This year I put in almost 70,000 miles by plane and had to add pages to my passport. I’m not a pilot or a flight attendant, but I am a traveling junkie. People always ask me if I ever get jet lag and the answer is yes, I do, but not often. I wish I was bullet proof, but I do get my cracks once or twice a year. I think that’s a pretty good ratio for traveling once a month.
I have been traveling since high school and I have tried almost everything for jet lag. Please keep in mind that I am not a doctor, a nurse, or a pharmacist. I have come up with some tips that I do regularly before I travel that I think can help you with your long journeys.
Stay on Schedule:
If you are traveling to another country, eight hours or more, it’s important to stay on the clock of the country when you land. For example, say you are flying from Hawaii to Japan and Japan is a day ahead and 5 hours behind. When you leave Hawaii at 11am and land at 2pm in Tokyo, when you land DO NOT take a nap. If you normally go to bed at 10pm go to bed at 10pm and wake up at your normal time the next day. If you land at 9pm head straight to the hotel and go to bed. Your first night is the most important, coming or going.
Take care of your Stomach:
Most sickness comes from your stomach. Traveling does a number on your belly no matter how strong you are. Colds, bacteria, and unfamiliar foods can upset the stomach. The first rule is NO drinking of tap water in 3rd world countries. That includes ice in drinks, always bottled or hot water. Whenever we travel, we already screw up the daily routine by indulging in all the food we see (of course, that’s what you do on vacation!). 5-7 days before I travel, I always fill up on pro-biotics. Visit a whole foods or Down to Earth and get fresh organic pro-biotics in the fridge section, it’s better than the pills. Another thing I eat on the regular for protecting your stomach is POI with every meal.
Remove negative enzyme’s:
When you fly in any airplane, the engines give off EMF’s (Electronic Magnetic Fields) or radiation. EMF’s can be found everywhere from hair dryers, cell phones and the electric sockets in your home. The bigger and the machine, the more EMF radiation it’s putting out. Airplane engines push out a lot and that’s why you are tired after a flight. Of course, it’s also the altitude, dry air, and all the alcohol you’re throwing down but the milligauss that it’s pumping out is strong. After any long trip I take I always take an EPSOM salt bath which will cost you less than $5 for the salt, or I jump in the ocean. 20 minutes of salt water helps remove the negative enzymes in your body.
Your new best friends:
I always bring meds “just in case” to help with sickness.
Charcoal Pills: Ever have the runs or upset stomach these pills will kill all bacteria in your stomach quick.
Digest All by MRM: This will shut down acid reflux or heart burn and it’s an all-natural product.
True Flora: Live Pro-biotics in pill form.
Ibuprofen: Always helps with headaches and aching muscles after a long day of sight-seeing, especially if you’re out of shape.
I hope these tips help you in your travels. Just say no to jet lag!
