Tips to quit smoking and manage cravings

Cravings associated to sugar levels
When you stop smoking, your body reacts very quickly to the lack of nicotine in your system. Over the course of three to five days, you are likely to experience a number of the following physical symptoms as the toxins are flushed from your body:
· Increased irritability, frustration, or anger
· Anxiety, tension or nervousness
· Restlessness
· Difficulty concentrating
· Fatigue
· Headaches
· Trouble sleeping
· Increased appetite and weight gain
As you smoke, nicotine is absorbed into your bloodstream and within 3 minutes, chemical reactions cause your body to trigger the release of sugar. After quitting, you may feel dizzy, restless, nervous or even have strong headaches. This is because you are lacking the immediate release of sugar that cigarettes provide – and why you may have a bigger appetite. These sugar-related cravings should only last a few days until your body adjusts to this new smoke-less state of being. So, for the first 3 or 4 days after you quit, make sure you keep your sugar levels a bit higher than usual by drinking plenty of juice. It will help prevent the craving symptoms triggered by a lack of sugar and help your body re-adjust back to normal.
Smoking cessation and high sugar levels
When you quit smoking try eating healthier. Cravings can lead to over-eating to make up for the lack of instant sugar that was released in your body when you were smoking. Speak to a nutritionist if you are concerned, high sugar levels can be dangerous.
For more information, read Tips for a Healthy Diet : Guidelines for developing a plan for healthy eating
How to manage cigarette cravings
Remnants of old habits such as smoking with your morning coffee, after meals or business meetings, and while you’re stuck in traffic can trigger cravings. There are ways to anticipate those moments and deal with the possible withdrawal symptoms.
Cravings associated with meals
For some smokers, having a cup of coffee after a meal goes hand-in-hand with lighting up, and the idea of giving that up may look like a hard prospect. People have been able to successfully replace that special moment, at least in the early stages, with something that works for them. It could be a piece of fruit, a dessert, or a piece of dark chocolate. Eventually, you will re-discover the real savor of a good meal or a nicely brewed cup of coffee and will find that cigarette smoke spoils its taste.
Alcohol and cigarettes
Many people have a habit of smoking when they have an alcoholic drink. If you feel cravings after drinking with friends or family you may have to try non-alcoholic drinks. Nuts and chips to munch on are also great cigarette substitutes.
Social Smoking
When friends, family, and co-workers smoke around you, you are in risk of never being able to give up smoking. If you don’t address this directly it can increase your risk for relapse. Talking about your decision to quit is the first step, your social circles need to know that you are changing your habits. It may involve a change of habit on their part too, for example, they won’t be able to smoke when you’re in the car with them or in your presence.
Know that in every social circle there are non-smokers, sometimes former smokers, and people that can be of some inspiration in finding new and better habits. In your workplace, don’t take all your coffee breaks with smokers only, do something else instead, and find other non-smokers to have your breaks with. Your decision to quit could be a good role model for your friends and give them the incentive to quit as well.
The main thing is to stay strong and not compromise. This is a crucial change in your life. Let others around you know that you are serious about quitting.
Tips to deal with common cravings and withdrawal symptoms
· Stay active: Keep yourself distracted and occupied, go for walks.
· Keep your hands/fingers busy: Squeeze balls, pencils, or paper clips are good substitutes to satisfy that need for tactile stimulation.
· Keep your mind busy: Read a book or magazine, listen to some music you love.
· Find an oral substitute: Keep other things around to pop in your mouth when you’re craving a cigarette. Good choices include mints, hard candy, carrot or celery sticks, gum, and sunflower seeds.
· Drink lots of water: Flushing toxins from your body minimizes withdrawal symptoms and helps cravings pass faster.
· Look for new ways to relax and to cope with depression or anxiety: There are a lot of ways to improve your mood without smoking. See Depression Self-Help for some ideas. For tips on ways to deal with stress, visit Coping with Stress.
Keep a craving journal
For a couple of weeks make entries into a log book to monitor your daily progress. Think about different moments in your life when you enjoy having a cigarette, these are your triggers to smoking. Are there certain people or environments that trigger your cravings? How do you feel when you smoke? Jot down some other things you can do to feel that way. After you quit, if you’re having a bad day, you can look back at the comments you wrote in week one to get perspective on how far you’ve come.
Get support from others
Quitting smoking is challenging, and having the right people around you can make all the difference. Let your friends and family in on your plan to quit smoking and tell them you need their support and encouragement to stop. Look for a quit buddy who wants to stop smoking as well. You can help each other get through the rough times.
Keep the pounds off
Weight gain is a common concern when quitting smoking. While it’s true that many smokers put on weight when they stop smoking, the gain is usually small, on average 3-5 pounds. Weight gain occurs because the oral gratification of smoking is replaced by the self-soothing mechanism of eating. Don’t let the fear of putting on a few pounds weigh you down. Eating a healthy diet and staying active can help you maintain your current weight.