Smoking is bad for your health. Nobody doubts it . One of the keys to quitting is eating. Discover in this post the best and worst foods to forget about tobacco forever.
Did you know that smoking is related to more than 25 diseases and is responsible for 85% of lung cancer cases?
In 2012, in Spain, 60,456 people died from illnesses related to tobacco use, 15% of the deaths registered in the whole country.
Smoking reduces life expectancy by an average of 10 years, according to a study that has followed more than 35,000 people for 50 years in the UK. However, these risks can be reduced by completely quitting tobacco use. The benefits are greater when it is left before.
The benefits are greater when it is left before.
Smoking is bad for your health, there is no question about it . Quitting is not an easy task and, if we add to it the fear of gaining weight, the attempt is abandoned. That is why below, we are going to give you the guidelines so that it is more bearable to leave it, and not get fat in the attempt.
Tips for getting quit smoking:
- Set a date.
- Seek the support of people around you.
- Remove everything related to smoking: cigarettes, lighters, ashtrays …
- Total abstinence, not one more cigarette.
- Keep busy.
- Use mobile applications that can help you quit smoking. Respirapp, for example, is a complete 4-week program developed by the Spanish Association Against Cancer.
- save all the money you’re not spending on buying tobacco and pampering yourself.
Nutritional tips to avoid gaining weight when you quit smoking:
It is important not to change a bad habit like quitting smoking for a very unhealthy one: eating a lot and badly. Following correct eating behavior is a great ally for ex-smokers.
A recent study has shown that a healthy diet can not only minimize that weight gain by being healthier, but it can also make it easier to quit the habit.
Research shows that fruits and vegetables make cigarettes worse . On the contrary, meat, alcohol or coffee enhance its flavor, making the habit of smoking more attractive.
According to this study, smokers could quit more quickly and easily with small modifications to their diet. That is, consuming products that worsen the taste of cigarettes, such as vegetables or a glass of cold water, and avoiding those that enhance the flavor, such as beer and meat.
Food is your ally to give up tobacco forever.
Therefore, the first few weeks, above all, should avoid high-fat foods such as pastries, dairy products and processed and red meats. You should increase the consumption of foods rich in fiber (vegetables and fruits) and complex carbohydrates (brown rice, whole wheat pasta, quinoa, buckwheat …). The consumption of foods rich in antioxidants is essential, since for years we have exposed the body to substances such as nicotine and others released by tobacco that attack our cells. For this reason, it is necessary that during that period there is no lack of raw fruits and vegetables, and opt for infusions such as green tea.
You should not buy caloric and nutritionally empty foods such as chips, snacks, sweets …
You should drink a lot of waterthroughout the day and completely avoid sugary drinks, alcohol and coffee.
Once the first three weeks have passed, you can progressively resume moderate consumption of products that enhance the flavor of the cigarette, although in moderate amounts.
The more the nutritional needs of the organism are covered, the less anxiety will be and the earlier withdrawal syndrome will be overcome. In addition, a balanced and healthy diet is the best guarantee to continue maintaining a healthy weight.
But if you still feel anxious:
- A full stomach helps control anxiety. Drink water and eat foods rich in fiber (whole grains, vegetables, legumes …) that keep you feeling full for longer.
- Faced with the need to put something in the mouth, resort to raw fruits and / or vegetables rather than industrial sweets that will increase short-term anxiety due to the hyper and subsequent hypoglycemia they cause
- physical exercise also helps control anxiety.
It is NEVER too late to quit smoking, as the benefits start to show almost immediately and grow over time.
