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Top 9 Ways To Beat Jet Lag

1/8/2018

Jet lag is a pretty awful thing and almost all of us have experienced it at some point in time with travel. There is nothing worse than finally getting to your destination after several hours of travel and then feeling the dreaded symptoms of jet lag. Symptoms of jet lag can include irritability, nausea, dizziness, fatigue, headache, depression, as well as many other unpleasant effects. Jet lag happens when your body switches abruptly to a different time zone, completely throwing off your internal clock causing the above symptoms.

Below lists the best ways to treat and prevent jet lag:

1. Synchronize your watch to the new time zone
One of the very first things you should do once you take your seat on the plane is to change your watch to the time zone you are traveling to. This will get you into a mindset of the new time and you won't be constantly reminded of how your time zone has altered when you check your watch.

2. Go to bed and wake up with the new time zone
Try as best as you can to wake up and go to sleep in line with your new time zone, this will help to prevent you from waking up way to early or way too late, and help you to get a better sleep so that you will have good energy for your trip. Note that if you will be in the new time zone for only a couple of nights, it might actually be better to stick to your regular bed time and wake time if possible.

3. Exercise
Exercise is one of the best ways to beat off the symptoms of jet lag. It doesn't even have to be a long workout, just getting your heart rate up for a few minutes can shake off those jet lag symptoms to increase energy and mental alertness.

4. Eat with new time zone
This goes along with getting adjusted to the new time zone. Try to eat at the same time you did with your original time zone to keep you energy up and to prevent hunger and irritability.

5. Avoid alcohol on your flight
Alcohol can make jet lag worse according to the World Health Association. The only drink you should have on the plan is water to keep you hydrated.

6. Drink water
Flying can lead to dehydration because the air is much drier in the airplane causing you to lose fluids. Make it a game and drink as many cups or bottles of water that you can on the plane. Yes, this does mean you will have to get up to use the restroom, but that's a good thing! You should be getting up at least once an hour on flights to prevent blood pooling in the lower legs which can lead to swelling, pain, and even a blood clot.

7. Consider a power nap
A short nap, 25-30 minutes can be very helpful for situations where you haven't slept and you get to your destination in the morning and you have a full day ahead of you at your destination. A power nap must be kept short to prevent you from getting into deep stages of sleep, because if you wake up during deep stages of sleep this will make you feel groggy and sleeping too much might make it harder to fall asleep later.

8. Eat healthy
When you are tired and cranky the last thing you might be thinking about is eating healthy. Avoid carbohydrates and sugar when you are traveling because these foods are only going to make you feel more sluggish and tired, as well as cause your blood sugar to go high and then dip low leading to more irritability. Instead stick to vegetables (which will also help to keep you hydrated due to their high water content), healthy fats, and protein.

9. Consider taking melatonin
Melatonin is a hormone that helps to regulate your internal clock. Melatonin is the hormone that helps to make you feel tired at night time, and is also the hormone that tells your body it is time to wake up in the morning. Try taking melatonin 30 minutes before you want to go to sleep to help boost your natural melatonin and help you get to sleep even when you might be feeling wired from the travel day. Read more the benefits of taking melatonin for jet lag here from the Mayo Clinic.

Main take aways...
The best thing you can do is make yourself follow the new time zone as if nothing has changed. The worst thing you can do is think to yourself, "It's 9 am here but really it's only 5am for me" - no no no, you can't think this way, it will only make you feel more lethargic and blah. The above recommendations are for travel greater than 3 days, if you are only traveling for a day or two then it is probably a better idea to try and stick to your original time zone if possible.

References

http://www.who.int/ith/mode_of_travel/jet_lag/en/
https://sleepfoundation.org/sleep-topics/jet-lag-and-sleep

Top 11 Reasons You Aren't Losing Weight

1/1/2018

It seems like just about everyone has tried to lose weight at some point in time, and it can be super frustrating when you think you are doing everything right yet you aren't losing any weight - or you might even be gaining weight! Seriously the worst. There is usually one or more factors contributing to this, the trick is figuring out what you need to change to see changes on the scale and with how your clothes fit.

