Five Tips to Avoid Jet Lag, Naturally
You don't have to feel like crap when you land at your destination.
How often have you crossed oceans to lose yourself in vacation mode, just to be sick or jet-lagged for the first week?
Six years ago, I immigrated from the U.S. to the E.U. I’ve experienced firsthand and witnessed countless trips back and forth across the pond over the years. I can't tell you how often I've seen visitors arrive to us from North America, only to spend a week off schedule– lying awake in the middle of the night and napping through the day.
What you do before, during, and after flying will impact how you feel in your first few days, and a lot of it comes down to how you care for your body in that time.
Travel is tough on the body, period. It's entirely unnatural for us to catapult ourselves across the globe in a few short hours, and our bodies pay the price. But we can minimize the effects and do what's possible to acclimate sooner rather than later. Over the past two decades, hopping around, I've largely avoided jet lag and even kept my toddlers from having it (if you know how big a win this is, you KNOW). I mainly attribute this success to what I know about wellness and food.
I became a holistic nutrition consultant in 2014, working with clients to help them find optimal health through food and lifestyle choices. This is one reason why Good Trips, as a company, takes an interest in people and planet health. And we believe that seeing the world and maintaining balance and wellness can go hand in hand, despite the common notion that they don't.
Side-stepping jet lag is one of the first pieces of evidence that you're doing your body good during your travels. I'd like to share some tips on how I do so for myself, my family, and coach others how to as well.
While these suggestions are significant when flying economy, they are just as helpful when flying biz class.
Here are 5 things I do to keep myself and the fam on the good side of the jet lag bug when flying overseas:
1. Stay Hydrated
Hydration is critical in the days before and during travel. That doesn't just mean putting liquids in. It means drinking good, filtered water and avoiding beverages that will dehydrate you, like alcohol, sugary drinks, and coffee. If eliminating coffee will send your body into shock and create headaches or worse, try having green tea or mate instead starting a few days before travel...or, at a minimum, reduce the coffee quantity.
Please don't forget your reusable water bottle and/or tumbler! Flight attendants are happy to fill these for you on the plane (even on domestic flights), and most airports have water fountains for refills. This is one of the best bottles I've used, created by the responsible company, Miir (use code TRAVELMADEGOOD for 15% off). It's excellent for your to-go tea/coffee and for guzzling water all day. These are our favs for the kids. Our kids have had their bottles since they were five months old...durability is a significant factor in sustainability!
Klean Kanteen is a 1% for the planet B-Corp and certified Carbon Neutral. Click here to find your bottle.
2. Eat fresh foods
Eat fresh, organic, and whole foods, avoiding processed "foods" or those containing refined sugars. This is key on the day of travel but can seem nearly impossible in airports and planes.
My favorite solution is to pack your own food. It saves money, it's healthful, and reduces waste.
Have you ever thought of the amount of trash created from one long-haul flight? While some airlines are working to eliminate single-use plastics (go LATAM!), they are few and far between. Plus, there's nothing better than opening a home-cooked meal during flight service instead of trying to decipher what's on that tray.
I know this is tough for people to do as it takes additional planning and effort, but it's completely worth it. I've done it for a family of four, traveling for 30 hours straight, so I know you can do it!
Some our favorite food and drink thermos come from Miir, a “design-forward, generosity-driven” B-Corp. Get 15% off your entire purchase here using code: TRAVELMADEGOOD.
Meal Tips: Two days before travel, I often buy an organic, local, and happily-raised chicken to make a soup with the dark meat and build up our immune system. I'll then make chicken salad with the breasts to take as one of our meals on the go.
Other nutrient-dense meals and snack ideas to pack include: hearty toasted sandwiches (toasted, so they don't fall apart as easily), steel-cut overnight oats, fritters, homemade energy bars, raw veggies tossed with olive oil and salt, whole fruits, and grab-bags with a mix of dried fruit, nuts, and seeds (always a winner with the little ones).
We primarily use food containers and thermos made with stainless steel and silicone as they're light, durable, and pack well, plus parchment paper and/or brown bags. You can find several of our favorite to-go-ware items in our Travel Essentials Brand Directory.
