Before the Flight - Jet Lag - Dietary Recommendations

Adjusting to meals, for instance, is a key way to set your body clock straight. Eat your dinners, lunches and breakfasts according to the times of your destination. Though this may seem inconvenient those last few days prior to leaving, it will really pay off when you find yourself already habituated to the times away from home. For instance, if you live in Boston (GMT -5) and are going to London (GMT +0), you should eat later than usual -- though pushing your dinnertime from 7 p.m. to 12 a.m. would be a bit excessive.

Eat the right foods
As for specific dietary recommendations, professionals advise high-protein, low-carb, low-calorie meals, containing limited amounts of sodium and fat. The protein provides energy, while the limited calories and carbs make you feel less sluggish.

Eating food with the amino acid L-tryptophan, like turkey, can help you get a great night's sleep right before you depart or leave you tired enough to rest on the plane. This will take care of your restlessness as well as fill you up.

The "right foods" can also be the ones most commonly eaten at your destination. For instance, if you're going to India, you can plan ahead and start eating curried dishes, in order to avoid the shock of this new spice when you arrive. This will help to keep the stomachaches that are often related to jet lag to a minimum.