Foods to assist in nicotine withdrawal?

PaulineKK

I plan to quit smoking within the next few weeks. Does anyone know of foods that help reduce the cravings? I know I want a cigarette with my coffee...so I'm switching to herbal teas now in prep for that. (Can't withdraw on too many things at once!)

Any recommendations are very welcome.

vanguardfitness

I always see ex-smokers chew on ridiculous amounts of gum (not nicotine gum)

upgetupgetup

I always see ex-smokers chew on ridiculous amounts of gum (not nicotine gum)

Yeah, I'm doing this. 3-5 pieces at a time. I use Dentyne because it's softer than most gums (easier on the jaw).

I think switch up your morning routine somehow, so you're not having a hot drink where you usually do - a different room, something.

PaulineKK

Thanks for the suggestions. Maybe try to hop on a treadmill or go for a fast walk too. I don't want a cigarette after hopping off that.

I just didn't know if there were any particular vitamins or minerals in a particular fruit or vegetable that might help with the craving.

melsinct

Ex-smoker popping in here (I quit in June 2012)...there are no foods that will help. Breaking the addiction sucks but really, you just have to let your body go through the withdrawal process. The first 3 days were awful, the first week sucked, and it got progressively easier after that. I quit cold turkey, since I wanted to rip the bad aid off quickly as opposed to prolonging the addiction with nicotine replacement gums, lozenges, etc. but any path you choose is better than smoking!

I am part of a group on MFP called "Quitting Smoking." It helps to have some support, so consider joining us over there!

silverainn

My boyfriend swears by raw ginger. He sliced it thinly and chewed a piece whenever he had cravings (with occasional help from an e-cigarette). The smell (and I'm assuming taste) is a bit overwhelming.. he said it was the strong taste that kept him distracted, but he managed to quit completely within a couple of months.

BarackMeLikeAHurricane

Chew on cinnamon sticks

acogg

I remember reading that foods that are slow to digest help with withdrawal and to avoid foods like orange juice which are fast to digest. The theory being that slower foods keep the nicotine reduction on a more even keel, while fast digesting foods lead to too high a drop, causing more severe withdrawal symptoms. This was 10 years ago so maybe the wisdom has changed.

BarackMeLikeAHurricane

Oh, and fireballs are great for this, too. When I was locked up and couldn't smoke I would eat fireballs until my mouth was numb.

jynxxxed

My boyfriend chewed toothpicks for a few months to quit. Hasn't smoked in over 5 years now.
I've heard of people dipping them in certain things to get a flavor, and some are sold flavored as well. You'll find something that works for you.

terriblyn

I've heard there are herbs that you can take via tincture or tea to help with the cravings. I know that lobelia and licorice root are two. May want to check out your local health food store and see. There are probably some homeopathics that would help too... Good luck!!!

PaulineKK

Thanks, I think there are some really good things to try! I have been drinking a ginger tea each day that's supposed to be good as and anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory, helps digestion, improves circulation and blood flow, etc. etc.

It would never have occurred to me to chew a cinnamon stick.

When I tried to quit before, I used coffee stirrers to gnash my teeth on and mimic the smoking behavior...deep inhales.

@melsinct...I'm fairly new on here. How do I get to that group?

Again, thank you all for your input.

P.S. I love fireballs.

melsinct

This is the link to the group:

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/groups/home/755-quitting-smoking

Mary1NYS

I so agree with the fireballs! i don't know why but they really helped me when I quit! Also good idea to increase your fiber intake and drink more water to help prevent constipation!

blu_meanie_ca

Smoking increases your blood sugar. It takes a couple of days (3) for your body to figure out how to regulated blood sugar on it's own again. You will experience low blood sugar along with your acute withdrawl (fun eh). That low blood sugar is what causes the moodiness, headaches, and extreeme fatigue of the first few days.
Sipping on orange juice (sipping a glass or 2 through out the day, not a whole glass every few min), or eating fruit regularily will help alleviate that. Orange juice or citrus fruit also has the added benefit of high doses of vit C, which will help your body kick nicotine faster.

A site that is awsome for information on smoking, and mechanisms re addiction is www.whyquit.org .

The info there really helped me kick my 20 year addiction to smoking (and I'm only 34.... ick).

tehzephyrsong

Might be a little out-there, but if you have access to a sauna or steam room, or a hot tub, or sufficiently hot water in your shower, spending some time in there every day for 3-4 days can help you by sweating out some of the nicotine in your system. Or so I've heard; I've never smoked so I can't speak to how effective this might be for you. I have studied mechanisms of addiction and of nicotine addiction in particular, though, and I can tell you that a huge part of getting over nicotine addiction is psychological. Needing something to do with your hands or mouth is also a problem that people run into, hence gum, toothpicks, sunflower seeds, etc being so popular among people trying to quit.

Changing up your routine will definitely help, though; the effect of the environment on addiction to any substance is significant. You've heard stories of celebrities who OD on preposterously large quantities of drugs, and it wasn't the first time they had done that much - 9 times out of 10, they OD because they were doing their drugs of choice somewhere other than where they normally did them (like a hotel room). The body becomes accustomed to a routine of drug use so that, when you're in the situation and environment where you normally use a substance (e.g., with your morning coffee), the body compensates by inducing withdrawal symptoms, so using the drug brings you back to normal. Switching to tea and perhaps drinking the tea in a different room will help to dispel morning cravings.