TRAVEL HACK: In most airports around the globe, you can't carry food that is liquid-like. They may take it if it can pour out easily, so make sure it's reasonably stiff. Carry all the food in one carry-on bag (a backpack is ideal because it can be heavy when you start the day). Keep the food divided into separate "lunch" organizers so you can pull them out quickly if security asks you to. We carry two or three organizers in one backpack–– one for each family meal. Feel free to connect with questions or more tips on this!
3. Sleeeeeeeep– Rest before you go.
OK, so I'm going to be a hypocrite here. Resting before traveling as a working mom of two young boys (whether they're coming along or not) is one of the last things that happens for me. I usually pack until the wee hours, even though I close my eyes before 10 pm on a typical night. That said, rest is super important for avoiding jet lag. Since I fall behind on this one, I'm a die-hard on the other tips. I know that one day, I'll be able to lazily sip my matcha before heading out to the airport....but not today.
The point is, if you can, get good rest before you travel. A late-night bender the night before flying is not.a.good.idea if you want to feel well upon arrival. Here are some internal clock adjusting hacks that will help even if you aren't well rested on the day of travel:
Pre-Travel sleep hack
Adjust your bedtime by an hour or two several nights before travel. This will minimize the internal clock jolt once you've arrived. So, for example, if you're flying east, hit the pillow an hour or two earlier than usual and vice versa going west.
During-travel hack
If you're traveling east, you're likely flying overnight and landing in the morning. So sleep as much as possible on the plane…no movies flying this way :(. Going west? Sleep a little later, if possible the morning of travel, and keep the in-fight sleep to a short nap...see tip 4 for more on that.
4. Be selective with your flights
Find flights with arrival times that make it easy as possible to adjust once there.
For example, flying from the U.S. to the E.U. or Africa–– look for flights that take off closest to bedtime (after 8 pm), so you are most likely to sleep on the flight. This should also land you as late in the morning as possible. Do everything you can to stay awake until the usual bedtime in your destination's time zone. Grabbing that nap could wreck your schedule for a week if you don't. DO NOT LOOK AT THE BED. RUN away….literally, a jog may help :).
If you're going west, catch a flight that lands in the late afternoon or early evening. Sleep in a little bit that morning and avoid taking more than a short nap on the plane. Bring a good book, watch some movies, or take the opportunity to get some work done on this leg of the trip. Then, when you arrive, you'll be good and ready for a bit of dinner and then off to bed with you!
Of course, some flying tips can vary depending on where to/from and how long your flights are, so get in touch if you have specific questions.
The Westin at Denver International Airport. Sometimes when we are headed to coastal Mexico from the EU, we take direct flights into the U.S., landing in time for dinner. It is a great time to call in a one-night layover to quickly get us on schedule. In addition, doing a quick one-night layover in Mexico can be difficult…ask if you want to know. We’ll leave out for Central America on the first flight in the AM (less delay possibilities this way as well).
5. Look for the light! The natural light...
…and not the light of a screen. Seek out the sun and fresh air during the day and avoid the screens when possible, especially at night, as they confuse your hormones. Your hormones rule your internal clock and are guided by nature. Being active and outside after landing will be your best bet if you land during the day, so throw your luggage down and do not look at that bed until it's dark!
Travel Hack: If you're traveling somewhere rural and/or if an additional flight will have you landing in bed in the middle of the night, try instead to stay at least a few nights in your layover city (or one resting in an airport hotel). A few reasons behind this:
After a long-haul flight, it can be brutal to continue traveling further to your remote destination without rest.
It's easier to stay awake for the day in a city surrounded by energy, sites, and happenings.
Suppose your layover city is in the same country you're visiting. In that case, it's a great cultural introduction and a fine opportunity to get to know a new place. See some tips for traveling sustainably in the city here.
Wrapping up
Traveling long haul is one big blessing and curse. We get to know many corners of the earth, but our bodies take a hit (not to mention the planet). There are many advantages to taking better care of your body to have the best experience while on your journeys, and the planet could benefit as well.
We hope you can adopt a few of these tips into your regular travel regime so you can travel better.
If you want help with your travel and wellness game one-on-one, we have consulting services for that purpose. Let us know where you're going, and we'll help you get there in good shape.
Happy traveling!
🖤 Katy
Katy Hoogerwerf
Katy is a New Orleans native who grew up shaped by the art, design, music, and famously good food her hometown is known for. Her passion and expertise lie in finding design-led conscious businesses for all ages. She lives in Holland with her Mexican hubby and their two spirited boys.
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