The Swedish Snus Diet

Why does quitting cigarettes often result in weight gain?

Like the caffeine in coffee, nicotine is a stimulant and therefore affects the Central Nervous System. Nicotine can also suppress hunger to some degree. Therefore, why not a snus diet?

For me nicotine relaxes me. I could be bouncing off the walls but after a good strong snus or two? I calm right down. This dawned on me during my last Mom’s Gone Wild Weekend (MGWW), among a few other things. Such as why at almost one in the morning I was unable to sleep, and thought I would write.

Most people who quit smoking often become jittery, irritable, and generally unpleasant to be around due to the lack of, or craving for, nicotine. Many of these people then try to compensate for these jitters with food, often times these cravings are for some type of comfort food; something sweet or salty, with empty calories, and in turn gain weight.

The dirty little secret here is that beyond nicotine, cigarettes also contain sugar; as high as 11%.  Quitting cigarettes also means losing those spike increases in your blood glucose level and the corresponding increase in alertness and decrease in hunger.

For this reason many people who turn to these “comfort foods” tend to gain weight. Or in time go back to smoking, if only for something to do with their hands.

Last year while driving down for our MGWW, I was driving and although I was using a good strong snus, my friend Becky and I both noticed the death grip I had on the steering wheel.

Seeing how it was her car, and we had a 600 plus mile trip ahead of us, she suggested I grab something to snack on to try and lighten up on the steering wheel. That is when I realized the “Stop smoking = gain weight” thing. Everything that sounded like a good idea was sweet or salty comfort foods. Donuts, chips, candy, suckers, ect. So what was a girl to do?

I picked up an E-cig. I had tried them in the past to quit smoking when they first came out but alone they didn’t seem to do it for me. But with my snus in my lip I got the nicotine my body craved but also the hand to mouth thing I craved as well.

This started me to thinking about how many flavors of snus there are out there and how many levels of nicotine they have.

Nicotine levels are classified into 5 groups:  none, low, regular, strong, extra strong, and ultra strong.  Nicotine content can range from zero with the few nicotine/tobacco free snus products all the way up to 22mg/g with the ultra strong snuses.  

Just to name a few of my personal favorites, General long white mint, the Catch series, of Catch Union Square sour mint, Catch spearmint, and eucalyptus flavors; The Lab series, with its number 12, Fresh Mint and cool mint, then there are my extra favorites like Nick and Johnny Green Spyke, which tastes sort of like a jolly rancher green apple, and my beloved Nick and Johnny Captain Yankee, with its cherry/wintergreen/cinnamon fire, and my new love Thunder ultra strong raspberry, with its hint of Chocolate.

All of which I have to order from Sweden because our government says they want to “Save the Children” but really just want to collect more and more taxes.

This in turn made me think, “Why do we have to give up some of our favorite flavors of foods to lose weight?” Why not a snus diet?

When a group of us bloggers get together for our semiannual Blogger meetings, we all tend to have a great dinner together. Likewise it never fails everyone brings their favorite snus, which every one throws on the table for everyone else to see and or try. We always talk about snus and all the different flavors. Ones we like, ones that need a little refining and yet others we wish were made.

In Sweden, there are about as many different types of snus as there are people. So it is not hard to find one at least two or more can agree on. I personally tend to like the more fruit flavors with a nice mellow tobacco taste in the background, as you can see from my earlier favorites list. 

Have you ever seen a fat Swedish person? There may be some but I’ve never seen one myself.  Snus plays a supporting role in preventing obesity. Sweden also has the lowest lung cancer rate per capita of all the EU nations. Why? Could it be because of the snus?

While I was trying to go to sleep tonight I was watching one of those boring documentaries about how there might be aliens among us.  One of those annoying commercials came on for how to quit smoking with the latest greatest quit smoking now products came on.

They promised that using their product was tried and true. How if you used their product you could quit for good. It was a great “step down” program. You’re in control and you decide when you are ready to step down the next level of less nicotine. AND you would not gain weight. Really?

I have seen so many of these commercials that they make me want to smoke more. With their “Friends don’t let friends smoke…” “The patch that really works…” or “… talk to your doctor about…”

There are just about as many diet plans. All with patches or pills to make us thinner, tobacco free, and or “healthier.”

All of these make me begin to think like Doctor Seuss.
 
I could not, would not, like them on a boat.

I do not, would not, with a goat.

I will not like them in the rain. I do not want to try them on a plane or train.

Not in the dark! Not in a tree! Why can’t you just let me be! I do not like patches and pills in a box, nor with a fox! Now let me be!

No I do not want your patches or pills, not in a house, not with a mouse. I do not want your patches or pills.

I do not wish to be tobacco free, or a thinner better me. I am happy being the me that God has meant for me to be.  I do not want them ANYWHERE!

So you can have your patches and pills they do nothing for me.

I was never meant to be super model thin, I was meant to be the me God intended me to be. With all my faults I have a husband who loves me for me. I have always told people, “If God had meant for me to be skinny, He would have made Sara Lee a brick layer.”

If and when I decide I want to quit tobacco, which is not any time soon, I will be happy to use my Swedish snus to step down my want and need for nicotine as there are as many flavors as there are levels of nicotine in them. And for my hands something to do I will be happy to use an E-cig until I no longer need them. But why is this not an option?

Why is it the only way to stop smoking is through some Big Pharmas patches, pills or gum? Why can the government not accept any alternative to their patches, pills or gym? Why do I have to go completely tobacco free to quit? Why are these the only choices allowed to be advertised?

My way of stepping down with snus is just as effective. I have had many friends around the world who have tried it and made it to a tobacco free life, all thanks to Swedish Snus.

I leave you with one last thought…Chocolate cake and my Thunder Raspberry snus do a lot of the same things for me. They comfort me and calm me in ways that only they can do. They both give me comfort and flavor. So you go ahead and have that triple death by chocolate seven layer cake… while I enjoy my Thunder Raspberry snus.

All the taste with none of the calories…..

CATHERINE DeMARSH-HELLWIG

A Proud American, Tobacco User, and Insomniac
Reporting for SnusCENTRAL.org