If you’re taking the journey toward quitting smoking, you’re in for a long road, but no an impossible one. Thousands of people quit smoking every year, and their bodies, minds, and overall health are better for it. Smoking is a dangerous habit, causing addiction to nicotine, exposing your body to harmful chemicals, and even bringing about certain social roadblocks.
Quitting smoking is one of the best decisions you can make, but you might need some help along the way. This guide will cover five foods that you can eat while you’re quitting that won’t cause you to gain weight. Empty carbs, high-sugar foods, and high-fat foods aren’t good choices, as they can pack on the pounds and make the quitting process more difficult. Here are our five choices.
1. Spinach and Bananas
Both fresh spinach and bananas are packed with nutrients and vitamins, making them the perfect snack, smoothie ingredients, or meal additive. The best part? Research shows that smokers who consume more fruits and vegetables are up to three times more likely to ditch the habit than those who don’t.
Fruits and vegetables are packed with nutrients that many smokers lack. In fact, smoking a cigarette affects the body’s ability to absorb certain nutrients, making your diet even less effective than it should be. The solution? Pack in those fruits and veggies whenever you can! Morning smoothies make for a great morning cigarette substitute, and will help you feel energized and focused throughout your morning routine.
Spinach is an excellent source of vitamin A, E, K, B6, B2, and even calcium, making it one of the most nutrient-rich veggies you can get your hands on. It’s tasty, too! Spinach can be cooked into casseroles, eaten fresh with fish or steak, or included in a salad. Banana and spinach smoothies offer a powerhouse of nutrition for your morning routine or dessert.
2. Whole Grains
One of the symptoms of nicotine withdrawal is constipation (or the opposite, diarrhea). Digestive issues occur when the body is suddenly deprived of nicotine, but whole grains that are rich in dietary fiber can help keep things moving. Even if you’re using alternative tobacco products like tobacco free chew, you’ll still need some whole grains to keep your body operating at full capacity while you quit.
Whole grains offer much more than just dietary fiber, however. Packed with vitamins A, B, antioxidants, protein, and trace minerals, high-quality whole grains are a necessary component to overall health. As long as you regulate how much grain you’re eating, you won’t gain weight from it.
3. Mint
Mint comes in many forms; from candy to gum to peppermint sticks and everything in between. You can even eat mint straight off the plant in the form of mint leaves. These are potent and sugar-free, making them a great cigarette alternative and something that can help you curb your cravings.
If you’re worried about extra calories, you can always opt for sugar-free mints or gum. There are literally thousands of options available, from those tasty little red and white mints to spearmint/peppermint gum and everything in between. You can also try some mint tea as well! Include just a bit of honey and you’ve got yourself a tasty, health-conscious drink to help curb those nicotine cravings without packing on the extra weight.
4. Ginseng
Research is developing on the use of ginseng on the form of tea and other consumables to curb nicotine cravings. Ginseng is already known to boost energy levels and focus, but did you know it can actually help minimize withdrawal symptoms and even help you kick your smoking habit for good?
Ginseng is also an excellent detoxifier for the liver and other organs. When you smoke cigarettes, you’re essentially pumping thousands of harmful chemicals and toxins into your bloodstream, which are filtered and processed eventually by your liver. Ginseng can help remove harmful toxins and curb your cravings so you can achieve a smoke-free lifestyle.
5. Cinnamon Sticks
Sucking on a cinnamon stick might seem a bit unorthodox, but many smokers have reported that replacing their smoking habit with this calorie-free option actually helps occupy their hands and mouths, and keeps those cravings at bay. Cinnamon tastes great and offers little to no nutritional (or non-nutritional) value in small amounts.
When you feel the need to have a cigarette, reach for a cinnamon stick instead. It will feel sort of like a cigarette in your mouth, offer a much better taste, and keep you from lighting up.
Final Thoughts
When you decide to quit smoking, you’re reaching for a better future. A future in which you don’t have to fear cancer, disease, and other health conditions. You won’t have to pay outrageous medical bills for special treatments, and you won’t put your loved ones or yourself through the pain of these maladies.
The history teaches us how every generation makes its own unique impact on the overall society. According to the current situation, the generation that is making its impact on the modern society are the millennials.
