How to recover from jet lag, travel healthy and productive

This is the morning after my trip from the Andes to Ireland. Four planes, 12 hour transatlantic flight, 7 hour time difference, 11km elevation difference, 3 countries, complete culture shock, all after battling altitude sickness + food poisoning.

I sent this photo to my mom and you guessed it, she said her boy looks healthy, happy and handsome.

**Here’s how** (3 minute read where I confess all the weird shit I did on a plane + how to bounce back from jet lag and be productive after landing)

one) Coffee. Maximum two (large) cups per day. I try not to overdo it, not to beat on the adrenal glands and not to go to bed in the late afternoon. When I hit a wall and can’t see straight, I usually turn on a podcast, go for a walk, or do a micro-workout (air squats, stretches, lunges, 5-minute meditation, or sun salutations). My body is saying “stop staring at the computer, man,” not “more caffeine, man.” Yes, I drink bulletproof coconut butter coffee or travel MCT oil. I can’t wait for the world to know about this so people stop giving me weird looks… like you’re not weird putting soy or cream in your coffee?

2) Water. Be that guy on the plane. Get up. Stretch. Keep bleeding and go ask for more water. Tell them you’re dehydrated (everyone is!), and they’ll take you more seriously.

3) Compression. Everyone knows that in an airplane, blood flows in the wrong direction. If you’re recovering from a workout or just don’t want to strain, wear compression socks, shorts, or pants. I usually wear my long compression socks, but this week I bought Reebok Crossfit pants. You guys have no idea what the ladies are hiding from us when it comes to yoga pants. Get some. But please wear shorts or at least jeans over them. Nobody wants to see your ass. Thanks to Donny Gallegos of CrossfitLodo Denver for improving my squeeze game.

4) Food on the plane, or disadvantage. Come on, don’t eat. Read up on intermittent fasting or bring your own food. Okay, I’ll admit I ate protein (most likely packed with preservatives, hormones, and antibiotics), but choose your poison. Yesterday I felt a slight sore throat, so I do NOT need carbs or gluten. It will simply turn into sugar, which will undermine your immune system.

five) Duty free bitches! So what did I eat? CHOCOLATE!! But not any of course. In every country I go to, I buy the best dark chocolate that money can buy without paying taxes. 80%+ cocoa or higher, loaded with antioxidants and good fats that are brain food. There are only a few grams of sugar in 50 g of dark chocolate. By the way, people think drinking soy sauce is healthy, but it’s not. It’s like eating sugar from 10 oranges. Who would do it?

6) Vitamin C I clap ’em like Trinidad James clap molly The Mayo Clinic says you can take a couple grams a day (look it up). Since I was in three countries yesterday, my immunity needs this. It’s a bunch of germs don’t you think??

7) Additions. Okay, I’m not a doctor, so I won’t overdo it. Vitamin B invigorates every morning. I don’t take it on a plane, before bed, or before meditation. I don’t want the slightest chance of getting high, but it’s proven to make your brain work better. Land with red eyes? Drink water and slap those bad guys. The only other thing I rigorously take is magnesium before bed to improve sleep. Start your bedtime ritual and do it on the plane to get your body to sleep.

eight) Sleep tablets. Well no. I’m against drugs, so I’m not going to support anyone’s Xanax habit or the pharmaceutical companies that profit from it (look at how it’s spelled, it’s pure marketing). But I will trick my body into thinking it’s time to sleep with melatonin. It is a natural hormone that is produced in the body and regulates the circadian rhythm. Again, it’s a hormone, so I don’t really agree with this, but I’ll break one in half and take 1mg for reddened eyes and the first night of jet lag. It is produced by your body when the sun goes down and it’s time to rest. The production of this hormone is blocked by blue light in TVs, iPhones and computers, so I don’t bother with it before bed either.

nine) Snacks on snacks. Yes, I eat dark chocolate, and yes, it makes me popular with women. Since our travel company under 30 Experience it’s like an adult summer camp, I always have these things on hand. When our Bodeefit team ran through Manuel Antonio National Park in Costa Rica, I happily skipped the cardio and came with breakfast. Almonds, mixed nuts, organic muesli and water were all consumed post-workout. I carry these things everywhere and probably should have a fanny pack.

10) Meditation. I flew out at 11:45 in Lima, we were fed and told to go to bed… not happening. What has been neurologically proven to take your brainwaves to a deeper level than sleep? Meditation. My combination: Bose noise canceling headphones and Holosync binary beats. Dave Asprey believes that 1 hour of meditation can replace 2 hours of sleep. If you sleep to your right, always choose the right seat by the window. Advice from Andrew Mercier.

eleven) Other miscellaneous weird habits you need to try…then I’ll stop ruining your life:

– Ashtanga yoga sequence without a mat in my bedroom

– Organic green tea bags in my backpack and I ask the flight attendant for hot water

– Try a new yoga studio in every city I visit.

“Currently looking to see if they have a float/sensor deprivation tank in Dublin.

– I take Athletic Greens or something like that with me, because it is almost impossible to get these nutrients when you are on the road.

Phew, good.

In conclusion, it’s time to start doing more good things in real life and less crap. In fact, it’s time for us to start eating more of the good stuff in real life and less of the crap.

Related Post: 8 Surprising Benefits of Traveling