How to Effectively and Efficiently Quit Nicotine

Nicotine is considered to be one of the most addictive substances available to the general population. Even though the high that you experience is very mild, nicotine was found to be just as addictive as cocaine and heroin.

With the rise of fruity flavored nicotine vaping devices becoming readily available, younger and younger children are picking up the habit. Most kids are at least trying a nicotine vape by the time they are entering junior high school.

So how do you go about quitting, or helping someone you care about quit? 

How to feel more motivated and better equipped to tackle nicotine addiction

Keeping that in mind, know that it is a hard habit to kick, and you are not weak if it takes you more than one attempt to get rid of the habit for good. Thankfully, the actual nicotine withdrawal only lasts for about a month, but the cravings could go on longer than that.

Nicotine withdrawal peaks within the first 3-5 days without your cigarettes or vapes.

This is when you can expect to experience headaches, cravings, and insomnia. One of the biggest things people report from the first few days of quitting is an increase in their appetites. This is great news for people who have digestive issues or struggle to gain/maintain their weight.

Another symptom is developing a cough, this is due to your body’s mucus receptors starting to work properly and your respiratory system starting to clean itself fully.  Supplements like NAC, Quercetin, and Bromelain can help with that respiratory cleansing and keeping mucus from building up. Headaches and dizziness can occur but usually taper off rather quickly, which is good news. Fatigue and constipation are also two withdrawal symptoms that people report experiencing.

Of course, this all varies from person to person and will also be affected by how long you’ve been smoking for and how much you smoked on a daily basis. 

Within the first two weeks you might feel more of the mental and emotional withdrawal symptoms.

These symptoms are going to be things like anxiety, depression, irritability, and a mental fog. It is incredibly common for people to smoke to cope with their stress so it’s no surprise a lot of people report increased feelings of anxiety within the first month of them quitting.

Even more common is people reporting feelings of anger, frustration, irritability, or finding themselves in confrontational settings more often. This luckily fades within the first month but is something to keep in mind. Another huge one is a feeling of lethargy and a mental fog; this is very common with nicotine fully leaving your body. 

This might all sound intimidating but just know that 2-4 weeks of difficulty will result in a stronger mental state of being and overall improved health.

Within 20 minutes of quitting your body already starts experiencing positive symptoms as well. Your heart rate and blood pressure go down, within 12 hours the level of carbon monoxide in your blood usually goes back to normal levels, within a few weeks your circulation can go back to normal, and you find yourself healthier than you were before. Chlorophyll might be a great addition to help increase oxygenation in your blood stream to help with endurance and circulation.

This might all sound intimidating but just know that 2-4 weeks of difficulty will result in a stronger mental state of being and overall improved health.

Within 20 minutes of quitting your body already starts experiencing positive symptoms as well. Your heart rate and blood pressure go down, within 12 hours the level of carbon monoxide in your blood goes back to normal levels, and within a few weeks your circulation goes back to normal and you find yourself healthier than you were before.

Here comes the hard part, actually sticking to your plan to quit. So how can we do this? It may be simpler in some ways than you think. 

• Make a list of all the reasons why you want to quit. Think of your health, your kids or parents, how it impacts your work, your sex life, your social life, and the financial cost. Keep this list on your phone or in your car, maybe even on your fridge. Wherever you feel like it will be seen by you the most. 
• Make yourself a healthy snack or drink water every time you feel the urge to smoke. Part of effectively quitting your nicotine habit is to satisfy the oral fixation that comes along with smoking. Some people also handle this by getting a large bag of lollipops or hard candies to keep in their car that they can suck on in place of a cigarette or vaping! 
• Smoking can be a very social thing, so avoiding temptations for the first few weeks can mean avoiding hanging out with your friends who smoke, avoiding drinking or going out to the bar, and taking part in old routines that involved smoking like the same break as a coworker you used to smoke with. All these small steps really do help towards achieving your final goal. 
• Don’t be afraid to reward yourself. Take the money you would be spending on smoking and for the first few weeks use it to treat yourself to other things. Maybe you get Starbucks twice a week, or get a massage, or maybe a new book, or take yourself out to a nice meal on the weekends. Whatever type of reward works for you, take advantage of the extra money and reinforce that this is the better way to live for your health and wellness.
• Practice meditation and yoga, things that help ground you and connect you to yourself. When people turn inwards, often they are better able to get to the root of why they smoke, and they can have better luck with quitting and staying off nicotine permanently.

At the end of the day it is ultimately important to remind yourself of the benefits of quitting, take your time and ask for help if you need it.         

p.s. Just in case you are looking for a specific food, supplement, or any other wellness need, reach out to us here at 916-253-9276 and we would be happy to help you find exactly what you are looking for.

We are deeply committed to sharing our knowledge of health and therefore have carefully chosen the products we offer in our store. You’ll find only the highest quality brands and a large selection to choose from so you’re sure to find exactly what you need. 

If you can’t make it into the store, we’re always happy to deliver it to you because your health and happiness are our #1 priority! 

Back To School Special!

30% OFF Your ENTIRE Purchase!!

*** Print or Show Us This Coupon In Store ***

*1 Time Use Only. Must Present Coupon!

or Click the pic below and Use Code BTSBLOG10
at checkout in our online store 

* Excludes Hydro Flask, Grocery and Everyday priced items!
* Cannot be combined with any other discounts or coupons.
* Expires 8/31/21

We would love to get to know you better!

Drop a comment below and let us know more about you!