Try deep breathing to curb smoking cravings
Highlights
- Smoking affects your overall health, not just lungs
- Quitting smoking can lead to several withdrawal symptoms
- Always remember the reasons why you decided to quit smoking
What happens when you quit smoking? Smoking is injurious to your health in more ways than one. After smoking for years, giving up on the habit could be a daunting task. In fact, getting rid of the habit may seem close to impossible due to all the withdrawal symptoms. You could experience withdrawal symptoms such as confusion, irritability, anxiety, anger, and sometimes even constipation. However, these withdrawal symptoms are manageable. Nutritionist Nmami Agarwal has a set of solutions for you to manage these. She has discussed the same in her latest Instagram Reels. She captioned the post as, "How to manage withdrawal symptoms when you quit smoking?"
Follow these tips to manage smoking withdrawal symptoms and cravings
1) Remember the reasons why you decided to quit smoking
2) Keep yourself occupied. "This always works," she said.
3) Remember the 3 Ds
- Drink water
- Deep breathing
- Do not acknowledge your cravings
She asked users to delay acting on the cravings for 5-10 minutes and added that it will eventually pass. She said withdrawal symptoms are challenging but it's not impossible to deal with them. "Make some important changes in your routine and it will help you avoid those triggers that tell your brain, 'It's the time for a smoke'," she said.
Take a look at Nmami's Reels here:
Nmami often comes up with certain important yet interesting health tips for viewers. Some time ago, the nutritionist shared a few tips to help you tackle altitude sickness. You may suffer from headaches, breathlessness, and nausea while hiking up a hill. This is because oxygen level drops at high altitudes. She suggested avoiding alcohol for the first two days before you go climbing. Avoid any food or drinks that have caffeine in them since it dehydrates the body, she added. Drink enough water and do not skip your meals.
She also said that one must fill their plate with complex carbohydrates. "Try avoiding fried foods as they may leave you feeling uneasy," Nmami added.
Cravings have gained a bad reputation but there can be other ways of thinking about it too, Nmami Agarwal said in another post. Sometimes, craving may be a sign that something is missing from your diet, Nmami pointed out. She shared a few ways to decode different kinds of cravings in one of her posts.
Sugar cravings may indicate blood sugar imbalances and mineral deficiencies like chromium and magnesium in your body. "So, you acknowledge that and satiate yourself with natural sweet berries or other fruits," she stated. Cocoa is high on magnesium and so, chocolate cravings may tell you that your body needs magnesium. For this, reach out to fruits like bananas, avocados among others. Similarly, she discussed carbs craving, tea-coffee craving and salt craving among others in this post.
Meanwhile, if you want to quit smoking, start right away. Don't worry about withdrawal, it is manageable, as Nmami Agarwal said.
(Nmami Agarwal is a Delhi-based nutritionist)
Disclaimer: This content including advice provides generic information only. It is in no way a substitute for qualified medical opinion. Always consult a specialist or your own doctor for more information. NDTV does not claim responsibility for this information.