I used to be the person who would book 3 different non-connecting flights through random cheap airlines stopping in tiny bad airports for hours on end, re-checking my bags back in, transits of 2948402 hours at a time just to save a bit of money… student life I guess. But you can imagine how this kind of travelling can cause extreme jet lag. Now I try to fly a little more relaxed to say the least. Although, no matter how seasoned a traveller you are, jet lag can be a very common problem. 

The worst case of jet lag I had was when I was flying from Bali to London in the month of December. It was super hot in Bali - I got really bad sunburn, then had 2 stops in random countries before flying into freezing London trying to catch the tube to my hostel dorm covered in my backpacks in peak hour with heatstroke and jet lag. Not a great combo. 

I am someone who likes to get right into the thick of it and explore as soon as landing in a new city so jet lag is something I always do my best to avoid. 

So firstly, what exactly is jet lag and what does it do to you?

Jet lag is your body clock’s inability to adjust to the new time zone. As humans we didn’t exactly evolve to be flown across 8 timezones in the space of 24 hours.

It’s just not natural to us. Plus the more timezones you cross the worse your jet lag can be. Some things our body will use to call out to us are symptoms like insomnia, fatigue, headaches, nausea, diarrhoea, etc etc. Fun times! 

Aside from knowing that there is no scientific cure for jet lag, I’ve put together my favourite ways to do your best at avoiding jet lag with a little Naturopathic spin on things as well. Some of them may seem a little over the top - but trust me - It will help you avoid having to google “jet lag remedies” at 4am from your hotel room. 

Tips Below!

My Jet lagged face after landing in London

Bali - before the sunburn

My top 10 Naturopathic tips for avoiding Jet lag

1. Fasting / Pack your own food

I usually fast on plane trips and drink plenty of water. If it’s a super long haul flight I will usually take some snacks on the plane myself. Easy snack ideas for the plane include: 

• Boiled eggs 

• Popcorn 

• Protein balls 

• Dark chocolate 

• Bone broth powder - to use with hot water from tea/coffee trolley 

Of course the nutritional panel of plane food is not amazing and it’s all packed full of preservatives and salt. Another thing to note is that most travellers have had a horror story of having to sit on the tarmac for 3 hours before the plane takes off so having your own snacks in those times is perfect as well. 

2. Drink lots of water on the plane and in transit.

The plane’s sterile air conditioning is super dehydrating for the body because it’s not humidified so it’s even more important than usual to drink extra water. I always take my own empty water bottle on the plane and ask the flight attendants nicely to fill it up.
If anyone is interested, the absolute bain of my existence is that you cannot take water through security at the airport. Some airports even confiscate water bottles!! Anyway, do your best, if you are on long haul flights. I just ask to have the entire bottle of water they are filling up everyone’s tiny 100mL plastic cups with (the plastic consumption on planes is also another reason why I don’t eat plane food and will need a separate article dedicated to the issue). Bringing your own large water bottle also helps to not have to bother the flight attendants constantly for more water and you can stay well hydrated.

3. Get as comfy as possible for sleep. 

Essentials that I pack for long haul flights are:

• Memory foam neck pillow - not those horrible tiny ball neck pillows

• Eye mask - even though the plane lights get turned off I find the screens of people in front quite distracting and if the lights come on for food/drinks you can keep sleeping quite soundly.

• Ear plugs - hundreds of people (babies & snorers included) in a confined space, ‘nuff said.

• Comfy headphones - a chilled music playlist can be nice to put you off to sleep. Also bringing your own headphones saves plastic waste of using the airline ones.

• Jumper, cosy socks & sarong. Planes are usually quite cold so bring things to snuggle up in - temperature has a massive influence on sleep quality. Also I love having a sarong to wrap myself up in.

Flying out of Kolkata, India

4. Window seat

I know this is a massive debate!! My reasoning for preferring a window seat is because you have something to lean up next to. The aisle seat you are constantly getting knocked and disturbed by people going past & the drinks trolley - and the middle seat is just a no go zone IMO. I always select my seats when I check in online, that way I know I have a window seat and I’m not anywhere near the toilet! Being near the toilet means people lining up, walking, touching your TV screen, banging of the toilet door, toilet light going on and off - I had a very bad 12 hour flight on the aisle and right next to the toilet - it’s made me super diligent to always select my seats before. Sometimes airlines will charge you extra to select the seats but in my opinion it’s worth it. Plus - Views!

