How to Series - Avoiding Noise Pollution at Altitude

An often overlooked aspect of healthy flying and jet lag is noise pollution.

The scale of noise pollution was made apparent to me once again when the door of a 747 aircraft I was on would not close properly. The Captain ended up cracking the offending door slightly and closing it again to get the problem resolved (which it did). The noise the cracking of the door let into the plane was phenomenal, even for me as a seasoned frequent flyer.

Noise pollution is a danger to flyers for the stress it causes and as a danger to our eardrums in particular.

Flying better and avoiding all types of stress that contribute to jet lag is a priority all flyers should take seriously.

Do This

Invest in the best quality noise-cancelling headphones you can afford, Bose seems to be the market leader here but there are other brands that do a decent job. This is a worthwhile investment, stretch your price point if you have to, most savvy frequent flyer do.

Lets Connect the Dots

How does noise pollution contribute to jet lag? It does so indirectly. As a factor always present when you fly noise pollution is a danger to the nervous system via the sympathetic nervous system of the body. Exposure to such high levels of noise are not normal or good for the body. Such noise causes stress which leads to acidity in the body. Acid build up is the foundation of what later becomes the start of desynchronisation of the body clock and in turn jet lag.

One of the most common complaints amongst cabin crew according to one study was the loss of hearing from a career in flying.

Takeaways

• Noise pollution causes avoidable stress, avoid it whenever you can and protect your ears.
• Not all headphones are created equal, I prefer Parrot Zik's which are noise cancelling and noise measuring with their proprietary free app.
• Anything that increases stress when you fly increases the chances you will succumb to jet lag.

Disclaimer - I have no other interest in Parrot Zik headphones other than bringing tools that work to the attention of my audience. I receive no commission for this recommendation.

How To Series - Staying Hydrated for Frequent Flyers 2

Another post with ideas on how to stay hydrated on the road. Follow the 3 steps of my previous post - 

Do This

Step 1:  Buy a non-BPA water bottle

Step 2: Buy the PRODUCT (this time Beetroot Crystals)

Step 3: Add a tablespoon of the Beetroot Crystals to a full bottle of water

Lets connect the dots

Beetroot has been researched and found to increase oxygen uptake. Where there is oxygen there is water, therefore there is hydration.

Beetroot has also been found to help the cardiovascular system develop tone via the production of nitrate. This is valuable as through its function the cardiovascular helps the body stay hydrated.

Takeaways

Use Beetroot to

• Hydrate via the production of oxygen. 
• Increase the tone of your cardiovascular system from nitrate.
• Help your body detox, beetroot contains methyl groups that aid detoxification if you detoxify regularly you stand a better chance of hydrating better.

References

Beetroot juice and exercise pharmacodynamic and dose-response relationships - Wylie, L.J., Kelly, J., Bailey, S.J., Blackwell, J.R., Skiba, P.F., Winyard, P.G., Jeukendrup, A.E., Vanhatalo, A. and Jones, A.M. 2013. Beetroot juice and exercise: pharmacodynamic and dose-response relationships.Journal of applied physiology (Bethesda, Md. : 1985). 115, 3 (Aug. 2013), 325–36.

4 Essential Supplements for Travelers – An Alternative List

The 4 essential supplements for travelers article from wellwellwell.com is well intentioned, but it leaves me feeling a bit meh! Aren’t you tired of well-intended articles that scratch the surface of a subject they have no in-depth experience of, I know I am! As a frequent flyer, you need tools you can use specific to your travel lifestyle, otherwise, you won’t use them consistently to reap the benefits.

For the symptoms of fatigue, stomach trouble and colds brought on by travel, the article recommends probiotics for digestive health, B vitamin complex for immunity, zinc for preventing the common cold, and magnesium for a good night’s rest.

As a frequent flyer if you repeatedly have problems with digestive health, immunity and catching colds, the elephant in the room you are ignoring is travel stress, leading to compromised overall immunity. Here is an alternative list to get your OVERALL immunity back on track.

• ·      Chaga – for extraordinary immunity building and protection.
• ·      Cordyceps – for endurance and cardiovascular health.
• ·      Holy basil tea- for inexpensive adaptogenic health comparable with Panax ginseng and
• ·      Magnesium oil – for better absorption and sleep, see below

For a good night’s sleep, the best way to get the most out of magnesium supplementation is transdermally (via the skin). Magnesium oil is the way to go. Magnesium oil also known as magnesium chloride has better absorption rates.  (Supplements - thirtieth percentile, magnesium oil - sixtieth percentile). Magnesium oil travels well as a spray which makes packing it for travel a breeze. 

