Are dietary changes going to stop your nicotine cravings? Probably not. But, simple changes you can make in your diet can make cigarettes less palatable and therefore, make them taste bad so you may have an easier time saying no to them.
Some of you non-smokers may not believe that there are foods that make cigarettes taste good, or taste better. I personally gave up smoking ten years ago. I was just a social smoker anyway. Now I can’t even stand to be within 30 feet of someone lighting up, but back in the day, drinking and smoking went hand in hand. Now I know why.
Duke University researchers found out that certain foods make cigarettes tastier. Among those foods were alcoholic beverages, which accounts for those who just end up smoking when they drink. Also on the list of foods were caffeinated beverages and meat.
There were foods that were found to make cigarettes taste worse and these are the foods you should increase to help you stop smoking. It will make the cigarettes less appealing taste wise, which may give you the kick start you need to drop the cigarettes altogether. The foods tended to be fruits and vegetables, no caffeinated beverages like water and juice, dairy beverages like milk and dairy foods.
The study also found that smokers tend to have poorer diets than non-smokers. In all likelihood, this is because the foods that complement cigarettes tend to be unhealthier foods for you to consume. Smokers who are severely addicted and are not looking for a way to quit will make those food choices based on how they experience cigarettes and food as a whole. It appears that those who smoke are going to make poor food choices because of the taste factor and also those who smoke are probably less likely to be concerned with other areas related to a healthy lifestyle.
When someone decides to quit smoking, they are probably going to be looking to make positive health changes in other areas. Thus, changes in diet that would naturally occur when someone chooses healthier foods, will end up aiding in the decision to quit smoking by creating a negative taste association when experienced together.
For those people who have avoided smoking cessation programs because they fear weight gain, I recommend having healthy snacks on hand. Fruits, vegetables and nuts are all healthy snack foods that allow you to meet the need you feel to have something in your mouth . These will replace the need to have a cigarette in your mouth while at the same time making any cigarettes you smoke less tasty to you, doing double duty for your health.
Resources
Daniel J DeNoon, Quit Smoking Diet: Veggies, Milk, WebMD