Using tobacco comes with many health hazards to individuals and the people around them. A single puff of a cigarette exposes the smoker to millions of free radicals that can damage many body cells. Long-term smoking can increase the risk of several types of cancer. As per the UN, 8 million people die every year due to tobacco usage.
Despite knowing the effects of smoking and using tobacco, people continue doing so because they fail to quit. The urge to smoke or cravings become so strong, many people face difficulties, and it wears them down.
Fitness expert, Prateek Lamechwal, Nutrition and Fitness – Premium Coach at Fitter, shares some diet and health tips which will help them avoid smoking and improve their health in the long run.
One can start by exercising regularly. Focus on combining the cardio of choice like running, jump rope, and swimming. Add any activity that you enjoy while staying on course. Additionally, try to walk more consciously every day. Try to walk 7-8k steps every day apart from the workout. This will also help keep your heart health under check.
Nicotine in cigarettes leads to a dopamine rush, so replacing cigarettes with your favorite candy and chocolate in small amounts will be a good way to keep the dopamine rush high. That is why when people try to quit smoking, they find themselves reaching out to their favorite sweet fixes.
Is your after-dinner cigarette your favorite? A US study revealed that some foods, including meat, make cigarettes more satisfying. Others, including cheese, fruit and vegetables, make cigarettes taste terrible. So, swap your usual steak or burger for a cheese sandwich instead.
You may also want to change your routine at or after mealtimes. Getting up and doing the dishes straight away, or settling down in a room where you do not smoke, may help. Change your drink. The same US study as above also looked at drinks. Fizzy drinks, alcohol, cola, tea and coffee all make cigarettes taste better. So when you’re out, drink more water and juice. Some people find simply changing their drink (for example, switching from wine to a juice) affects their need to reach for a cigarette.
Identify when you crave cigarettes. A craving can last 5 minutes. Before you give up, make a list of 5-minute strategies. For example, you could do 5-10 push-ups every time you have an urge to smoke.
And think about this: the combination of smoking and drinking raises your risk of mouth cancer by 38 times. Create a group of friends who want to quit smoking as well. Having some company will definitely help in staying on course and keep each other motivated.
When you feel an urge to use tobacco, keep in mind that it will likely pass within the next few minutes. Each time you resist a tobacco craving, you are one step closer to stopping tobacco use for good. It can be personal like improving health or lowering your chance of getting diseases like lung cancer, heart disease, or other conditions; or protecting your family from passive smoke or saving money. You should choose the reason carefully so that it is strong enough to outweigh the urge to consume tobacco.
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