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Detox - Help Your Body To Help You Give Up Smoking

By Charlotte Watts Dip.ION BANT – Nutritional Therapist – www.totalbeing.com

You do not need to tell a smoker how bad the habit is for their health.

Even if they fail to notice the advertising, health information and numerous magazine articles, they cannot help but notice the effects in their breathing capacity, skin quality and infection fighting abilities, fitness and general health. So, in response to recent reports of increased smoking-related heart attacks in young men, we will not revisit this well-trodden ground, but rather look positively about how you can strengthen your body to move into a state where smoking does not feature in your day-to-day life. We offer some practical nutritional advice to use alongside your chosen giving up technique.

Many people have tried various methods to give up – patches, hypnotherapy, gum - going cold turkey or cutting down slowly. Most smokers know what suits them, what they respond too and most importantly, their particular relationship with cigarettes. This is a complex partnership of associations and patterns that are as much about your physiology and body chemistry as it is about psychology and emotional attachments. The problem is often the cravings, associated weight gain and often the “falling off the wagon”, especially if a stressful or emotional event occurs. Looking at how smoking affects the body nutritionally and then retracing the damage done to heal it can allow you to feel more in control of your body, stronger at resisting cravings and more able to cope with life without feeling the need to reach for a “comfort blanket” such as smoking, or even replace it with foods that can affect our weight and health. So when you use your chosen method, the advice below can help to ensue that this is more effective.

It is difficult to prove, but many believe that nicotine may be more addictive than heroine and its long-term effects more damaging. Smoking is a negative coping pattern like binge-drinking alcohol, watching too much TV, getting too angry, overspending, excessive eating, emotional outbursts, feelings of helplessness, taking recreational drugs or indeed any excessive behaviour¹. The aim in breaking a cycle that can send you back to smoking is to not to replace giving up smoking with another pattern and instead take up something positive that boosts your self-esteem and calms you down. Many people turn to excessively exercising as this still keeps the same level of stimulation up, but inevitably further drains the adrenal glands, especially if smoking has led to any nutrient deficiencies. As we will discuss, smoking directly stimulates the production of the stress hormones and more relaxing forms of exercise and leisure should be pursued alongside moderate exercise.

Cigarettes contain lead and cadmium, heavy metals in inorganic forms that the body cannot easily detoxify. Detoxification is more difficult for the liver of a smoker and they may be dumped in the reproductive system where they are least life threatening. This can cause PMS symptoms, reproductive problems, low sex drive in women and prostate and testicular problems in men. As well as being toxic to the body, they deplete antioxidant vitamins and minerals which protect the body and support the immune system. The mineral zinc is particularly at risk of depletion as lead and cadmium can sit in its receptor sites in the body (especially if they are vacant), inhibiting its use. Zinc is needed for all reproductive functions including the very desire to procreate and a body stressed by smoking may not feel in the best mood to want to further the species either.

Cigarettes cause adrenal stress and are said to be the physiological equivalent of 3 teaspoons of sugar. The first hit of nicotine mimics the fight-or-flight response, which causes a sharp rush of adrenaline that halts digestion (not vital in times of crisis), raises heart beat and blood pressure, reduces immunity and raises blood sugar levels. If this assault is continuous, the adrenal glands stop being able to produce adrenaline and more of the drug is needed as well as other stimulants such as caffeine, sugar and alcohol just to keep going. This vicious cycle causes severe stress and energy problems as well as compromised immune function and digestion. To break this need, regulating blood sugar levels, aiding digestion and immunity are paramount. Long-term stress also causes higher levels of the steroid hormone cortisol. This is directly produced in response to nicotine and can lead to depression, poor concentration, memory and energy, weight gain around the waist and sleep problems.

Each cigarette depletes the body of around 60mg of vitamin C, which is ironically needed for detoxifying the effects of that very cigarette, so leaving you with even less. A smoker is said to need four times the amount of vitamin C to reach the same circulating blood levels as a non-smoker. It also protects against heart disease, supports the immune system and prevents ageing. It protects the liver against storing fat, which can raise cholesterol and attract oestrogen. This can make you put on the weight associated with giving up smoking and the associated heart disease and circulation problems such as low sex drive, easy bruising, broken and varicose veins, poor circulation and memory loss. Look for a strong vitamin C to take several times a day and remember that this can also help with liver function as smoking triggers it to speed up the first phase of detoxification being such a strong poison. Ironically this can lead to a back up of toxins, much like a bottle-neck and these being partially broken-down can be more damaging than their original form and get forced back into the bloodstream. It is likely that you may want to give up alcohol for at least a while when giving up smoking because of the associations, but this is also helpful for relieving the liver and quickening the elimination of toxins that can add to more cravings.

