Types of food choices and restrictions for quitting smoking

It's not easy to get out of the shadow of a cigarette. There are times when some ex-smokers almost give up because they cannot bear the stress after quitting smoking. Eits, wait a minute. It turns out, the effects of this cigarette addiction can be suppressed by adjusting a healthy diet, you know. So, what are the foods to stop smoking that can help your business?

What kind of food to quit smoking?

There are many changes that occur in your body when you decide to quit smoking. The most common thing is that you get stressed easily. Not only that, your tongue and nose receptors are also damaged due to exposure to chemicals in cigarettes.

One puff of cigarette smoke releases about 7,000 toxic materials. Imagine in just one cigarette, how much poison has damaged the nerves in the mouth. As a result, the nerves in the tongue and nose become numb and only recognize the sensation of the active ingredients from cigarettes.

But don't worry, according to a study published in the journal Tobacco Induced Diseases in 2017, adjusting your diet can actually be a successful way to quit smoking, you know.

Well, here are various foods to quit smoking that can help you, namely:

1. Milk

When the desire to smoke returns, don't rush to grab a cigarette to satisfy that desire, huh! It's good, immediately go to the kitchen and get a glass of milk. Yes, milk can be a food alternative to quitting smoking, you know.

This finding stems from a study published in the journal Nicotine and Tobacco Research in 2007. In the study, around 209 smokers were asked to enjoy a variety of foods and assess what types of food could make their tongue taste good and not.

Apparently, the most preferred smoking cessation foods are milk and dairy products. This is because milk can help relieve the bitter sensation on the tongue caused by smoking.

2. Vegetables and fruit

Are you looking for food to quit smoking? Try to choose a variety of your favorite vegetables and fruits. For example oranges, pears, apples, or bananas which contain lots of antioxidants, vitamins and fiber.

According to a study published in the journal Nicotine and Tobacco Research in 2013, former smokers who like to eat vegetables and fruit tend to be freer from cigarette snares more easily. In fact, the desire to quit smoking continues to strengthen for the next 30 days, compared to those who rarely eat vegetables and fruit.

Just like milk, eating vegetables and fruit can help restore sensitivity to the tongue. That way, you no longer look for cigarettes when you are stressed, instead you turn to healthier vegetables and fruits.

3. Popcorn

Who said that popcorn can only be eaten when watching movies? Popcorn can also be a food to stop smoking that you can rely on.

Not only makes hands busy snacking, eating popcorn can also make you full faster. About 1,000 grams or the equivalent of 5 cups of popcorn only contains 150 calories. So, you don't have to worry about obesity after eating popcorn.

With a note, avoid adding butter, sugar, or salt to the popcorn. Replace it with a little olive oil or parmesan cheese to make it more savory and add flavor.

4. Nuts

One of the most common effects of quitting smoking is weight gain. This happens because the appetite of ex-smokers tends to increase and be vented withsnackingunhealthy food.

Relax, this doesn't mean you shouldn't snack in order to keep your weight stable, really. Most importantly, you need to be more careful when choosing foods to quit smoking.

So, to be healthier and safer for weight, choose nuts as your snack today. A study published in the journal Annals of Internal Medicine in 2015 revealed that people who ate a high-fiber diet lost up to 2.5 kilograms (kg) of weight a month.

These high-fiber foods are not just nuts, they include broccoli, raspberries and other types of berries, as well as oatmeal.

Foods to avoid when quitting smoking

Apart from choosing foods to quit smoking, there are several types of foods that you should also avoid. The reason is, there are certain foods that can actually provoke a higher desire to smoke again.

So, here are the foods you should avoid.

1. Coffee

Contrary to milk, coffee is actually one of the best friends to drink while smoking. Not that good, this actually backfires for those of you who are trying to quit smoking.

The caffeine content in cigarettes can stimulate the receptors on the tongue to return to smoking. As much as possible, avoid these types of drinks so that your efforts to quit smoking will be even more successful.

2. Alcohol

Just like coffee, not a few people like to drink alcohol while smoking cigarettes at the same time. He said, the calming effect can be multiplied if you do it all at once.

In fact, this calming effect is only temporary. In fact, behind it all, there are many toxic substances that flow in the blood and damage your organs slowly.

3. Low calorie foods

Many people think that low-calorie foods are the best smoking cessation foods to choose from. Because, low-calorie foods are believed to help reduce the risk of being overweight which commonly occurs after quitting smoking.

In fact, the reality is just the opposite. Health experts actually reveal that low-calorie foods actually backfire for those of you who are trying to stay away from cigarettes.

According to a study published in the journal Psychopharmacology in 2005, smokers who reduced 700 calories in their diet were found to smoke more than those who did not. Unfortunately, experts still don't know the exact cause.