Quit Smoking in Nature

Solitary Camping for Smoking Cessation

Sep 22, 2008 Marilee A Ryan

A solitary natural setting is a perfect jump start for a smoking cessation program. Reinventing the self as well as daily habits is critical during the first days.

The choice to quit smoking may be the most important as well as the most difficult choice a person will make in his or her lifetime. The benefits to smoking cessation appear within 20 minutes. Within days, blood pressure will drop and the body will begin to repair the lungs. The choice is easy to make but difficult to complete. Several good resources to assist you are listed below. Family support as well as the assistance of co-workers and friends make a big difference in sticking to the plan to quit. Taking some time out to be alone with the addiction, the self, and nature can provide a perfect environment to kick start the process.

Initiate a New Routine

The habit of smoking is just as strong as physical nicotine addiction and even harder to overcome. Invest some time in preparing yourself to quit. A natural setting is an ideal place to change the hectic habits of daily life. A few days alone near a river or lake, a forest or mountain can give you the opportunity to alter your habits drastically from the start. Choose a location that inspires peace and quiet as well as safety.

A long holiday weekend is a perfect time to quit. Most smokers crave nicotine as soon as they get up in the morning, so the first step in creating a new life as a non-smoker is a new morning ritual. Rather than coffee and cigarettes for breakfast, the wilderness location will provide crisp air, fresh water, and campfire coffee and breakfast. Before even thinking about smoking, a hike or exploration follows breakfast. Keeping busy and engaged will help retrain morning habits. More information on the immediate and long term benefits of quitting smoking can be found at Quit Smoking. This site also offers lists of reasons to quit and detailed plans to prepare yourself for success once you have made the initial decision to improve your health.

Foods That Deter Smoking

Smokers are all aware of specific foods that complement a cigarette. The weekend getaway should feature foods that make cigarettes taste bad. A 2007 study, shows that alcohol and caffeinated drinks complement smoking while juices and water deter cravings. Milk and milk products tend to make cigarettes taste worse to most smokers.

Fruits and vegetables not only curb cravings but also assist your body in the detoxification process, bolstering the immune system in the process. Fill the cooler with apples, juices, seasonal fruits and vegetables, and vegetable juice. Replace the cravings with a glass of cool water. Sucking or chewing on a licorice root acts as a placebo for the oral fixation of a cigarette as well as reducing the nicotine craving.

Never Give Up

The task of giving up nicotine is physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual. A good resource, Why Quit, offers advice on altering the thinking that is responsible for most failure. Remember, if at first you don’t succeed, try, try again. If you puff, make it the last time. Notice the way the nicotine feels – after a few days of cessation a cigarette should produce lightheadedness and nausea. Notice how sick the cigarette makes the body. Sit in the natural setting and let your surroundings provide the strength and clarity to put the cigarettes down again. Most people puff at least a few times before abandoning cigarettes forever. Stick to it and join the ranks of non-smokers.

The copyright of the article Quit Smoking in Nature in Natural Medicine is owned by Marilee A Ryan. Permission to republish Quit Smoking in Nature in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.