NATURAL REMEDIES
20 Home Remedies to Help You Quit Smoking!
Smoking is an addiction, and it’s a really difficult task to quit smoking if a person has become a chain smoker. It affects your overall health. Knowing its bad effects on your health you might have made a number of resolutions in order to quit smoking, but have you succeeded in giving up this habit?
Smoking is an awful habit, as it totally damages the lungs leading to various diseases. It is not something that will affect your body after a few years of smoking, but, it will affect your health from the very first smoke itself.
Cigarettes contain a lot of nicotine, which has harmful effects on the body, such as lung cancer, cardiac problems, increased blood pressure, weak immune system, lower sperm count in men, reduced fertility in women, and many other ailments. Therefore, it is in our hands to opt for saving our precious health from the harmful chemicals that are released from smoking. You cannot quit smoking at once, it takes time. But if you want to come above it follow these home remedies that will help you leave this bad habit.
Why do People Start Smoking?
- Peer Pressure
- As a status symbol
- Manage stress
- Media influences
- To look more social
Bad Effects of Smoking on health
- on the respiratory system, including lungs and trachea
- high blood pressure and heart beat
- the immune system gets weakened
- Lower sperm count in men and other reproductive disorders
- Reduced fertility in women
- Irregular menstrual cycle
- Cervix cancer
- Earlier menopause
Home remedies to help Quit Smoking
1. Oats
Oats is one of the best home remedies to stop smoking. They help in flushing out the harmful toxins from the body while lowering the craving for smoking.
Take one tablespoon of ground oats and mix it in two cups of boiled water. Leave it overnight. Boil it next morning for about 10 minutes. Drink it after every meal, only avoid taking it at night. Oats also helps in easing up the withdrawal symptoms.
2. Water
Drink plenty of water to curb the habit of smoking. Water helps in detoxifying the body. Drink a glass of water, whenever you feel the urge to smoke. This will not only decrease the craving but will also help in reducing the withdrawal symptoms.
3. Cayenne pepper
Cayenne pepper works in desensitizing the respiratory system to all addictive things, such as tobacco and nicotine. Also, it helps to lessen the craving for smoking. Include this spice in your diet or mix a pinch of it in a glass of water and drink.
4. Ginger
Ginger juice is the best way to quit smoking as it helps in treating nausea- one of the most common withdrawal symptoms of smoking. It soothes down your anxiety, the natural warming effect ginger has induces perspiration that flushes out the toxins, also helps in lowering the level of harmful chemicals in the blood and relieves from addiction to smoking.
It soothes down your anxiety, the natural warming effect ginger has induces perspiration that flushes out the toxins, also helps in lowering the level of harmful chemicals in the blood and relieves from addiction to smoking.
Also Read: 20 Health Benefits of Ginger!
5. Lobelia
Lobelia is a toxic herb and also one of the time-tested home remedies to quit smoking, but it should be consumed only under the supervision of a health practitioner.
A chemical found in lobelia- lobeline, controls the withdrawal symptoms – nausea, hunger, and irritation by replicating the actions of nicotine.
Moreover, it also increases the levels of dopamine in the brain – a neurotransmitter that improves your mood and induces a feeling of pleasure, soothing anxiety, and depression.
6. Multivitamins
Smoking causes a deficiency of vital nutrients in our body. This needs to be and can be replenished by supplements of Vitamin A, C, and E.
These multivitamins also help in coping up with the withdrawal symptoms of smoking.
Vitamin A helps in repairing the damaged mucous, and Vitamin E repairs the cells damaged due to smoking. Drink orange juice to replenish the deficiency of Vitamin C in the body.
7. Radish
This is another good home remedy which can be followed to quit smoking. Take out the juice from radish by grating it. Mix some honey in it for taste, and drink it at least twice daily.
8. Licorice
One of the most applied natural remedies to refrain one from smoking is chewing a licorice stick whenever there is urge to smoke.
It is a good substitute for the cigarette. Licorice is a demulcent herb and an expectorant that can help you quit smoking naturally. The slightly sweet taste of licorice stick helps kill the urge to smoke. Also, it relieves from smoker’s cough.
