Natural Remedies To Help You Quit Smoking

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What Makes Smoking So Addictive?

Once you try a cigarette it becomes very hard to stop; that is why in the United States alone almost 40 million adults currently smoke. This is an extremely high number and shows the issue at hand. However, because of the smoking problem in America, there have been many options put in place to help smokers cut the addiction from their lives for good.

These options have all been confirmed and promoted by medical professionals and are said to turn a person’s life around, but how well does it truly work?

What makes smoking so addictive is the addictive component – nicotine. Nicotine is an addictive substance found in tobacco, therefore the more times you smoke, the easier it is for nicotine to take control of your body.

How Does Nicotine Work?

Nicotine is very powerful. When you compare a smoker’s brain to a non-smoker’s brain, they differ completely. With a smoker, their brain is filled with nicotine receptors which in turn produces false feelings of urge. Because of that receptor, smokers feel the need to pick up a cigarette to get that nicotine satisfaction; only then is that urge gone.

What makes this worse, however, is this “high” is only short term. As soon as you have finished your cigarette, those urges slowly creep back and you will find yourself itching for another cigarette. With this, the cycle continues.

Medically Approved Remedies

There are a variety of remedies put in place that have been approved by medical professionals yet not all smokers find these helpful. Examples of remedies include:

Nicotine patch
Nicotine gum

Vapes
Nicotine Inhalers

Although these are not cigarettes, they still all contain nicotine. This is the most unhelpful option as this will only make a smoker crave cigarettes even more. Cigarettes supply smokers with an authentic taste which the brain forces them to desire and although this is a better substitute which will benefit their health, this does not help the urge. More often than not you will find people resulting back to cigarettes after trying these remedies.

Natural Remedies For Quitting Cigarettes

With usual suggested remedies failing, it is worth looking into natural remedies. Natural remedies do not require medication or medically tested items. All that is needed is your own strength and the things around you.

There are plenty of things you can do in your day to day life to help you quit smoking for good that doesn’t include nicotine patches or vape pens. With natural remedies, you will be cutting nicotine from your life completely, helping to get rid of those nicotine receptors and stop that constant urge.

Below we have put together a list of our recommendable natural remedies to stop you smoking for good.

Commit To Your Decision

The first point is one of the most important steps to quitting smoking. You need to know yourself that you want to quit and then commit. Relying on patches soothes your urge to pick up a cigarette because of the nicotine in it, however this will only lead you back to your addiction.

To be successful in using the natural remedy method, you have to be sure and know that you will not be satisfied by nicotine anymore. Know that this will be a difficult process and you will eventually attain symptoms of withdrawal – go in knowing this will happen and commit.

Indulge In Positive Thinking

For many people a cigarette is a stress reliever, often believing the only road to happiness is through a cigarette. This is not the case. This mindset is falsely created by brain receptors.

When quitting, it is important to think positive in order to reduce that stress. Think positive about the outcome of your cigarette ban and use this positivity to help you strive forward on this journey.

Relax

Many smokers use smoking cigarettes as an excuse to relax, however relaxation comes in many forms. Instead of a cigarette, relax with your feet up and get lost in a good book. Or maybe you’d prefer to sink into a steaming bubble bath. Choose anything to help you stay relaxed and clear your mind.

It is important to remember that these urges felt from a cigarette are just your mind playing games. Cigarettes do not relax you, a massage relaxes you, as does a bath or a book.

Physical Activity

There is a high chance that during the withdrawal period the only thing you will be thinking about are cigarettes. This is completely normal occurrence that many face, so it is a good idea to find a healthy distraction. Involving yourself in physical activity is a good way to keep your mind and body occupied and maintain a healthy lifestyle.

Decide to go on runs, swim, play tennis, basketball, or go to the gym. There is plenty to choose from that will help those nicotine urges as well as benefiting your health.

Try Chewing

You will notice how much you use your mouth after quitting cigarettes and because of this you need something to keep you busy. A good idea is to chew on raw vegetables such as carrots and celery.

By doing this, you are occupying yourself and making it easier to resist the urges. Alternatively, you can choose to chew on gum or candy (however, not too much candy!)

Black Pepper

This one may come as a surprise, but black pepper is a natural remedy that is medically proven to help those nicotine urges. Simply inhaling the vapor from black pepper works to contain that urge and make the quitting process run a lot smoother.

What Not To Do

Now we have taken you through a list of our natural remedies, you should also be aware of the things that you should avoid.

Replace Cigarettes With Junk Food

It can be easy to use junk food to fill that void when quitting smoking however this will only be the start of a new addiction. It is important not to replace cigarettes with unhealthy food as this will only deteriorate your body even more. Instead of unhealthy foods, try drinking more liquids such as juice and water.

Surround Yourself With Triggers

You may find that you are prone to smoking after drinking a few glasses of wine or after work at a certain time of day. These are habits made and it is necessary to break them. If you know that you are prone to smoking after a glass of wine, try to cut down on your alcohol intake. If you have formed a habit of smoking straight after work, find a hobby to do after work.

What Happens When You Stop Smoking?

Quitting smoking is a challenging task for everyone involved and it takes a lot of strength to be successful. What makes this the most challenging, however, is how your mind and body reacts when you stop smoking.

The first few days are the hardest. At this point you begin to have mood swings, become irritated and moody. As well as this, you are prone to experiencing headaches.

After a month does your lungs begin to improve but it is at around month nine that your lungs completely heal. Once a year has passed your lungs will be completely healthy and your chances of heart disease will have halved.