The term “millennials” is a new word used to represent adults between ages of 19 and 35, which make up a big part of most Western and wealthy countries. As a result, the essence of doing business has been increasingly changing over the years, as millennials tend to influence the way business is run. It comes as no surprise that majority of company owners are working hard to attract this demographic, bearing in mind the fact that millennials dictate what is popular on the world market.
The follow-up consequence of millennials’ tendencies is the ever-spreading awareness of the importance of having homegrown food. Healthy domestic food is one of the key factors in the millennials’ life perspective, which also means that the food market is also experiencing changes and developments in that area. One of the examples of this fastly-growing lifestyle is the rise of meal preparation companies which provide their customers with nutritious, fresh ingredients that can be easily used for a cooked meal.
The concept of home-grown food used and promoted by the millennials can be explained by several key points:
1. Unique flavor
Commercial farming that most grocery stores and supermarkets rely on is characterized by fruits and vegetables that have a poor flavor for several reasons:
– only plants able to provide more per plant and to be harvested all at once are being grown
– they are often almost equal in size and shape, while the ripening process is completed during the delivery on trucks.
Even though a certain amount of food in groceries comes from organic farming, the mentioned technique of breeding negatively affects the flavor nevertheless. The millennials often stress out the fact that home-grown food does not have the listed disadvantages.
2. Wide variety of choice
In organic gardening, there are two different ways to grow food. The first option is to purchase quality transplants in a local shop. The process of replanting the transplant in one’s own garden is quite simple. The second option is preferable for most millennials, as it includes growing plants from seed. This option enables the breeder to make a selection of various types of fruit and vegetables. Furthermore, it gives the breeder the opportunity to make his or her own selection of the new seed from the best possible specimen from the garden. In the years to come, the selection will be improved every following year.
3. Chemical-free products
Many countries face the disturbing issue of food being treated with an excessive amount of chemicals, such as aggressive pesticides and insecticides. The benefit of home-grown food is that the owner is enabled to make his/her own decision on if chemicals will be used for treating the plants at all. Instead of resorting to unhealthy fertilizers, one can opt for an organic solution. In case of a plant that is irreversibly sick, there is always a possibility to remove it and plant something else. By using this method, other plants will be protected, and the overall growth process will not be disturbed.
4. Physical activity
The public is frequently warned by doctors of the dangers of the lack of physical activity on daily basis. The growing number of patients suffering from diabetes, heart problems, and high cholesterol sends a clear signal that every person should participate in a physical activity at least twice a week. Supporters of domestic food production accent the health benefits this type of production provides. Growing one’s own food implies a period during the day when the garden will need to be attended. Physical activities that are included are watering the garden, handling a retractable hose, weeding and much more. These types of activities are not reserved for fit people only, meaning that a broad spectrum of people can engage them.
5. Economizing
Most households are being forced to economize during periods of economic crises. Organic gardens help people to save money that is normally spent in supermarkets. There would not be the need to spend gas for reaching a supermarket. Another benefit is that a breeder of domestic food will be able to sell his/her own products in a matter of several years.
The millennials have been making a strong impact on the way people grow food today. Their efforts are certainly making a difference in the world food market and in people’s homes. How far will that influence go – remains to be seen.
A lot of people tend to stick to fads and trends when it comes to diet and a healthy lifestyle. If a celebrity does this miracle workout or eats this “magic bullet” meal, then it automatically becomes a trend that a lot of people follow. Most of the time, these diets do work for a select few individuals.
However, it’s a good thing to keep in mind that these celebrities have personal trainers and their work involves them in getting that hard, chiseled body for a role they are going to portray. A better solution for average people like you and me is that we do research and stick to the facts about the food we consume. Here are some facts that you need to know to ensure that you are living healthy and happy.
Omega-3 and the Good Cholesterol
Most of the time when people think of cholesterol, they immediately think of greasy burgers, bacon, and other unhealthy treats. Most of them consider cholesterol as bad for the body. However, there are classifications of cholesterol that the body recognizes as healthy.
