Just one cigarette stick contains over 4,000 chemicals, over 200 of which are known to cause cancer. All of them enter and travel through your system, damaging every part of your body, including your heart, kidney, liver and brain.
Although quitting smoking is the first step towards a healthier life, it is not enough to eliminate the health risks tied to tobacco use and speed up your body’s recovery. Cleansing is also important. Just because you have stopped smoking today doesn’t mean all the toxins from tobacco have gone away. If you have been smoking for years, it’s most likely that there are still remaining chemicals in your system, particularly in your blood. You want to flush them away. How? Through proper detoxification. Read on to know how you can cleanse your system from the disease-causing toxins brought by cigarette smoking.
Eat healthy foods.
Choose foods that have antioxidant properties, such as fresh fruits and vegetables. Avoid eating processed foods and refined grains such as white bread and pasta because they contain additives and other chemicals that could promote inflammation. When eating fresh produce, the more colorful your plate, the better. Add proteins, whole grains and legumes in your diet as these foods contain fiber, as well as lean chicken meat and fish.
Drink plenty of water.
Another effective way of flushing out toxins from your body is to drink lots of water. Water is a great detoxifying method. You can try the popular Japanese detoxification technique. After waking up in the morning, drink one or two glasses (up to four if you can), then wait for 45 minutes before eating your breakfast.
Avoid mucus-promoting foods.
Dairy products contain chemicals that promote mucus, which in turn impede the healing and recovery of your lungs, and make it hard for you to breathe. So avoid them whenever you can. Instead, eat more of garlic, onion, cayenne, pepper, horse radish, and ginger. These foods do not only reduce inflammation but also the production of mucus in your lungs.
Take antioxidants.
All fruits and vegetables are good for your health, but not all of them are created equal. Among the best sources of antioxidants are kale, spinach, tomato, broccoli, and cabbage, as well as herbs and spices like turmeric, parsley and basil.
Take vitamin C.
Vitamin C has a very important role in the detoxification process. Aside from its role as a detoxifying agent, it also acts as a health booster, improving the repair of damaged cells, tissues and organs.
Work out.
Make exercise a part of your daily routine, along with deep breathing techniques. Research has shown that physical activity promotes detoxification and healing of the body after the person quits smoking. Give yourself at least 20-30 minutes of physical exercise. So it wouldn’t always feel like a workout, try gardening, swimming, cycling, dancing, mountain climbing and the like, as a substitute for regular gym workouts, from time to time.
