There must be a hundred ways to cure or prevent jet lag, some of which make sense and some of which seem pretty fantastic.
From remedies such as oxygen deprivation and light therapy to drinking more water, even a calculator to help you ‘program’ yourself for a flight, jet lag is a mystery yet to be solved.
Yet this approach is hailed by the Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston as the one most likely to work.
It’s a theory based on our approach to food rather than sleep that may help our body clocks reset to the appropriate time zone.
According to a research paper from the medical centre: “When food is plentiful, circadian rhythms of animals are powerfully entrained by the light–dark cycle. However, if animals have access to food only during their normal sleep cycle, they will shift most of their circadian rhythms to match the food availability.”
The theory is that our bodies respond when there is food rather than whether it’s light or dark.
Researchers say that the way to bypass jetlag is to fast for 16 hours before you fly, so a morning flight may work to your advantage. That way, you can have dinner and not miss any meals, land and enjoy a good night’s sleep before waking for breakfast.
Or you could take a night flight, ignore the late-night snack, sleep for hours before a morning arrival, then eat when you land.
Whatever the case may be, if it’s a long flight, try to ensure that your arrival time coincides with breakfast, or try the former approach and land for dinner.
That way, your body synchronises with a new day, and you’ll arrive fresh and ready to take on your new destination.
Do you have a ‘cure’ for jet lag? Or does jet lag even affect you?
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