5 ways to manage your sweet tooth when you ditch tobacco cigarettes

Cravings are incredibly commonplace when you quit smoking, simply because of the addictive nature of tobacco cigarettes. We can find ourselves naturally predisposed to replacing one addiction for another.

One of the most widely reported cravings amongst ex-smokers is for sweet, sugary foods. And whilst there is no reason why you shouldn’t indulge once in a while, you have after all something to celebrate - you've done something so monumentally awesome for your health, it should be rewarded.

But bear in mind that the addiction to sugar is a powerful one, you're going to have to dig deep and draw on your extra reserves of will power if you don't want the sugar cravings of your sweet tooth to take hold.

If you’re worried about piling on the pounds when you quit smoking because you're sure your sweet tooth will run amok. Don’t be.

Quitting smoking is one of the best things you can do for your health.

You know it, we all know it. So don’t let anything deter you from doing that.

Especially when there are so many things you can do to prevent your sweet tooth from picking up where your cigarette left off.  

So, here’s our guide to managing your sweet tooth when you ditch the tobacco cigs.

#1. Look for healthy sweet alternatives

Eat all the chocolate, sweets and cakes that you want to, as long as you commit to changing the way you do ‘sweet’.

You don’t have to forgo sweet treats completely in your quest to avoid sugar. In fact, there are a whole world of guilt-free healthy sweet treats having their moment, that you can gorge yourself silly on, should you wish to.

You’re going to have to say goodbye to the processed, sugar-laden cakes and chocolates that you would normally chow down on, and say hello to the new wave of healthy sweet alternatives, presented by the likes of Deliciously Ella, Livia’s and Squirrel Sisters (if packaged sweet treats are your weakness).

But you don't have to solely opt for processed foods.

If you want to indulge your sweet tooth, why don’t you consider doing it naturally? You see nature has a bounty of sweet foods just waiting to be eaten, like dates, fresh fruit and honey (on toast, not direct from the jar via a spoon).

If you really want to blow your mind, freeze a few very ripe bananas, then whizz them up (still frozen) in a food processor, and tell us that isn’t the best sweet banana ice (non) cream you’ve ever had. Add cocoa powder for a chocolate hit, or peanut butter for a nutty flavour.

#2. Choose whole grain and high fibre foods

When you quit smoking your body can release more insulin than necessary after you’ve finished eating, meaning that you can suffer from low blood-sugar levels, which is why you might crave sugar to boost those levels.

You can help to control your blood sugar levels by eating whole grain and high fibre foods which are more complex carbs, and as such, are processed and absorbed by our bodies much more slowly than say a bar of chocolate. Thus leaving you feeling fuller for longer, and preventing spikes and drops in your blood sugars as they release energy slowly.

#3. Get active

Every time the urge for sugar hits, get up and do something active.

Not only does this serve to distract you from the sugar craving, but you can give your body a dose of some other feel-good chemicals that will actually do it good, not harm - by which we mean, endorphins. The feel-good factor of these chemicals lasts far longer than any sugar high.

#4. Switch tobacco for e-cigs

If you’re worried about the effects of quitting smoking, why don’t you ditch the tobacco cigs in favour of an e-cig. You get all the pleasure of smoking, without any of the nasty side effects from the tobacco.

And the best bit - your clothes won’t smell, you can do it indoors, and you will no longer get the stink eye from your mother.

Oh, and you don’t have to worry about your sweet tooth going into overdrive because you won’t be going cold turkey on the nicotine front.

#5. Go nicotine-free

Hear us out. If you’re worried about how to manage your sweet tooth when you quit smoking tobacco cigarettes, but you have your heart dead set on cutting out the nicotine too. Why not switch the traditional cigarettes for an e-cig, and choose a nicotine-free e-liquid?

If you’re concerned that isn’t going to help control the sugar cravings any more than going cold turkey would, why don’t you pick e-liquids that are sweet by nature. That way you can still go through the motions of smoking, without actually smoking any nicotine.

We offer a wide range of sweet, fruity or even SodaStream flavoured e-liquids for you to try. So what are you waiting for?

What is your sweet treat weakness? Share it with us and we might even recreate the flavour in e-liquid form...