From mindful eating to better sleeping, Dr Libby Weaver shares her travel tips.<\/p>\n
\n It still astonishes me that we can walk on to a metal contraption and find ourselves on the other side of the world in a matter of hours. Flying is an immense privilege and one that often
\n comes with a level of excitement. It can, however, be quite taxing on the body.\n <\/p>\n
Cabin humidity can drop as low as 10-20% (for context, comfortable indoor humidity is usually closer to 40-60%), blood oxygen levels fall slightly and long-haul travel can disrupt everything from immune function to sleep quality to digestion. This all helps to explain why many people land feeling foggy, dehydrated, bloated and just generally lousy.\u202f<\/p>\n
After years of frequent travel \u2013 and caring so deeply about my health as I do \u2013 I\u2019ve learned that reducing the load on the body wherever possible is the secret to staying well in transit and avoiding or getting through jet lag as quickly as possible. <\/p>\n
I mostly fly for work \u2013 usually to New Zealand in the economy cabin, though I also travel regularly to the US, where I\u2019ll opt for premium economy or business class, depending on the fare.<\/p>\n
Over the years, I\u2019ve developed a handful of habits that genuinely help me to maintain robust health when I travel. I\u2019m sharing them here, not as rules to follow, but as simple adjustments you can consider making when flying to arrive feeling more nourished, rested and ready to work or able to enjoy the new surroundings at your destination.\u202f<\/p>\n
Focus on nourishment<\/p>\n
The biggest oversight people make when travelling is deciding from the outset that nourishing themselves is simply too hard. That doesn\u2019t mean you need to be overly rigid or worry about every single thing you eat along the way \u2013 it\u2019s not about perfection. But an all-or-nothing mindset can quickly lead people to abandon nourishment altogether and make choices that leave them feeling far worse by the time they arrive.\u202f<\/p>\n
It\u2019s true that there are usually more limited choices, yet if nourishing yourself remains a priority, you will almost always find a way. And if it\u2019s just impossible to get something you would ordinarily choose and you\u2019re really hungry, then judging yourself or worrying about one meal that might not be very nourishing can be more detrimental to your health than the less-nourishing meal itself. It\u2019s just one meal. And it is when we judge ourselves that our thinking tends to spiral into, \u201cI\u2019ve ruined it, I may as well just eat and drink All Of The Things!\u201d<\/p>\n
Food is readily available when you fly long-haul but you don’t need to say yes to everything that’s offered to you. Photo \/ Getty Images<\/p>\n
Eat mindfully<\/p>\n
It\u2019s also important to be aware of not just what you\u2019re eating, but why. It\u2019s particularly easy to fall into a mindless eating trap on a plane, as food can become an occupier \u2013 an activity to help pass the time. <\/p>\n
As many of us have been raised to \u201ceat what we\u2019re given\u201d it can also be challenging for people to turn down meals. I don\u2019t eat just because food is offered, and especially not while travelling. My suggestion is to simply eat when you are hungry and turn down any other meals you are offered. More often than not, you will be offered far more food than is needed. <\/p>\n
Remember that long-haul flights in particular are not conducive to good digestive function, so not adding more food than you need for this period will help you to feel better once you land. Usually, I see flying as an opportunity for a gentle reset. When flying long-haul, I try to always take an evening flight. I eat before boarding, I don\u2019t eat on the plane, I drink water and rest.<\/p>\n
Stay hydrated<\/p>\n
Hydration is a huge factor when flying. The lack of humidity is a major driver of dehydration, but people also tend to drink less water than usual, which leads to a body that feels parched inside and out. <\/p>\n
It\u2019s common for people to mistake dehydration for hunger too, which can further that cycle of overeating. I feel dramatically better on arrival when I\u2019ve had plenty of water. Keep water as your main drink, limit (or have no) alcohol and coffee, and opt for high-water foods like soups and stews if they\u2019re available.<\/p>\n
Enlist some help<\/p>\n
My supplement Bio Blends Organic Daily Greens & Reds is my non-negotiable travel companion. It helps me boost my nutrients even when options are limited in transit or after I arrive. <\/p>\n
Around one in five travellers report cold symptoms after flying, so micro-nourishment from greens as well as nutrients like vitamin C and zinc can be supremely helpful.<\/p>\n
Research your destination<\/p>\n
I will also always research nourishing cafes and restaurants available near my accommodation. Eating well is obviously a priority for me, so much so that I will often choose my accommodation (when overseas) based on how close I will be to nourishing food options. <\/p>\n
If I\u2019m staying in hotels and I need to eat there because of time restrictions, I will make sure I order additional vegetables on the side. <\/p>\n
Sometimes I opt for accommodation that has a kitchen. While I may not have time to shop and prepare full meals, this allows me to at least have the option to prepare simple meals, such as breakfast.<\/p>\n
Try to get outside into the natural light once you land from a long-haul flight. Photo \/ Getty Images<\/p>\n
See some daylight<\/p>\n
One of the first things I try to do after landing in a different time zone to avoid or at least minimise jet lag is to get outside into natural light and go for a walk. Light is the strongest regulator of the circadian rhythm and sunlight helps signal to the brain when to be awake, when to produce serotonin and when to suppress melatonin, and I notice a huge difference in how quickly I adjust when I do this. <\/p>\n
Obviously, this isn\u2019t always possible \u2013 you might arrive late at night, for example \u2013 but do your best to start operating in the new time zone as soon as possible. I try to stay awake until a reasonable local bedtime, even if I\u2019m tired. It usually helps me adjust more quickly than immediately collapsing into bed. <\/p>\n
Remember …<\/p>\n
Long-haul travel is never going to be ideal for the body, yet small choices made consistently change how you feel when you land and beyond.<\/p>\n
More from Dr Libby<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"From mindful eating to better sleeping, Dr Libby Weaver shares her travel tips. It still astonishes me that…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":453535,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[4498,9442,138,1952,36979,15416,5818,71,221,28372,230676,1953,230675,85518,17291,111,139,69,180,2863,27250,3765,61,274,1966],"class_list":["post-453534","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-business","tag-beat","tag-better","tag-business","tag-dr","tag-drink","tag-eat","tag-eating","tag-from","tag-how","tag-jet","tag-lag","tag-libby","tag-libbys","tag-longhaul","tag-mindful","tag-new-zealand","tag-newzealand","tag-nz","tag-shares","tag-sleep","tag-sleeping","tag-tips","tag-to","tag-travel","tag-weaver"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/453534","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=453534"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/453534\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/453535"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=453534"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=453534"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=453534"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}