Smoking is one of the most important causes implicated in lung cancer; but you probably already knew this. However, you do not realize that smoking plays a major role in determining your risk of developing other types of cancer, chronic lung disorder, stroke, heart disease, constipation and infertility. If you have already started your journey on the road to quit smoking but finding it difficult to get over a cigarette addiction, trying out a holistic natural approach can make things easier. Here are a few tips that might help you to win this battle against smoking.
#1 Flush Out Toxins (due to smoking) From Your Body
Cigarette smoke poisons the body with not just nicotine, tar and carbon monoxide but with thousands of toxins. If you have been smoking for some time, these toxins need to be cleansed out of the body. Although there are several measures to go about it, opting for natural treatment is the most effective. You might be knowing the fact that dealing with the first 72 hours are far more crucial, here's how you can get over the toughest phase of quitting smoking.
Start off your day by drinking lots of cool (but not ice cold) water. Moreover, drink water stored in a copper container cleanses out the toxic deposits from the body in an efficient manner. You can also opt for products containing herbs such as Shatavari, Gotu Kola(Brahmi), Ginseng and Ashwagandhaand products such as Triphala and Sudarshana Choorna to detoxify your body. However, use these natural remedies under the supervision of a qualified Ayurvedic doctor
#2 Substitute Herbal Cigarettes for Nicotine-Containing Ones
In the initial stages, it can be quite difficult to overcome your body s cravings for a smoke. And the key to stick to your aim of no-smoking is to hold out against the impulse for a nicotine fix. Ayurveda prescribes the use of medicinal smoking as an initial step to overcome the craving for nicotine. Herbal cigarettes such as turmeric,tulsi, cinnamon,gangal,mulethi, clove and guggul which are free from nicotine are available in the market.
In some cases, a powder containing ingredients such as ginger, amla, turmeric and sitopaladi is recommended by Ayurvedic experts. This powder has to be made into a ball and consumed (suck it) to reduce the cravings for a cigarette. However, before you kick start your goal, clear your myths about quitting smoking.
#3 Get Sufficient Exercise
Did you know that exercise causes the release of mood-enhancing endorphins? Well, exercising helps you to deal with the feelings of melancholy that sometimes accompanies the effort to give up cigarettes. Hence, sticking to your regular routine of exercise plays a key role in helping you to kick the butt. Also, yoga plays a key role in aiding you to quit smoking.
According to Ayurveda, the practice of specific breathing techniques such as bhastrika pranayama helps you to flush out the contaminant from cigarette smoke from the upper respiratory tract. Many Ayurvedic experts also advise those who have decided to quit smoking to perform Neti Kriyayoga twice in the day (morning and evening). Visit an authentic yoga instructor and learn these techniques thoroughly. Practice them as prescribed to keep stress away and stay firm with your decision to quit smoking.
#4 Make Changes to Your Diet
Quite a few people who quit smoking, experience a peculiar bitter taste. To deal with this problem, change the food you consume as this might help you to adapt better to this situation. A vegetarian diet low in fat is the best to stoat off with. Apart from this,
Also, lack of nicotine can increase your appetite even as it slows down body metabolism and this means a tendency to gain weight. So, avoid this by munching only on low-calorie foods such as raw fruits and vegetables, when you feel hungry. Get inspired by this real life story of a smoker and know his tips to stay away from smoking.
#5 Get Help From Family And Friends
Involve the people closest to you in your efforts to quit smoking. Tell your close friends, family and co-workers about your desire to quit. Their encouragement and support will be crucial to how well you succeed. Moreover, when you make this kind of a commitment, you feel more duty-bound to stick to your decision. If you think it is necessary, ask for help from a psychologist who specializes in behaviour therapy counselling to help you adopt the right attitude during the tough initial stages of quitting smoking. Beware of these four feelings that can trigger smoking relapse --Hungry, angry, lonely and tired.
Tips to keep in mind
With the right form of treatment and by keeping yourself in a positive frame of time, it is definitely possible to stick to your decision and completely quit smoking.
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