Do you smoke cigarettes? Be sure to change your diet. Proper eating will help to alleviate the negative effects of addiction on he alth and beauty.

What does smoking lead to?

Nobody needs to be convinced that cigarettes are harmful. There are over 4,500 toxic substances in one smoked cigarette, including an army of harmful free radicals. Therefore, every time we inhale tobacco smoke, they carry out a massive attack on the body's cells, damaging them and preventing them from functioning properly.

In this way they contribute, among others faster aging of the body, not to mention heart and circulatory system diseases and cancer, especially of the lungs. So much inside, what's going on outside?

The effects of smoking are visible. The skin turns gray under the influence of free radicals, loses its firmness and elasticity, hair and nails break and split. Smoking is also bad for your teeth. The tar substances in cigarettes change the color of the enamel and accelerate the rate of tartar formation, increasing the risk of periodontitis and other periodontitis.

As if that were not enough, heavy smokers are more likely to suffer from vitamin and mineral deficiencies, which further aggravates the problems and weakens the immune system. Therefore, even those who smoke cigarettes occasionally should take particular care of what they eat.

Smoker's diet: plenty of antioxidants at every meal

The appropriate menu will allow you to supplement the deficiencies of nutrients, especially antioxidants, which effectively fight harmful free radicals. Unfortunately, it is impossible to eat them in advance, because we are not able to store them.

Antioxidants will do the job, but you need to provide them on a regular basis, preferably at every meal. So go for vegetables and fruit - eat them raw or short-cooked. In addition, enrich the menu with wholemeal or wholemeal bread, regularly eat dairy products, preferably lean or semi-fat, choose lean meats, and eat sea fish 2-3 times a week. The omega-3 fatty acids contained in them strengthen immunity and protect the body against the effects of tobacco smoke.

Smoker diet: drink water

Heavy smokers should also drink 1.5-2 liters of mineral water a day, which will facilitate the removal of toxins from the body. The way is also importantcooking: avoid frying, grilling and baking to minimize toxic substances - this type of heat treatment increases the amount of free radicals and may also form polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons with carcinogenic properties.

The menu we recommend will help to slightly alleviate the effects of the toxins contained in cigarette smoke, although of course it will never completely eliminate them.

Smoker diet: strawberries will boost your immune system.

If you regularly smoke, eat at least 5-6 servings of vegetables and fruit every day:

  • broccoli,
  • red and green peppers,
  • parsley,
  • tomatoes,
  • turnips,
  • strawberries,
  • raspberries,
  • black currants,
  • citrus,
  • kiwi.

These are the best sources of vitamin C - one of the most effective antioxidants. It strengthens the immune system, seals the endothelium of blood vessels and prevents the formation of blood clots in the veins. It also supports the healing of the gums.

The content of vitamin C in the diet is especially important for heavy smokers. They need it more than those who do not smoke at all, because tobacco smoke limits the absorption of this invaluable substance for he alth. Every day, therefore, you should eat about 110 mg of vitamin C, which is the same as, for example, half a pepper and 8 large strawberries or half a cup of black currants. And because this vitamin is particularly sensitive to high temperature and oxidation, it is best to eat vegetables and fruit raw, and to eat vegetable salads immediately after preparation (vitamin C losses up to 50% during long storage).

Foods rich in vitamin C (only eaten raw or short-cooked) such as cherries, blackberries, citrus fruits, hawthorn, peppers, tomatoes and broccoli also contain rutin, a substance that supports the effects of vitamin C. It strengthens the vessel walls blood vessels, preventing bleeding from the gums and nose, protecting against broken capillaries in the skin in people who are addicted to cigarettes.

Sample daily menu for a smoker

BREAKFAST

carrot smoothie

Mix 2 carrots, an orange, half a banana, half a lemon juice, sprinkle with a tablespoon of linseed.slice of breadwholemeal or wholemealfreshly squeezed juice of orange or grapefruit

II BREAKFAST

saladmade of paprika, pineapple, dark grapes and green lettuce with vinaigrette sauce

2 slicesbreadcrispy

teafruit

LUNCH

roasted pollock

The fish (can be frozen) wash, sprinkle with s alt and pepper, sprinkle with lemon juice, put on aluminum foil, cover with onion slices. Wrap in foil, bake for 20-30 minutes at 180 ° C. Sprinkle with parsley or dill before serving.

