Having grown up with an international background and living overseas for University, air travel is a big part of my life. I have experienced motion sickness, the flu, discomfort, jet lag, exhaustion, you name it. I am sure that like me, most people have had the displeasure of going through nuisances and are more than willing to try something new to avoid experiencing them again.

Unfortunately, one thing I’ve come to realize is that no matter how much I love food there are certain things that you should and shouldn’t eat when traveling. Whether you suffer from jet lag, your feet swelling too much, or overall discomfort on a plane there is a solution that might help. Just follow the “no G-A-B” rule, and you’ll most likely be avoiding all the pestering side-effects of air travel.

No G-A-B; No Grease-No Alcohol-No Carbonation.

Studied have shown that your body’s metabolism does not function as well in high altitude; your digestion process is much slower than when you are on the ground. Alright, great! Now what?

Because of a slow metabolism you want to avoid foods and beverage that create a gas build-up. What does this mean?

*No carbonated drinks (Sodas, sparkling water, champagne, sparkling wine, etc.)

*No foods that promote gas build-up, fluid-retention/bloating (Cruciferous vegetables, high in fat, high in sodium, fibrous fruits, beans,etc.)

*No Chewing Gum – Yes, it might help from keeping your ears unblocked but it enables bloating, and gas build-up in your stomach.

*No Alcohol – It might help you with your nerves but the truth is, it promotes dehydration and you definitely do not want that. You are already more prone to dehydration on a plane so opt. for another option such as a sleeping aid.

*No Coffee – Oh no! Well, sorry.. it promotes dehydration, messes with your internal sleep schedule on top of jet lag, and will probably make your stomach feel uncomfortable..

To better your understanding, here are a couple of links to what you should not eat whilst traveling:

–11 Foods and Drinks to Avoid Before Flying

–5 Foods to Avoid Before Flying

So, by now you’re probably asking yourself, “well, what SHOULD I eat then?” It’s easy, stick to water with lemon, smoothies, salads, almonds, and other yummy healthy snacks!

Don’t overeat though… studies show that the more empty your stomach is, the more ease you will have in getting back into the sleeping pattern of your destination. The way I understand it, is that you have two biological clocks; the one regulated with light, and the other with eating patterns (I think I live by the second one…). Look at it this way, if your flight arrives at night you will go straight to sleep when you get home. In that case you will eat when you wake up in the morning, automatically telling your body that this is your first meal of the day. If your flight arrives in the morning, you will go home with the possibility of indulging in breakfast, lunch, or brunch. In that case you will tell your body that it is the beginning of the day.

Here are some more links to better your understanding:

–7 Foods you Should Eat Before Flying

–Seven Foods you Should Eat Before Flying

Alright, now that I’ve provided you with my insight on the do’s and don’ts of eating while traveling how about I test it out myself?
I’m going on a long trip Saturday night and will arrive at my destination Sunday night. I will be taking two planes and have a layover in between, making my trip a total of 17 hours and 15 minutes assuming I will have no delays. Starting when I wake up on Saturday, I will try my best to avoid the don’ts of eating and traveling.
How can you track my progress? My Instagram page. I will also write a follow up blog post 🙂