Jet Lag & Travel Fatigue - How to Reduce It:

Beating Jet Lag

Beating Jet Lag:

Most people greatly underestimate the effect general travel
(particularly flying), has on their body.

The combination of being out of routine, pressurised
(dehydrating) cabins, poor food (if you can call airline food, food),
being seated for extended periods & possibly added stress of rushing for
flights/flight changes etc, can really take it's toll - especially if
you have to travel regularly.

Add in travel where jet lag is a factor and things can be really
tough.

This week, we've put together 10 Top Tips for beating Jetlag and
general travel fatigue.

What is Jet Lag?

Jetlag is the result of your 'body clock', an internal regulator that
governs the timing of certain biological/circadian rhythms
(sleep/wake cycle etc), becoming disrupted.

There are two issues with the symptoms of jet lag.

i) general fatigue / imbalance due to flying itself (disrupted routines,
dry pressurised cabin air, unstable movement for hours on end etc)

ii) the actual crossing of time zones, which upsets the usual cycle of
day & night (or more accurately daylight and darkness). This in turn
affects your body's internal 'body clock' and the functions it controls
- digestion, sleep etc.

Both issues can affect the usual symptoms of jet lag, so addressing both,
is ideal for best results.

1. Stay Well Hydrated:

The pressurised, dry air in planes can quickly 'dehydrate' your body
tissues causing dry skin, fatigue, constipation, poor concentration etc.
Drink plenty of 'warm/hot' water ('sweet' teas are great), before, during
& after the flight.

You may not want to drink too much as you don't want to disrupt people
getting to the toilet too regularly, but don't let it compromise your
health and comfort. Most people prefer the window (better for sleep),
but the aisle is good for getting to the loo more regularly.

2. Avoid Alcohol & Caffeinated Drinks (coffee, coke etc):

Both alcohol & caffeine drinks are diuretic in nature & increase the
'dehydrative' (is that a word) effect on your body. It's best to avoid
both while flying long distances.

3. Eat Light:

The movement/irregular nature of travel makes it much harder to
digest/assimilate/absorb food properly. Try to eat a decent meal a
good 1-2 hours before travelling. Once on the flight, eat very lightly.

* Airline food should be a good incentive for eating lightly!!!

** Fresh juicy fruit is ideal for flying etc - as it's both light &
high in fluid/water content.

4. Oil Massage Beforehand:

Massages (either by yourself or by a masseur) should almost be
considered 'compulsory' before &/or after long journeys.

The main benefit is through putting the oil on the skin itself.
This offsets the tremendous 'drying' of the skin/superficial tissues
& provides a protective-like barrier for your body.

Oil (e.g sesame or almond oil) massaged in your ears & up your nose
(that's a good look!), before/during air travel also keeps
these delicate tissues well lubricated. This greatly helps your sinuses,
reduces the effects of noise on the nervous system & helps nourish/settle
your mind.

5. Warm Baths:

A warm bath (or shower) following a quick self-massage
on arrival, is ideal for re-balancing & re-energising your body
after travelling.

Specifically for Jet Lag:

6. Move to The New Time Zone Routine ASAP:

The more you can keep to the normal daily clock the better.

When crossing time zones, start aligning your daily routine to the
new time zone as early as possible. E.g. eat your main meal (lunch)
around midday - sleep at 10 - 10.30pm etc. I.e. at the actual times
in the place you are traveling to.

7. Transcend/Meditate:

Jet lag is based on on crossing 'time'-zones. Therefore if you can
transcend 'time' (stay with me here), you can transcend (or 'go beyond')
the effects of jet lag. Thus, arguably the best antidote or jet lag
preventor is transcending. This is the experience in various forms of
meditation, where you relax your nervous system to such a degree that you
go beyond sensory experience. For those who do it, you will know it's
a totally natural and beautiful experience.

Anyway, being beyond normal sensory functioning, you are also
beyond what's called the space-time continuum, where jet lag occurs.
You are in the 'timeless'.

So in short, if you do have a meditation type practice that gives
you this experience, do it regularly while on the plane etc.

Good quality sleep (not after a lot of food and preferably in line
with the sleep cycle of the time-zone you're going to), is good too.

8. Light Therapy:

As your sleep/wake cycle is partially governed by changes in light
(day to night etc), it is suggested and plausible, that you may be
able to substantially reduce the effects of jet lag via something
called 'light therapy'.

For example, it's known in shift workers that you can move the
early morning 3.00 - 5.00am) 'zombie time' to later in the morning by
subjecting workers to specific frequencies of bright light during
this period.

Thus, if you are travelling to a place where it will be late at
night on your arrival, by staying awake for the last section of the
trip and subjecting yourself to as much bright light as possible
(overhead reading lights & bathroom lights are probably as good as
you can do on a plane...unless you take your own torch!!!),
may give some benefit. E.g in helping your body sleep quicker and
more profoundly once at your destination (in line with the proper
sleep cycle).

9. Listen to The Music of Nature:

This is another 'interesting' one, but really powerful one if you
understand your body not as a physical machine, but more in terms
of nothing but sound waves or vibrations of energy (which it is).

Each cycle of nature (circadian rhythm is you like) also has its
own specific 'sound or energy vibration'. Early morning has a different
feel or flavour to late at night, yes?

So in these terms, jet lag is simply your own internal vibrations or
music is out of rhythm with the universal harmony.

What Can You Do?

By listening to music that is based on the natural 'sound vibrations'
of the time-period you will be entering on your arrival to your
destination, you can get your body 'in sync' with the natural
cycles of that location for when you arrive. Thus, offseting
the effects of jet lag (i.e the 'lag' of your body catching up to the new
cycles).

The only downside is that I don't really know any mainstream places
you can get such music. The only one I know of is the Maharishi
'Gandharva Veda' version. Gandharva Veda is known as 'the eternal music
of Nature'.

There is one CD set that contains music of the full 24 hour daily cycle,
in six, 4 hour periods. To check it out, search google or something in your
country for 'maharishi ayurveda gandharva veda'. In Australia,
www.mapi.com.au should have it.

10. Rest More but Try Not to Use Sleeping Pills:

Obviously one of the best antidotes to the rigours of travel
is it's direct opposite - GOOD REST. Being well rested before
you leave and ensuring good rest on your arrival (commensurate with
your travel time) is best.

It's best not to look to sleeping pills to try to alleviate jet lag.

This can be frought with danger, as sleeping pills simply dull
the nervous system, impair proper regenerative sleep and can even
induce comatose type states with little or no natural body movement.

There is quite a bit of evidence that suggests extended periods without
body movement during flights can result in things like deep vein thrombosis
...fatal blood clots etc.

That's it. Hope that helps and happy travelling.

Article written by Mark Bunn - guest speaker & writer of health speakers articles.

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