Every smoker admits that quitting never comes easy, especially if you’re into the habit for several years already. The more nicotine you’ve puffed, the harder it is for you to quit. However, there are ways you can do to avoid triggering your nicotine cravings while trying to quit smoking. There are foods that can help you overcome the cravings but there are also foods that trigger you to light that cigarette again. Help yourself by avoiding the foods and spices that triggers you to smoke again. Read on to learn the foods you want to avoid during the first weeks of your smoking cessation.
Below are the 4 foods you need to avoid when trying to quit smoking:
No.1 Food to Avoid – Meat
Studies suggest that meat is among the common foods you need to avoid during your smoking cessation adjustments, especially on the first weeks of your treatment or while trying to lessen or give up your smoking habit. Smokers admit that meat enhances the taste of cigarettes. Thus triggers your nicotine cravings, and encourages you to smoke more sticks of cigarettes. Should you eat meat, you may want to prepare it differently than the usual, or you may want to eat meat substitutes instead, like tofu, tempe or seitan. You can easily purchase them in your local grocery stores.
No.2 Food to Avoid – Caffeinated Drinks or Coffee
Majority smokers confess that they enjoy smoking after drinking a cup of coffee early in the morning or any time of the day. Your body develops a natural craving for smoking after drinking coffee. Likewise, caffeine and nicotine are both stimulants, drinking coffee or caffeinated beverages might just trigger your brain to crave for the same sensation when you smoke. And in some cases, drinking coffee during the early weeks of smoking cessation can worsen the symptoms of smoking, like extreme agitation, shaking, headaches, and anxiety. This will make it harder for you to lessen or give up smoking, or overcome your cravings if you drink coffee while on your smoking cessation program.
No.3 Food to Avoid – Sweets
Chocolates, cakes, cookies, and other sweet foods usually trigger the “feel good” hormone in your brain. The same effect smoking gives your brain. Eating sweet foods might trigger the secretion of this hormone which may aggravate the cravings and symptoms of smoking. You may want to avoid eating sweets especially in the first weeks or month of your smoking cessation treatment. You can substitute processed sugars with natural ones like the sugars in fruits.
No.4 Food to Avoid – Jalapeno and Serrano Peppers
If you really want to be successful in your smoking cessation treatment, you may also want to avoid eating jalapeno, Serrano peppers or any spicy cuisines like Thai, and Mexican cuisines. Spicy foods can worsen the cravings and symptoms of smoking especially on the first 4 weeks after quitting smoking when your cravings are its worst. You may want to replace your favorite spicy foods with naturally flavorful foods. You may also want to use thyme or basil instead of jalapeno or Serrano peppers.
