To every smoker who is reading this, I am not here to tell you how smoking is injurious to health. You know that and you are tired of hearing about it from all and sundry. You see a disclaimer on your cigarette box every time you fish your beloved Marlboro out of it and you know how effectively those disgusting anti-smoking commercials ruin your movie going experience. You know and most of you are probably immune to it by now. After all, your body needs that nicotine hit, minute after minute, in order to function normally. You don’t care if it makes your coffers run dry or has an ill effect on your health. You just need it and no non- smoking preacher out out there can understand what that need feels like.
Most of you have contemplated quitting or will, in the near future, if the situation demands so. But is it easy? Well, the answer to that is, NOT AT ALL. So let’s just acknowledge the fact that smoking is one habit that is immensely difficult to get rid of. It often takes years to quit and the road to quitting and leading a healthy lifestyle is full of hardships, although it definitely isn’t impossible. Essentially, all it takes is an iron will, support from friends and family and the right diet and exercise. Yes, you heard right. Diet too is an integral part of the quitting process and one that is often ignored. Kick off your smoking habit with these 10 foods and drinks
1. Oranges
Citrus fruits, especially oranges, are loaded with vitamin C, which helps reduce cravings for nicotine. Drinking multiple glasses of freshly squeezed orange juice or eating Vitamin C rich foods can reduce your itch to smoke considerably.
2. Salty Snacks
Eating salty snacks can also help your case. Eating can release the same feel good hormones that our brain releases when given steady doses of nicotine (Hence the cravings) and the best part is that they can constitute of anything: pita chips, banana chips, potato chips or simply any snack that’s salty. It’s your call. Take your pick, although it’s always a good idea to go in for healthy snacking options. Also, the crunchier, the better. Sugary snacks are not an option because sugar can act as a potential smoking trigger.
Click here for some suggestions
3. Vegetable Sticks
Chewing on something constantly has proven to be quite effective. Keeping your mouth busy so that it doesn’t ask for cigarettes is a great idea. Vegetable sticks are not only healthy, but are of almost the same dimensions as cigarettes, thus helping you play around with them. Try doing the hand to mouth action with your sticks while eating them. Also Vegetables like celery, carrots and eggplant can make cigarettes taste pathetic, thus preventing you from smoking further.
4. Sugar Free Chewing Gums
Again, keeping your mouth busy is an extremely important part of quitting. Sugar free gums can help you do that, along with restoring your oral hygiene and preventing you from gaining those extra pounds.
5. Green Tea
Green tea is the healthiest of beverages on this planet. It is good news, because it is known to reduce smokers’ chances of accquiring lung cancer. Green tea will help cleanse your system and undo the damage that smoking has done to your body.
Read about some more benefits right here.
6. Water
Super important, since smoking dehydrates your body. Also, drinking loads of water will help flush those toxins out of your system, along with making your skin glow like never before, plus other benefits.
7. Milk
Research shows that cigarettes taste awful after drinking a glassful of milk. Also, it has been said that dipping your cigarettes in milk prior to smoking will make you turn away from them, which is obvious, because it’s appalling.
8. Yogurt
Dairy products leave no stone unturned in trying to make those cigarettes taste bitter and disgusting. But the good part is that yogurt is yum, so might as well try this too.
9. Fruit Smoothies
Many smokers experience an urge to eat sweet foods post quitting, so why not go in for smoothies made from Vitamin C rich fruit? Smoothies are packed with nutrition and are delectable. Also, fruit sugars won’t really act as a trigger. Plus the yogurt and the Vitamin C are bound to prevent you from picking up another cigarette.
10. Dried Fruit and Nuts
Nuts and dried fruits are tasty and provide you with essential vitamins, minerals and protein. Consume a handful of nuts twice or thrice a day with water in order to keep your stomach full, your body healthy and your mouth busy.
Do try all of these in order to make your ordeal a teeny bit easier. May the odds be in your favor!