When everything seems to be going against you, remember that only the airplane can take your desired direction…Upon landing the experience of traveling gets you highly aroused and happy until the jet-lag screws it all! Surprisingly many studies have found that avoiding certain types of food and consuming others can help you beat the jet-lag and stay away from its symptoms (headaches, fatigue, disorientation, irritability, indigestion, insomnia, etc.). Accordingly, Dr. Charles F. Ehret of Argonne’s Division of Biological and Medical Research at the University of Chicago, developed the anti-jet-lag diet.

Considering that you have a flight from Beirut to Boston on Sunday, you must start three days ahead of the departure date in order to prepare the time zone adjustment. Thursday would be a feast day, to be followed by fasting on Friday, feasting on Saturday and fasting on Sunday.A feast day includes a high protein breakfast and lunch and a high carbohydrates dinner.Proteins help the body produce chemicals it normally produces when it’s time to wake up and get going. Carbohydrates help the body produce chemicals that it normally produces when it is time to bring on sleep.On a fast day three small meals low in carbohydrates and calories (700 calories/day) should be ingested.This would help deplete the liver’s store of carbohydrates and prepare the body’s clock for resetting. You must avoid processed foods and can only drink coffee, tea and any carbonated/caffeinated beverage between 3h00 p.m and 5h00 p.m.Once on the plane, you must drink coffee, sleep and save the high protein dinner for breakfast as it helps your body wake-up.Upon arrival to your final destination, your lunch must also be high in proteins and your dinner high in carbohydrates. Don’t forget to go to bed early! This diet has helped hundreds of thousands of travelers avoid jet lag and you will happily be the next one!

Dietitian Nicole Maftoum