Quit Smoking For Good: The Natural Way

Is it really possible to quit smoking without nicotine substitutes or other drugs? Yes! If your decision to quit smoking is part of a growing interest in healthier living, you may want to choose a method of quitting that is natural.

Of course, there are many paths to smoke-free living. Aids like nicotine patches, gum, and nasal spray, or drugs like Zyban can help you get over the physical addiction to nicotine. You may decide to quit cold turkey and suffer the withdrawal symptoms, or you may gradually cut down on your cigarette habit.

Clean Up Your Lifestyle

As an alternative to nicotine substitutes, you can treat the challenge of quitting the smoking habit as an opportunity to improve in your lifestyle. At the end of the process, not only will you be smoke-free, you also will have gained new eating habits and a healthier, more rewarding lifestyle.

Making changes to your lifestyle and eating habits is a big challenge, and it requires a certain level of dedication. You will find, however, that eating healthier and living healthier also makes it easier to quit smoking. Lifestyle changes also provide strategies for dealing with nicotine withdrawal.

Take Time To Change

Since we are talking about several changes to your style of living, it's a good idea to take at least a week or 2 off from your usual routine to make these changes. If you can take some time off work and get away from your regular schedule, you will be exposed to fewer situations which you associate with smoking. You can also take the time to recover from the physical effects of nicotine withdrawal.

Start Exercising

A regular exercise routine is an essential part of healthy living. If you have not exercised previously, build up to it gradually. Rather than starting on an ambitious 2-mile jog every morning, begin by going for long walks. As your stamina increases and your health improves, you can add more vigorous activities to your exercise routine.

Get A Healthy Eating Plan

Healthy eating is also very important for regaining the health that has been damaged by your smoking habit. Eat plenty of fresh vegetables and fruits and cut down on fatty meats and foods high in saturated fats, like fast food and desserts. Eating good-quality food can help eliminate toxins from the body more quickly, which makes it easier to overcome your nicotine habit.

Tools For Dealing With Nicotine Withdrawal

You are likely to experience symptoms from nicotine withdrawal. Nicotine is a powerful drug that affects many parts of the body, particularly the brain. Smokers become accustomed to the regular stimulation provided by nicotine, and may feel sluggish and inattentive when they are deprived. Rather than depending on nicotine substitutes to overcome the symptoms, try taking a short nap whenever you feel drained.

Another symptom of nicotine withdrawal is irritability. Whenever you feel this way or are craving a cigarette, go for a brisk walk. This helps clear your mind and overcome the desire for nicotine.

Drink Extra Water And Juice

You may also find that your mouth and throat feel dry, or that you develop a cough or postnasal drip. This is caused by the body ridding itself of excess mucus produced by exposure to smoke. To overcome these symptoms drink plenty of juice and water or suck on lozenges.

Cut Down On Caffeine

Cutting down on caffeine should be part of your new healthy lifestyle. There is no need to eliminate caffeine completely, but it is particularly important to avoid it after 6 pm. Nicotine withdrawal can cause insomnia, and you do not want to compound that by stimulating yourself with too much caffeine.

Instead of Smoking -- Relax!

It is important to find natural ways to relax. Many people have the urge to smoke when exposed to stressful situations. It is far healthier and more useful to learn relaxation techniques like deep breathing. Nicotine withdrawal may also cause headaches, which can be relieved by a hot bath, neck and shoulder massage, or gentle body movements like rolling the head and neck, or by more formal approaches like yoga or tai chi.

All of these techniques can be extremely helpful in overcoming the cigarette habit, but they are also useful for maintaining good health. Make them part of your regular lifestyle and you will feel better, look better, and have a healthier, smoke-free life.

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