There is a question that invariably arises among those who are about to quit smoking, and this is the search for what to replace with cigarettes in times of desire to smoke? If you listen to various adherents of a healthy lifestyle, you can decide that if a person asks these and other similar questions, it could mean that basically he is not ready to part with smoking, he has doubts, either about the need for this, or about the his own strength. . .
But at the same time, it should not be forgotten that nicotine addiction in the form of cigarette smoking is not so much a physical addiction as a mental addiction, an unhealthy desire.
It is clear that when something is taken away from a person who has firmly entered his life and it is reason to experience positive moments, then he begins to feel an expressed anxiety, which then turns into the need to replace what has been taken away.
Also, nature abhors empty spaces, it must be filled with something. What will replace smoking in your case? What can replace the bad habit of smoking?
Advantages and disadvantages. . .
Smokers today have no problem answering the question of how to replace smoking with cigarettes. Everyone can find something suitable for themselves, some like more so-called safe cigarettes: electronic or nicotine-free; others prefer lollipops or sugary pills; for some, chewing gum or seeds are the way out.
But, unfortunately, all of these substitutes have their drawbacks: lollipops spoil the teeth and figure, chewing gum causes increased gastric secretion, and electronic and nicotine-free cigarettes are not always effective for withdrawal.
How much is it worth replacing cigarettes and what are the advantages and disadvantages of each "substitute"?
Cigarettes will replace lollipops
Many smokers who don't know how to replace cigarettes start consuming large quantities of lollipops, sucking candies, or pills. This helps to fight the urge to smoke quite well, lozenges act on receptors in the oral cavity and respiratory organs, replacing the cigarette to some extent.
Mint-flavored candies are particularly effective: they reduce the urge to smoke, freshen the breath and contain less sugar. The popularity of candy as a substitute for cigarettes is well founded: they are not addictive and really help cope with the urge to smoke.
But if you replace all cravings for smoking with sweets, the number of calories, as well as sugar, will exceed all reasonable norms, and therefore the problems with excess weight and impaired carbohydrate metabolism.
Chewing gum versus cigarettes
Chewing gum can be divided into 2 large groups: normal and special containing nicotine. The first "work" on the same principle as candy: replace habitual smoking with another action: chewing.
But when choosing a chewing gum with menthol or cinnamon flavor, one should not forget that constantly chewing causes increased secretion of gastric juice, which means that it increases the risk of developing gastritis and stomach ulcers. Nicotine gum contains nicotine and, while it alleviates withdrawal symptoms, it does not cure the desire to smoke.
The electronic cigarette replaces the usual one
The electronic cigarette is now considered one of the most effective ways to combat nicotine addiction. By completely copying the appearance of a cigarette and the ritual of enlightenment, it helps to combat psychological addiction and the habit of smoking, and since not cigarette smoke, but vapor, enters the body, the harm to the body is reduced to a minimum.
But, unfortunately, even this remedy is not a panacea for smoking, vapor inhalation cannot replace the sensation of smoking, and the e-cigarette itself is normal. Today doctors and scientists argue about the benefits and dangers of e-cigarettes, but it has already been experimentally proven: e-cigarette replaces regular cigarettes for those who want to quit smoking on their own.
Nicotine-free cigarettes: comfortable and safe?
Nicotine-free cigarettes have the same appearance and behavior as regular cigarettes, but their tobacco does not contain nicotine. Such cigarettes are a real alternative to the usual ones, but it is recommended to use them only during the period when you stop smoking. Indeed, when you inhale the smoke of a cigarette without nicotine, carbon monoxide resins, benzopyrene and other components no less harmful to health also enter the body.
Other "substitutes" for cigarettes
You can replace cigarettes with seeds, straws, chew wooden sticks, or have a snack instead of a smoking break. But each method, in addition to its advantages, has many disadvantages, and whether it is worth changing one problem for another, every smoker has to decide for himself.
Is it worth changing one addiction to another?
When you quit smoking, you shouldn't think about how to replace a cigarette, but conduct a "review" of your incentives to quit smoking. And if an honest answer to the question "Why do I want to quit smoking" shows that the reason lies in something, but not in their own aversion to smoking, then even with cigarette substitutes, quitting may not be effective.
If the pitcher finds something to replace the cigarette with, then you need to be prepared for the fact that there are no substitutes for safe ones, which means that there may be problems caused by taking a substitute already.
Even candy or snacks - overweight, chewing gum - digestive disorders, fruits and vegetables are not harmless and even in quantities comparable to the number of cigarettes smoked per day.
Chewing on all kinds of sticks, from matches to tree branches, is also not harmless. Matches are impregnated with a combustible compound, which, to put it mildly, is of no use to humans, and tree branches can have side effects and simply be unpleasant to the taste.
Either way, it's important to understand that you shouldn't chase two hares at the same time, and the damage of an extra candy and a kilogram of excess weight is barely stronger than the damage of a day or two of smoking. And you don't need to lean on sweets for years after you quit smoking - a week, two, and that's it.
It's up to you! What do you want to achieve, a healthy life, albeit with minor complications in the first stage, or years of smoking?