How To Beat Jet Lag: 8 Remedies And Cures That Work
Tips to Beat Jet Lag Even If You're Traveling 24 Hours
As travel returns to full throttle for many, whether coast to coast in America or heading to Europe, jet lag returns as a significant issue.
At one point before the pandemic soured travel, I found myself awakening in my home state of Pennsylvania, heading to bed in Texas, and awakening a day later in Spain. Then, a few days later, I was back in PA from Spain before heading to Japan, a trip which took around 24 hours due to delays.
I didn’t suffer jet lag for one second. People began questioning how I recovered so quickly from jet lag, and I finally had some answers.
The following are eight tips on how to battle jet lag, which I discovered after testing various hacks over the past eight years.
1. Hydrate.
I love wine—a lot. But lay off heavy amounts while flying.
Wine, or any kind of alcohol, dehydrates you. Putting lime slices in water is a simple hack for added hydration. I always pack full limes in my checked luggage for the hotel but have had issues bringing sliced limes through TSA checkpoints.
The best thing to do is super hydrate two days before travel with constant flows of water. Remember, super hydrating doesn’t mean slamming water. Drink enough so you're never thirsty.
I always finish a tall glass of lime water en route to the airport.
And when traveling for more than five hours, I bring along some electrolyte drink mix from Elemental Labs. These contain sodium, potassium, and magnesium, and keep me super hydrated.
2. Fasting.
Fasting does wonders for the body when traveling through time zones.
Eat a healthy protein-filled meal before the airport (or at the airport, if you want to spend more) and fast on the plane.
On-plane food is not the healthiest, so it may make you feel even more sluggish as you switch time zones. I also stay away from anything gluten and starches. Gluten doesn’t work well for me, so experiment accordingly.
I complete two 24-hour fast Monday and Tuesday and 16-18 hours most of the other days, although I do give myself one day per week to eat throughout the day to break the cycle.
This has helped me erase brain fog and gain energy—enough to run my SEO-driven content marketing agency, write books and contribute to publications weekly, and still be with my family every evening by dinner time.
3. Block fluorescent lighting.
Planes have horrible lighting.
Airplanes use fluorescent bulbs that produce excessive blue light, which, unlike natural light, disrupt your rhythm and make it more difficult to sleep.
For those who don’t wear blue-light-blocking glasses, the next best thing is a simple baseball hat. Try it. Your body will be more primed to power through jet lag.
4. Take vitamin D.
Vitamin D, which is actually a pro-hormone, is vital not only to our bones but also to our brains and nervous systems.
The best way to obtain vitamin D is through sunlight, and planes and airports rob us of sunlight. I sometimes spend over 24 hours flying and in airports, which quickly depletes my vitamin-D levels.
So, I take a vitamin-D supplement — 8,000 IUs every morning. Vitamin D disrupts melatonin production, so I don't take it at night. I sometimes double my morning dose if I have an extended flight.
When I get to the hotel or wherever I'm staying, I also get grounded (more on that below) and take a walk with as much skin exposed to the sun as possible. I'll usually end up shirtless on the patio—especially when in Europe—soaking in the sun for revitalization.
5. Get grounded.
Grounding simply means reconnecting with the earth’s electricity.
This practice has been shown to decrease inflammation in the body, improve blood flow, and help with sleep, among others.
And it helps with jet lag due to decreasing cortisol levels, which helps you feel less sluggish throughout the day.
One of the first things I do when I get to the hotel is walk outside barefoot on a lawn. If I have added time in hotel rooms for work, I pack my grounding mat.
I discovered grounding around 2017 and work standing all day on a grounding mat (I haven’t owned an office chair since 2017).
Grounding further helps with focus, and I haven’t been sick since I started.
6. Immediately adapt to the time zone’s schedule.
Always immediately adapt to the time zone’s schedule — even if you’ve only had a few hours of sleep.
Battle through the sleepiness (coffee, exercise, hydration), and your body and mind will thank you the following day.
Do the same with your food schedule. This may cause some issues in Europe, especially since they eat dinner late in many countries — typically after 8 p.m.
Although the food is amazing there, I eat light and try not to combine proteins with starches; having just one or the other allows my body to digest much faster.
7. Maintain supplements/exercise.
When traveling, it’s easy to get off your exercise or supplement intake due to workflow or vacation duties.
But don’t get off your schedule, even if you have to run in place at the hotel or pack a huge container of daily supplements. Your body will thank you, and you’ll recover from jet lag much quicker.
I take about 40 supplements daily — everything from turmeric to huperzine to magnesium — heavily regulated between different ones during the morning and evening.
8. Take a GABA supplement.
Our bodies create the amino acid GABA (gamma-aminobutyric acid) that works as a neurotransmitter in our brains. GABA reduces overactivity in the brain and produces a calming effect. This allows your body to relax and adapt quickly to different time zones.
I've been a fan of GABA since 2017 and have noticed a significant difference in clarity; it's one of my favorite hacks and helps me tremendously with jet lag.
Part of being the best at what you do requires being super healthy — both physically and mentally. But jet lag can quickly rob you of optimal health. The only way forward is to hack the jet lag.
I’m a biohacker at heart and have fine-tuned my tactics for my body and brain. These work best for me when all are used in combination.
Experiment with them to see what works best for you. And remember, I’m far from a medical expert, I simply know what works for me.
Experiment with these tips and find what works best for you. This will help ensure you’re 100% on top of your game when you get to that next client meeting or family vacation.
Portions of this article originally appeared on Forbes.com