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8 foods that can help you quit smoking

 
, medical expert
Last reviewed: 01.07.2025
 
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15 June 2012, 11:14

Smoking is one of the most common human addictions. And one of the most dangerous. Smokers face many troubles. This includes an increased risk of heart attack, lung disease, cancer, premature aging, and damage to the vocal cords, not to mention impotence... Smoking shortens life. Special patches and chewing gum, tablets (Zeiban, Champix), and psychotherapy help in the difficult process of giving up the bad habit. And naturopaths advise to support the matter with the help of nutrition. Here is a list of products that should be kept in the refrigerator if you have decided to start the path of giving up cigarettes.

Swiss chard (chard)

The active substances that are abundant in chard are powerful antioxidants that help neutralize toxins and prevent cancer. It helps cleanse the liver of nicotine deposits and makes it easier to quit smoking.

Celery leaves

They are rich in phthalides. These substances improve the condition of blood vessels, normalize blood pressure, and lower the level of stress hormones. Juice squeezed from celery leaves, with regular use, lowers cholesterol levels. These properties strengthen the body of a person quitting smoking and make the difficult task easier.

Oranges, lemons, sweet peppers.

Smoking leads to increased loss of vitamin C. Deficiency of this vitamin weakens the immune system and makes it difficult to break the habit. Consuming foods rich in vitamin C, such as oranges, lemons and sweet peppers, has a beneficial effect.

Milk

The study showed that smokers who drank a glass of milk before smoking a cigarette did not like the taste. The participants in the experiment noted that the cigarette had a bitter taste, which made them give up smoking for now. You need to soak the cigarettes in milk and dry them. After that, you need to return them to the same pack and forget what you did with them. When you decide to smoke, you will feel an unpleasant taste, which will make it easier for you to give up the bad habit.

Water

Water helps flush out toxins from the body, particularly nicotine. Drink a glass of water before you smoke a cigarette. Sometimes this can make the desire to smoke less intense.

Dark chocolate

The relaxation that occurs after a cigarette is associated with the release of serotonin. This substance, often called the hormone of happiness, causes feelings of peace and pleasure, improves mood. Those who have given up smoking need serotonin to relax, and chocolate (in reasonable doses) will help to get it. It is worth remembering that chocolate is not a healthy food, and its abuse can cause weight gain. Use chocolate only in crisis moments, when you are close to snatching a cigarette from the pack. Include complex carbohydrates in the menu, which act in the same way, but more slowly. You can eat wholemeal bread, oatmeal.

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Green smoothie

You can make juices or green mixtures using cilantro, mint, celery, spinach and other leafy vegetables. They contain chlorophyll, which gives plants their green color. Chlorophyll is able to remove waste and toxins from the body. This also applies to nicotine. This means that during the period of withdrawal from cigarettes, you should eat more greens and leafy vegetables.

Herbal infusions

As soon as you feel anxious, irritable, and your heart starts beating faster (all of these are typical symptoms of withdrawal from your usual dose of nicotine), stop for a moment, take a deep breath, and make yourself an herbal infusion that will help you relax. Green tea, lemon balm, passionflower, or louise tea work well in this case.

In addition to the products that will accompany you on your journey to quitting smoking, try to follow these recommendations.

  • Avoid caffeine, alcohol and sugar. They are not good for anyone, especially smokers, because they increase the burden on the body, which is already busy clearing nicotine, and increase the desire to go back to cigarettes.
  • Take a special cleansing diet course with a professional. The benefits are twofold: helping to remove nicotine from the body and preventing excess weight, which often occurs after quitting smoking.
  • You can try medicinal herbs to cleanse your liver of toxins and prevent the urge to smoke, such as milk thistle.
  • Use aromatic essential oils to help yourself psychologically. Use scents such as lavender, cardamom, marjoram, geranium, myrtle and mandarin.
  • Stay physically active. Exercise will help flush out toxins from your body, improve your overall health, and lift your mood.
  • Create a support group for yourself. Some people only need help from friends and family, while others need to attend a seminar or classes with a professional who will accompany you on the difficult path of quitting smoking.

Products under ban

Alcohol

It is known that people often smoke their first cigarette after drinking alcohol. Alcohol relaxes the mind, and therefore one or several cigarettes smoked do not seem to be something terrible. Experienced smokers know that alcohol combined with cigarettes gives special pleasure.

Coffee, tea, coca-cola

The combination of coffee and cigarettes is quite common. The fact is that caffeinated drinks (coffee, tea, cola) improve the taste of smoke. At least, this is what 45% of smokers surveyed by specialists from Duke University Medical Center in North Carolina say. In addition, coffee with a cigarette is a tribute to fashion, which is why many smokers prefer to enjoy a cigarette with a cup of coffee.

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