Maintaining Hydration is one the most important aspect of Tobacco Cessation – both smoking and chewing. Water plays an immense role in controlling your cravings. When quitting tobacco there is an increase need for water intake.
When you have an urge, taking 2 glasses of water can magically relieve your cravings. (related – 7Ds of craving)
Physiology – how water helps in controlling cravings?
Tobacco withdrawal symptoms include thirst, dryness of mouth, light-headedness, anxiety, confusion, tiredness and fatigue and sometimes headache. These can be taken care with water and Deep Breathing exercise.
The Nicotine receptors are present in the cardiovascular system. The nicotine in the body keeps the vascular system constricted and causes increase in heartrate. When you quit tobacco (smoking and chewing), decrease in nicotine the blood vessels dilate (comes to normal state) and heart rate normalizes. This leads to a relative decrease in blood volume and state of physiological dehydration. All the above withdrawal symptoms are signs of dehydration!. The action in such cases have been taking tobacco and going back to the constricted state. The better method is to replenish your body with water and maintain the blood volume and heart rate, part of your quit process.
Water take care of the following as part of the tobacco quit process:
- Dryness of mouth – a sign water requirement and not smoking. The dryness is usually a trigger for tobacco. Avoid dryness with regular water intake
- Cleansing of the body – water intake helps throwing away the accumulated toxins through urine and stool. It will take sometime before you start feeling fresh and energetic.
- Managing cough – when the lungs are healing there is increase mucus secretion to clear the deposited tar and other particles. This requires proper hydration
- Managing Constipation – water helps regulate bowel movements. Water binds to soluble fiber in the large intestine, this helps increase stool bulk, decrease transit time and make it easier to pass stools.
- Helps in Digestion – Water helps in digestion and keeps the food moving controlling the bloating and gastric upset sometimes associated with tobacco withdrawals.
- Weight management – taking water half hour before food, controls satiety, decrease appetite, improve digestion and boost metabolism. This controls the weight gain associated with tobacco withdrawal.
When should one drink water?
Keep yourself hydrated through out the day. This will keep cravings away. Discuss with your tobacco counsellors the triggers and time of cravings. You would notice that there is a routine. The water intake should be target at those time. Your ICanCaRe tobacco cessation specialist would make a craving chart and recommend the timings of water intake accordingly
In the majority, the cravings are in the morning, washroom time, before noon, post lunch, past evening and after dinner. In these situation I would suggest to start your day with Water at least two glasses, repeat two glasses in 1-2 hours. This will relieve your morning cravings and aid in bowel movements. A morning drink with antioxidant and nutrition both mineral and Vitamins would avoid fatigue and tiredness sometimes associated with tobacco withdrawal.
Half hour before food – lunch, evening tea and dinner. If you are hydrated enough it would avoid post meal cravings. Water helps in digestion, dilutes the spicy high salt content of the food, avoids bloating, maintains bowel movement. Mostly these are the associated reasons for smoking or chewing tobacco post meals.
Before bed time – Drinking water before going to bed, keeps you hydrated during the night you feel fresh when you get up in the morning. This avoids cravings during the night and also controls the early morning cravings. This facilitates bowel movement also.
What type of water for your body?
Everything that is fluid has water in it. 20% of our water requirement is by food we eat. Rest comes directly from all the fluids that include water, milk, juices, soft, drinks tea or coffee.
During the quit process it is generally recommended to avoid drinks which are reminders for your tobacco intake for eg if you were used to drink with tea, taking tea would again trigger tobacco use. Consciously you would have to replace with healthy nutritious drinks with antioxidants, anti-inflammatory and minerals like organic tea, juices, alkaline water, organic haldi drinks, lime honey water, Chaas etc. Do choose foods which are juicy and healthy. Avoid drinks which are less healthy with more sugar and calories or energy drinks which can have high caffeine.
Amount of Water recommended:
Generally, I recommend around 1 litre of water for 20 kg of body weight, to be taken at regular intervals through out the day. During the first week I would suggest a little more around 1.2-1.5 litres of water per 20 kg BW. For ladies it may be little less. You would notice the change in colour of your urine over the period. Your urine colour may be a good guide. Target is to have a urine which is light yellow to transparent. Please note if you are on Vitamin supplements it may alter the colour of the urine.
Carry water bottle with you
Always have water readily available to control the urge. Water is an essential part of your treatment plan. Do carry environment friendly water bottles (earthen, copper, steel) with you and water jugs should be available at all places at bedside, living room, office etc.
Drinking too much of water?
Drinking water is safe and one usually would not drink too much of water in one go as body would not allow it. There is a theoretical situation when a person drinks too much of water (3-5 litres) too quickly. This may cause water intoxication and sudden decrease in Sodium level in body (Hyponatraemia). This can be an medical emergency.
It is advisable to drink water on regular interval, 1-2 glasses at a time and fairly spaced through out the day.
ICanCaRe TOBACCO WELLNESS PROGRAM
Water is essential part of ICanCaRe Tobacco wellness program as a part of seven D intervention. The ICanCaRe tobacco cessation specialist would chart your triggers and suggest the water intervention schedule. Along with water need may be also to supplement with minerals and vitamins to boost the immunity and take care of comorbid conditions and nutritional deficiencies associated with tobacco use.
ICanCaRe team of Certified tobacco Cessation Specialists and Quit Coaches work with you to make your journey smooth and easy.
ICanCaRe Tobacco Wellness Centres with its India’s first digital protocol based assessment process guide intervention as per requirements.
To quit visit us on ICanCaRe or call on 011-430-77695 with the most scientific, medically validated and most successful online cessation program (92% success rate).
References
Perrier, Erica T et al. “Urine colour change as an indicator of change in daily water intake: a quantitative analysis.” European journal of nutrition vol. 55,5 (2016): 1943-9. doi:10.1007/s00394-015-1010-2