The physical withdrawal symptoms from nicotine usually peak by day three. However, psychological withdrawal can last much longer. For many, psychological symptoms are the hardest to deal with and wannabe quitters find themselves searching for things to do with their hands and mouth (which is why many smokers overeat when they quit). An electronic cigarette can be a good substitute. It looks and feels almost the same as a real cigarette, but you inhale vapor instead of smoke. You can get electronic cigarettes with or without nicotine in the cartridges. There are no known negative health effects of using one.
Instead of holding a real cigarette or an electronic cigarette, you can chew on a piece of liquorice root. This helps take care of the oral fixation part of smoking.
This herb is commonly used for treating depression naturally and is credited with also helping with the withdrawal effects from nicotine. Several studies with smokers found that it was more effective than a placebo in alleviating withdrawal symptoms.
Spicy foods such as cayenne pepper help cleanse the blood of nicotine. Cayenne is also good to help fight food cravings that sometimes come when you quit smoking.
When you quit smoking, the many toxins that built up in your body are released. Milk thistle seeds can help detoxify your body by supporting liver function. More than 300 studies have been performed with milk thistle seed that show it’s safe and relatively effective for quitting smoking. Do note that it can cause loose stools if taken in excess.
When you give up the bad habit of smoking, replace it with the good habit of exercising. Exercise will not only help counter the damage done by smoking, but can also help you through the rough period of withdrawal. For starters, exercising helps combat stress and all its nasty side effects such as anxiety and headaches. Exercise also gets your blood flowing so your body will flush nicotine and toxins faster. Finally, you probably won’t be able to smoke when you are pushing your body with exercise.
Valerian root is a well-known natural remedy for treating anxiety. Drink a cup of valerian tea throughout the day in the days after you quit smoking and it may help reduce anxiety and tension, help you sleep better, and also ease congestion.
Coughing is one of the problems smokers face when they give up cigarettes. This is because smoking damages the cilia in the lungs. When they’re healthy, cilia clean pollutants that have been trapped by mucus. When you quit smoking, your cilia start functioning again, which means they start clearing out the mucus again. Thyme can help you get rid of all that nasty mucus in your lungs. It is sometimes effective in treating smoker’s cough as well as asthma, bronchitis, and other lung problems.
Zinc can help heal the mucus membranes in your lungs, thus helping you recover from smoking faster and also alleviating those annoying coughs associated with quitting smoking.
Various studies suggest that golden root can help boost your mood, fight depression, improve mental clarity, and reduce fatigue. This can come in handy when you’re trying to fight the withdrawal effects of quitting smoking. It can also boost the immune system and help fight cancer.