Chew a small stick of licorice root to satisfy your urge to smoke. Also, you can drink licorice root tea 2 or 3 times a day.
This remedy is not recommended for people with diabetes, adrenal disease, high blood pressure, reduced kidney or liver functioning.
9. Grape seed extract
It is a potent antioxidant that helps neutralize the harmful effects of free radical damage caused by smoking. Grape seed extract helps in neutralizing the damage caused to lung tissues, also protects the respiratory system and lowers the risk of heart disease among smokers.
Furthermore, it helps in preserving dental health, preventing the formation of cavities, plaque and tooth decay associated with smoking. The best way to consume grape seed extract is in the form of capsules.
10. Grape juice
The acidic content of grape juice helps in flushing out the nicotine content from the body. Drink grape juice daily to quit this habit of smoking.
Also Read: 20 Health Benefits of Grapes!
11. John’s wort
Using St. John’s Wort for treating depression and anxiety is well known, but it also works great as an effective natural remedy to reduce the urge to smoke. It has calming properties that helps in treating withdrawals symptoms associated with quitting smoking.
It also relieves from stress and the sharp craving for nicotine. But it takes time for chemicals in St. John’s Wort to show effectiveness, so, you should start consuming it 2 weeks before your plan of quitting. It is available in the form of capsules and liquid.
12. Hyssop
Hyssop is useful in clearing out the lung congestion. It is taken to lessen the withdrawal symptoms- anxiety and hysteria.
13. Ginseng
Ginseng is an effective home remedy to prevent the release of dopamine, which is one of the main components found in nicotine. Add 1 teaspoon of ginseng powder to your breakfast to help reduce the craving for smoking.
14. Valerian
Valerian is a flowering herb widely available throughout Europe and Asia. It is one of the most effective natural remedies to quit smoking.
The roots of valerian have powerful sedative properties that help in relieving the withdrawal symptoms of smoking- anxiety, stress and sleeplessness and prevent the craving for nicotine.
Daily consume 2 to 3 grams of valerian root by steeping it in a cup of hot water for five minutes. It can also be consumed in the form of capsules.
15. Honey
The health benefits of honey are well known. It is nature’s gift to all skin problems. Honey acts as an effective natural medicine to quit smoking.
It is rich in vitamins and proteins that speed up the healing process and repair the damage caused to the respiratory tract, mucous membranes, and lungs by smoking.
Consume 1 to 2 teaspoons of honey daily to reduce the urge to smoke and promote the cessation process.
Also Read: 30 Health Benefits of Honey!
16. Herbal cigarettes
Try herbal cigarettes that have 0% nicotine in them. These herbal cigarettes are made with herbs such as corn silk, mint, lemongrass, cinnamon, licorice, or clover. Herbal Cigarettes might help you to Quit Smoking, But, do not use them for a longer period of time as it also contains some carcinogens.
17. Passionflower
Passion flower promotes relaxation and helps fight anxiety and irritability that accompany smoking cessation. Furthermore, it also helps those who experience insomnia and restlessness during the withdrawal period and reduce nicotine cravings.
You can take passion flower in tea, tincture or capsule form. However, it is advised to take this herb under the supervision of a healthcare provider. This herb is not recommended for pregnant and breastfeeding women.
18. Acupuncture
Acupuncture also helps to quit smoking. It instills a sense of calm when going through withdrawal symptoms and also stops jitters, lessens the irritability and restlessness. Furthermore, it helps in the detoxification process. You may need frequent acupuncture sessions for the first two weeks, reducing the number of sessions with time.
19. Ear massage
Ear massage is another option to cope with cravings. Our ears are considered the key area of the body to help with smoking cessation. When you massage your ears, it stimulates the acupuncture points, which in turn reduces the urge to smoke. Give yourself an ear massage for about 2 minutes daily, it will help reduce cravings.
20. Exercise
It is seen that exercise can help you in quit smoking and also lessens the craving for tobacco. Go for morning walk daily to de stress yourself. The fresh air inhaled will keep you going whole day. 30 minutes of exercise will boost your energy and make you away naturally from these bad things.
Also Read: 101 Health Benefits of Exercise