Quit Smoking Side Effects: Knocking Out The Downside

Deciding to stop smoking is one of the best things to do for yourself and your loved ones,  however, before you get started,  you want to be aware of the downside,  all the quit smoking side effects that you may not know about that you can plan ahead to reduce.   Some of the possible side effects you could experience are:

- weight gain

- powerful cravings

- irritability

- tiredness and memory fog

- stomach upset

To quit smoking side effects of weight gain,  simply adopt a healthier diet at least while you're trying to quit so that your body can properly detoxify itself.   Smoking a pack a day may help you burn around 200 or more calories but you don't want to keep smoking to keep trim either.   Re-train your metabolism to work the way you want it by ending your daily food intake around 6 pm (when your metabolism slows down) and stay away from too much sugar and fat rich foods.

Use fruits and vegetables to satisfy food cravings that may come with trying to quit. The following may also help: drinking more water; chewing sugar-free gum; eating fresh fruits and vegetable sticks as well as fresh fruit juices; and munching on whole grain snack items.

Tiredness and memory fog can be tempered by getting extra rest whenever you can and by not taking on any extra responsibilities or projects while you're trying to stop smoking.   Don't stress yourself over your drop in mental alertness and memory either,  just make a habit of writing notes or keep a digital recorder handy and record messages about things you need to remember.

There are also several things you can do to combat irritableness  learning to relax through meditation,  yoga or breathing exercises and drinking calming herbal teas such as Valerian and skullcap.  

You can take a vacation while you're trying to quit smoking or adopt some outdoor activities you'll find enjoyable and look forward to,   like walking or jogging through your local park and biking or hiking through your favorite nature trail.Your doctor may prescribe nicotine supplements to fight the effects of withdrawal and even mood stabilizers when necessary..  

There's no need to suffer when you're trying to quit smoking as there are a lot of ways now to successfully fight off quit smoking side effects.