Many people globally smoke as a way of recreation. The majority of them started smoking as a joke, but they got addicted to it within no time. Quitting smoking is sometimes a hard thing to do, but very important since it reduces health complications brought by smoking. Smoking causes heart diseases, cancer, diabetes, lung diseases, stroke, and COPD. It also increases the risk for TB, Eye diseases, loss of taste, smell, and problems related to the immune system like rheumatoid arthritis.
Just like eating certain types of foods can help you quit smoking; avoiding the following foods can also help you butt out for good successfully:
1. Alcohol
Most people smoke while drinking beer or wine. Once you consume alcohol, it diminishes your inhibition. With reduced inhibition, there is a high chance of smoking relapse. When drunk, it becomes difficult to stay true to yourself, resulting in interference with your smoking cessation program. Therefore, you should avoid bars and friends who are alcoholics or smokers. When you crave smoking, engage yourself in an activity to let it go.
2. Coffee
Coffee contains caffeine. Caffeine intake has both psychological and physiological impacts on human beings. It is proven, caffeine consumption is associated with smoking. Smoking escalates caffeine metabolism, thereby forcing smokers to take more to feel the desired effect. Smokers have confessed, caffeine enhances cigarette palatability, and that’s why many smokers tend to combine the two. Avoid intake of caffeine because it triggers smoking.
3. Sugary and high-calorie foods
It’s normal for your appetite to increase once you quit smoking. Studies have proven that nicotine in cigarettes affects blood chemistry differently, thus influencing appetite. Nicotine hampers insulin release, responsible for releasing excess sugar into the bloodstream. Smokers are hyperglycemic, meaning they have extra sugar in the blood, and that’s why they don’t feel hungry quickly. Individuals quitting smoking should watch their eating habits because excessive consumption of sugary foods and high-calorie foods leads to obesity.
4. Spicy foods
Once you eat spicy food like hot chillies, it causes the body to release endorphins, the feel-good chemicals. The chemicals bring the same feelings, just like when you smoke. Spicy foods act as stimulants. They stimulate blood circulation and raise body temperature; that’s why you will be sweating when cold. Peppery foods stimulate your appetite, thus making you eat excess food which can result in obesity.
Therefore, quitting smoking is possible as long as you eat and drink the right foods. Avoid the above foods, and instead, eat fruits and vegetables, which will help you reduce smoke cravings. Ginseng tea is recommended to quitters because it reduces the appeal of smoking by making it less enjoyable. Milk and dairy products help smokers quit because it gives cigarettes a bitter taste. Chewing sugar-free gum and mint keep your mouth busy, thus reducing the urge to smoke.