See also How to Survive Air Travel: Before You Go and Pack List.
IN-FLIGHT
Former flight attendant Diana Fairechild is a leading champion of airplane passenger health. Many of the following suggestions are paraphrased from her highly recommended articles Fast Facts By Diana Fairechild & Airline Meals. I've also corroborated her information with other sources, including this Dealing With Jet Lag article.
- Don't eat airplane food. In fact, the best thing to do is to liquid fast while on board.
- If you must eat, eat only low-fat, low-sodium carbohydrates.
Small amounts of protein and fat are OK, but both fat and protein
require more oxygen to digest, and will increase bloat and other
jet-lag symptoms.
- Drink water every hour (BYOB). Platypus Water Bottles are refillable, collapsible, and come in three sizes (you can also buy
2 1-liter bottles for $12.85 at Magellan's).
- Avoid dehydrating foods and drinks (sodas, alcohol, sodium-heavy food, coffee, and tea).
- Humidity in the cabin ranges from 1 to 10 percent--less than the Sahara. So moisturize like crazy. Use eye drops, spray your face with water, rub unscented lotion everywhere, use lip balm, chew gum (stimulates saliva), and spray hair with a light leave-in conditioner.
- This is weird, but Fairechild recommends you coat your nostrils with oil (that's inside the nostrils). Don't
use petroleum jelly, but a vegetable or nut oil will work. Fairechild
argues that oiling up prevents the delicate nose membranes from
cracking in the dry air (germs in the air enter via the cracks). I
couldn't find scientific evidence supporting that, but the practice
appears similar to ayurvedic nasya. Hey, Deepak Chopra recommends it (and he'd never try to sell you anything you didn't need).
- *New* Michelle F. highly recommends saline nasal spray instead of the oil. "Ocean is the brand name but every drugstore carries their own brand as well."
- Exercise every hour for several minutes. Get up, walk around, do lunges. Here's an eHow on Airplane Exercise, and a pretty "Flying Pilates" PDF from JetBlue. The really gung-ho can buy an airplane exercise book:
- Melatonin and the Argonne Anti-Jet-Lag Diet have their fans, but are unnecessarily complicated, and will probably only give you a headache.
- Magellan's has a product called No Jet-Lag (buy it
here). Some people swear by it, while others think it's an useless placebo. Has anyone used this, and if so, did it work for you?
- Another favorite medication is Dramamine (drugstores) event of an emergency, however, sleeping pills hinder your ability to respond effectively. In addition, the near-comatose state induced by sleeping pills, combined with their dehydrating effect, increases the risk of deep vein thrombosis** complications.
- If you haven't already, set your watch to your destination's time.
If you will arrive in the morning, try to sleep on the plane. If you
arrive in the evening, sleep once you get to your destination.
** Complications related to DVT are well-known travel risks, discussed here, here, and here. Because we love controversy, however, here's a Seattle Times article
which effectively argues that the popular fear of DVT was manufactured
by drug companies seeking to promote blood-clot drugs. Of course,
frequent exercise and water intake are probably a good idea anyway.
AFTER
Once on the ground, break your fast with a good meal, and then sleep
that evening (here's where sleeping pills might be a good idea).
Fairechild also recommends that you bathe ASAP.
For the next few days, make sure to eat nutritiously, take vitamins,
and get sufficient sleep, to combat any bugs you may have picked up on
the plane.
A favorite of business travelers outside the U.S. is Berocca
(post coming soon), a fizzing tablet with obscene amounts of vitamins.
It's well known to prevent hangovers, but also helps ward off sick
spells.
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