How To Detox Your Lungs After You Quit Smoking

You’ve kicked the habit of smoking. Now, comes the work of repairing your lungs. Cigarette smoke contains many harmful toxins like nicotine, carbon monoxide, tar, arsenic and other chemicals.

Whether from burning wood, tobacco or marijuana, toxins and carcinogens are released from the combustion of materials. Smoke from marijuana combustion has been shown to contain many of the same toxins, irritants and carcinogens as tobacco smoke.

Beyond just what’s in the smoke alone, marijuana is typically smoked differently than tobacco. Marijuana smokers tend to inhale more deeply and hold their breath longer than cigarette smokers, which leads to a greater exposure per breath to tar.

All of which can cause a long list of damages to your body including:

• Increased risk of stroke and brain damage
• Eye cataracts, macular degeneration, yellowing of whites of eyes
• Yellow teeth, tooth decay and bad breath
• Cancer of the nose, lip, tongue and mouth
• Laryngeal and pharyngeal cancers
• Chronic bronchitis
• Heart disease
• High blood pressure (hypertension)
• Stomach ulcers
• Lower fertility and increased risk of miscarriage
• Irregular periods
• Early onset menopause

Fortunately, the process of cleansing your lungs and your body can be as easy as drinking water. That’s right. Since water is the body’s natural cleansing agent, it should be no surprise that it works wonders for breaking down chemicals and carrying them out of the body.

How to Detox Your Lungs after Quitting Smoking

Doing the following can also be great for your lungs:

Exercise.

Maintaining good physical health is essential for providing oxygen to all of your organs. It also helps relieve pain and soothe cravings by releasing endorphins, the feel-good hormones to generate feelings of pleasure.

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The Department of Health and Human Services recommends the following:

150 minutes per week (30 minutes 5 times a week) of moderate aerobic activity. That can be activities like swimming, walking and gardening.

75 minutes per week (25 minutes 3 times per week) of vigorous aerobic activity OR strength training. That can be jogging, biking, dancing or playing soccer.

Give garlic a go.

Containing allicin, garlic is packed with anti-bacterial properties linked to lipid-lowering, anti-blood coagulation, anti-hypertension, anti-cancer, antioxidant and anti-microbial effects.

Try…

Cooking with crushed garlic cloves or punching up your meal by sautéing your favorite veggie with this fridge staple.

Sip tea.

According to experts, it’s not just great for weight loss. Green tea contains powerful antioxidants that can detoxify your body from years of damage caused by free radicals in cigarette smoke.

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Try…

Drinking 3 or more cups of green tea a day.

White tea, lemon tea and peppermint tea are also very effective in detoxing your body from harmful toxins and chemicals.

Add chlorophyll to your diet.

To boost oxygen uptake in your body, look to this plant pigment which also cleanses blood and tissues.

Try…

• Juiced wheatgrass
• Spirulina
• Blue-green micro-algae
• Sprouted seeds

Avoid the following:

• Processed meat
• Frozen convenience food
• Fast food
• Dairies (milk, cheese and yogurt)

These foods can trigger mucus production in your lungs, in turn causing throat issues such as cough.