It is incredibly tough to stop smoking. If you have been a smoker for a substantial length of time, you know that the mental and physical addictions to cigarettes can run deep. If you are interested in quitting, however, the many health benefits make it worth the struggle. Some natural, healthy techniques may help you overcome your nicotine addiction.
Plan a Quit Day
The Mayo Clinic advises that you choose a day to quit in the near future and prepare for it properly. They tell you to mark "Quit Day" on your calendar, talk to your doctor, tell people who will hold you accountable, remove all tobacco products from your home, not keep any emergency cigarettes on hand and stock up on substitutes for cigarettes to deal with your newly idle hands and mouth--items like gum, hard candy and crunchy vegetables.
Diet
In "1,000 Cures for 200 Ailments", Geovanni Espinosa, N.D., states that you should prepare for blood sugar levels to drop. With the withdrawal symptoms and cravings you'll experience, you do not need to add headaches, dizziness and a lack of concentration to the list. Espinosa, a naturopathy expert, advises you to eat every two to three hours to keep your blood sugar levels regulated. He suggests you drink a glass of orange juice at the same interval for the first few days, to keep your blood sugar high and to replace your depleted stores of Vitamin C.
Reduce Stress
Especially during the first couple of weeks, people who have quit smoking tend to feel anxious and irritable. There are techniques you can use to reduce your anxiety, which will help keep you from turning back to smoking cigarettes, your previous method of stress-relief. In "The Anxiety and Phobia Workbook", Edmund J. Bourne, Ph.D. states that practicing deep relaxation techniques like yoga, Tai chi, abdominal breathing or meditation for 20 to 30 minutes a day can increase the level of relaxation you feel all the time. Or, since you are getting healthy anyway, start an exercise routine. Keep your mind off cigarettes, get the blood pumping and get those neurotransmitters flowing.
Herbal Supplements
Nicotine withdrawals leave the nervous system over stimulated. The main purpose of herbal supplements is to calm your nervous system and decrease your irritability to ensure you do not get the urge to light up again. In "1,000 Cures for 200 Ailments," herbalism expert David Kiefer, M.D., says that drinking a tea made from hops, skullcap, passionflower or chamomile--when you experience a strong urge to smoke--can calm your nerves and provide a healthy substitute for cigarettes. That is not a bad habit to start. Other effective herbal supplements are high-quality ginseng, valerian, kava kava, 5-HTP and ginkgo.
References
- The Mayo Clinic
- "1,000 Cures for 200 Ailments;" Victor Sierpina, M.D., editor; 2007
- "The Anxiety & Phobia Workbook, 4th Ed.;" Edmund J. Bourne, Ph.D.; 2005
