1. EATING A HEALTHY MEAL:
Having a healthy light meal really gives me a nice boost of energy when I am tired after a long flight. I am often quite hungry since, as I mentioned before, I don't eat much on an airplane.
ABOVE: Here, we were greeted with a yummy vegetable pie (courtesy of Sue❤) waiting for us when we arrived in London after a long 19 hour travel day. We are lucky to have wonderful family to take care of us when we visit England every year, but, with a little planning, you can find a nice healthy veg meal at your destination which will revive you a bit after your long and tiring journey.
ABOVE: Don't forget the greens! The perfect light vegetarian meal to give us a healthy boost of energy.
2. UNPACK AND RELAX A LITTLE
There is nothing better to help you relax and unwind than a warm bath. It is the thing I dream about while sitting uncomfortably on a long flight with my neck stiff from trying to sleep comfortably and my legs aching because the flight attendants need me to stay in my seat. By far the healthiest choice for a relaxing bath is using EPSOM SALTS. Bubbles are fun but the benefits of the salts are many. The high levels of magnesium and sulfates in EPSOM SALTS increase circulation, help the digestive tract, ease sore muscles and joints by reducing inflammation, and generally detoxify the body. Ideally 2 cups of EPSOM SALTS in the bath is a perfect amount and make sure you soak for 10-15 minutes. I like my bath quite warm for extra added muscle relaxation. Hmmm....so good. The best part about EPSOM SALTS is they are easy to pack. Since I am currently trying to learn to pack "carry-on only" anything that is not a liquid I have to measure out is great to me! Just measure some salts out into a zip lock bag (I double the bag) and you are good to go. I try to take enough for a few baths, especially for that first week when JET LAG is the worst. I take a bath every day for the first 3 days then try to fit 2-3 in a week while I am away. The other great thing about EPSOM SALTS are that they are inexpensive. If you take only enough for a bath or two you can always find some more to purchase in any drug store or pharmacy. Try it you'll love it! ❤
ABOVE: My favorite thing to do after a long flight is relax and soak in a warm bath. Here, our host, kindly drew a lovely bath for me while she prepared our dinner. A nice hot SALT bath, some bubbles if you like, and a glass of wine or sparkling water really helps to pamper, relax, and rejuvenate after a long stressful day of travel.
UPDATE June 2014: Here's a great link to an article on the Dr. Oz website titled: "20 Amazing Uses for Epson Salt". Check it out! http://www.doctoroz.com/slideshow/epsom-salt-uses
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3. GET OUT IN THE SUNSHINE AND STAY AWAKE TILL DARK
Although I used to be able to sleep several hours on the 11-hour journey from California to England, I can no longer rest or sleep very easily on a flight anymore, only an hour or two if I am lucky, so I always arrive exhausted. Once we settle into our accommodation, unpack and relax a little, it is usually late afternoon, and we've been up nearly 24 hours straight! Throughout the afternoon there are usually some energy ups and downs and taking a late afternoon nap sounds really good, but in reality, it just wreaks havoc on your internal clock. I try to do some low key activities like going for a walk or doing a little yoga. I found the best thing to do is stay outside in the sunshine as much as possible. Jet Lag fatigue seems to come and go so when I feel a wave of tiredness, I make sure to have a drink, go outside, or just keep moving a bit until it passes. If I make it until 9:00p.m. that is perfect, and, although that is quite early for me to retire, it's late enough to get me through till dawn (or later if I'm lucky). Occasionally, I sleep 11-12 hours my first night in a new time zone!
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HOMEOPATHIC REMEDIES
There are lots of homeopathic remedies available at health food stores that claim they aid with Jet Lag, and I've tried many of them, but can't really swear that any have really helped me. "NO JET LAG" is the most popular homeopathic meds sold, and I have bought it several times, but the thing I find most challenging about them, is remembering to take them every 2 hours on an 11-hour flight! My kids often sleep 4-5 hours so they miss several doses of it as well. So it's hard to tell if it really helps since I've never really taken the doses properly. You also can't eat or drink 15 minutes before or after taking the remedy and that is sometimes hard to work around. No taking mints either as this adversely effects homeopathic remedies. Again, this is difficult for me because I eat a lot of mints on flights to keep motion sickness at bay. This summer we will be flying from California to NYC on a short 5-1/2 hour flight, so I will give "NO JET LAG" another try and report back. Our flight is a daytime flight so no naps and that will hopefully keep us on schedule taking the pills every 2 hours.
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