Most countries have been actively fighting smoking and promoting a healthy lifestyle for several years.
Smoking bans in public places help motivate people to get rid of this addiction forever. For many heavy smokers, however, this is not an obstacle. Although many are already looking for a way to quit smoking effectively and quickly on their own, this is good news. Unfortunately, to this day, scientists have not developed a method for quitting smoking naturally without psychological suffering, but have come as close as possible to quitting a cigarette.
The body needs
While smoking, the body lacks important micronutrients and vitamins that need to be replenished, preferably in a complex way, but some food groups need special attention.
It has long been known that smokers excrete large amounts of vitamin C from the body and nicotine helps to replace it, so when quitting smoking should pay attention to taking enough ascorbic acid. The diet should contain more foods that contain vitamin C - orange and lemon juice, blackcurrant, sea buckthorn, rose hips.
The thirst for smoking gradually decreases, but it is worth paying attention to the functions of your body, as people with problems with the intestines and stomach should not overdo it with ascorbic acid.
Remember that once you decide to quit smoking forever, it is advisable to exclude certain foods from your diet. These include products that contain caffeine - coffee, tea, Coca-Cola. Caffeine alone removes a huge amount of nicotine from the body and the body begins to require replenishment of what is lost.
Bad habits
Alcohol also stimulates desire. Therefore, if you are determined to quit smoking, limit the use of alcoholic beverages and in the beginning it is better to quit completely. The higher the level of the drink, the greater the desire to receive a dose of nicotine.
Another important factor in the fight against addiction is the inner psychological attitude. Participate in self-hypnosis, analyze all the positive aspects of quitting smoking and the harmful effects of cigarettes on the body. This will be a good incentive for you to fight this harmful addiction.
It's worth noting that not everyone can quit smoking on the first try - this is perfectly normal. It is almost always a long process of working on yourself. Do not give up and continue to fight for your health, do it only for yourself and for no one else.
13 helpful tips for quitting smoking effectively
Find the most important reason.
A strong, very personal reason is needed to be truly motivated. For example, unwillingness to spoil the health of loved ones through secondhand smoke. Or a lower risk of lung cancer and heart disease, even a desire to look and feel young and healthy. The main thing is to really want it more than to smoke.
Prepare before you stop smoking abruptly.
Just picking up and disposing of the last pack of cigarettes is not quite the right way. This can lead to the so-called withdrawal syndrome, when the abrupt cessation of a certain addiction leads to a deterioration in both physical and mental health. It is wise to first consult a health professional on how to alleviate the process of quitting smoking.
Consider replacement therapy.
Of course, one would like to think that all that is needed is willpower, but in fact the physical dependence of the body can have a much greater impact. There are special drugs in various forms, as well as techniques that will gradually reduce the amount of nicotine entering the bloodstream, thus reducing the side effects of smoking cessation such as irritability, headaches and the like.
Ask in advance about medications.
Cigarettes just seem like an easy joke. Those who smoke a pack a day may need medication to relieve symptoms after abrupt withdrawal. This type of medicine should only be taken as directed by your doctor.
Don't lose the support of your loved ones.
Share your intention to leave your family. Warm words and understanding play a huge role in everyone's life, because it is much easier to control and ignore the desire for a cigarette, if there is such an incentive. Love and support can be even more effective than prescription drugs.
Take a break.
Most smokers claim that cigarettes help them relax. In fact, this is not the case, just to rest in the smoke is given time to rest, which can be spent cheaply and without cigarettes. Therefore, when giving up smoking, you should take a period of relaxation. It does not matter what it will be filled with - exercise, listening to music or massage. The main thing is to show that rest is possible without delay.
Avoid coffee and alcohol first.
In the minds of many, cigarettes are associated with alcohol and morning coffee. In order not to provoke yourself and not to test your own endurance for strength, it is better to rest from this as well. If smoking becomes a habit immediately after eating, then just find an alternative to it - brushing your teeth or a short walk for example.
Get rid of smoking reminders.
When you quit smoking, immediately clean your home of ashtrays, lighters and anything else that may remind you of cigarettes. Don't leave these little things in the car either. Everything must be cleaned and ventilated from the intrusive odor, otherwise the temptation will be too great to resist.
Try again and again if you fail.
Keep trying to quit if it doesn't work the first time. Analyze the situation in which you took a cigarette again, and next time use this experience to avoid further damage. Set a clear date when you will try to quit smoking again.
Move more and more actively.
Sports activities help to distract from thoughts about cigarettes, in addition, the hormones produced during them, generally improve mood and body tone. And the result, visible from the outside, will be an additional motivation against smoking, which has nothing to do with the beauty and health of the body. If you can't do sports at all, then any physical activity will work for you - for example in the garden or an active walk with the dog.
Eat more vegetables and fruits.
Under no circumstances should you go on a diet when you quit smoking. Psychologically, it will be much harder to cope if you give up too much. To avoid gaining weight when quitting, just replace snacks with baked goods and fruit and vegetable sweets.
Calculate your benefits.
In addition to the unconditional health benefits, quitting smoking is also cost-effective. Calculate exactly how much money you will save by stopping buying cigarettes, lighters and ashtrays. Separately, try to estimate how much the efficiency of work will increase with a clear schedule without constant outlets for smoke interruption. Spend the money saved, finally saying goodbye to tobacco, for fun to reward yourself.
Remember that the time is set.
Is it difficult to understand exactly how healthy smoking cessation will be? Then maybe a few numbers will help. It takes 20 minutes for the body to return to a normal heart rate after a cigarette. After a day without tobacco, the level of carbon monoxide in the blood will return to acceptable levels. After 2-3 weeks of quitting smoking, the risk of heart attack begins to decrease. And in the long run - to get rid of the sword of Damocles lung cancer.
We hope you make the right decision in time and our article will help you decide how to quit smoking effectively and quickly. Be healthy!