Quit Smoking Naturally: Many Paths To A Smoke-Free Life
Today there are many options available to
living a smoke-
free life.
You can use aids like nicotine gum, patches, or
prescription medication such as Zyban. All of these options
will help you to overcome the addiction to nicotine. Other
methods include quitting cold turkey or just gradually
cutting down on your smoking habit. These methods may work
but you may have to suffer the effects of the withdrawal
symptoms.
An alternative to nicotine substitutes involves a
different
approach to quitting smoking. One has to treat the
challenge of quitting the habit as an opportunity to start
living a healthier lifestyle. This process
demands
discipline and willpower, but the rewards will last a
lifetime. You will not only be smoke-free, but will have
gained new life style changes that include healthier eating
habits, exercise and increase in stamina
and endurance.
A certain level of dedication is required to make
significant changes to ones eating habits and lifestyle. By
living healthier and eating properly you will find that it
may become easier to quit smoking. An added benefit is that
you will develop various strategies to help you deal with
nicotine withdrawal.
A key component to changing ones lifestyle is to change
ones
routine.
To make several changes to your style of living,
it is a good idea to take at least a week or two off from
your normal schedule to allow for these changes. Taking
time off from work to get away from your routine will allow
you to be exposed to fewer situations that associate you
with smoking. Time off will also reduce the impact of
nicotine withdrawal.
Key Lifestyle Changes
There are two key lifestyles changes that can make a major
impact on your success:
Healthy eating: this is a very important component to help
you regain the health that you may have lost from your
smoking habit.
Eating wholesome quality foods can help
eliminate toxins from your body much faster. This can aid
in overcoming your nicotine habit. Be sure to eat plenty of
fruits and vegetables, and cut down on fatty meats and foods
high in saturated fats like deserts and fast foods.
Regular Exercise: keeping a regular exercise routine is a
key part of healthy living.
It is important to start slow
if you have never exercised before. Begin by going on long
walks as opposed to starting on three-mile jog. As you gain
stamina and your health starts to improve, then you can add
more vigorous activities to your exercise routing.
Nicotine Withdrawal Symptoms
Most smokers are likely to experience symptoms of nicotine
withdrawal.
Nicotine is a powerful drug that can affect not
only many parts of the body, but also the brain. Smokers
may experience various symptoms such as: sluggishness, and a
lower attention span. If you should feel drained then
simply take short naps whenever you feel an energy drain.
Smokers are also likely to experience irritability.
A brisk
walk may help to alleviate these symptoms and keep your mind
clear and reduce the desire for nicotine.
Other symptoms include a dry throat and mouth, or cough
and
postnasal drip. This is due to the body getting rid of
excess mucus that is produced when exposed to smoke. Sucking
on a lozenge or drinking plenty of water and juices will
help you to overcome these symptoms.
Caffeine Reduction
Lowering you caffeine intake should also be part of
creating
an overall healthy lifestyle. In particular, it is
important to avoid coffee after six pm. Nicotine withdrawal
can cause insomnia in certain people and you do not want to
add to problem by any added caffeine stimulation.
Relaxation
Finding natural ways to calm down and relax can also be
most
beneficial when trying to stop smoking.
Stressful
situations can also trigger the need to smoke. Learning
relaxation techniques, such as deep breathing or meditation,
can promote a healthier lifestyle. Gentle neck exercises or
hot baths have also been known to relieve headaches that may
be caused from nicotine withdrawal.
The many techniques that have been mentioned can be
extremely helpful in helping one to quit smoking.
They are
also useful to help one maintain good health for years to
come. Making them a part of your regular lifestyle will
help you to look better, feel better, as well as promote a
healthier outlook on life.
About The Author:
Jack Chambers is a professional writer who has conducted
extensive research on stop smoking treatments, methods and
programs. You can find information on a number of topics on ways to
quit smoking at:
.
stopsmokingguides.com
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