A Smoker’s diet - Eating to minimise damages due to smoking
Smoking has many health problems associated with it. Infact, any attempt to these smoking relating problems would be making an understatement. Therefore, many smokers and people who try to quit smoking often try to improve upon their diet and nutrition to make up for the damages. Many questions arise in the mind of smokers such as which kind of diet is suited best? Are there any considerable benefits or is it just a fake consolation? After quitting smoking, which are the foods best suited to prevent any weight gain or weight loss?
Quit smoking, TODAY!
No matter what you eat, what diet plan you follow, but the harm done to your body by the 700+ chemicals that are found in cigarettes cannot be reversed or cured. Quitting smoking as early as possible is the best solution. Even cutting your smoke intake everyday will be more helpful than eating all the health food in the world. Stop smoking today and you will be grateful for it within the next few years, after you feel the improvements in your body.
What to eat then?
According to healthcare experts who deal with smoking related ailments, Tobacco smoke leads to increased levels of free radicals - cancer-causing agents - in the body and a corresponding need for protective antioxidants that can neutralize them. The main antioxidant vitamins are vitamin C and vitamin E.
Increasing Antioxidants
To delay medical problems associated with smoking, increasing antioxidants in the daily diet helps till a certain extent. They help to neutralise the blood carbon levels. Here’s are some simple tips which a smoker can easily add to his/her diet:
- Eat lots of green vegetables, preferably dark green.
- Eating red, yellow and orange one’s also helps a lot. Eat red peppers, green peppers, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, kale, tomatoes.
- Fruits are a must. Copius quantities must be eaten everyday of fruits such as blackcurrants, papayas, guavas, cantaloupe, elderberries, kiwi fruit, mango, oranges, strawberries.
- Switch from coffee to green or black tea. Avoid milk in tea.
- Nuts such as almonds, brazilian nuts are helpful.
- Wheatgerm oil is a good source of vitamin E.
- Eat foods rich in magnesium. Only this can reduce the risk of a stroke by 15%, which is normally high for smokers. Eating spinach, black beans, broccoli , peanuts, oysters and halibut helps.
General Dietary tips for Smokers
Quit smoking soon otherwise the smoke will eat up your insides soon. Here are some popularly known dietary tips which smokers can try to keep in mind generally to avoid severe problems. Eating healthy will certainly help the body, no matter how severe the problem is. But still, stopping smoking is the best solution.
- Reduce your total fat intake. Eat more proteins instead. Lean meats such as fish and chicken is a good option.
- Eat healthy carbohydrates such as whole wheat grains and not processed flour.
- Add fiber to the diet.
- Drink as much water as possible. It helps in flushing out toxins from the body.
- Reduce sodium also. Smoking and sodium don’t mix.
The Best solution, still
without a doubt, the best solution is to quit smoking. No matter what you do to minimise the effects of smoking, that cigarette is still going to get the best of you. Better that you quit smoking ASAP! Smoking is not as cool as you think. Its just a misconception, and this is leading to the loss of millions of lives every year. Don’t puff away your life in smoke, its worth more than that.