Today's blog is going to consist of smoking alternatives! Why? Because the only withdrawal symptom I'm noticing is that I have a constant itch that I'm forgetting to do something, or I just need something to do. Not that if I don't do something I'll turn to a cigarette; it's just a really intense boredom.
The first thing I did to sedate myself was search for "quit smoking" apps on my android phone. I found a few, mostly lame stat apps and cigarette counters, but since I'm not smoking, they're pretty useless. The cool one I found is called Cessation Nation. Along with telling me how many cigarettes I haven't smoked, how much money and time I've saved, it tells me the health benefits I'm gaining as I stay smoke-free (refer to the photo in my first post). I also get achievements as I save more and more money. For example, once I saved $5, I got the I Can Get a Footlong trophy; $10 got the Let's Go to the Movies trophy, and just yesterday I got the Dinner's On Me trophy, since I've saved about $21. The best part, in my opinion, is the two games much like bejeweled or collapse that you can play instead of smoking a cigarette. So if you're a phone game person like me, this is a great app to help you quit smoking.
Something interesting I found on hubpages, a man wrote:
"This is kind of off the wall, but I personally believe smoking is 98% habit and 2% addiction. I bought a thing at the drug store that punched holes in the filters of cigarettes. You could punch 1-4 holes. By the time you graduated to 4 holes (I changed to more holes after two packs at each level), you were still smoking, but barely getting anything out of a drag.
After a couple of days at the 4 hole stage, it seemed stupid to light up. I quit in about two weeks, without feeling as if I was denying myself any pleasure."
From guylife.com, I found sugar-free chewing gum and flavored toothpicks as alternatives to satiate the oral fixation of smoking. Also suggested was dark chocolate (in moderation), yoga, and running. Duh. Hard candies keeps coming to mind, but I'm sure only sugar-free can be deemed "healthy" alternative. I have it in my head that chewing gum isn't the best idea, because it makes your body think it's eating, so your body creates insulin. But instead of getting energy and foodstuffs to digest and something to be happy about, you're tricking your body, so it kinda starves and you get fat at the same time. I also stand by this same theory concerning sugar substitutes.
As far as candy and chocolate are concerned, I'm already showing the side effects of their "alternative" use. I'm breaking out like a preteen all over again. Not to mention, I'm probably spending just as much, if not more, on candy than I did on cigarettes, so...... let's just say no to all that.
So what snacks are healthy? Sunflower seeds, pistachios, almonds (any kind of nut, really; just remember they are high in fat [good fat]), carrots and celery! with hummus equals protein and fat, so maybe only every other snack time... Sugar snap peas/edamame, any raw vegetable, really. Fruit is good, but high in sugar, so moderation is key. I'm reading lots of ice water, specifically bottled to keep your hands busy, and frozen fruit work well.
But with food comes the scary monster of weight gain! Interestingly, to curb the weight gain, bee pollen supplements (or raw, if it's available) are a good appetite suppressant. If you're not looking for food to replace your cigarettes, there are other things to turn to. A toothpick is always nice to have; I'm a fan of the Plackers, so you can floss, too. Another substitute I keep coming across is cutting a straw to make you feel like you have a cigarette in your hand.
I used to sew things by hand when I had nothing but free time. I'm kind of a crafty artist. I don't have the time for that anymore, but I suggest if you do have free time that you would fill with smoking, try using your hands for something better. Make something, draw something, write something. Hey, I'm blogging right now! It's easier than you think.
That's enough for today. Let me know of any alternatives that help/ed you!
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