10 Foods And Remedies That Can Help Reduce Your Craving To Smoke

Smoking cravings are common in smokers whether they smoke or not. Hence it’s not exactly a habit rather an addiction, but there are many ways to get rid of this addiction. This article deals with foods and remedies to reduce your cravings to smoke.

There are many foods and remedies to reduce the craving of smoking, which is not difficult. Following a simple, healthy diet that includes such foods and remedies can help to a great extent in reducing cravings to smoke.

Here are some of the most effective foods to reduce your cravings to smoke.

Apples are one of the best foods to reduce your cravings to smoke. They not only good for heart and blood but they also help to improve lung health. According to the American researchers people apples boost lung functioning in the body keeping it active and healthy. Apples have the antioxidants that significantly improve functions associated with lungs and reduce the negative effects of smoking on it. You can munch on some apples if you get the urge to smoke.¹

Other best foods to reduce your cravings to smoke are oranges. This citric orange colored fruits is a great food option to overcome the cravings for smoking. Try to make a habit of consuming at least one orange when the smoking urge hits you. The cravings to smoke usually last for three-five minutes and oranges significantly distract your mind by its citric taste by changing the mood of your taste buds. You can also have orange juice to ward off the urge and one of the best benefits of having oranges is it acts as a cleansing agent for your lungs.²

Full of vitamin C and antioxidants, tomatoes help blatantly to reduce the desire of puffing a cigarette. The smell of this amazing red vegetable gives your cravings the same effect as the cigarette but of course without any harmful upshots because you never know that both tobacco and tomato belong to the same family (solanacea).³

Tomatoes contain lycopene which are the essential nutrients that help in preventing lung cancer, because the lycopene acts as antioxidants that positively fight against cancer developing cells. Try to add more tomatoes, tomato ketchup, tomato puree or tomato juice in your diet as foods to reduce your cravings to smoke.

Another food that helps in restoring the damages caused by continuous smoking and best foods to reduce your cravings to smoke. Bananas are full of antioxidants, vitamins, minerals and phytochemicals that fix the damages caused by nicotine residue in the lungs. 2-3 bananas adding in your diet can be very helpful. Potassium present in bananas assists to overcome the symptoms of nicotine withdrawal. Bananas are also rich in a compound called tryptophans, an amino acid agent that helps your body to produce serotonin chemical responsible for making you feel revived.⁴

Carrots can amazingly supersede your smoking addiction as eating carrot can be a dangerous addiction too. But the good news is the carotenoids and beta-carotene present in carrots can help evidently to reduce the urge of smoking. The benefits of carrots are numerous and if consumed in the required amount, there will have no side effects of it on your body.

Fishes are the good source of omega 3 fatty acids especially seafoods such as eel, mackerel, halibut, cod, catfish. Omega 3 fatty acids can significantly reduce the negative effects of smoking or tobacco effects on your lungs. Omega 3 fatty acids are known as good or healthy fats that improve arterial stiffness and minimize the damages caused by smoking. Hence, these are one of the most effective best foods to reduce your cravings to smoke.

Consuming celery sticks can be the best foods to reduce your cravings to smoke, by keeping your mouth distracted. According to the Smokefree.gov research, smokers who want to quit smoking should go for low calories snacks to avoid smoking. 12 inches of a celery stick contains 10 calories which means it is not only calorie free to help you to reduce your extra pounds but also minimize the sudden irritating urge of smoking or puffing a cigarette.⁶

Non-carbonated beverages or drinks can amazingly help you to get rid of your cravings to smoke. Non-carbonated drinks such as coconut water, water, juice, butter milk etc. can definitely help you in controlling your nicotine withdrawal irritations. And studies according to the researchers recent studies water quickly helps in fighting the smoking cravings by deleting the euphoria related to smoking.

Healthy and beneficial snacks like nuts, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, healthy vegetable chips are loaded with several essential nutrients as well as antioxidants and healthy fats that boost the lungs health by improving the functioning of it. Some antioxidants present in pumpkin seeds also help to cleanse the lungs by eliminating the residues of smoking. And, snacks are the best way to keep your mouth busy and mind distracted to reduce your cravings to smoke.⁵

One of the other best foods to reduce your cravings to smoke include oats. Well, not only shedding extra pounds, controlling cholesterol levels, improving heart health and controlling blood pressure, oats are also beneficial in minimizing nicotine cravings caused due to prolonged smoking addiction. Studies have also shown that the smokers who consumed fresh oats extract were the ones who felt less cravings to smoke.

In addition to the foods, here are some of the most effective remedies to reduce your cravings to smoke.

Fresh lime juice can significantly reduce the smoking cravings and is one of the most effective remedies to reduce your cravings to smoke. Studies showed that the chain smokers who consumed lime juice more often a day experienced very less urge to smoke as compared to those who used nicotine gums. The anti-infective and anti-microbial agents present in lemons are the effective weapons against the urge of smoking cigarettes. Take half a lemon and squeeze it, adding some salt or sugar and consume the extract thrice a day.