5. Passionflower.

The beautiful herb Passionflower has been researched to assist with restful sleep, works as a nervine to nourish your nervous system and assists with GABA production (relaxation hormone). I have found passionflower to be a lifesaver for jet lag. I use liquid extracts of passionflower and use drop dosing usually. Always consult your Naturopath before using passionflower as it is contraindicated with some medications.

6. Avoid alcohol, coffee & carbonated drinks

Both alcohol and coffee are dehydrating for the body. Also be aware that alcohol has greater effects on your body at higher altitudes so may not make you feel very well. Fizzy drinks and the tiny bubbles in them can expand rapidly when the air pressure of the cabin changes which can mean lots of bloating mid and post flight.

7. Light exposure

Sunlight is a powerful tool to reset your internal body clock. When you reach your destination after flying, if it is daytime make sure to keep natural sunlight in your room, go for a walk in the sun and get direct sunlight on your face (no sunglasses or hat) for a good 15-30 mins.
If it is night time make sure to keep the light low to help your body adjust, lights off, screens/laptop/tablets off - no artificial light.

8. Blue Blocker glasses

Did you know that blue light from screens and fluro lights etc can delay the production of melatonin in your body. So when you are on a plane you are usually either eating and being blinded by the fluro lights in the cabin or watching a thousand movies on the screen super close to your face that is full of blue light. I use Blue Blockers on planes to help to decrease the effects of the blue lights. There are a few different brands you can get: Baxter Blues, BluBlox, Gunner.

9. Exercise

On the day you are flying, and on the day you land.
After sitting on a plane for 12+ hours it is a great idea to do some movement. Fluid retention and sluggish digestion is so common after long haul flights. I usually do a bit of stretching on the plane in the open space near the toilets every couple of hours. Then on arrival, moving your body by going for a brisk 30 min walk, hire a bike for a quick cycle or a weights workout in hotel gym is a great option to get the blood flowing. Just be careful not to get lost in your new city!
Also side note: for exercise while travelling I always pack resistance bands if I am staying in guest houses or hostels. I learnt from a great friend about amazing hotel room workouts.

10. Grounding/ Earthing

Biohacker Dave Asprey of Bulletproof explains: ““When you go up in an aeroplane, you build up a static charge in your body that slows the mitochondrial function. In other words, the battery in your body doesn’t hold a charge as well because you were disconnected from the earth.”
Grounding is a bit of a woo woo technique that I use often for stress management but it can work really well for jet lag as well. Get your shoes off & feet in the grass, sand, snow, dirt - whatever you can find!

Snow in Wales

If you can try to do as many of these points above you will have a better chance at bouncing back after a flight

More from me soon xxx

Disclaimer: The information provided in this post is not to diagnose any condition or disease or prescribing any herbs or nutrients as treatment. All the information is purely information only and for use to maintain and promote healthy lifestyles. Always consult your health care practitioner before making any changes to your current health and lifestyle to make sure it is the right thing for you.

About to go travelling and scared about Bali Belly / Delhi belly? 

I have been there done that. Wiped out for days in the delicious hostel shared bathroom. But to be honest when you are in that state it doesn’t really matter whether you are in a 5 star bungalow bathroom - it’s just the worst thing ever and you seriously think it’s never going to end. Plus the major guilt and FOMO that you are missing out on your holiday.

I have been travelling for a while to a lot of different countries and have put together a list of the most important things I do when travelling to avoid picking up anything. And no the answer is not to only eat at 5 star resorts. Believe it or not, I legit eat street food in India. This list is not just a list of what food to order but a holistic checklist of what to do in all aspects of travelling to keep your gut healthy and happy - because who wants to have diarrhoea on an overnight train or bus?

So first thing is to think about what your gut is starting out like. Do you have a history or IBS / gluten intolerance / coeliac / parasites? Most important thing to do is to sort out your sh*t before you get there! You can’t expect to not get Bali belly when you literally have diarrhoea every day at home anyway…
See a Dr or Naturopath before you go to get it sorted and you will have a much more enjoyable time. 

Masala box - no Indian kitchen is complete without one

My TOP TEN TIPS for gut health when travelling are below:

Beautiful Rajasthani girls

1. WATER FILTER

I use OKO or Lifestraw. This is also to avoid gross single use plastics which is usually increased a lot when we travel and drink all our water from plastic water bottles that have been sitting in the sun at the corner store for the past 2 months. Did you know that plastic from plastic water bottles actually leaches into the water you drink from them? I would rather not be drinking plastic thanks.
These filters remove all parasites, bugs, and chemicals from the water and are literally a lifesaver! If you can’t get a hold of these, you can ask restaurants for R.O. (reverse osmosis) water in most places.

