IntoDiet.com

The day that smoking was bad, awful, heinous, unhealthy has gone, it’s about glamour and fashion now. There are more than 200 brands of cigarette everywhere, it’s a sign that their market is still and will stay booming, even after the price hike you will never find any cigarette store vacant.

However people that couldn’t stop smoking kept trying to fix their health damage by every possible way, there are 3 frequent questions smokers do ask:

1. Can any diet compensate the damage caused by smoking?
2. What should I eat if I smoke?
3. Can I prevent weight gain? I quit smoking

First of all lets talk about the damage caused by smoking, it’s not a secret anymore, not only cigerattes ,I am talking about any kind of tobacco even the huka or (sheesha). Any smoker needs an increased nutritional needs due to his intake of carcinogens and other cancer-causing chemicals. Smokers have a significantly increased risk of ill-health, involving serious diseases like: lung cancer, hypertension, atherosclerosis, heart attack, stroke, deterioration of lung capacity (emphysema).

Infertility and digestion disorders ,premature death,yellowed teeth and facial wrinkling are also caused by smoking.
SO let’s answer the first question,

1. Can any diet compensate the damage caused by smoking?

Unfortunately, NO, there isn’t any type of diet or eating plan no matter how nutritious, can fix the damage or compensate it. A healthy diet will not compensate for the health risks we’ve mentioned previously, but may delay their development.

SO PLEASE SMOKERS, THE ONLY WAY IS TO QUIT SMOKING TODAY!!!!

“Pain is temporary. Quitting is forever.”

2. What should I eat if I smoke?

For anyone who smokes, daily diet nutrition is critical. The damage done to the body’s cardiovascular and respiratory functions requires a constant need for extra nutrients. Even if you smoke 5 cigarettes a day, you have increased nutritional needs due to your increased risk of hypertension, atherosclerosis, emphysema and numerous cancers. As stated, a healthy diet will not prevent these health conditions, but it may delay their development.

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 (which works best in combination with the mineral selenium). Phytochemicals such as bioflavonoids and carotenoids (eg. beta-carotene) are also rich in antioxidants.

Before you reach for that bottle of vitamins to make up for what smoking causes you to lose, consider this sobering news: In two major studies, smokers who were given high doses of beta-carotene supplements in the hopes of averting lung cancer actually increased their cancer risk. Researchers believe that the combination of cigarette smoke and the oxygen-rich environment of the lungs causes beta-carotene to exhaust its antioxidant potential and actually turn into an oxidizing substance. The best advice right now in the case of beta-carotene is to be sure to get ample servings of fruits and vegetables (at least five servings a day).

HOW TO INCREASE YOUR ANTIOXIDANT INTAKE

Use the following suggestions are a guide to minimum dietary requirements.

- Eat 3-5 daily servings of deep green, dark red, orange of yellow vegetables.

- Eat 3-5 daily servings of red, yellow, orange or green fruits.

- Switch from coffee to tea, ideally green tea.

- Each day, take 2 tsp of wheatgerm oil (rich in vitamin E) and 6 Brazil nuts (selenium).

[Note: a serving is approx 1 medium fruit, or 1/2 cup chopped]

BEST DIETARY SOURCES OF VITAMIN C

Fruits, such as: blackcurrants, papaya, guava, cantaloupe, elderberries, kiwi fruit, mango, oranges, strawberries.

Fruit Juices, such as: cranberry, grapefruit, lemon, orange.

Vegetables, such as: red peppers, green peppers, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, kale, tomatoes.

When smokers quit — What are the benefits over time?

20 minutes after quitting: Your heart rate and blood pressure drops.

12 hours after quitting: The carbon monoxide level in your blood drops to normal.

2 weeks to 3 months after quitting: Your circulation improves and your lung function increases.

1 to 9 months after quitting: Coughing, sinus congestion, fatigue and shortness of breath all decrease.

1 year after quitting: The excess risk of coronary heart disease is half that of a smoker’s.

5 years after quitting: Your stroke risk is reduced to that of a non-smoker 5 to 15 years after quitting.

10 years after quitting: The lung cancer death rate is about half that of a continuing smoker’s. The risk of cancer of the mouth, throat, esophagus, bladder, cervix, and pancreas decrease, too.

15 years after quitting: The risk of coronary heart disease is the same as a non-smoker’s.

Immediate rewards of quitting

Kicking the tobacco habit offers some benefits that you’ll notice right away and some that will develop over time. These rewards can improve your day-to-day life a great deal.

• your breath smells better
• stained teeth get whiter
• bad smelling clothes and hair go away
• your yellow fingers and fingernails disappear
• food tastes better
• your sense of smell returns to normal
• everyday activities no longer leave you out of breath (such as climbing stairs or light housework

source: America Cancer Society

3. Can I prevent weight gain, I quit smoking.

Yes, if you take proper physical exercise and eat a healthy calorie-controlled diet, you are unlikely to gain weight.

So why does the weight gain happen?

For one thing, nicotine increases your metabolism, and without it in your system, your body slows back down to normal. If you continue to eat and move in the same amounts, you’ll inevitably gain weight. Also, many people eat more after quitting because of boredom, nervousness or an oral fixation. One study found that female smokers ate between 163 and 300 more calories daily during the year after they quit smoking. Plus, without cigarette breaks, smokers are more sedentary at work and so burn off fewer calories.

Keep in mind that the health risks of smoking are far greater than facing a higher number when you step on the scale. Still, to help minimize weight gain when you quit, consider these tips:

• Get moving! In one study, women who stopped smoking and added 45 minutes of walking a day to their schedule gained less than three pounds the year after they quit.
• Watch what you eat. Before munching on something, ask yourself: Do you really want it, or are you eating because you’re used to having a cigarette in your mouth and this is a good substitute?
• Rest up. You’re more likely to crave cigarettes and food when you’re tired.

It’s not just about your health, it’s theirs too

While smokers, especially long-term ones, are most at risk for the nutritional and physical harm cigarettes cause, those who don’t smoke aren’t totally safe.

One recent study looked at the impact of secondhand smoke by placing nonsmokers in a smoke-filled room for 30 minutes. Even this minimal exposure caused a significant decrease of vitamin C levels in the nonsmokers.

You own yourself, so if you want to do something that destroys yourself, go ahead. Just don’t harm others when you do.

Conclusion: QUIT SMOKING as soon as you can…

Tobacco surely was designed
To poison, and destroy mankind.
Philip Freneau