With changes in our smoking law this month, perhaps you might be someone who will take opportunity of decreased access to smoking to look into quitting!

Following is a brief discussion of a couple areas related to smoking cessation that relate to nutrition, namely concerns about weight gain and replacing one habit with another.

Will I gain weight if I give up smoking?
Perhaps some, but not necessarily. This all depends on some choices you make as you forge ahead in the non-smoking life. Some statistics say people gain 4-10 pounds when they stop smoking, and the more you smoke, the more you'll gain. I say you can fall victim to this, but don't have to. The weight that you might gain will depend on your food choices and exercise level. Making changes in these areas will have a great impact on the staving off of weight changes.

Smoking-namely nicotine-increases your metabolic rate. When you remove the nicotine from your body (which doesn't take too long), your metabolic rate slows down. You can counter this by increasing exercise and fluid intake, especially water. Aerobic exercise will help to rid your lungs of the residues of smoking and improve your heart health, and weight training is especially helpful for increasing muscle mass. Increased muscle equals increased metabolism. The water is recommended because muscle contains quite a bit of water and this fluid will help to maintain muscle integrity. This is the first area to tackle.

Other changes occur when you stop smoking. Your taste buds gain acuity, that is, things taste better and smell better! You might want to eat more food simply because it is fun now, and it tastes better than it has in years. The best way to counter a possible overeating tendency is by "listening" to your body. Try to eat only when you are physiologically hungry, not for other reasons. This is perhaps difficult at such a critical time in your life, as you may have some emotional need that food will fill. The best advice is to acknowledge this and be forgiving about it. Try to become more in tune with your body, and gradually you will grow into eating primarily for hunger reasons.

What to do with the time I used to spend smoking?
In other words, what often creeps in is a problem with oral gratification. You might start to replace your smoking with gum chewing, or constant nibbling. Again, trying to address true hunger is a good place to start. In addition, drinking lots of water can help, as this helps you to isolate a true need for food from an emotional one.

Make good food choices!
This will help you even out your appetite as well as improve health. Be certain to include lots of vegetables, fruit, and whole grains, and some good lean proteins. In addition include some fats such as Omega 3's (fish oil), olive oil, nuts, and avocado.

Stay away from dieting, and look to solid food choices, and more exercise, and you should make a fine transition.

© 2008 Good News Tucson™

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