2. DO NOT EAT PLANE FOOD

Plane food is full of preservatives, an epic load of salt and sugar, usually just starchy carbs or powdered “food”. This is not a good start to a holiday for your gut. As well as long haul flights I also would not recommend eating on short flights either. It actually shocks me when people order food on 1 hour flights?? Like why pay 5 times the price for something that is going to be a crap version of something you can wait an hour for once you get to where you are going?? Anyway... I usually fast on plane trips and just drink plenty of water. See my future blog on how to avoid jetlag and have a happy plane ride and recovery too.

3. ASK LOTS OF QUESTIONS WITH A BIG SMILE

Some people get nervous or feel like they are offending the owners of the restaurant if you ask questions. Just ask with a big friendly smile on your face and you will be fine. In saying that, if you are in a tourist area, most places will always use filtered water for cooking/ washing salads and for ice in drinks. But if you are more remote or rural I would recommend to ask if the ice in the drinks is from filtered water and eat cooked food only. Water is generally the main place you will pick up bugs from. 

4. HAND SANITISER

I use the Dr Bronner’s Hand sanitiser or Perfect Potion hand sanitiser. They are both natural sanitisers that aren’t going to strip your hands raw like other stronger ones do but still protect against germs around. Hand sanitiser can be used before eating, after eating, after using public transport, Uber’s/Ola’s and after touching money.

5. SB - Saccharomyces Bourlardii.

A beneficial yeast strain that helps prevent traveler's diarrhoea. I always bring a couple of bottles of this with me when travelling. I take it daily as a preventative but also you can high dose it if you do feel like something is not quite right in the tum tum!

6. MAKING PEOPLE VOM IS BAD FOR BUSINESS

So eat where the locals are eating. Yes you can eat street food when you’re in Asia. Does that mean to walk up to any random street van and randomly order? No! It is usually very obvious which street vans are the busiest with locals. You can ask locals, your BnB owners, shop owners where certain types of street food is if you have specifics you want to try.
Don’t be afraid to ask people what they have ordered at the vans as well - locals can be super helpful to share their food knowledge with you in foodie areas. Some cities have street food tours that you can join in with as well which I find quite fun. I have done some in places like Jaipur (India), Hanoi (Vietnam) and Osaka (Japan).
In saying that, at some food vans/food tours in these places I have been offered things like: 

• Balut -  a developing duck embryo that is boiled and eaten from the shell

• Ox tongue 

• Crickets 

• Mok Huak - developing tadpoles

Not to scare you away from street food AT ALL because I have seriously had some of the best food of my life from street food! Just always ask questions - Google translate can be your best friend in these situations.

Coconut Charcoal is the best option for travelling

7. CHARCOAL

Charcoal capsules in BULK. Charcoal is great at binding to toxins and bacteria so is a life saver when bloating, gas or bigger emergencies happen. I recommend coconut charcoal like this one

8. BRUSH YOUR TEETH WITH FILTERED WATER

Did you know you have mouth biome? Your mouth is actually the start of your digestive tract where you have billions of beneficial bacteria! I always use filtered water to brush my teeth and rinse my mouth. It might seem excessive but your mouth biome is such a huge part of your digestion so it just makes sense to me. Check out my future post on mouth biome cleansing and why I use this Ayurvedic technique.

9. DON’T EAT OFF THE WESTERN MENU

If you are in Asia and you choose to eat off the Western menu on the back page of the menu (think burgers, pizzas, parmigiana’s, pasta etc) then you are at more risk of getting sick in my opinion. If you are at a specific Western cafe then that may be a different story. But if you are at a local restaurant and ordering off the dodgy back page, you are shooting yourself in the foot! The only time I usually eat from one of those token Western cafes is when I am feeling a bit homesick and I’ll get a juice or smoothie bowl to hit the spot! Eating fresh local food is the way to go - plus you can eat that other stuff when you are back home - embrace the local cuisines and country you are in.

