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(HealthNewsDigest.com) – Are you having more trouble quitting smoking and trying to avoid the long-term health issues associated with the activity? Is going cold turkey making it too tempting to jump back on the wagon?
If so, then you’re in luck, because we happen to new several alternatives to smoking that have a more positive impact on your body. These options allow you to ease your way into new daily behaviors so that you can leave smoking behind at the right pace.
Some alternatives, such as vaping, involve using different products, while others focus on adding time for certain activities to take your mind off the anxiety, depression, and other issues you may use cigarettes as a distraction from. With help from our tips on healthy lifestyles, you will be able to cut smoking out of your life.
This guide aims to help you understand how vaping and 7 other alternatives to smoking can help you quit.
1. Vaping
Among the best replacements for smoking cigarettes are taking advantage of the current forms of technology that update the user experience. In this case, it is time to try vaporizing or vaping, with electronic cigarettes.
No matter how much nicotine is in one cigarette, e-cigarettes contain just the right amount for healthy consumption. Water and glycerol are also included in these devices, and the lack of tobacco ensures a healthier smoking experience.
You may have a hard time finding the right e-cigarette if you want to vape without nicotine, as this is still a major element of how these products work. You also won’t have to worry about second-hand smoking with vaping, which means a healthier time for anyone near you.
There are plenty of physical and online stores where you can get vaping tools. They have the information you need for the best vape if you’re new to this activity and want to learn how to vape, as well as data on where to find cheap vape juice.
2. Nicotine Patches
There are ways to achieve the same sense of relaxation that you find in cigarettes if you are having trouble quitting. One option that doesn’t come in the form of a cigarette or similar products is a nicotine patch.
In this case, you can control the dose of nicotine you intake thanks to the design of different patches. This gives you the ability to adjust your nicotine consumption at your own pace so that you can slowly get used to lower amounts, and then to zero.
Generally, patches allow less nicotine to get into your body than traditional cigarettes. This is because the nicotine is absorbed through your skin instead of through inhaling, and it gradually makes its way into your body instead of arriving immediately.
If this is your first time using patches, then starting with full-strength patches is the way to go instead of jumping right to weaker ones. This will make it easier for you to get used to consuming less nicotine.
3. Nicotine Gum as Alternatives to Smoking
If you enjoy chewing gum and are trying to use regular forms to reduce your smoking habits, then it may be time to use an easier version. Nicotine gum is a reliable option for slowly getting nicotine out of your life.
Instead of going for a cigarette, you can reach into your pocket and pull out a stick of gum and chew for a few minutes. This snack contains less nicotine so that you can slowly get it out of your system.
What’s fun about this option is that you can choose among different fruit options to keep the flavor. Mint is also an option in case you want to keep your breath fresh while you’re trying to improve your health.
Chewing half to a full dozen sticks of gum per day for up to two months will allow you to get your body in shape. It’s important to avoid swallowing the gum as much as possible, as this gives nicotine a way to stay in your body.
4. Herbal Cigarettes
Some of you may have an easier time cutting cigarettes out of your life than others, but you still need that extra push to ensure a healthy lifestyle. If this is your situation, then it may be time to replace your regular packs of cigarettes with herbal versions.
This is the closest option to going cold turkey because there is no nicotine in herbal cigarettes. Since there is no tobacco in these cigarettes, you can instead enjoy the freshness of herbals and flowers.
However, it is important to keep your use of these cigarettes to a minimum, as they are known among researchers for releasing the same kind of toxins as regular versions when you burn them. As a result, you can use herbal cigarettes to move into the use of another alternative.
If you are having a harder time cutting out nicotine, then there are versions of herbal cigarettes that can help you gradually limit your use. Clove and bidis cigarettes have nicotine and carbon monoxide, but not as much as regular cigarettes.
5. Staying Busy at Home
Instead of looking for a different way to smoke, you can try to find something to do that is productive and passes the time. This can be made simple when you have free time at home, as well as on your days off.
One way to stay distracted is to find chores to do, which can range from vacuuming the rug to doing laundry of different loads and colors. If you had people over the night before, then there should be stuff to clean in the kitchen or living room.
If the sun is out, then you can give your car a look to see if there is anything you can wash. Cleaning the inside of your car is another option, and checking the tire pressure can help you avoid issues when you’re on the road.
You can look for things in your closet to see what should be cleaned or can be given away to someone less fortunate. In case everything is clean, you can create a to-do list for things you can do over the next week.
6. Hypnotherapy
There is also the option of seeking the help of a professional in order to reduce the amount of smoking you do to the point where it is not in your life. Among the best examples is hypnotherapists, as they know how to alter your state of mind beneficially.
Hypnosis is designed to change your state of awareness so that you appear to be in a trance or sleeping. This allows hypnotists to encourage your brain to focus on changing behaviors, including what you consume.
You can have your hypnotist start off with replacing your cigarettes with some of the toys that we mentioned above. Once you get used to these options, you can slowly move to not needing anything at all.
Research has also found a connection with hypnosis to improving focus, which can benefit your self-control. This can move into having more discipline with handling other habits that are bad for your health.
7. Exercise
Instead of finding a habit that is slightly less or half as harmful as smoking, you can switch over to one that is designed to be beneficial. Very few options come in mind in this case before exercising.
By dedicating an hour or so of each day to working out, you will have intense activity distract you from the urge to smoke. Not only will you have a replacement for smoking, but you will slowly be able to cut smoking out so that exercise is just another part of your day.
You will also have an easier time fighting off weight gain and other health problems that are associated with smoking. Certain forms of cardio and weight lifting will rid the effects of smoking from your heart and lungs over time.
Getting a friend or loved one to work out with is another way to keep your mind off of smoking because of the conversations you can have while helping each other exercise. This can also help if they are also trying to quit smoking.
8. Eating Raw Vegetables
Another way you can replace smoking with healthy options that can eventually become regular parts of your life is by eating raw vegetables. The components of this food make it nicotine-free, as well as free of other harmful elements.
Options for these vegetables range from broccoli, kale, and cauliflower to sticks of carrots, celery, and asparagus. The latter options are best if you want something on hand that is easy to carry.
You can add these vegetables in a salad or as part of your lunch or dinner in case you don’t have time between meals to have a snack. This ensures that they are consumed on a regular basis.
Not only will you be able to avoid the harmful elements that are commonly associated with cigarettes, but you will also be able to take advantage of beneficial ones. Beta-carotene and fiber, for example, are able to deal with issues ranging from blindness to digestion.
Our Take
Finding alternatives to smoking can be a challenge if you are used to slowly using fewer cigarettes are completely cutting them out of your life. With our choices, you can replace them with healthier habits that can gradually become a regular part of your life.
Some options contain less nicotine so that you can slowly reduce the amount to zero, while others motivate you to engage in physical and mental activities that make positive changes. By taking advantage of these alternatives, you can reduce the effects of smoking on your health.
Check out more of our health expertise so that you can enjoy a long, fun life.