Ginger soothes the symptoms of nicotine withdrawal very brilliantly. You can take crushed ginger with rock salt or ginger organic tablets or simply prepare a ginger tea to reduce the urge of smoking. Ginger helps to calm done your mind, stomach and also reduces the irritability caused due to nicotine withdrawal providing you instant relief. This is one of the most effective remedies to reduce your cravings to smoke.

Now here comes the science, in which you need to remove the toxins associated with nicotine out of your body to fight and reduce the cravings of smoking effectively. And grape juice is one of the best remedies to reduce your cravings to smoke. And nicotine is the deadliest toxin that dwells in your body due to which you keep getting the urge to smoke every now and then. Grape juice is not only a non-carbonated beverage but also loaded with antioxidants to soothe the effects of nicotine withdrawal. Hence, this too is one of the essential remedies to reduce your cravings to smoke.

Another easy and inexpensive remedy to minimize nicotine withdrawal symptoms is honey. You need to add some honey to your regular diet at least 3-4 times a day. If you go for a ginger tea you can add one teaspoon of honey to boost the beneficial effect of both ginger and honey. Honey is loaded with antioxidants and antimicrobial as well as antibacterial properties which eliminate toxins out of the body with great ease and acts as a remedy to reduce your cravings to smoke.

Ginseng is another one of the super effective remedies to reduce your cravings to smoke as it prevents the release of dopamine which is the most harmful component of nicotine. Adding one teaspoon of ginseng powder to your regular meals can reduce the frequent cravings to smoke.

A natural expectorant that kills the urge of smoking very effectively is the licorice root that helps to quit smoking naturally. Its slight sweet taste gives quick relief from smoker’s cough. Chewing a thin or small stick of licorice or even chewing the root can satisfy the craving for smoking. It’s actually a good and healthy substitute of cigarette and acts as one of the remedies to reduce your cravings to smoke.

Cayenne pepper protects your respiratory system from tobacco and the harmful chemicals present in the smoke. Moreover, the antioxidants present in it, neutralizes and normalizes the membranes of lungs preventing any serious damage. Cayenne pepper can be used for reducing the withdrawal effects in various forms such as in complete handpicked fresh pepper, ground pepper powder or capsules. But the best option is adding few pinches of cayenne pepper to a glass of water to drink daily, as one of the best remedies to reduce your cravings to smoke.

One of less known but very effective remedy for reducing cravings to smoke is the medicinal flowering plant called valerian which works significantly as a natural sedative and anti-anxiety dose. This medicinal herb interacts with GABA receptors present in your brain giving you a sedative effect. And that tranquilizing effect on your body helps you to fight the urge of smoking. Not only this, valerian also helps to reduce the nicotine withdrawal symptoms such as anxiety, irritability, depression and restlessness. According to the studies by American Cancer Society, this medicinal flowering plant also helps people to get a peaceful deep sleep. This medicinal plant benefits are available in tablets, capsules, powder and in tincture forms which is recommended to be taken under doctor’s consultation.

This super beneficial flower promotes relaxation and helps fighting irritability and anxiety associated with the process of withdrawal of nicotine. It is helps in treating insomnia and restlessness due to the quitting smoking process and assists in minimizing smoking cravings. This medicinal flower can also be taken in your tea in the form of tincture or capsules that are available in the medicine stores. However, it is always advisable to take these doses under the supervision of your physician or doctor. Note: This herb is strictly not recommended for the use of pregnant and breastfeeding women.

Easily available in stores, lobelia contains an active component after its name Lobeline that rapidly reduces the effect of nicotine withdrawal. It is one of the best remedies to reduce your cravings to smoke as it helps minimize the release of neurotransmitter dopamine the most deadly component of nicotine which creates the urge to smoke and symptoms of nicotine withdrawal. Lobelia is available as vinegar tincture in stores and 20-30 drops of this super remedy thrice a day can help you for sure.

If you’re not a chain smoker and use to smoke less often, then try to quit this habit before it becomes an addiction. Because once it turns to be an addiction quitting smoking will be quite tough and the urge would be unbearable.⁷

Some of the effective tips to reduce your craving to smoke include the following:

• Practice deep breathing. Close your eyes, take some slow, deep breaths and relax for a while.
• Revise your reasons of quitting smoking
• Drink a full glass of water. Try drinking warm water or green tea
• Grab your favorite book to read or get involved in your hobby or simply watch a television show
• Call your family or friend or go for a walk
• Indulge in workout
• Stay in smoke free zone – Avoid company of smokers and plan better ways of spending time with friends
• Keep your mouth little busy with sugar free gums or even better – munch on some nuts and seeds
• Use the technology for quit smoking apps or seek professional help of a counsellor.^{7, 8}

These tips, foods and remedies to reduce your cravings to smoke will be of great help to you. Do exercise, drink loads of water, add more fruits, veggies, nuts and green leafy vegetables to your diet for an active and disease free lifestyle. Get yourself exposed to natural air, go social and culture some creative ideas to distract your smoking habit and addiction.

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• Can You Smoke Before a Stress Test?
• What is Smoker’s Cough: Causes, Effects, Home Treatment, Medications, How Long Does Smoker’s Cough Last?