This entry was posted 14 years, 1 month ago.
January 23, 2009
“Giving up smoking is the easiest thing in the world.
I know because I’ve done it thousands of times!”
Mark Twain
Smoking is one of the nastiest habits, which, unfortunately, is very common nowadays. It is really hard to give up this habit, and thousands of people, who wanted to quit smoking, tried using many various techniques to reduce cravings and get rid of nicotine addiction once and for all. Usual stop smoking efforts include using a special chewing gum, pills or medications, exercise, meditation, being involved in some entertainment activities, making some substantial changes in the life-style, and many others. However, not many people are aware about the fact that what we eat and drink can actually help to enhance or worsen cigarette taste. Therefore, there are certain foods, which can make us feel bad about cigarette taste, this way help us treat the problem and give up this terrible habit.
According to a research of the specialists from the Duke University, such foods and drinks as meat and caffeinated beverages make cigarettes taste good. At the same time, dairy products and fresh vegetables make cigarettes taste worse. F. Joseph McClernon, PhD, who was an active participant of this study, comments on the situation as the following: “We were surprised that smokers would say anything would make their cigarettes taste worse.” Nevertheless, this interesting finding of the researchers can make us believe that eating a lot of the products or drinking more of the beverages, which affect cigarette taste, can be a very good tool for staying smoke free for longer time. Now, let’s look at those top 5 foods and drinks which can help us give up smoking:
1. Milk and Other Dairy Beverages. Many smokers say that after drinking a glass of milk, smoking does not bring the expected taste and satisfaction. Milk makes cigarette taste very bitter and unpleasant. Some people recommend dipping cigarettes in milk, drying them out and then trying to smoke such cigarettes. The taste must be absolutely terrible, and every time such smoker will feel cravings again, he or she will remember that nasty taste of milky cigarettes. This may help to lessen cravings and assist in getting rid of nicotine addiction.
2. Orange Juice. When people smoke cigarettes regularly, they lose a lot of Vitamin C, and their body gets used to exchanging it with some unnatural elements it receives from nicotine. That is why, in order to quit smoking faster, it is very important to start receiving more of natural Vitamin C. Oranges, lemons, black currants, pomegranates and other powerful natural sources of Vitamin C must be the best foods for everyone, who is trying to get rid of nicotine dependence.
3. Celery. Celery, along with such vegetables as zucchinis, egg-plants, beans, and even cucumbers, also affects cigarette taste. Besides, specialists claim that eating a lot of these vegetables can decrease nicotine dependence (in case if no alcohol is consumed). That is why eating celery sticks can help to decrease cravings. If you are not much of a celery fan, you can exchange it with carrots. However, eating a lot of sweet vegetables is considered to be not too good, because excessive amounts of glucose activate the areas of the brain responsible for pleasure and satisfaction. Thus, glucose can stimulate cravings.
4. Broccoli. Broccoli is, actually, very useful for everyone, because it has a great variety of therapeutic properties. In particular, it helps to lower the risks of having lung diseases, including lung cancer. Broccoli contains sulforaphane, a substance which boosts the activity of NRF2 gene and protects lungs from any toxin-related damage. Unfortunately, the studies found the evidence that this therapeutic property of broccoli does not work for smokers, because nicotine kills the activity of sulforaphane.
5. Red Wine. A glass of red wine a day lowers the risks of lung cancer, both in smokers and non-smokers. The researchers from South California found out that the people who drink a glass of red wine every day have 60% lower chances to have lung cancer. Red wine has flavonoids and resveratrol, also is very useful for heart and blood (as it does not allow blood clots to form). However, be careful and do not drink a lot of red wine, otherwise you will have to fight with both nicotone and alcohol addictions after all!
Author Info: Hi! My name is Carla and I am a 5th year medical student at HYMS. I am interested in alternative medicine and I have done months researching the topic of herbal medicine. Besides, I like interviewing people and learning more about their experiences with one or another type of herbal treatments. I am willing to contribute to this site with my knowledge, and I would be happy to help you out to the best of my ability with any specific questions or problems related to alternative medicine.
