Nicotine is an addictive substance that is commonly found in cigarettes and other tobacco products. When taken, it travels through the bloodstream and goes directly to the brain within just 7 to 15 seconds. If you continuously take it, it will impose adverse effects that could lead to serious health problems, including heart attack, lung cancer, emphysema and much more.
If you will ask someone who has successfully quit smoking, he’d probably tell you that it is one of the hardest things he had to let go off. The process of staying away from the renowned vice is crucial, it needs ample drive to ensure that one will not have to go back to the addiction as soon as he tells to himself that he really wants to quit.
Food plays an important role when you are in the process of letting go of your cigarette addiction. It helps you to do something with your mouth, and second, these can help you lessen your brain’s signal to take a stick. Eating food is something you do on a regular basis, therefore, making it as your first line of defence is a viable move. Here are 5 foods and drinks that you have to add on your grocery list.
Milk
Based on a study conducted at Duke University, drinking of milk before you smoke can make your cigarette taste horrible – a bitter aftertaste has been recorded according to the participants of the study. So whenever you’re craving, it would be best to drink a glass so that sooner or later, the taste will eventually disgust you.
Ginseng
Based on studies, ginseng helps prevent the release of “pleasure” neurotransmitter dopamine so it is advisable to take it at least once a day.
Salt
Put a pinch of salt on your tongue whenever you think smoking is overpowering you. You might also want to pack your grocery list with salty food so that you can have something to munch in whenever you want to take a stick.
Celery
Like milk, celery will make your cigarette turn bitter. If you do not like the taste of the celery, carrot is a good alternative.
Apple
High-fiber foods, like apple, will make you full so craving for something that you will place inside your mouth will be lessened.
When trying to quit, make sure that you choose the right food. Although there are several food types that you can take to help you manage your craving from taking that dreaded stick, there are also some that stimulate your mind to puff a cigarette. One example is glucose which stimulates some areas of your brain to crave for something pleasurable, so do not eat anything that has a lot of sugar until you have completely let go of the vice. You must also let go of activities that trigger your cravings, such as drinking liquor and coffee. In fact, these two make the cigarettes taste better. To add, red meat also provides the same effect so you might want to slash it from your grocery list, too.