Stating that people who quit smoking may develop new habits in terms of nutrition from time to time, which may lead to weight gain, experts emphasize that the pleasure of smoking can be replaced with healthy eating habits. According to experts, raw almonds, hazelnuts and cashews can be consumed instead of cigarettes, which have become a hand habit. Drinking sips of water when you crave a cigarette can also help speed up metabolism.
Üsküdar University NPISTANBUL Hospital Nutrition and Diet Specialist Özden Örkçü said that in those who quit smoking, sometimes eating habits change, sometimes new habits are gained, which leads to weight gain.
Özden Örkçü said, "After the psychological support and medical treatments, filling that void with caffeine and food in case of withdrawal leaves us with the situation of 'I quit smoking and gained weight'. We try to distract ourselves with candies, dragees or nuts that are carried in pockets whenever the cigarette, which is tried to be filled with food, comes to mind, which causes us to take extra calories and subsequently causes weight gain."
Prefer raw nuts!
Nutrition and Diet Specialist Özden Örkçü stated that the new habits that emerged during the smoking cessation period can be met with healthier options and made the following recommendations:
Instead of roasted salted nuts, raw almonds, hazelnuts and cashews can be preferred instead of cigarette consumption, which has become a hand habit.
Herbal teas can be consumed instead of coffee...
If you have a habit of smoking with coffee or instead of smoking, you can prefer herbal teas, flavored waters (cinnamon, clove waters - mint, lemon waters...).
Fruit and milk dessert after dinner
You can replace after-dinner cigarettes with dried fruits or low-calorie desserts, fruit or dairy desserts that you can easily prepare yourself.
Sips of water suppress the desire to smoke
Every time you feel like having a cigarette, take some water with you and start drinking it sip by sip, so that if you don't have the habit of drinking water, you will get into the habit of drinking water. Remember, drinking water will also help speed up your metabolism.
Eat fibrous foods!
Fibrous foods will create a feeling of satiety by slowing down gastric emptying.
These foods make you "happy"
Nutrition and Diet Specialist Özden Örkçü stated that dopamine, serotonin, oxytocin and endorphin hormones, which are also called "happiness hormones", can also be obtained from food and pointed out that the pleasure of smoking can also be obtained from the following foods.
Fruits; Banana, kiwi, pineapple, plum, grapefruit, mango, sweet and juicy and melon has a high serum concentration. This makes it useful in serotonin production. Tomatoes and avocados are also rich in nutrients necessary to optimize serotonin in the brain.
Vegetables; Green leafy vegetables such as corn, broccoli, cauliflower, brussel sprouts, spinach, asparagus, serotonin-rich baked potatoes and mushrooms. Soy products (tofu, soymilk, soybeans) help keep serotonin levels stable.
Legumes; lentils, mung beans, chickpeas, peas, lima beans and other beans, etc. Hummus, lentil soup and foods made with these products are good sources of serotonin.
Cocoa; It contains high levels of phenylalanine, there are studies that it is used in the treatment of depression. It increases serotonin production. Dark chocolates containing 70% or more cocoa can be preferred.
