Herbal Remedies to Kill the Crave

When you decide to stop smoking, you may want to avoid using yet another harmful substance, like a nicotine replacement, to help you.  After all – you’ve abused your heart, lungs, brain and liver for years with smoking, so now it’s time to get natural.

 The best way to do this is to look at herbal remedies that take the edge off of your cravings with something that’s all-natural and safe.            One herbal element that seems to be used in many parts of the world to curb the desire for smoking is to chew on licorice sticks.

This may have started in the West Indies, where people also chewed sugar cane. Using licorice sticks is also a good substitute for the oral gratification of having something in your mouth.

            Another way to curb interest in smoking is with an aversion approach.  When the urge hits, dip the tip of your tongue in salt.  Aversion therapy is when you learn to associate the habit of smoking with something unpleasant.

            Salt is one way to do it, but there are other aversion therapies you can use, such as popping a rubber band on your wrist whenever you get the urge to take a puff.  The minor pain inflicted will help your subconscious link smoking to something unpleasant.

A combination of Fenugreek and Thyme, an age-old remedy for respiratory ailments, is also useful to reduce interest in smoking. Since smokers have respiratory problems from the irritation of their bronchial tubes, this can be a powerful double benefit.

            Improving your diet is good for the body and great for smoking cessation.  Eat foods that are highly alkaline - such as spinach, beets, greens, lima beans, raisins and figs. You also need to reduce or eliminate refined sugar, white flour, commercial baked goods and refined foods.

That’s good advice for improving health even after you quit smoking!  A popular herbal remedy in China is to grate a fresh radish and mix that with two teaspoons of honey in small amount of water and drink the mixture.

             A Japanese study found that certain smells reduce the urge to smoke - particularly peppermint, cypress and lemon.  You can find these in sprays or buy small vials of essential oils and keep them at your desk or in your pocket or purse. If you feel the urge to smoke, take out the essential oil and get a good sniff to curb your cravings.

            Vitamin C takes a beating trying to combat the free radicals in your body that are caused by smoking.  Even people exposed to secondhand smoke have serious depletion of Vitamin C.

As you quit smoking, add more Vitamin C - at least 95 milligrams a day for women and 110 milligrams for men.  Don’t just depend on a vitamin capsule, either.  The best Vitamin C you can give your body comes from fresh fruits and vegetables.

Aside from oranges, also eat more of these foods:

·       Green and red peppers

·       Broccoli

·       Tomatoes

·       Collard greens

·       Strawberries

·       Potatoes

            Another pleasant way to curb smoking sensations is with a steamy hot cup of herbal tea.  Your best choices are raspberry, blueberry, persimmon and sassafras teas.  An old fashioned herbal tea used for smokers, called lobelia, may work well - but can become as addictive for some people as the cigarettes they’re trying to eliminiate.

Note: If you’re taking any medications, discuss these alternative therapies with your doctor. Depending on strength and type, some herbal teas don’t mix well with prescription drugs.

More articles coming up, so stay tuned!

You can do it!

cheers,

Bobby