The Best Foods to Help Combat Jet Lag

When crossing multiple time zones by air travel, it can feel impossible to prevent and treat the symptoms of jet lag, but this travel-related obstacle can be assuaged depending on the meal choices you make. See below for a few culinary tips to get you through the first few hours in your new environ.

First, drink caffeine responsibly. Because it can take six to eight hours for caffeine to completely clear your system, downing an espresso when you land at 4 p.m. can keep you awake a lot longer than you intend. Keep caffeine consumption to the morning hours to adjust to a new normal circadian rhythm.

When snack time hits, try to include nature’s candy: berries. Loaded with water, antioxidants and fiber, they can help hydrate you after a dry plane ride, ward off illnesses that may have been passed through the plane’s stale air and facilitate digestion, a process that also can become stagnated during flight.

Before bed, have a meal that features carbohydrates. The chemicals in dishes like pasta, sandwiches and potatoes help promote sleep via the amino acid tryptophan. Other sleep-aiding snacks include cherries (which contain melatonin) and bananas (with magnesium and potassium).

As your body begins to adjust, stick to simple foods like fruits, veggies, lean protein and carbs until you have fully acclimated to your new time zone.