HDL or High-Density Lipoproteins are the good cholesterol which helps lower the risk of a heart attack. LDL or Low-Density Lipoproteins are the bad cholesterol which increases the risk of heart attacks and obesity. Typically found in deep sea fish such as tuna, Omega-3 is a healthy oil which pairs up with HDL and makes the body more healthy.
Veggies can make you Healthy
Well, Captain Obvious is right. Eating vegetables does make a person healthy. Admit it, most of us don’t like veggies because of their taste and smell. In reality, behind the awful taste and smell of most vegetables, these plants are packed with vitamins, fiber, antioxidants, and nutrients.
Eating vegetables does make you healthy, but be sure to check your sources. Pesticide filled crops often defeat the benefits of healthy veggies. When preparing such food, it’s a good idea to wash them before cooking thoroughly. Another foolproof way to avoid such chemicals is by going organic.
Supplements can never replace Food
Although taking supplements is a good way to acquiring vitamins and nutrients, these small pills simply cannot replace the nutritional value of food. It’s a worrying trend that a lot of nutrition enthusiasts insist on Nutritionism. The basics of nutritionism argue that the same nutrients in food are also in supplements.
No amount of supplements can ever replace real, organic food. The taste, the smell, the nutritional values, everything that comes from good-natured food is too good to give up. And no amount of supplements can heal a lifestyle that depends on a bad diet.
Processed food is never good
Although a lot of processed food often gives us convenience, over-consumption of such food is harmful to us. In fact, during the “processing” of these foods, a lot of essential and healthy components are lost.
Healthy components such as fiber get removed and get replaced with unhealthy trans fat, sugar, and anything refined. Preservatives and other additives such as coloring also are dangerous for the health. When trying to eat healthily, try eating real, organic food.
Takeaway
To be healthy, people need to wise up and try living happily and healthily. By eating healthy and leading a lifestyle that’s free from anything unhealthy, people can begin to feel the rewards of how a person should be in the optimal state.
A lot of times people are misled by some facts and tend to settle on beliefs. However, with a little research and reading, people will find out that being healthy isn’t that difficult to achieve. Get all day health just by eating the right type of food.
Best dishes to cook are ideal for any kind of emergency. Whether you simply want to make a fast meal for surprise guests, or for life threatening emergencies, you will definitely get certain thing easy to make and to take on these situations.
Dried foods are also known as survival meals. They are items that have gone unique preservation methods that involve eliminating the moisture content that will extend the life for about some months.
This method of protection can be dated back to old times but is performed on these days with modern equipment. Dried food recipe are one of the best kinds of endurance food found in the market now for plenty of reasons. Being able to stay in storage is one main thing.
When no people actually know when a calamity or an emergency could hit, it assists to be made. Hence whether disaster hit this month having stored of edible endurance food at house that is
instant to make and consume is excellent survival plan.
Aid at Emergencies
Emergencies might last extend for some days, or for weeks. And due to this, your meal stocks should be able to last long. With dried items as long because they are stored perfectly, they will last long.
Items like these, along with extreme shelf life, are certain best nutritious ones found. The drying method item undergoes let it to stay much of the nutritious material and minerals that would be lost when maintained by other ways.
This is essential aspect when are planning to choose survival food. During emergency or on the normal days, your nutrition is very much vital. With the dried foods, you will recognize that what you have stored at house or what you are consuming is healthy for you and for the family members.
Dried foods are found in different variety of types and flavors, they are not boring. They are available in best selection of flavors you can pick from, whether you are considering for meat, fruit, vegetables or full recipes or cuisines.
Healthy and Nutritious
Freeze dried items are one of the versatile protective food out there. These items are healthy, nutritious, they are available in different variety of tastes and they will last in the storage shelf for a long time.
Freeze dried items are available in kits. A normal kit has prepared foods for lunch and breakfast and separate vegetable, fruit, carbohydrates, protein packaged in cans and bags. For making, you simply want to heat the instructed level of water and include it to a serving of the dried items.
After it re-hydrates, it is now ready to consume. Even though freeze dried items is easy in case of emergency, it should be stored in the proper conditions in the house. Water and light can worsen the food and so all buckets, bags or cans should be placed in a dry and dark space. The benefits of best dishes to cook are appearance, portable, flavor, long shelf life and simply include water.
