Gasping for air?
Out of juice?
Light headed?
Still feeling awful with this jet lag – I have never felt this bad before (from a jet lag, that is) so I will be doing a whole article upon finishing my “research” (can’t think too well now…hate brain fog). This vertigo feel has brought on anxieties like “what if I pass out?” what if I ? what if ? Performance-based negative thinking spiraling – how do you conquer that lack of faith in your own body’s self-healing power to work it out to bring about normalcy and balance? But take note of this:
Last year, lawyer John Eaton ended up in hospital suffering from fatigue, disorientation, dehydration and irregular heartbeat after 22 trips to the Far East. Three of his business partners had died after spending most of their careers travelling overseas. His experience, and that of others like him, has prompted a new research programme at the Aviation Health Institute (AIH) in Oxford.
Farrol Kahn, the institute’s director, points out that we are only now seeing the first generation of regular business travellers approaching retirement, and suggests that a lack of oxygen in aircraft cabins can over a long period of time cause blood disorders and heart problems, while cabin pressures and enforced immobility drain the body of vital minerals, cause disorientation and loss of muscle strength…. Kahn advises that while adequate sleep is the main cure, drinking several glasses of carrot juice for four days before a flight is a good idea, as this helps offset the effects of reduced oxygen. He also suggests drinking a glass of mineral water every hour during the flight and rejecting airline food and alcohol in favor of pasta or bananas.
– excerpt from UK Management Today
Here are some interesting facts about jet lag:
– Our Circadian rhythms are disturbed depending on how many time zones are crossed. The direction of the travel appears to matter – many claim going East is worse than going Westward, in terms of severity of the discomfort upon arrival. For me, this claim has proven to be correct – going from California to Asia is easier than coming back from Asia to Americas. It is noted, however, that the ill-affects, if any, are affected by the schedule of the flight as well … good planning and preparation can make a difference.
– Along with messing up the body clock, we suffer from a lack of oxygen in pressurised cabins which is 20-25 per cent less than at sea level. Some airlines do a better job with this oxygen shortage than others. Apparently, not this one – a new airline I was trying out for the first time that I was on on route from Tokyo to Taipei; then from Taipei to Vancouver…hell.
– All studies agree that women are at a higher risk than men though, as estrogen is subject to jet lag like conditions. Hormones play a role here too…Estrogen again.
– Carrot juice is recommended because of its high levels of keratin (a protein that encourages cells in the body to hold on to oxygen longer) and since in a pressurised cabin, again, there is up to 25 per cent less oxygen available, so the longer the body can hold on to oxygen the more normal you will feel.
More to come but I am soooo sleepy, ready to pass out – & it’s only 4pm…
You may be in front of a post card perfect, most beautiful view but if you are not feeling well … you don’t see it; you don’t appreciate it.
You simply … don’t care.
Health & wellness is the most prized gift of all.
Let’s Yoga to bring about balance – balance in the nervous system; balance in the internal organs; balance in the yin and yang stillness vs. movements. The best cure; the remedy. And, SLEEP. (You are right, C-san) Yawn … ZZZ
Splitting image of Mitsu at a shine in Kamakura … Foxes in Japanese folklore holds a unique significance. They are often depicted to possess supernatural, special magical powers:)