There is a question that invariably arises among those who are going to quit smoking, and that is the search for what to replace cigarettes in times of craving? If you listen to various followers of a healthy lifestyle, then you can decide that if a person asks these and similar questions, it can mean that deep down they are not ready to quit, they havedoubts, or on the necessity of this. , or of its own strength. . .
But at the same time, it should be remembered that the addiction to nicotine in the form of cigarettes is not so much a physical addiction as it is a mental addiction, an unhealthy craving.
It is clear that when something is taken away from a person who has firmly entered his life and is a reason for feeling positive moments, then he begins to feel an expressed anxiety, which then turns into the need to replace the kidnapped.
In addition, nature abhors empty spaces, it must be filled with something. What will replace smoking for you? What to replace the bad habit of smoking with?
Advantages and disadvantages. . .
Today's smokers have no problem answering the question of how to replace smoking with cigarettes. Everyone can find something that suits them, someone prefers the so-called safe cigarettes: electronic or nicotine-free; others prefer lollipops or sweet pills; for some, chewing gum or seeds are the solution.
But, unfortunately, all these substitutes have their drawbacks: lollipops damage the teeth and the silhouette, chewing gum causes an increase in gastric secretion, and electronic cigarettes and without nicotine are not always effective for weaning.
What is it worth replacing cigarettes and what are the pros and cons of each "substitute"?
Cigarettes will replace lollipops
Many smokers who do not know how to replace cigarettes start using large amounts of lollipops, candies or pills. This helps to fight the urge to smoke quite well, the lozenges act on the receptors of the oral cavity and respiratory organs, in a way replacing cigarettes.
Peppermint candies are especially effective - they reduce the urge to smoke, freshen breath, and contain less sugar. The popularity of sweets as a substitute for cigarettes is well founded: they are not addictive and really help cope with the urge to smoke.
But if you replace every craving for a smoke with sweets, the number of calories, as well as the sugar, will exceed all reasonable standards, hence the problems of overweight and impaired carbohydrate metabolism.
Chewing gum for cigarettes
Chewing gum can be divided into 2 main groups: regular chewing gum and specialty chewing gum containing nicotine. The first "work" on the same principle as sweets: to replace habitual smoking with another action - chewing.
But when choosing chewing gum with a menthol or cinnamon taste, it should be remembered that constant chewing causes an increase in the secretion of gastric juice, which means that it increases the risk of developinggastritis and stomach ulcers. Nicotine gum contains nicotine and, while relieving withdrawal symptoms, does not cure cravings.
The electronic cigarette replaces the usual
Electronic cigarettes are now considered one of the most effective ways to fight nicotine addiction. Completely copying the appearance of a cigarette and the ritual of lighting, it helps to combat psychological addiction and the habit of smoking, and the fact that not cigarette smoke, but vapor, enters the body. body, bodily damage is minimized.
But, unfortunately, this remedy is not a panacea for smoking either, inhaling steam cannot replace the sensation of smoking, and the electronic cigarette itself is ordinary. Today, doctors and scientists argue on the benefits and dangers of the electronic cigarette, but it is already proven experimentally: the electronic cigarette replaces the ordinary cigarette for those who want to quit smoking themselves.
Nicotine-Free Cigarettes - Convenient and Safe?
Non-nicotine cigarettes look and act the same as regular cigarettes, but their tobacco does not contain nicotine. These cigarettes are a real alternative to the usual cigarettes, but it is recommended to use them only during the period of stopping smoking. Indeed, when the smoke of a cigarette without nicotine is inhaled, resins of carbon monoxide, benzopyrene and other components no less harmful to health also enter the body.
Other "substitutes" for cigarettes
You can replace cigarettes with seeds, straws, wooden chew sticks, or a snack instead of a cigarette break. But each method, in addition to its advantages, has many drawbacks, and whether it is worth changing from one problem to another, each smoker must decide for himself.
Is it worth changing from one addiction to another?
When you quit smoking, don't think about how to replace a cigarette, but "review" your incentives to quit smoking. And if an honest answer to the question "Why do I want to quit smoking" shows that the reason lies in anything, but not in their own aversion to smoking, then even with cigarette substitutes, quitsmoking may not be effective.
If the pitcher finds something to replace the cigarette, then you should be prepared for the fact that there are no substitutes for safe cigarettes, which means that there may be problems caused by takingalready a substitute.
Caramel or snacks - overweight, chewing gum - digestive disorders, vegetables and fruits are not trivial either, and even in quantities comparable to the number of cigarettes smoked per day.
Chewing all kinds of sticks, from matches to tree branches, is not trivial either. Matches are infused with a combustible compound, which, to say the least, is not useful to humans, and tree branches can have side effects and just be unpleasant to the taste.
In any case, it is important to understand that one should not hunt two hares at once, and the harms of an extra candy and a kilogram of overweight are hardly stronger than the harms of one day. or two of smoking. And you don't have to rely on sweets for years after quitting - a week, two, and that's it.
It's yours! What do you want to achieve, a healthy life, albeit with minor complications in the first stage, or years of smoking?