January 23rd, 2009 at 7:37 pm
Carla – Excellent article! Thanks so much for sharing.
zesty
January 23rd, 2009 at 9:09 pm
Hi Carla!
Very interesting article about this theme, some facts were unknown for me.
January 3rd, 2010 at 6:01 pm
Smoking is bad for health, to stop smoking properly you need dicpline so your stop smoking programs can give result.
January 21st, 2010 at 11:33 pm
Thank you. I am going to the grocery store tonight. Tomorrow will be day 1!
March 10th, 2010 at 12:36 pm
I stopped smoking after some seances of hypnosis. It is one of the best ways. Give it a try.
May 10th, 2010 at 9:02 pm
Thank you! This article is very helpful. I didn’t know that food can do so much in helping to quit smoking. I am on day one and wanting to go buy cigarettes right now. So instead I am going grocery shopping. Thanks for the input!
May 22nd, 2010 at 2:10 pm
Thanks a lot to share this article. I’m going to shop now for my husband.
June 24th, 2010 at 8:50 pm
I have been dying to tell people this…watercress actually removes a cigarette craving…I am an ex-smoker 7+ years, 20+ years on, it took me forever…to quit. Watercress works!!!!
August 27th, 2010 at 9:31 pm
[…] poco a poco de la adicción al cigarrillo. ¿Eres un fumador desesperado por dejar? Conoce la dieta para dejar de fumar que te damos a conocer a […]
October 5th, 2010 at 8:59 pm
Green tea is also very helpful to ease the carving.It’s a powerful antioxidant, and will definitely help you to eliminate the through out the day. I used to drink 3-4 cups a day,and it was very helpful.
November 28th, 2010 at 5:39 am
I’ve been on the lookout for anything to help me quit for good this time. Alcohol always makes me want to smoke more so the wine is probably out, but I’ll definitely try the others.
January 23rd, 2011 at 11:41 pm
OMG YES!! To the milk and orange juice. Instead of coca cola which unfortunately is a trigger for me. I switched to Milk and OJ for the time I was trying to detox off Nicotine. I could never drink whine though, any alcohol is a trigger for me. I stuck to fruits as well like apples and oranges.
February 14th, 2011 at 8:57 pm
Really nice info…
Hereby i recommend to all smokers , Please follow with above useful info to control smoking & to get less chances from CANCER…
June 6th, 2011 at 2:23 am
My husband is a heavy smoker. I am always looking to find ways to slow him down. Your article gave me several good ideas! Thanks. p.s. hope your choice in preventative med is successful! We are in need of it badly. Keep up the good work!
July 17th, 2011 at 6:51 pm
surprized to hear wine recommended,alcohol blamed as cause for relapse or restart for almost every ex smoker to restart this one in every two killer habit,my best tips,stop alcohol completly when stopping smoking,the number one tool is determination and disgust at ones stupidity to allow addiction of any kind to poision ones system.simple meals,pasta can incorperate tinned tomatoes and tomatoe puree,vitamin c clenses the system,garlic will acelerate detox,avoid situations or people who stress you,homeopathic remidies may be helpfull,ovaltine,or horlicks.it is actually harder to smoke than it is to stop.you large amounts of time craving,spark up and you prolong it longer,nicoteen patches gave me 24/7 nicoteen and turned me into a chain smoker,which was nt enjoyable.most people take more than one attempt.i think the day you grab smokesa and throw away with out the just one more or ill quit 2moro,could be a good sign.reading quit forums support groups….absolute disgust at my stupidity won the day for me.in terms of failed attempts,dust yourself off
November 11th, 2011 at 10:05 pm
I wonder what to eat in order to ease a need to smoke.
It’s been already third week and desire to smoke is getting higher and higher.
I’m cold turkey no patches or no medicine quitter now.
January 25th, 2012 at 5:32 pm
I have found herbal tea to help like quit tea and drinking that also helps me replace the habit. And it also doesn’t trigger the same urge to smoke that coffee does.