           

Ps If you want to forego the idea of having to supplement these items just make Chaga, Cordyceps and Holy Basil as teas and apply Magnesium oil after your warm shower before bed!

Farewell Jet Lag Readers Guide

Hi Everybody,

This is a quick post, a 5 minute guide to getting the best from my book Farewell Jet Lag - Cures from A Flight Attendant available now on Amazon UK and Amazon USA. 

Like the headline says, the link below leads to a guide on how to read the book for the best results you are after, depending on the type of frequent flyer you are.

Your comments are welcome below.

ClickE HERE  to go to the readers guide.

Wherever You Go P.H.A.R.E Well

Till next time

The Frequent Flyer Guide to Beating Jet Lag

Farewell Jet Lag, Cures from a Flight Attendant

At a time when globalisation and technology make the world smaller; when it really matters, nothing beats being there yourself. In business and in pleasure presence is where it's at but you can't fly halfway around the world and be fully present if you're jet-lagged.

Solving the challenges of jet lag requires mastering the challenges of flying frequently and doing it well repeatedly without burnout or doing any harm to yourself so you can arrive fresh and ready for whatever the journey may hold. This book is an ultimate guide for you to do it the right way. Written from experience and a true interest in developing a healthy conversation about jet lag from an aviation insider.

Available on Amazon.co.uk and Amazon.com and all good book stores. 

Find out more here

Wherever You Go P.H.A.R.E. Well 

Airport spas - not the answer to jet lag but they might help

When your flight is cancelled or delayed, there's no better way to de-stress than hitting the spa. Airport spas are becoming more common,whether accessible to the general public or part of a first-class lounge.Treatment options are often tailored to people in transit-chair massages and othe abbreviated treatments for travellers in a hurry, though some airport spas offer full spa menus - so says http://www.Spafinder.co.uk. While airport spas may be great to help you on your way or help you de-stress from a gruelling journey they deflect from the fact that they offer no real answer to jet lag and frequent flier fatigue.

Preflight or post flight pampering, getting the glow how, escaping into a tranquil oasis are great stop gaps but they melt away in the face of the fierceness of frequent flying. If you take the subjects of jet lag and flier fatigue and break them down to their brass tacks it is nothing more than the body's inability to deal with stress. In which case going to a spa is a good thing because spas help you de-stress BUT not all stress is the same. There are 2 types of stress. The chronic and the acute. Acute stress is what you are immediately aware of while chronic stress is what you might call background stress, you might not be aware of it immediately but its long term effects are damaging, sometimes irreparable. While a spa treatment may well help you get over acute symptoms it does not help you deal with the ongoing chronic stress frequent flying exacts week in week out. This is part of the reason my popular refrain is "jet lag needs a new conversation and it needs it now!"

The truth of the matter is most people and quite a few frequent fliers only think of jet lag when they arrive at the airport or when it disrupts their routine. To my thinking this is like an astronaut attempting to take off for Space without realising he's going to need oxygen - he's not really going to be at his best when he gets there. Airport spas can be a nice stop gap but they don't face down the insidious issues around flying like dehydration, the harsh aircraft cabin, cosmic radiation exposure and a lack of oxygen. What is needed are solutions that handle all of these and are not reliant on fliers being in the vicinity of an airport to use them. You see the kept secret of the healthiest frequent fliers is that they see frequent flying as part of their lifestyle and build in lifestyle tools to help them stay healthy on the road and beyond. Spa visits can feature in that but they are not the antidote.

Sustainable, healthy, green, long term solutions are what is needed to fight jet lag and travel fatigue successfully. Are spas healthy? Definitely as is any measure that helps relieve stress. Are they green? I would suggest they are for the most part. Are they sustainable? Not really, only if you can afford to frequent them after every leg of your flight and choose the most comprehensive packages. At best I would say they are a good pick me up or girdle me 'loins for that make or break meeting. Now that I've shattered the illusion that they are the answer to your jet lag woes let me offer you some consolation with a links to lists of some of the best airport spas in airports around the world. Nice indulgence if you can get it!

http://www.spafinder.co.uk/spas/airport-spas/index.jsp
http://spas.about.com/od/dayspas/a/airportspas.htm
http://www.venere.com/blog/airport-spa/
http://www.executivetravelmagazine.com/articles/worlds-best-airport-spas


- Christopher Babayode
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