10. VEGETARIAN CAN BE A GOOD OPTION

When travelling in Asia, I usually go completely vego as sometimes the meat cleanliness/storage is not the best depending where you are. India is super easy to be pure veg and a lot of traditional curries are vegetarian anyway so I’ve never missed it at all being here. Places like Vietnam I have found to be a bit more difficult because they consider pork and pork broth to be “vegetarian”...??? There also seems to be meat in a lot of the traditional foods there so can be a little hard to avoid when in places that don’t understand English well. I found the best way to avoid it was to ask for “monk food” in Vietnam as buddhist monks are strict vegetarians so locals can understand this rather than a tourist trying to explain that pork broth is still non-veg…!

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All in all - don’t be scared of food when travelling. Embrace it & learn how to tell the owner that the food is delicious in their language for bonus points.

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Disclaimer: The information provided in this post is not to diagnose any condition or disease or prescribing any herbs or nutrients as treatment. All the information is purely information only and for use to maintain and promote healthy lifestyles. Always consult your health care practitioner before making any changes to your current health and lifestyle to make sure it is the right thing for you.

I have always been drawn to India. As a little girl I used to think Indian girls were the prettiest in the world and I always said if I could be any other nationality other than Australian I would be Indian. Maybe it’s the jewellery or the colourful clothes - whatever it is, India sure has a magnetic pull on me.

I’ll be here sharing a bunch of tips about travelling in India and also stories about things I get up to here. 
Here is a bit about my story of growing to love India.

Remember you are never ready for India but India is always ready for you.

I don’t actually ever use Lonely Planet books :-)

I first came to India as a tourist and did a big trip essentially from the North to the South.
I had come straight from travelling in Japan so it was like going from THE most organised country in the world where people form an actual single file to board the on time (to the second) trains where it is rude to be on the phone or talk too loud - to landing in THE most seemingly disorganised country where people ride on the roofs of trains and are on the phone for literally 12 hours straight on a sleeper train that was 6 hours late (not kidding this happened). I had been travelling in Asia before but India was a bit of a shock to my system to say the least. 

First few days I was considering buying a flight back to safe ‘ol Japan and chilling in onsens eating ramen for the next couple of months instead of doing my adventure of India. Obviously I chose against and pulled my socks up but did decide I would never choose to go back to Delhi for more than transiting. I travelled from the North to the South, enjoyed a lot of the classic India things like THE FOOD, the trains, the hospitality - Indian people truly are so so gracious and giving, the shopping, the temples, yoga etc but I just knew there was more to this country and that I was just scraping the surface. 

Jaipur - The Pink City

The next year I returned to India on a Health Exchange program as a Naturopath with an NGO (Non-Government Organisation), Jagran Jan Van Simiti (JJVS) based in Udaipur, Rajasthan. I had actually never heard of this city until I got there. They call it the Venice of the East, and it’s a very famous marriage destination as well. Udaipur is SO picturesque, not too big, not too small and close to nature. 

JJVS is an NGO that works in a lot of different areas (Health care, Agriculture, Education, Research) in villages surrounding Udaipur. Our team of Naturopaths worked in the Health clinics in both Bedla and Vali. We worked and learnt off the Ayurvedic Doctors with JJVS to see how they assess, diagnose, prescribe and implement treatment for patients. I will write another blog here about the more specific things we see in the clinics in adults and children.  

Another project that JJVS worked on is their Women’s Health pilot study covering approximately 11,000 women in villages surrounding Vali. JJVS aim to close the gap in knowledge about menstruation and hygienic practices among women and girls. Women’s Menstrual Health is still a very taboo topic in India with many reasons surrounding this. For example, did you know that some women in India have never seen a sanitary pad before and usually use old cloths and some even use dirt/ mud to soak up their menstrual blood. Thinking about how many health issues this can cause for women and how huge of a topic it is, I am currently working on a blog to delve deeper into my understanding and learnings. In the meantime there is a documentary on Netflix “Period. End of sentence” that can explain a little further.

Period. End of Sentence. - Oscar winning documentary spotlights stigma of women's periods in India

So other than the NGO work I also have travelled to some beautiful places in India such as Varanasi, Jaipur, Pushkar, Agra, Goa, Kerala and Jaisalmer. India is such a diverse country that offers so many different experiences. The differences in food, people, culture really is so diverse from state to state. India is described as a subcontinent because you honestly wouldn’t even think you are in the same country going from the north down to the south.

Hawa Mahal - Jaipur

So after getting over the initial differences of India which I had never experienced anywhere else in the world - I actually adore the country and all the quirks I experience here everyday.

Excited to share more.