that foods start to taste differently. This may be a great time to try new, healthy foods to find some things you like.

It’s not possible to say that eating any one specific food will work like a magical medicine and take away your cravings for a smoke. But, for better or worse, the habits and situations that trigger your desire for smoking are often intertwined with the foods you eat.

For example, if you typically start your morning with a habitual cup of coffee, a donut, and a cigarette, switching to herbal tea and toast may soften the trigger a bit.

Your body is going to go through some changes while you adjust to a life without cigarettes. One of those changes may be an increase in your appetite. While you want to increase your intake of healthy foods, you may need to watch your caloric intake so the extra pounds don’t pile up.

One of the most important things to keep in mind when you’re trying to give up cancer sticks is that you really shouldn’t go on a diet. Depriving yourself of your favorite foods could cause you to lose focus and fall right off the wagon.

Instead, eat what you want, but keep in mind that certain foods and drinks are more likely to send you reaching for a cigarette. Glucose, for example, stimulates the areas of the brain that are responsible for pleasure, which can increase your cravings. So try to stay away from foods that contain a lot of sugar.

It’s important to avoid triggers, so consumption of alcohol should also be kept to a minimum while you’re trying to quit. Even a trip to a bar, or other places that you usually associate with smoking (at least in distant memory, when you could actually smoke in bars), can set off cravings.

When you’re trying to quit smoking, food serves a couple important functions. One, it gives you something to do with your mouth instead of smoking, and, two, there are actually some foods that have been proven to make cigarettes taste terrible (we’ll get to that). Alcohol, caffeine (especially coffee), and red meat actually make cigarettes taste better, so you might want to cut back on those as well.

Read Also:  The 12 Best Food and Drink that are Good for the Liver

Quitting smoking requires a whole lot of will power, commitment, and determination. There are dozens of methods for quitting, from going cold turkey to gradually reducing your intake, from nicotine patches and gum to hypnosis and prescription medicines.

But one of the most important and valuable tools at your disposal is something you already consume every day: food. So read on to learn about the foods and drinks that can help you quit smoking for good.

Foods and Drinks That Can Help You Quit Smoking

1) Ginseng

Studies have shown that ginseng prevents the “pleasure” neurotransmitter dopamine from being released when you have a cigarette. When taken weekly, it can cut back on the level of enjoyment you get from cigarettes.

2) Milk

According to a Duke University study, smokers who drank a glass of milk prior to smoking thought that the cigarette tasted terrible, with a bitter aftertaste. So drink some milk every time you have a craving (or dip your cigarettes in milk and let them dry), and before you know it the thought of cigarettes will disgust you.

Read Also:  11 Foods And Drinks That Will Make You Focus

3) Fruits and vegetables

Cigarettes block the absorption of important nutrients, such as calcium and vitamins C and D. For example, smoking just one cigarette drains the body of 25 mg of vitamin C. Incorporating more fruits and vegetables into your diet will restore these nutrients and may help with reducing cravings to smoke.

Bonus: Once you begin to stop smoking, food starts to taste better and flavors are more noticeable, so you may also enjoy these foods more.

4) Sugar-free gum and mints

Chewing gum and mints can keep your mouth busy when you have an urge to smoke. Plus, both gum and mints last a long time, typically longer than it does to smoke a cigarette.

Knowing what to avoid consuming when trying to quit smoking will help, too. Foods and drinks that have been shown to enhance the taste of cigarettes and trigger a craving to smoke include alcohol, caffeine, meat and sugary or spicy foods.

While eating and drinking the right things can make the struggle to quit a little easier.

Summary

To Quit smoking is hard but improving your diet at the same time may help you along your way. Remember, it takes some time to change your older habits into healthy new habits. Don’t get down on yourself if you slip up. Take it one day at a time.

Reference

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