The habit of smoking cigarettes may cause numerous health issues, such as lung diseases, cancer, heart disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), stroke, diabetes, tuberculosis, eye diseases, rheumatoid arthritis, etc. Therefore, you should try to quit smoking although it is hard. However, some foods and drinks can help you quit smoking, while some other kinds of food and drinks can make you feel the urge of smoking. Let’s check out which foods and drinks are best and worst to quit cigarettes.

Best Foods to Help You to Quit Smoking

Your Favorite Food

Smoking also dulls every smoker’s capacity to taste and smell says Michael Fiore, MD, MPH, the director of the Center for Tobacco Research and Intervention. 

Once you quit smoking, you will feel the flavor and texture of the food much better. So, the best thing you can do is to try the food that you used to love before you started smoking. Your favorite food will help you to revive your former taste. No matter what they were, just try to enjoy the food while savoring your newfound senses. It may give you hope during those times when quitting is a struggle for you.

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Frozen Grapes

You may start eating sweets after you quit. If you can indulge yourself in those cravings, it is a good thing because it can prevent you from reaching for a cigarette. But make sure you don’t dip into a pint of cookies and cream regularly. Grabbing processed desserts would be unhealthy for you. 

Instead, you can take frozen grapes, recommends the AHA. The sweetness of grapes will help you curb sugar cravings, and because they are frozen, they will take longer to eat than fresh fruit.

Cinnamon Sticks

Some people say that cinnamon sticks can help keep cigarettes at bay. Cinnamon sticks deliver a nice taste. It is easy to carry on your pocket and you can chew it to revive your taste. Carrot and celery sticks may have a similar shape but they don’t have the same jolt of flavor as cinnamon.

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High-Fiber Foods

Remember you need to maintain a healthy weight in your post-cigarette life. But quitting smoking may lead to unwanted weight gain.

If you want to lose a few extra pounds, you can add high-fiber foods like beans, broccoli, berries, avocado, apple, dried fruits, nuts, etc to your diet. By eating more fiber you can lose weight in a natural and healthy way. 

Different types of fruits and vegetables

The journal Nicotine & Tobacco Research published a study in 2013 that smokers prefer to eat less produce daily than those who don't smoke. So when you are quitting, it’s a good idea to take various types of fruits and vegetables regularly. Research has shown that those who ate the most fruits and vegetables were three times more likely to have stayed smoke-free for at least the past 30 days compared with those who noshed on the least.

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Popcorn

As quitting smoking can no longer keep your hands and mouth occupied with a cigarette, you may feel a necessity to take snacks all the time. In this case, you can eat popcorn, suggests the American Heart Association (AHA). It will keep you busy, and help you feel full as well reducing your urge to smoke. 

Sugar-free Gum and Mints

This works well when you are struggling with a craving for nicotine. As gum and mints last for a long time, you can keep chewing or sucking until your craving dissipates. This will provide the feeling of satisfaction you need to ease your cravings. Besides, it gives you something to do with your mouth.

Read Quit Smoking: How to prevent Nicotine addiction

Best Drinks to Help Quit Cigarettes

Milk

Milk is the best food to quit smoking. You can take a glass of milk instead of a cigarette when you feel the urge of smoking a cigarette. 

The journal Nicotine & Tobacco Research published a report in 2007 where researchers asked a group of 209 smokers which foods interact with the taste of cigarettes to make them more or less appetizing. In this research, dairy products were at the top of that list. 

And, among the dairy products, milk is perfect. As milk hardly pairs with cigarettes, you will not feel the urge for nicotine.

Read E-cigarettes turn many young people into smokers: expert

Ginseng Tea

Whenever you feel the urge to take a cigarette, you can take an awesome drink. Ginseng tea is the perfect option for a drink that can help you quit smoking. Studies have shown that ginseng could truly minimize the effects of nicotine, which could ultimately reduce the appeal of smoking and thereby make it easier to quit cigarettes in the long run. You can take Ginseng tea at least two times a day to get a good result. 

Water

Drinking water keeps you stay healthy as well as helps you to quit smoking. By drinking enough water, you can distract yourself from smoking when you are struggling with cravings for Cigarettes. Drinking 8 to 10 glasses of water a day will work well.

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Worst Foods When You are Trying to Quit Smoking

Low-Calorie Foods

When you are trying to quit smoking, make sure you avoid taking low-calorie foods. Psychopharmacology publishes a study in 2005 which showed that smokers who reduce 700 calories a day smoked 8 percent more cigarettes than those who didn’t lower their calorie intake.

Meat

Do you really want to quit smoking? Make sure you don’t consume too much meat. Because meat is one of those goods identified as something that made smoking taste better. That doesn’t mean that you will be a vegetarian, but if you can cut down on the meat, it will be easier to cut down on cigarettes.

Read WHO to launch initiative to help 1.3 bln people quit smoking

Worst Drinks When You are Trying to Quit Smoking

Alcohol

No doubt alcohol and cigarettes are a good pair. Alcohol is considered something which made smoking taste better. Minimising alcohol intake or avoiding it simultaneously is good for quitting smoking.

Caffeine

Caffeine-containing drinks like coffee, tea, cola, or any other form – were also associated as something that made cigarettes taste better. If you can avoid caffeine or reduce your intake, it could be easier for you to stay away from cigarettes.

Read Speakers for amending Smoking and Tobacco Usage (Control) Act

Bottom Line

Quitting smoking will cut your risk of developing conditions such as coronary heart disease, heart attack, stroke, peripheral vascular disease, cerebrovascular disease, etc. However, it is not easy to get rid of any addiction. If you want to quit smoking you need to stay careful about regular foods and drinks. So far we have discussed what to eat, drink and avoid if you want to quit smoking. We hope the above-mentioned discussion will help to quit smoking and minimize health problems.