Travelling by plane

I am flying to Nicaragua after Christmas, and so a recent article on ways to maintain optimal health while travelling caught my attention. This time of year, many people travel to different parts of the world to see family and friends or just to get away to a warmer climate. But the truth is travelling by air is hard on the body: radiation exposure, full body inflammation, production of free radicals, stalls in your recovery process, and an inhibition of important biological processes from muscle-building protein synthesis to muscle-repairing circadian rhythm are a few examples. Not to mention the biggest factor: losing our grounding from being separated from the earth’s gravitational field.

So what can be done about these symptoms?

"Grounding" is exposing your body to the natural magnetic frequencies released by the Earth. When you ground to the electron-rich earth, an improved balance of the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous system occurs. The best and easiest way to do this is by going outside barefoot, which is easy to do if you are visiting a warm destination.

Exercise - You probably won’t feel like it but exercise has been show to regulate circadian rhythms. Vigorous exercise shortly after landing will fend off jet lag and normalize your circadian rhythm that gets interrupted by travelling across time zones, and normalize sleep patterns.

Caffeine - Avoid stimulants, such as caffeine, as a way to manage jet lag because they overstimulate the central nervous system and the circadian rhythms even more.

Melatonin - Liquid melatonin or a melatonin patch may be advised before bed to adjust your internal clock, help you sleep and decrease post-travel inflammation.

Jet lag supplementation - There are effective, natural jet lag supplements available that work well to minimize feelings of jet lag. Active ingredients to look for in a supplement include: Arnica Montana, Bellis Perennis, Chamomilla, Ipecacuanha and Lycopodium. I used some when travelling to Ecuador in 2008. Although the time zones were not much different, you can still experience jet lag when travelling long distances in any direction of the globe.

Water - This one’s a no-brainer but can be a challenge to achieve when the water that is served on board most airlines is so limited. If you can, buy water after going through customs and before boarding the plane.

Cold showers – I am not a big fan of this one but apparently cold showers decrease inflammatory cytokines, assist with activation of brown adipose tissue for fat burning, and cause a rebound hormone response in the form of an adrenaline release. If the weather is hot enough, I may give this one a try on my upcoming trip to Nicaragua.

Curcumin - Curcumin is a powerful antioxidant which helps combat inflammation, especially when taken on an empty stomach before and after flying. Curcumin’s ability to cross the blood-brain barrier and to shut down inflammatory cytokines in neural tissue means it acts as a potent brain anti-inflammatory.  In addition, it is believed to boost testosterone and growth hormone.

Avoid all vegetable oils - Vegetable oils should be avoided while travelling to prevent flight-induced inflammation. This includes roasted or heated seeds and nuts, stir fries, packaged foods, and anything with canola, soybean, corn, sunflower or safflower oil in the ingredients.

Sulfur - Sulfur-containing foods are powerful antioxidant precursors (meaning your body will make antioxidants from the sulfur in foods), specifically helping to combat flight-induced inflammation. These foods include broccoli, cauliflower, garlic, onions and Brussels sprouts. Supplements containing glutathione, N-Acetyl-Cysteine (NAC), MSM, or DMSO, are also effective but may cause nausea in some individuals. Consuming sautéed garlic and onions in the days leading up to your flight may be helpful to your well-being after landing.

Some of these tips I have used, others I have only recently discovered, and I will test them out on my upcoming trip. I would like to acknowledge Ben Greenfield for some of this nutritional and lifestyle information. I am confident that this advice will make for a healthier and more prosperous vacation for anyone travelling by plane.