While smoking tobacco has been viewed differently over the years, it has been understood for some time that it can cause major health problems such as heart disease, lung cancer, and even erectile dysfunction. According to the American Heart Association, roughly 25 million men and over 21 million women in America smoke cigarettes, and nearly 1 in every 5 deaths is cigarette related.
Nicotine, which is the naturally occurring, addictive ingredient in the tobacco plant, is the thing that keeps smokers addicted. When a person inhales tobacco smoke, it directly enters the lungs and nicotine gets released into the bloodstream, which makes it travel to the brain in seconds. Nicotine increases the release of dopamine, which is a chemical that improves your mood and feelings of pleasure. Smoking tobacco can then make you feel good, which is why people become addicted. Since smoking cigarettes negatively affects your health, here are 6 natural remedies to help you quit.
#1: Exercise
Exercise can help relieve the body of stress and help take the mind off smoking tobacco. When you’re exercising, your focus is not on smoking, rather, you concentrate on the way you feel. Exercise helps to boost the body’s production of endorphins, which improve one’s mood and decrease the desire and need for tobacco.
#2: Acupuncture
Acupuncture also helps release endorphins by using certain pressure points. It may help to relieve anxiety and increase overall wellness. Placing the needles in certain points actually neutralize stress hormones, which the body releases into the bloodstream when stressed.
#3: Do a Cleanse
Taking a biochemical approach to repair the body is a great natural remedy that can aid one’s path to quitting tobacco use. First one must detox, repair the damage, and then care for the body. Remove tobacco or mind altering substances, caffeine, or sugar from your diet. Stick to plant-based foods that provide the nutrients you need for recovery because a poor diet can lead to tobacco cravings. Additionally, refrain from hanging around people who smoke tobacco.
#4: Drink More Water
Nicotine is addictive and hard to quit because it lives in your body as a toxin. It can be hard to flush out of your system, but drinking lots of water can help rid your body of nicotine because water is a natural detoxifier. Drinking the recommended 8-10 glasses of water every day can help detoxify your body. You can also drink half your body weight in ounces of water to be properly hydrated. If you weight 150lbs and divide that by 2 to get 75, you should be drinking 75oz of water every day.
#5: Eat More Ginger & Ginseng
Ginger and ginseng can help you on your path to quitting tobacco use. Both of these herbs help soothe the digestive system, and combating nausea, which commonly occurs during withdrawal, may help you overcome the urge to smoke.
#6: Where There’s A Will, There’s A Way
There has to be a will to stop smoking cigarettes. The individual needs to commit to stop smoking and use the herbal remedies in this list to avoid continued tobacco use.
