Here Are 7 Natural Ways To Kill Nicotine Cravings, If You Are Trying To Quit Smoking

Smoking is a highly harmful and unhealthy habit. It is the cause of up to 90% of all lung cancer deaths. In the world, there are more than 1.1 billion people that smoke tobacco, even though it kills up to 50% of them.

Deadly consequences for our bodies may be caused with the inhalation of more than 7,000 ingredients contained in cigarettes, like arsenic, carbon monoxide (it displaces oxygen on hemoglobin in the red blood cell, so cells do not get the needed oxygen), butane (in lighter fluid), and tiny glass particles ( which cut up the lungs to improve nicotine delivery).

These chemicals cause lung-related problems, such as lung cancer or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). On the other hand, the plaque deposits can cause heart diseases as well, such as heart attacks or congestive heart failure, because they are the reason for damaging the heart and blood vessel integrity.

One of the main ingredients – nicotine increases the stress hormone cortisol and the level of DHEA – the 'all is good' hormone, but the problem here is that chronically elevated cortisol levels weaken the immune system.

THIS DETRIMENTAL HABIT IS ALSO THE REASON FOR:

• Insomnia
• Infertility
• Hormone imbalance
• Gastrointestinal issues
• Blood sugar issues
• Osteoporosis

You can easily become addicted to nicotine, so when you finish one cigarette you start to feel edgy and irritated, so you quickly light up a new one. This happens because it actually crosses the blood-brain barrier, releases dopamine, which makes you have pleasant feelings.

But, don't think in any way that this is an addiction you can easily overcome, it's extremely powerful, and according to some even it is more difficult to quit smoking than to give up the use of cocaine or heroin.

The negative effects of smoking come from the depletion of essential antioxidants, such as vitamins C and E, beta-carotene, glutathione, ubiquinol, and alpha-lipoic acid. Their role is to collect the additional free radicals and other oxidant species that result from smoking.

What's worse is, you cannot undo the negative effects that smoking causes to your body by using supplements, and the best way to supply your body with the needed nutrients is by consumption of healthy foods.

Here are 8 methods that can be of great help to you in the struggle to quit smoking and at the same time can soothe the withdrawal symptoms:

1. MAGNESIUM

• Magnesium is helpful for quitting smoking because it reduces nicotine addiction by antagonizing NMDA receptors.
• NMDA receptors are in charge of stimulation of the release of dopamine.
• This mineral also improves GABA – our relaxing neurotransmitter, synthesis and by that it reduces the satisfaction you get from smoking.

2. HYPNOTHERAPY

• Hypnotherapy can help you quit smoking because hypnosis is an altered state of consciousness where one bypasses certain aspects of reality and feels compelled to follow cues from an external source, which means that you will start to relate smoking to unpleasant stimuli.
• In this way, you will very probably accelerate the process of quitting.

3. ACUPUNCTURE

• Acupuncture is another way to try to give up smoking.
• This is because the insertion of needles in certain places that are linked to the mouth, lungs, and airways, can lower the cravings for the taste of tobacco.

4. EXERCISE

• It's been proven that by doing 5-minute moderate-intensity exercises you can reduce the desire to smoke.

5. NICOTINE PATCH

• Many people that have tried nicotine patches claim that they were really helpful to them.
• These patches can be even more effective if you combine them with drugs such as varenicline and bupropion.
• You can determine the doses by the number of cigarettes you smoke a day and how frequently you smoke.

6. LIME

• When you start craving cigarettes just start to chew the skin of a lime slice.
• It will help you reduce the cravings because they are high in vitamin C and antioxidants.

7. OLFACTORY TRAINING

• While the smokers were in Stage 2, non-REM sleep for a week, the researchers exposed them to the smell of cigarettes and rotting eggs or fish.
• This resulted in decreasing smoking during the period of exposure.

8. MINDFULNESS

• According to some studies, helpful for smokers to quit smoking easily is the practice of 'sitting' through difficult scenarios, like cravings and withdrawal symptoms.

source: http://waytosteelhealthy.com