Viewing Single Post From: Jet Lag Diet

Viewing Single Post From: Jet Lag Diet
Paul	May 23 2007, 11:26 PM
Croc Posts: 270 Group: Members Member #110 Joined: March 27, 2007	I don't have a problem with swelling. That's just me clearing the air... I have to say I'm a well seasoned traveller and have picked up some very useful tips about long distance flight and how to deal with jet lag. Here's what I do. The day before a long-haul flight I eat breakfast around breakfast time, tend to eat a late lunch because I'm out and about doing last minute jobs and then a 'quite late' evening meal, maybe a pick-up pizza to save washing up. Now, if I'm flying from the UK to Aus I'm up fairly early to wake up properly and get a move on packing the final things into the cases. If I'm flying from Aus to the UK it means a departure time of around 2.45pm so the morning is spent relaxing and doing the final check before driving to the airport and parking the car. It's important to feel relaxed. I'll take an asprin tablet to help thin the blood and at the airport I'll pay over the odds for whatever food's thrown at me. During the flight I'll eat regular served meals and ensure that I get absolutely the least sleep possible. I find it very difficult to sleep on a plane (even when I flew business class once to Singapore in those comfy near horizontal seats I couldn't sleep) so I tend to cram in as much window viewing as possible (I always opt for a window seat as I find leaning over your newest buddy doesn't help to accelerate that friendship) and as much video viewing as possible - if you've exhausted the films on offer so you're watching something with English subtitles look around you and see what everyone else is watching. This always occurs when it's dark outside the plane and the lights have been turned off, so there's just a few of you who cant sleep - it's surprising how many of them are reading subtitles too. The key here, I find, is to wear the body down into a sense that it doesn't know where the hell it is on the planet. However, confuse it some more by regularly checking the time on your watch and assessing what time it is in Singapore, London, Brisbane, Delhi... Try to spend as much time as possible gazing into space at Changi airport and having a leisurely stroll for a few hours boring yourself silly because you've done this so many times. Incidentally ladies, there is a fine ladies shoe shop (so Gill tells me) in Changi airport. Even the SIA crew buy their shoes there - I know this because they've told me! The important thing now is not to stop moving and falling asleep. Blokes, try to avoid the shoe shop on pain of sleep!!! Eat some more food at Changi and drink the largest cup of coffee you can find - there's a lounge at the far end of the airport with subdued table lamp lighting, the biggest cups to hold your double strength, big soft comfy chairs and a couple of computer terminals from where you can email for free - guests of the coffe lounge only. Mail all your friends - it'll help keep you awake. Eat chocolate. Board your flight and repeat the whole procedure - eat everything that's given to you by the sweet smiling hostesses. Obviously they don't eat at all so you need to make up for it. Normally I arrive in the UK around 6 - 7 am. My body doesn't know this. Nor does it know when it arrives in Aus (around 7 - 8 pm). The former requires me to stay awake for another day, so barging past a zillion people in a crummy airport helps as does the drive on the motorway as I'm dodging all the traffic through rush hour. Arriving at Brisbane, on the other hand, means less people to pass (customs is always a slow grind), a more subdued and smoother route to the car (it's always lovely and warm outside) and an easier drive home in the dark, dodging the cane toads, snakes and roos. As soon as I arrive 'home' I'm ready for a long sleep. Of course in the UK I don't get one... Does any of it help? Well, I'm up in the UK at 3 in the morning - I remember getting the vacuum cleaner out and hoovering the house once... Flying to Aus, yes - I'm adjusted! Although the only drawback is a slight feeling of giddyness in the afternoon if I'm walking up a hill. Strange but true. So I tend to avoid them around this time of day. My plan is always: FEAST, FEAST, FEAST, FEAST and then FEAST some more. Beer is good, wine too but try and moderate by breaking it up with copious amounts of tea and coffee... Works for me, 50% of the time. Paul.


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