Below lists the top 11 reasons you are not losing weight:

1. You aren't moving enough
If you have a job or lifestyle where you are sitting most of the day and getting less than 5,000 steps (aka you are sedentary) your body is not going to burn many calories beyond your resting metabolic rate. This means it will be harder and take longer for you to lose weight. Being more active during the day can be as simple as standing rather than sitting or walking rather than driving. These little changes add up over time and can lead to tons of calories burned without you even realizing it. One great way to track your daily movement is to use a fitness monitor to track movement and calories burned, or even just an app on your phone to track steps. Tracking something is better than tracking nothing.

2. Your thyroid is sluggish
Your thyroid is a major factor regulating your metabolic rate, and if you have a sluggish thyroid, this will translate to a sluggish metabolism. This generally happens over a long period of time so you may not be able to tell the effects right away, but if you have a family history of hypothyroidism it might be a good idea to get this checked out.

3. You are eating too many carbs
Too many carbs are a problem for most individuals because they are super easy to overeat and they don't keep you full for very long - bad combination for your weight loss efforts! Carbs also stimulate the fat storage hormone insulin, so every time you eat carbs you are stimulating this hormone whose main function is to store calories. If you are going to eat carbs, aim for carbs that are high in fiber such as vegetables, beans, nuts, and seeds.

4. You are eating too much in general
Overeating will cause weight gain, whether this be too many carbs, protein or fat. It is much harder to overeat protein and fat because these foods are incredibly filling and satisfying, but if you overeat past the point of feeling full then it can happen with these foods as well. Also, if you are combining high fat foods with high carb foods, this is the exact recipe for weight gain and is what I advise patients of mine who are trying to gain weight - for example, quesadillas and burritos as a no no when trying to lose weight!

5. You aren't strength training
This doesn't mean you have to go and lift heavy weights everyday, just using your body weight is enough. This could be as short as a 15 minute circuit to an hour long yoga class. Strength training exercises will help you to both maintain the muscle you have as well as build more muscle. Muscle is metabolically active tissue, meaning the more of it you have, the more calories you burn at rest and with exercise.

6. You are not incorporating high intensity interval training
High intensity interval training is one of the best ways to lose fat faster. This is because not only does it cause you to burn calories during the exercise, but it also causes your body to continue to burn calories even after the exercise is done - up to 72 hours after! The greater the intensity, the greater the burn. A great way to monitor your intensity is to use a heart rate monitor or fitness tracker.

7. You are overly stressed
Too many circulating stress hormones in your body favors your body to not only hold onto fat, but also to gain fat. This is another reason why when you are stressed it can be hard to lose weight. Read more about the effect of these stress hormones here.

8. You aren't sleeping
Not getting enough sleep or not getting enough good sleep will definitely make it harder for your to lose weight. Sleep is when your body is able to recharge itself, build muscle, and regulate hormones. Lack of sleep increases hormones that make you hungry, stressed, anxious, and moody. Make a point of giving yourself an adequate amount of time to sleep or risk having to experience the above symptoms as well as weight gain.

9. You are drinking too many cocktails
A glass of wine a couple of nights a week is totally fine, it may even prevent you from snacking on other things. However, when you start drinking more than one drink a night those calories can add up and cause weight gain. The worst offenders are cocktails with high sugar ingredients or sweet wine. Stick to dry wine and spirits on the rocks or spirits with a zero calorie mixer.

10. You aren't drinking enough water
If you are even a little dehydrated, this can make you feel hungry which may cause you to overeat when really all you needed was a glass of water. A good rule of thumb is to drink 64 ounces of water per day, more if you are exercising. Water also helps to take space up in your stomach making you feel more full, so try to drink a glass or two of water before meals.

11. You are eating too little
The worst thing you can do is to eat too few of calories. Not eating enough is actually more common than you think and is only going to make you gain more weight in the long run. If you are constantly feeling hungry, this is a clue that either you are not eating the right foods, or you are not eating enough. If you are eating protein and fat and very low carb and you are still very hungry - you need to eat more! Start with adding an extra serving of protein, fat, or fiber at meals if the above scenario is true for you. For example, say you typically eat 3 eggs for breakfast and you are still very hungry after 2 hours. Fix this by adding another egg, a tablespoon of coconut oil, or throw in a tablespoon of chia seeds for some fiber.

Main take aways...
There is almost always one or more factors that could be stalling your weight loss goals, and it will almost always be one or more of the above. Don't let these factors stall you anymore!

Health + Fitness + Mindfulness

Top 9 Ways To Beat Jet Lag

Top 11 Reasons You Aren't Losing Weight

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