My previous career in corporate involved extensive travel, so I developed some basic routines to try and stay healthy, which I have since refined to ensure that the impact of long-haul travel on my body is kept to a minimum.
Here are the measures I have taken to prepare for and maintain most of my health regimes during my most recent long-haul trip.
1) Advance preparation
3 days in advance
- called the airline to make special order for gluten-, dairy- (GFDF) and MSG- free food, most airlines may offer special meals that are gluten- or dairy-free as an option, but it may be necessary to actually call in advance to request meals that meet more specific dietary requirements
- doubled up on my probiotics
- Bought soap berries in an organic cotton bag to make sure I could wash clothes along the way without having to use harsh washing powders
- Ordered some of the heavier non-toxic toiletries online to be delivered to my first point of call
- Bought (GFDF) snacks for the plane journey and other travel
2) Day of travel
- Went for a run in the morning to ensure that my circulation got a kick-start
- Packed my supplements and provisions for the trip incl. green tea etc
- Had a nutrient-packed smoothie for breakfast and a colourful cold-pressed juice full of antioxidants, hydrated throughout and ate light throughout the day and had a light, nutrient-dense dinner
- Took some Custom Probiotics Adult CP Plus followed by Ki Science Chlorella and Lava Vitae Zeolite as binders just prior to leaving for the airport. Was feeling good prior to the trip, so I did not need it, but I had Sovereign Silver Colloidal Silver Spray to spray in my nose and throat if needed
3) On the plane (overnight flight)
- Removed my shoes and put my flight (compression) socks on
- Opted for water over alcohol
- Skipped dinner, movies etc and tried to go to sleep
- Put my Medisend on to offset the onboard WIFI https://www.magnetotherapy.de/our-products/devices-for-homenbspuse/small-devices/medisendr.html
- Took some Quicksilver Scientific liposomal melatonin and put an eye-mask on
- Had the GFDF options of mango chia seed pudding and then pan-seared GF oatmeal with poached tropical fruit washed down with green tea in the morning
4) Upon landing
- Found a non-fogged or sprayed patch of grass and grounded for 20 minutes (subject of a separate post)
- Went and explored the local shops for GFDF options, fresh fruit and vegetables, then stocked up for the first leg of my trip
- Ensured I hydrated sufficiently, skipped coffee and alcohol
- Tanked plenty of sunshine
- Stayed awake until my normal bed time to get into the timezone
5) Day 1 on the ground
- Went running in the forest
- Put my hands on a tree for 5 minutes
- Found a non-fogged or sprayed patch of grass and grounded for 20 minutes (subject of a separate post)
6) Thereafter with every move to a different place
- Asked for a pat-down when passing through airport security versus exposing myself the radiation of the full-body scanners now common in European airports and whilst some staff are not that keen to accommodate my request, I allow for extra time and ask politely
- Either prepared breakfast options before-hand or arrived and went shopping for provisions or called/texted ahead to friends/family to ask them to some basic items up for me
- Maintained the discipline of either walking, running or stretching daily
- Used my Medisend daily either to remediate WIFI where towers were and/or there was no option to switch off the WIFI at night, as well as for sleep
- Took melatonin for the first 5 days until I was sleeping through for 8 hours
- I was careful to maintain as close to my normal diet, hydration and daily bowel habits as possible
7) On flight back
- Prepared as before for my flight
- Tried a day flight for the long-haul trip, as I wanted to compare the impact of on-board WIFI on an overnight flight and a day time flight – the day time was better in terms of it not interfering with my sleep, however, the impact on the body was the same
8) Back home in Singapore
- Slept for a few hours upon landing, got up and went about my normal day, but had a light dinner at my usual time
- It is difficult to find a non-fogged patch of ground/grass in Singapore, so instead of grounding, I used magnetic clays on meridian points of my hands and feet to ‘reset’ and ensure that I could detox
- Did 30 minutes on my rebounder to get my lymphatic system moving
- Went to bed at my usual time and took some melatonin
- The following day I got up at my usual time, had my usual green smoothie for breakfast plus a fresh cold-pressed vegetable juice and went for a run to give my circulation a boost
- Et voila, people were amazed that I did not really suffer from jetlag
This may seem like a long, challenging list, but this has now become a subconscious checklist and routine that I run through on autopilot, plus I love arriving somewhere new and going to the shops to check out the delicious health food (GFDF at a minimum) options on offer in the supermarkets, health food shops and restaurants etc.
I do however plan to make one important tweak to my repertoire – I will look at buying some protective, shielding clothing for my next trip as I really did notice that every cell in my body felt like it was shaking on the overnight flight, probably due to lack of rest. As try as I might, I could not sleep a wink despite melatonin and my Medisend. Unfortunately, I doubt whether it is possible these days to find an airline that prioritizes the health of all passengers over the needs of the few for whom it is absolutely CRITICAL to be CONNECTED at ALL TIMES. Really ?!?!?!