Quitting smoking is usually associated with weight gain due to increased anxiety. Dr. Lajo, an expert in Endocrinology, highlights eating habits that should be followed by those who quit smoking to avoid gaining weight.
More than three out of ten Spaniards are smokers, but if we look at young people the figure rises to five out of ten. This is very worrying if we take into account that nine out of ten lung cancers are directly related to smoking. More than 17,000 people die each year in Spain due to smoking. Smoking a pack of cigarettes every day involves about 200 inhalations of smoke, which is more than 70,000 inhalations per year.
Relationship between tobacco and appetite
Quitting smoking has many advantages for the organism, especially related to the risk of suffering cardiovascular and pulmonary pathologies, as well as cancer, premature aging or other aspects related to the skin.
Quitting smoking may lead to weight gain, which is related to eating more and better:
– Giving up cigarettes allows for improved taste.
– The “hand-mouth” habit of being a smoker is usually replaced by snacking, which has high levels of fat or sugars.
– Quitting smoking increases hunger and reduces basal metabolism: According to a study by the University of Santiago de Compostela, nicotine acts as an appetite suppressant and therefore leads to weight loss. The researchers assure that the inhibition of nicotine is given by the enzyme called AMPK, key in fat metabolism and that it acts in areas of the hypothalamus at brain level decreasing thermogenesis in brown fat.
There is another study, from the University of Pittsburgh and published in the journal Nicotine & Tobacco Research, which affirms the relationship between intravenous nicotine administration and weight loss in rats. Controlling weight when quitting smoking Weight gain when quitting smoking is most noticeable in the first three months, when there is an increase of an average of 4.7 kilos per person (according to a BMJ study in 2012) and one in ten people who quit smoking increase their weight by 10 kilos.
The diet of smokers follows specific guidelines:
– They eat little or no breakfast, when in fact they should avoid such prolonged fasting periods.
– The midday meal is usually scarce, although in some cases it is also nonexistent.
– Dinner is characterized by being copious and rich, but it would be advisable to cook grilled, boiled, boiled or steamed.
– What smokers tend to eat are salty and fatty items, when the recommendation is that they eat energy-dense foods.
– They also snack and drink a lot more alcohol and coffee, when it is recommended not to drink alcohol and to replace coffee with herbal teas.
What is recommended is:
– That the meals are strong, rich in nutrients and low in calories, substituting the cigarette of gratifying flavor that stimulate the taste buttons less obstructed.
– To control the anxiety, it is necessary to order the schedules of the food.
– Meals should be eaten in a calm way, sitting down and eating from a plate, controlling that chewing is correct and savoring the food.
– Whole grains should be part of the diet, as well as green leafy vegetables, seasonal fruits, legumes and more fish than meat.
– It is important to drink plenty of water in small sips.
– The time associated with smoking should be replaced by eating a carrot or celery, performing the same function as candy but without sugar.
– It is important to do physical exercise, which can serve to associate quitting smoking and starting some physical activity, such as walking, cycling,….
o This will help to control weight gain, since calories are consumed and accumulated fat is used up.
o It helps to control cholesterol levels, glucose and blood pressure.
o It helps to relax the smoker, keeping him/her occupied and avoiding the memory of smoking.
– It is also recommended to do rewarding activities such as reading, music, handicrafts, relaxation,…
Eating habits when quitting smoking
Eating habits to acquire when quitting smoking are:
– Breakfast: drink herbal teas instead of coffee, vegetable milks, fruits and cereals, which should be whole grains if possible.
– Mid-morning: before the midday meal, it is recommended to have one or two meals, which should be pieces of fruit accompanied by herbal teas or natural juices.
– Lunch: you should start eating meals based on fresh and seasonal vegetables, salads or greens. They should also be combined with small portions of cereals, legumes and potatoes. Fish should be a regular ingredient, as well as fruit, particularly those rich in vitamin C.
– Snack: before dinner, a light snack should be taken, similar to the mid-morning snack. You can have a fruit, a low-fat yogurt, a slice of spelt or rye bread with low-fat cold meat or an infusion.
– Dinner: this should be eaten early in the day, with guidelines similar to those for the midday meal.