GROOMING

PRE-FLIGHT

What about those impossible people who step off longhaul flights looking fabulous? Here’s how they do it…

Let’s think about your overseas trip – tickets, money, passport, travel insurance, transfers and itinerary, clothes and toiletries packed. You’re sorted. But if it’s a long haul flight, lasting many hours and crossing time zones how do we ensure we arrive looking hot, not haggard with jet lag?

Flying affects us in a number of negative ways. In order for our bodies to survive at 18,000 metres, air is drawn into the plane, then compressed and fed into the cabin. This is low pressure air and causes the nitrogen gas in our bodies to expand, swelling our limbs and joints, puffing our face and creating that bloated feeling, none of which sounds attractive or fun.

Humidity inside the plane drops to approximately 10 per cent on long flights. Normally, our bodies can barely cope with 25 per cent. Passengers experience rapid dehydration, dry skin and eyes and the body compensates by adjusting its biochemical levels, affecting every organ negatively. Couple this with alcohol consumption, which increases dehydration and places extra strain on the liver and brain, and eating aircraft food with little nutritional value, and your body experiences fatigue. It also reduces your immune support, just when you’re at close quarters with and everyone else’s colds and flus.

How to survive? Be prepared… – Prepare your body for travel by eating super-nutritious foods. – Consider stocking up your bodily reserves with supplements. – Drink lots of water; the type that has mineral supplements including zinc and folic acid and vitamins B and C.

IN-FLIGHT

– Water is essential to combat dehydration. You need 40mls of water for every one kilogram of body weight. – Alcohol as tempting but it’s dehydrating so keep it to a minimum – Walking around the cabin keeps that blood flowing. (Make sure you look hot – it’s amazing who you meet.) – Moisturise your face regularly to avoid looking parched on arrival. Vitamin A enriched products and antioxidant serums are recommended.

– Exercise in your seat; just flexing those muscles will help ensure circulation. – Take ten deep breaths every hour during the flight. Increased oxygen levels helps remove the damaging toxins that build up in the blood. – Set your watch to the time at your destination. If it’s bedtime there, try to sleep. It’ll help get your in sync. – Take a drink supplement in powdered form that you can add to water. Isagenix make supplements contains essential protein, trace minerals, amino acids, adaptagens, electrolytes, vitamins, minerals and herbal remedies to help prevent the effects of jet lag.

more: DNA suggests DNAmagazine.com.au/nutrition

more: contact Nicki at facetoday.com.au