Eating better
Often, ex-smokers replace their smoking habit by munching, maybe to keep their hands - or their mouth - busy! The lack of nicotine may also lead to a heartier appetite and, in some cases, to food cravings. Also, when you stop smoking, your sense of taste and smell come back to life: food tastes and smells much better.- Drink lots of water.
- Eat reasonable portions.
- Avoid sugary drinks (pop, fruit or energy drinks).
- Choose healthy snacks (e.g., raw veggies, fruit, whole-grain cereals, crackers, yogurt).
Eat more fruit and vegetables; they're high in vitamins and fibre.
Add fiber and protein to your menu:
- Replace white bread with whole wheat or multigrain bread.
- Use whole wheat pasta.
- Opt for a piece of whole fruit instead of juice.
- Treat yourself to a bowl of raspberries or bite into a pear.
- Nibble on vegetables with a yogurt dip for a snack.
- Try lentil soup, red bean chili or chickpea salad.
- Sprinkle wheat or oat bran on your salads.
- Only eat when you’re actually hungry and know when to stop even if you don’t finish everything on your plate.
- Take time to savour your meals and snacks. By eating more slowly, you’ll listen to your body better and it will be easier to stop eating when you’re no longer hungry.
- Make sure you eat enough at each meal. When you don’t eat enough or – worse still - skip a meal altogether, the munchies are sure to appear. The goal: three square meals composed of the four food groups of Canada's Food Guide
- Learn to manage your stress and avoid turning to food for relief.
- Keep your hands busy so that you don’t replace smoking with eating.
- If you feel you want to eat something but aren’t really hungry, instead of eating, go take a breath of fresh air, walk a bit or go up and down some stairs. You will burn some energy that way and will feel better.
- More ideas to keep your mind off food: brush your teeth, put on some music and dance, call your sponsor or teammate, answer your e-mails, read a comic book...
