There are many tips I have picked up from work in health & wellness on how to cure jet lag and arrive at your destination in tip top form.
These are some that work for me:
- Do not eat food on the plane. Aeroplane food can be some of the worst in the world, lacking in nutrients and full of chemicals, so do not go near it (in my opinion). In the air, it is water only unless I am having trouble sleeping in which case I have a wine. This is the single biggest way to cure jet lag.
- Eat clean and light before the flight – salads, clean protein, and eggs are great choices before a flight as you are feeding your body nutrients but not making it work over-time when you’re about to be seated for many hours.
- Exercise before (during and after) getting on the plane – This is actually my number one tip, whether it is a walk, weights, anything, it will help you recover enormously. Stretching mid-flight helps, as does walking around, and exercising when you reach your destination is excellent to stimulate circulation.
- Use coffee as a drug – in other words don’t drink it before or during a flight, or it could bring on jet lag and make it worse, but do drink it at your destination when you feel tired to perk you up and get you through daylight hours.
- Swim on arrival if you can – swimming in the ocean is a great way to awaken your senses, and salt water is a great natural cleanser and de-toxifier.
Jet-Lag can be debilitating. - Nasal spray – it’s not the least bit glamorous, but it prevents your nose drying, and therefore make you less susceptible to bacteria. If I arrive with a cold or cough at my destination, it can bring on jet lag so I avoid it at all costs.
- Walk around the plane regularly and stretch – Fitness is a cure for jet lag, I am convinced. I think the flight attendants on Qantas think I am a dancer – well they keep asking me! But stretching your legs, even doing a push up against the wall and hamstring stretches as well as deep breathing really, really helps.
- Sunshine works – the first 48 hours at a new destination, you need to spend as much time in natural light as you can, as it will balance the serotonin levels in your body and help re-set your body clock naturally. Fresh air helps too.
- Fitness – Doing some low level fitness the first two days in a new time zone is also very effective for me. In London and Paris I jump on a bike or go for a long walk. A walk in nature is your best bet if possible in your new location.
- Melatonin. This handy vitamin can be purchased on-line or over the counter in the USA, and is brilliant to help you sleep when you are jet lagged.
- Have a massage – A massage after a flight works wonders. Human touch heals, have as many as you can.
