December 10, 2009

I’ll Have the Nonstop, Hold the Jet Lag

By Allison Park | Add a comment

Traveling can take a toll on the body, especially when flying great distances to Tokyo or Amsterdam. Jet Lag is the  result of high speed air travel throwing off your internal clock and affects your sleep pattern, focus, and productivity. For each time zone you fly through, it takes your body one full day to adjust. When traveling for business especially, you must be at your best, so here are a few tips to help limit the effects of Jet Lag.

Prepare Ahead

Start prepping your body a few days before the trip to start its acclimation to the new time zone. Go to bed 1-2 hours earlier or later depending on your destination’s time zone. Make sure to get plenty of sleep before your flight.

Eating Less is More

A few days before the flight, eat lighter meals and avoid fat, salt, sugar, complex carbs, and caffeine and replace them with more fruits and vegetables. A lighter diet will make sleeping much easier once you arrive at your destination. Bring snacks with you on the flight, such as unsalted nuts or protein bars.

Avoid foods with heavy amounts of sodium, fat, complex carbs or sugar

Comfortable is the New Black

You’ll be flying for a considerable amount of time, so make sure to wear comfortable, breathable clothing. This will help with your body’s circulation.

Set Your Clock

Once you board the plane, mentally change your time zone by physically changing your watch to your destination’s time zone. Act accordingly. If it’s the middle of the night at your destination, try to fall asleep as soon as possible.

Drink Water

This may be your first international flight, so you’ll want to celebrate with a bit of the bubbly, but hold the alcoholic beverages until after you’ve landed. Alcohol and caffeine will further dehydrate your body, increase fatigue and make adjustment more difficult. Water is your friend, so hydrate up!

Get Plenty of Exercise

Maintaining healthy blood circulation is key for a comfortable flight. Try to stretch and move about the cabin every 1-2 hours. This will help decrease fatigue experienced during the flight as well as irritability, sore muscles, and headaches. Varying your stretches will help keep you and your body happy during the long flight. Keep active the first few days after arriving in your destination to help minimize the effects of Jet Lag.

Sport those Shades

Studies have shown that wearing sunglasses the first few hours after landing will help adjust your body clock by altering light patterns. Sunglasses will help this transition, while also providing fashionable flare.

Photo credit: Breakfast Sandwich, CreativeDC; David Navascues