3-4 florets of caulifloweror broccoli (cooked al dente) sprinkled with dill

juicetomato

AFTERNOON

saladof watercress and radish (recipe below)

2 rice cakesor 2 slices of crispbread

teafruit

DINNER

rice salad

Cook 2 tablespoons of rice until loose. Cut half the red pepper into strips, chop 8-10 black olives. Scald a handful of raisins and drain them. Bake half the chicken breast in foil and dice it. Cut a small onion and half a medium cucumber into pieces. Stir in rice, pepper, olives, chicken, raisins, onion, cucumber, and chopped parsley. Combine a tablespoon of olive oil with lemon juice, add a pinch of dried oregano, season with s alt and pepper. Pour this sauce over the salad.

Smoker's diet: carrots and spinach for he althy lungs

Colorful - yellow, orange, red and green - vegetables and fruits contain a lot of beta-carotene. It has the effect of:

  • anti-cancer,
  • increases the body's resistance,
  • prevents infections of the respiratory system weakened by cigarettes.

Pumpkin, carrot, spinach and kale are particularly rich sources of beta-carotene. Importantly, beta-carotene is best absorbed in the presence of fat. Therefore, always add a tablespoon of oil or olive oil to salads, and while drinking carrot juice, eat a slice of bread smeared with butter.

Many smokers experience worse taste and smell of food due to their addiction.

Smoker diet: blueberries and green vegetables versus cancer

Use every opportunity to equip yourself with a weapon against free radicals. In season, eat blueberries, blueberries, dark grapes, eat chokeberry or blackberries more often - eat at least half a glass a day. They are rich sources of bioflavonoids that effectively fight free radicals.

Also like cruciferous vegetables: broccoli, Chinese cabbage, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower. They contain anti-cancer indoles and sulphates. According to scientists, eating green vegetables on a regular basis (at least 2 cups a day) can reduce the risk of oral cancer, to which all smokers are at risk, by up to 50%.

Smoker diet: oils will slow down the processesaging

Cigarettes can accelerate the aging process by several years. Therefore, your diet should not run out of olive oil and oils (1-2 tablespoons a day). The source of he althy fats are also dried fruits, which are perfect as a snack or a valuable addition to a salad.

Crunch nuts, almonds, seeds (a handful a day). They contain a lot of vitamin E, known as the vitamin of youth. It is a natural antioxidant that, in cooperation with selenium, delays the aging of the body, and also supports the heart, protecting against a heart attack. You must know that smoking stimulates the development of atherosclerosis within the blood vessels, which is a very important factor increasing the risk of a heart attack.

Smoker diet: garlic and onion to protect he alth

If you can't resist cigarettes, reach for garlic and onions as often as possible. They are a rich source of phytoncides - they strengthen the body, have anti-inflammatory, bactericidal and fungicidal and anti-cancer properties. Onion also has quercetin with powerful antioxidant properties.

It is best to eat them raw and shredded, so that anti-cancer substances are activated in them. Crush the garlic 10 minutes before adding to the food and leave it at room temperature. Chop the onion just before eating.

Recipe for a cress and radish salad

PER SERVING:

  • 5-6 medium radishes
  • 2 handfuls of watercress or
  • radish sprouts
  • 2 tablespoons of dill and chives
  • spoon of homogenized cheese
  • 2 tablespoons of natural yoghurt
  • lemon juice
  • s alt and sugar to taste

Wash the radishes and cut them into slices. Chop the cress or sprouts, mix with the dill and chives. Add the greens to the radishes. Season with pepper, s alt and sugar. Pour over the sauce made of natural homogenized cheese, yoghurt and lemon juice.

Smoker diet: never too much precaution

Remember that all highly processed foods increase the risk of cardiovascular disease and certain cancers. Coffee and strong tea make it difficult to absorb vitamins and minerals. Limit smoked and blue cheese, as well as smoked fish and meat - they may contain toxic substances that increase the risk of cancer development.

S alt and spices with the addition of sodium - increase blood pressure, which is already elevated in smokers.

"Zdrowie" monthly

Category:

Diets