Exhaustion, headaches, nausea… a bout of jet lag can leave you feeling like you need a holiday from your holiday!
Anyone who’s clocked up a few flying miles knows the feeling. And while there’s no magic cure, there are some things you can do to minimise the effects of jet lag. And get back to feeling human again as fast as possible.
1. Eat before you fly…
Try to eat a nutrient-dense meal packed with veg, protein and healthy fats right before you fly.
This will give your body the fuel it needs to deal with the physical stress of a long haul, so it will be better equipped to fight the lag after touchdown.
2. … and steer clear of the plane food (if you can help it).
To make dining at 30,000 feet more palatable, airlines bulk plane meals up with salt, unhealthy oils and sugar before they pre-cook and freeze them (which goes a long way to explain the general feeling of blah we get after flying).
Best approach? Pack your own food and give the plane stuff a miss altogether. Check out our survivor’s guide to flying sugar-free for some plane-friendly foodie ideas (and what to choose when there’s no other option).
3. Soak up some sun.
Seeing a little sunshine helps to reset your sleep and wake cycles, naturally telling your body when it’s time to be alert and when it’s time to wind down. Try to get a sunset session in when you touchdown to start this process straight off the bat.
4. Drink all of the water…
Dry cabin air literally sucks the water out of us. Dehydration can leave us feeling downright crappy and add to the exhaustion, irritability and achiness jet lag so lovingly bestows.
Take an empty water bottle on board and ask the flight attendant to fill it up first thing. This keeps the H2O handy (and saves those tiny plastic cups, too).
5. … and the chamomile tea.
Chamomile is actually a very mild sedative, which can help you get some shut-eye on the flight and when you touch down. Plus, herbal concoctions will keep you more hydrated than the black tea or coffee options on most planes.
Chamomile is also good for treating motion sickness, diarrhoea, nausea and vomiting. Also known as a list of very severe jet lag symptoms. Drink up!
6. Sleep.
Sleep is the body’s greatest healer. It’s not easy, but it can be really beneficial to get as much as you can while you’re in transit.
It’s also worth being mindful of the timezone you’ll end up in at the start of your journey, so you can plan nap time based on the hour at your final destination.
What do you do to beat jet lag?
0 comments :
Post a Comment