When I started smoking in my younger years, I never really thought much of it. Let alone did I ever stop to think about the long-term consequences I would be facing now. So when I finally decided to switch from cigarettes to snuff, I figured that all the problems that come with smoking cigarettes were gone. Turns out I was completely wrong.
From my research and talking with my doctor, I found out that tobacco snuff brings the same health risks as cigarettes. I naively figured that because I wasn’t inhaling smoke that I was free of many of the problems, but, unfortunately, smokeless tobacco is just as dangerous as cigarettes.
Having nicotine in your body is terrible as it can affect the heart, blood vessels, hormone balance, metabolism, and brain. So not only was I still putting my health at risk for heart disease and stroke, but now I added even more. Furthermore, tobacco snuff increases your risk of gum disease, cancer in the mouth, and tooth decay to the ever-growing list of why quitting tobacco completely seemed like my only option.
Pam to the Rescue
After presenting the idea of quitting tobacco to my wife, Pam, she was on board. Any chance for her to not have to see me shove a fat hog up in my mouth and have a can with warm brown liquid sitting around had complete support. Pam is also a realist, she knew that I would still crave the taste.
She even joked about the faded ring line on my pocket getting lonely without having the companionship of my snuff can. Her brilliant idea was to switch to a tobacco-free snuff. I knew that going cold turkey just wasn’t going to end in a successful result. Plus, missing the taste would cause me to go straight back to the traditional stuff. With Pam’s help, I found some alternative options that seemed like a great idea.
Switching to an alternative snuff that was tobacco-free seemed like there was no way to fail. That is until I tried the alternative options on the market. None of them were making the cut and keeping me from returning back to chewing tobacco. The taste just wasn’t the same. Noticing my frustration, as Pam often knows me better than I know myself, she decided to take matters into her own hands, making an herbal snuff named after yours truly.
She knew exactly the taste and texture I needed to feel like I was getting the real deal, and man, did she hit it out of the park. Schmitty’s herbal snuff had the perfect taste and flavor I had been craving, but not the horrid parts of traditional chewing tobacco.
The Withdrawal
Now here was the most challenging part, the withdrawal. Getting nicotine out of your system is a serious battle. Depending on how long one has had nicotine in your life can cause more or less severe symptoms.
For me, the first few days were the hardest. First came the cravings for nicotine—my body wanted it so bad. Instead of giving in to the cravings, I had to find another solution.
My best idea was to get out and hike. Being out in the fresh air pushing my body up the trail made me forget my cravings and focus on nature. Also, breathing in the fresh air is enough reason to ensure that you don’t want to damage your lungs anymore. There is truly nothing like the smell of a crisp Saturday morning out in glorious nature.
Once I found a trick to help combat the cravings, I felt more ready to tackle the rest of the withdrawal that I knew was coming as I quit tobacco. Next came the increase in appetite. Having the real taste of food back again was something I didn’t realize I forgot, my taste buds were out of control in the best way possible.
As for the weight gain from all the food I was eating, there’s nothing like getting out hiking to shed a few pounds. As that was my way to deal with the cravings, it’s like killing two birds with one stone. While the fatigue and headaches were not ideal, they were short-term problems. Dealing with those for a few days was well worth the energy I felt once I was finally free from the nicotine in my body.
The Real Deal
Now that my Schmitty’s herbal snuff tasted like the real deal, kicking my long habit and dependency on tobacco was just that much easier. I no longer had to worry about what I was putting into my body. Pam made sure that my herbal snuff only uses the finest ingredients, and of course, she knows best.
Instead of giving myself gum disease and tooth decay, the ingredients in Schmitty’s snuff helps to protect my teeth. Not only that, but my risk of heart disease and stroke has decreased since I have kicked tobacco and nicotine out of my life. Not only has my risk decreased, but the herbal snuff ingredients have also been shown to protect the heart.
There are no regrets here on finally kicking my habit and dependency on nicotine and tobacco. Having the best alternative in my pocket at all times made the switch much more manageable. Knowing that I’m putting better things into my body made dealing with the withdrawal worth it. It definitely puts my mind at ease knowing that my Schmitty’s herbal snuff is now just used for my enjoyment rather than being addicted to the traditional tobacco snuff.
Working on getting my health back on track and shoving tobacco to the curb has been much easier, knowing that I got the best alternative option in my pocket and the support of my beloved Pam standing next to me.