WBB55

Besides the patch and nicotine losenges, I sucked on those DumDum suckers. ESPECIALLY when driving, the suckers were a great replacement. 7 years quit for good (after smoking for 10 and "quitting" of and on for 5 years)

PaulineKK

This is the link to the group:

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/groups/home/755-quitting-smoking

Thanks, I've joined!

Thank you all for your support and suggestions. I know besides the addictiveness of the tars and nicotine, there are over 100 other addicting substances in a cigarette, but those are the toughest to get over. I also know a lot of it is psychological/behavior. One of my mantra's now is that I've started eating healthier and exercising, this will help my body through the withdrawal. It also helps that the other smoker in the house has now successfully quit for over a month...less temptation!

Prettylittlelotus

Hey! Congrats on your decision to quit smoking! I quit cold turkey October 1, 2011. Haven't smoked since.

As for ways to curb your cravings--It's really easy.

Stay away from smokers all together until you're confident you can resist the urge to smoke.

Cinnamon Sticks are great, they're the same shape as a cigarette. If I really wanted to smoke I would chew on one of them and the spicy sweetness was perfect for helping me get through the craving (Carrots, celery, and pretty much any other low sugar veggie works too).

Try to incorporate NEW healthy habits to occupy your time. Start running, weight lifting, or anything that gets your heart pumping and your blood flowing--become addicted to something healthy and fun. It works.

The trick is keeping up motivation. Smoking is a habit coupled with a physical addiction, you have to WANT to quit. Make it your greatest accomplishment, tell yourself how strong you are and how you can overcome anything--especially a stupid addiction. They say it takes 30 days to break/make a habit, so I say incorporate a new routine to replace smoking for 30 days, by the time you have established a new habit you’ve eliminated your worst.

You CAN do this. Anyone can, you just have to find the strength and the will.

PaulineKK

Prettylittlel, thanks for the encouraging words.

So, cinnamon sticks...spice isle of the grocery store? What a difference my breath will be!

My son quite about a month ago and he was the only one constantly around me that smoked...so now I'm the only one. He's a good source of encouragement as are my daughters.

I think I'm going to be walking my dog a lot and it may be time to break out the Tai Chi DVD again.

MountainMoverJosh

I have been there. I will say this. Plan to eat a lot. Plan to gain about 15-20 lbs and know it is okay. Eat whatever satisfies your craving, but for you to stay healthy while quitting smoking is damn near impossible.

I am still gaining back the weight that I lost (I have yoyoed twice), but let me say this: I feel better than I have in my whole life.

Git-r-Done!

MountainMoverJosh

If you nitpick at the food you want to eat, it will bring up stress, and you will start again.

Destress the body. Do not "worry" about weight issues or other nutrition concerns. Sugar and gaining weight are dwarfed mightily when talking about quitting smoking. But you have to really want to quit smoking, not to just want to quit when it will not make you gain weight.

Oh, and I quit cold turkey. Spent three months feeling guilty about every time I puffed up, and then one morning, just didn't need em. Now, I can be around smoking, but will not want them at all. I don't think my lungs could take such toxins anymore anyways. They have adjusted to being able to run for 3-5 miles without stopping!

upgetupgetup

Also... I think it helps to really ****ing loathe cigarettes. So you don't then think, 'oh, look at those guys in a group by the wall, having a nice smoke,' but instead, 'how sad that those people are slaves to the holes they've created in themselves'.

The last time I actually thought about smoking as a pleasant thing, or with any longing, affection, regret, whatever was about a year before I quit. I smoked reluctantly after that, hating every part of every second. So I had a long and sincere 'contemplation' phase, I guess.

Allan Carr's book really helped me change my thinking around smoking.
http://allencarr.com/

You can also do little meditations/visualizations on how disgusting a habit it is. And on things that matter to you. For me it was vanity and the fact I couldn't really breathe so well anymore, so: greying, crinkling skin vs smooth, plump skin. Stinky, crackhead looking hair with busted ends vs smooth, shiny cuticles. Lungs, black and decaying or pink and healthy. Etc.

MyChocolateDiet

I had a college teacher say that tums helped with that. she chose one class volunteer who was a smoker and told him when he craved a cigarette to raise his hand and she handed him a tums. seemed to work? many years ago. something about the acid and ph levels and that's why drinking alcohol makes people crave cigs. but tums kills the urge. maybe same with coffee?

do not quit coffee cold turkey. taper down. especially if you are getting headaches. tea only has a percentage of the caffeine as coffee so hopefully it will be enough for you not to have withdrawals.

upgetupgetup

Point of above is: when you've profoundly, profoundly changed your schema around the meaning of cigarettes, it's then much easier to interpret physical cravings as new kinds of physical cues, and channel them in different directions. Like using that physical energy to go for a little jog or do some jumping jacks.

One metaphor that works for me is 'riding the wave', or 'urge surfing'. Involves meditation.
http://urgesurf.com/what-is-urge-surfing/

You surf the urge by being aware of it, and separating your experience from it, and knowing it will only last 3-5 minutes, and just sort of coexisting with it for a while. Kind of awesome.