The Power of Nutrition and Exercise in Quitting Smoking

Smoking is the major cause of preventable death, despite the growing awareness of the negative health impacts of cigarette smoking. We all know smoking is bad for our health, but it can be difficult to quit. People trying to cope with tobacco addiction report physical side effects such as mood swings, sleeping difficulties, or sometimes depression. You can quit smoking by Nutrition and exercise if you do it the right way.

Nutrition

There’s a study that examined what foods affect smokers in quitting smoking. Almost 70% of smokers stated that certain foods made their cigarettes taste good, which appeared to be caffeine drinks, alcohol, and meat. And 45% said that certain foods made their cigarettes taste bad. Such foods appeared to be fruit and vegetables, non-caffeinated drinks like water and juice, dairy drinks, and dairy products.

Having breakfast will encourage you to quit smoking because cigarette cravings aren't quite as intense when your stomach is already full. When dealing with cravings, the consumption of milk and any other dairy products that make cigarettes taste worse may help to discourage smokers from smoking cigarettes.

Chewing gum or mints may keep your mouth busy when you crave smoking. However, both gums and mints last much longer usually longer than smoking a cigarette.

Exercise

Exercise is proven to reduce the symptoms of low nicotine in your body after quitting. Previous studies have shown that a quick 10-minute session of moderate-intensity physical exercise can have direct effects on the reduction of nicotine cravings. Smoking ends up making exercising more challenging as it increases resting heart rate and blood pressure (inducing the heart to work so much harder).

Regular exercise helps to reduce as well as treat depression and anxiety indicate that exercise can be an optimal nicotine replacement therapy, especially for women who are susceptible to negative mood and smoke at least to some extent to control their mood.

You will boost your overall health through exercise and good nutrition. These can also help with nicotine cravings after quitting smoking. People who quit smoking significantly lower their risk of illness and premature death. While health benefits are higher for people who have stopped at a younger age, benefits are achievable at any age.

Sources:

WebMD. (2019). Vegetables, Milk May Help People Quit Smoking.

Harris, K., Zopey, M. and Friedman, T. (2016). Metabolic effects of smoking cessation. Nature Reviews Endocrinology, 12(5), pp.299-308.

Truth Initiative. (2019). 4 foods and drinks that could help smokers quit.

Nutritionaustralia.org. (2019). Breakfast and quitting smoking | Nutrition Australia.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2019). Quitting Smoking.

Linke, S., Ciccolo, J., Ussher, M. and Marcus, B. (2013). Exercise-based Smoking Cessation Interventions among Women. Women's Health, 9(1), pp.69-84.

Medical News Today. (2019). How exercise can help you to quit smoking.

Nutritionaustralia.org. (2019). Exercise and quitting smoking | Nutrition Australia.