Monday 4 April 2011

Jetlag tricks

Don't we all hate jetlag.  I've always had terrible trouble with it and dread it.  I was talking with a friend about it the other day so I thought I'd write something about it.

The flight to the UK from Australia is long and tedious as it is, let alone having several days of jetlag on arrival. Everyone seems to have advice about how to reduce the severity of jetlag!  Here is some information about it.


A few years ago someone told me about The Anti Jetlag Diet.  It works on the basis of "tricking" your body into working with the new time zone.  I've tried this once and although it may be just co-incidence, I really did feel better.  Usually when travelling to Germany I have a few days where I collapse with exhaustion late in the day and can barely keep my eyes open.  I'm wide awake at around 3am and have trouble getting back to sleep then.  When I tried this diet I quite happily stayed up until after 10pm right from the very first night.  It didn't seem to make much difference to the waking at 3am routine though.  

Here is a link to more detail about one version of the "diet": Anti Jetlag Diet ... or in summary below.  The version I had typed out before my holiday a couple of years ago stressed that you should go 18 hours without food before having breakfast on arrival.

1. Work out when breakfast time will be at your destination on the day of arrival. 
    For example, it might be 6pm.

2. FEAST-FAST-FEAST-FAST. Start four days before breakfast time in step 1. 
   Day one, FEAST; eat heartily with high-protein breakfast and lunch and a 
   high-carbohydrate dinner. 
   No coffee except between 3 and 5 p.m. 
   Day two, FAST on light meals of salads, light soups, fruits and juices. 
   Again, no coffee except between 3-5pm. 
   Day three, FEAST again. 
   Day four, FAST.
   If you drink caffeinated beverages, have them in the morning when traveling
   west, or between 6-11pm when traveling east.

3. BREAK THE FINAL FAST at your destination breakfast time. 
   No alcohol on the plane. 
   On the flight, sleep until normal breakfast time at destination, but no later. 
   Wake up and FEAST on a high protein breakfast. 
   Stay awake and active. 
   Continue the day's meals according to mealtimes at the destination.

2 comments:

Derek and Dot said...

Hi Mick and Ellie

I use no jet lag pills whenever I can get them. Work a treat I always buy a stash when in NZ as I have not been able to purchase them anywhere else.

Paul and El said...

Best cure is to fly 1st class!
I flew there and back up front a couple of years (boss paid) had no jet lag whatsoever, I slept slept and slept again.
Plus a few nice drinks of course