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How to quit smoking in the best possible way


It is proven and commonly known: tobacco is harmful to your health, causing chronic diseases and cancers in particular.1

CIGARETTE, DIABETES AND CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASES

Each cigarette causes an increase in blood pressure for 20 to 40 minutes, as well as an increase of about 40% in the heart rate.2 This hypertension induces premature heart fatigue and a weakening of the artery walls in the long term. Among smokers, the risk of suffering from cardiovascular disease is twice as high as among non-smokers,3 and smokers’ respiratory and cardiac capacities during exercise are reduced. 

Several studies also show that smokers are more likely to develop type 2 diabetes.4

HOW CAN YOU STOP SMOKING WITH FULL PEACE OF MIND?

This is the question many smokers ask themselves. Worldwide, it is estimated that 40% of smokers have tried to quit in the last 12 months.5 So why not you!

1. A decision that can be anticipated

It is important to set a stopping date in advance, without waiting for the “right time”. Set an action plan in motion:

  • Get rid of cigarettes and lighters to avoid any temptation.
  • Don’t let yourself be tempted “just once” by a quick puff.
  • Notify others of your decision; and ask smokers not to smoke in your presence.
  • Change your routine by replacing the “smoking reflex” with another one, such as a rubber band around your wrist, and avoiding places and situations in which you used to smoke. 
  • Keep your mind occupied by going to talk to a colleague or reading a few pages from your book. In general, a strong desire to smoke is limited to 5 minutes.

2. Food, a great ally 

A bigger appetite is one of the symptoms of smoking cessation. To counterbalance the potential weight gain, you should adopt a balanced and adapted diet, combined with regular physical activity. 

  • To “imitate” the gesture of cigarettes in your mouth, divide your daily food intake into several small meals and snacks instead of 3 main meals. 
  • Choose healthy snacks: a fresh fruit with a few almonds or cottage cheese with a compote. 
  • Rely on lean protein and fiber to keep full and avoid “cracking”.
  • Fight fatigue and lack of motivation by eating foods rich in vitamin C (citrus fruits, kiwi, raw peppers, etc.) and magnesium (oilseeds, green vegetables, whole grains, certain mineral waters, etc.).

In addition, you can use nicotine substitutes to reduce withdrawal symptoms or opt for more natural solutions such as homeopathy… or hypnosis.

1. World Health Organization, OMS met en évidence le nombre considérable de décès dus à des maladies pulmonaires liées au tabac, 2019

2. Fédération française de cardiologie, tabac et tension artérielle

3. World Health Organization, Le tabac vous brise le cœur – choisissez la santé, pas le tabac

4. InterAct Consortium, Spijkerman AM, (2014). Smoking and long-term risk of type 2 diabetes: the EPIC-InterAct study in European populations. Diabetes Care. Volume 37, p 3164-3171.

5. The tabaco Atlas, Quitting

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