The following nutritional advice can help the body to recover more quickly from the damage caused by cigarettes, which can also make you feel more in control. All of the recommendations will also help improve liver function, digestion, immune and adrenal health:

Eat more fibre

Fibre takes used toxins out of the body and aids gentle detoxification that avoids further stress to the body. Constipation and dehydration causes them to be reabsorbed and recirculated into the bloodstream causing elevated levels. Eat plenty of apples and pears that contain pectin, this binds to toxins like cadmium and lead found in cigarettes and takes them out of the body. Any such toxicity can keep the body stressed and in a state where cravings are more likely. Porridge or rye bread and an egg for breakfast will provide good sources of soluble fibre and also help to balance blood sugar levels. Beans, peas and pulses are an excellent source – try lentil soups, bean salads, stews and adding sprouted beans from health food shops to stir-fries and salads for B vitamins, zinc, and magnesium to help reduce cravings as well as fibre. Snacking on raw nuts also provides these nutrients and fibre and are a very useful snack to have around in case of cravings; almonds are particularly effective.

Raise antioxidant levels

For the assault that smoking launches on the body and the damaging free radical production that it causes, antioxidants are needed to keep the body from harm and support the immune system, liver and heart. Eat the following antioxidant foods in abundance:

Vitamin A and carotenoids: dark green, leafy vegetables and yellow/orange/red fruit and vegetables – eat with high levels of vitamin C foods.

Vitamin C: fruits, especially citrus, almonds, broccoli and dark green vegetables.

Vitamin E: unrefined, cold-pressed vegetable, nut and seed oils (sunflower, corn, soybean, walnut), soybeans, dark green leafy vegetables, peas and asparagus, sweet potatoes and whole grains (brown rice, whole wheat bread, porridge and oatmeal).

Zinc; seafood, lean meats, whole grains and legumes.

Eat plenty of essential fats and avoid animal fats

Essential fats are those in oily fish; salmon, mackerel, herring and sardines (omega 3 oils) and in nuts, seeds and their oils (omega 3 oils). These are critical especially when giving up smoking to support hormone production, immunity, brain function, and cholesterol metabolism. Low-fat diets can be very harmful as our need for these oils increases with age and stress; it is saturated fats found in animal products that are harmful, not these sources. The liver needs these to detoxify and they are protective against toxins and dehydration.

Eat a high alkaline diet

Smoking has an acidic effect on the body through the stress it causes, adrenaline production and the oxidation inherent in burning any substance. To support the body and also reduce cravings, avoid highly acidic foods such as dairy products, especially cheese, processed meats, red meat, sugar and salt. As stress has an acidic effect upon the body, relaxing techniques such as yoga and breathing exercises are excellent to help give up smoking and avoiding negative coping patterns that can keep you in an acidic state. Eat liberal amounts of alkalising foods such as vegetables especially asparagus, celery, parsley, alfalfa, beans and peas, fruits, nuts and seeds. Almonds (raw and unsalted) are particularly helpful with cravings.

Eat many small meals throughout the day and less at night

This ensures constant energy release, low fatigue, a more efficient metabolism, less stress and cravings. Do not use sugar or refined carbohydrates such as bread, cakes and pastry as a replacement for cigarettes as you will further stress your adrenal glands. This tendency can contribute to the weight gain associated with giving up smoking.

Limit your intake of caffeine, soft drinks and alcohol and drink at least 2 litres of water per day.
Apple juice mixed with water detoxifies and rehydrates at a cellular level, whilst caffeine and soft drinks do the opposite and stimulate the adrenals glands.

Avoid foods in the Nightshade family

This is a little trick that is very helpful for some people to get over cravings more quickly. Tobacco is a member of the Nightshade family, which also contains tomatoes, peppers, aubergines and potatoes. According to the National Register of Practitioners in Smoking Cessation², avoiding tomatoes for the first four days when giving up can stop substances called alkaloids circulating in the bloodstream; with their similarity to those found in tobacco, they can keep the addiction up. You can try extending this to the other foods in the family and a longer period for added effectiveness.

Remember: Cravings desist after 2-3 minutes, try eating an apple, nuts or distract yourself with something positive; find something that makes you feel happy and uplifted to use as your positive coping mechanism. Rubbing the soft, fleshy part between your thumb and forefinger can help to relieve the tension – this is a reflexology point for the adrenal glands.

Total Being Opinion

We all know that you have to want to give up smoking in order to do so and that a big part of the battle is overcoming the psychological and associative patterns. It is also really important to acknowledge the nutritional connection too though. This means accepting that your body has been prey to the drug nicotine and the difficulties in giving up are a side-effect of the damage this drug can do.

Other therapies are really useful alongside changing eating patterns and supplementation; a two, three or even four-pronged approach can guarantee more success and improve self-esteem, which always leads to increased will-power and motivation. Hypnotherapy and cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) can help to address the related ingrained patterns of negative coping mechanisms. Yoga can help to calm down the nervous system and strengthen the immune system and adrenal glands. If you do not exercise, this is definitely a good time to start, but remember that it is easy to replace one excessive behaviour with another and excessive exercise can push your adrenal glands too hard during this time where they need recovery.

Hold onto the fact that no-one who has given up smoking has regretted it and again, remember the mantra; “cravings pass within two to three minutes”.

See www.totalbeing.com for a Nutritional Assessment to choose the right diet and supplements to help you give up smoking.

References

1. Murray M and Pizzorno J. Encyclopaedia of Natural Medicine. Little, Brown and Company 2000.
2. http://www.nrpsc.org/3stop.html