A new study has found that human brain can be trained to prefer healthy food over unhealthy high-calorie foods, using a diet which does not leave people hungry.
Scientists from Tufts University say food addictions can be changed in this way even if they are well-established.
They scanned the addiction centre in the brains of a small group of men and women.
The results showed increased cravings for healthy lower-calorie foods.
Prof. Susan B. Roberts, senior study author and behavioral nutrition scientist at the Boston university, said: “We don’t start out in life loving French fries and hating, for example, wholewheat pasta.
“This conditioning happens over time in response to eating – repeatedly – what is out there in the toxic food environment.”
Human brain can be trained to prefer healthy food over unhealthy high-calorie foods, using a diet which does not leave people hungry
Scientists know that once people are addicted to unhealthy foods, it is usually very hard to change their eating habits and get them to lose weight.
Prof Susan B. Roberts’ research, published in the journal Nutrition & Diabetes, suggests the brain can learn to like healthy foods.
They studied the part of the brain linked to reward and addiction in 13 overweight and obese men and women, eight of whom were taking part in a specially designed weight-loss program.
This focused on changing food preferences by prescribing a diet high in fiber and protein, and low in carbohydrates, but which did not allow participants to become hungry because this is when food cravings take over and unhealthy food becomes attractive.
The other five adults were not part of the weight-loss program.
When their brains were scanned using MRI at the start and end of a six-month period, those following the program showed changes in the brain’s reward centre.
When participants were shown pictures of different types of food, it was the healthy, low-calorie foods which produced an increased reaction.
The study said this indicated an increased reward and enjoyment of healthier food.
The brain’s reward centre also showed decreased sensitivity to the unhealthy, higher-calorie foods.
The Boston researchers say that gastric bypass surgery, while solving the problem of weight loss, can take away food enjoyment rather than make healthier foods more appealing.
“There is much more research to be done here, involving many more participants, long-term follow-up and investigating more areas of the brain,” Prof Susan B. Roberts said.
The end of summer doesn’t only mark the end of sunshine, sunbathing and warm temperatures and thus the return of poor weather, but also a necessary change in everyone’s wardrobe. Gone are the days of shirt, top and skirt. Instead we should get ready to dress in coats and waterproof boots again and keep in mind not to forget an umbrella. Apart from dressing according to the bad weather there are some other important things one should keep in mind to prevent falling ill.
Balanced and healthy nutrition
Especially during the cold months of the year eating health conscious is important. The reasons are diverse: Firstly, eating fresh and healthy food can prevent people from becoming depressed and sad. Fats, fast food and ready-to-eat-meals on the other hand can amplify negative feelings. Secondly, vitamins are essential for strengthening the body’s immune system, which in autumn and winter is under constant attack from various viruses, and for supporting the nervous system. A very pleasant side-effect is that Vitamin C also protects and softens the skin. This directly leads to the next point.
Catering to the skin
Since wind, cold, rain and snow are threatening the skin during the cold season it is vital to protect it and give it some extra treatment. There are several products like BB cream available which do not only protect and nourish the skin but also cover impurities and reddened areas.
Getting some fresh air
Although it might be tempting to stay at home when it’s cold and wet outside, it is advisable to go out for a walk for at least 15 minutes per day. That way, the body gets used to the rougher climate and the immune system is strengthened. One should just make sure that the clothes are warm enough and one’s limbs are protected since most of the body heat is lost over the head, the arms and the feet. A cap, gloves and warm shoes are therefore mandatory to stay healthy.
Keep yourself warm
Keeping oneself warm doesn’t only have to do with one’s clothes. It is equally important to have the right temperature in one’s flat. However, one should pay attention that the air doesn’t become too warm and dry. Otherwise the risk of getting a cold once one goes outside rises. Taking a warm bath every now and then also helps to give body and mind time to relax.
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Emergencies might last extend for some days, or for weeks. And due to this, your meal stocks should be able to last long. With dried items as long because they are stored perfectly, they will last long.
Freeze dried items are one of the versatile protective food out there. These items are healthy, nutritious, they are available in different variety of tastes and they will last in the storage shelf for a long time.