Quit Smoking with These Natural Aids

Quitting smoking naturally without the help of nicotine alternatives can be challenging, but there are remedies that can help. These can help you quit and restore the damage smoking does to your health.

Putting a prolific daily habit like smoking to one side takes incredible willpower and perseverance in the form of trying different ways to help you through the ups and downs.

It is important to remind yourself why you decided to give up smoking in the first place: to increase your general health and well-being, reduce your chances of life-threatening diseases as you grow older, not to mention the amount you will save financially with most smokers spending over five thousand pounds per year.

But alongside the challenge of giving up smoking is a long list of potential remedies that can help get you there.  

What Happens When I Stop Smoking?

After smoking for so long, you may be wondering if it is possible to heal after all the damage smoking can cause.  You may be surprised how quickly you can recover once you stop, which may help sustain your quitting mentality.

Let’s look at the typical time frame of what happens in your body from the moment you stop smoking.

Stop Smoking Timeline

• After quitting smoking, your heart rate will begin to slow down within the first six hours, and your blood pressure will become more stable. 
• Within the first 24 hours of quitting smoking, your bloodstream will be almost nicotine-free, and the level of carbon monoxide in your blood will have dropped. Additionally, oxygen will be able to reach your heart and muscles more efficiently, which can promote healing and improve overall health.
• Within one week of quitting smoking, you may experience an improvement in your sense of taste and smell. The reason is that smoking can damage the nerve endings responsible for these senses, and quitting allows them to start repairing and regenerating. So, quitting smoking makes your favourite dishes taste even better if you’re a foodie!
• Within three months of quitting smoking, you will start noticing improvements such as less wheezing coughs, better immune function and circulation to your hands and feet, and your lungs improving at removing mucus, tar, and dust. It’s incredible how much progress you can make in such a short amount of time!
• Within six months of quitting smoking, you may experience a significant drop in stress levels, and you’re less likely to have a persistent cough and cough-up phlegm.
• After one year of quitting smoking, your lung function will have significantly improved, and breathing will be easier than if you had continued smoking because your lungs will have started to heal and regenerate, making it easier for them to function correctly. Additionally, your risk of developing smoking-related diseases such as lung cancer, heart disease, and stroke will have significantly decreased, leading to a healthier and happier life overall.
• Within five years of quitting smoking, a woman’s risk of cervical cancer will be the same as if she had never smoked because smoking can weaken the immune system, making it harder for the body to fight off HPV infections that cause cervical cancer. 
• After fifteen to twenty years, the chances of developing heart disease or lung cancer are that of someone who has never smoked in their life.

Smoking Withdrawal Symptoms 

Experiencing withdrawals is the price we pay for depending on a substance, in this case, nicotine. 

Quitting smoking isn’t easy, and it can bring with it withdrawal symptoms like insomnia, depression, irritability, weight gain, mood swings, and the frustration of missing out on the things that smoking brings, like missing out on the talk outside work or the pub. 

In other words, quitting smoking takes a lot of adjustment that has the potential to hinder our progress. Here are some tips to help you overcome the inevitable times of hardship.

• Keep a list of the reasons why you wanted to quit in the first place
• Prearrange plans and find ways to keep busy
• The four D’s are drinking water, breathing deeply, delaying acting on cravings until they pass, and doing something else.

Natural Remedies To Help You Quit Smoking 

There are many over-the-counter remedies to help stop smoking. At Desistal, we have created a blended formula to help curb general cravings for addictive substances. 

Here is a list of helpful remedies, many of which are in Desistal.

MCT Oil

Coconut oil is an excellent source of medium-chain fatty acids that can offer various health benefits. 

Some researchers and people who have tried it claim that coconut oil can help suppress cravings, including cravings for cigarettes. You can take it orally or apply it under your nose to help ease your cravings. It’s worth a try if you’re looking for a natural way to quit smoking.

Bacopa Monnieri 

The more we study the Bacopa Monnieri plant, the more benefits to human health we can find. 

Bacopa Monnieri grows in wet tropical environments and positively affects human health by containing powerful antioxidants, reducing inflammation, boosting brain function, reducing anxiety and stress, and lowering blood pressure. It may also have anticancer properties. All of which are useful in counteracting the effects of smoking.

Hypnotherapy 

If you’re trying to quit smoking, you might want to consider incorporating coconut oil into your Hypnotherapy as a potential method to help quit smoking, either as a standalone strategy or in combination with other techniques, such as nicotine replacement therapy. 

The idea behind hypnotherapy is to target the physiological triggers that lead to smoking and get people to imagine the many unpleasant outcomes associated with smoking. By doing so, the subconscious mind is reprogrammed to stop associating smoking with pleasure or relief. 

While hypnotherapy is not guaranteed to work for everyone, it has helped many people quit smoking successfully.

Apple Cider Vinegar 

Many people feel low or in a bad mood when they quit smoking. Other than the uncomfortable side effects, there is a drop in dopamine whenever you stop taking something addictive that increases this chemical in the brain. Studies suggest that ACV can improve low mood naturally and help people with depression.

Now, not many will associate Apple Cider Vinegar with being a valuable antidote to the effects of smoking, but using ACV as a supplement can help rebuild the body from regular consumption of nicotine, which can cause harmful effects on the liver. 

Studies suggest that Apple Cider Vinegar may be helpful in the healing of the tissue affected by smoking, which can be a direct result of nicotine toxicity.

Lobelia 

Lobelia, also known as Indian tobacco, is a herb used for centuries as a natural remedy to help people quit smoking cigarettes. 

This is a herb native to North America and has a long history of use in traditional medicine to treat various respiratory conditions such as asthma and bronchitis.

Lobelia contains active compounds such as lobeline, which is structurally similar to nicotine and has similar effects on the body. Lobeline can bind to the same receptors in the brain as nicotine, which can help reduce the symptoms of nicotine withdrawal when someone is trying to quit smoking. However, unlike nicotine, lobeline is not as addictive and does not have the same toxic effects on the body. 

For Lobelia to be a safe and effective alternative to nicotine, it must be used in moderation and with proper guidance.

Sources:

Bacoside A: Role in Cigarette Smoking Induced Changes in Brain

Nicotine Free Herbal Composition for Smoking De-Addiction – A Placebo Controlled, Double Blind, Randomized, Multicentric Clinical Study

Pharmacological attributes of Bacopa monnieri extract: Current updates and clinical manifestation

Apple Cider Vinegar (A Prophetic Medicine Remedy) Protects against Nicotine Hepatotoxicity: A Histopathological and Biochemical Report

Virgin Coconut Oil Prevents Nicotine Dependence and Relapse – May 2011 – International Journal of Pharmacology

Role of Herbal Medication in Tobacco Cessation Treatment: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis

Handling Nicotine Withdrawal and Triggers When You Decide To Quit Tobacco

What to expect when you quit smoking