ask: Help with Jet Lag?

You ask a great question since people are traveling a lot in high summer and no-one wants jet lag to ruin their time away.

One of the newest study that I remember reading about this late spring is that fasting helps the body adjust to it's new time zone faster than most other trips.

So if you are going off to far flung places, your best bet is a 'no thanks' to the on board meals (and let's face it - it ain't Gordon Ramsey doing the cooking so you won't miss much) and fly on an empty stomach. The body's time clock is connected with when and how much it thinks it needs to eat.

Harvard's Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center conducted the study and you can read more about it here:
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,357288,00.html

It's a little easier traveling West (going back in time) than traveling East (going forward in time), I find. My body doesn't feel as stressed with an extra hour or two to adjust to time zone change. My husband and I are road warriors - he more than I, since he travels by air 4 days/week.

What I learned umpteen years ago (I've been traveling since I was a babe in arms) is to stay up until what would be my normal bed time on the clock, so that my body will settle into a normal routine more quickly. The first day is always the toughest. On cross-continental flights, it's hard to stick to your routine with all the commotion and interruptions around you.

Drink plenty of water instead of sugary, caffeinated or alcoholic beverages. Eat/snack lightly (I do not support starving your body) on fruit, non-salty snacks. Sleep when you're supposed to.

I don't envy carting small children across the oceans, goodness!