• Christopher

How To Master Hydration & Reduce & Eliminate Jet Lag in the Real World.

Did you know that although water is the healthiest drink you can choose on a plane, you can still get off dehydrated no matter how much you drink? The quality of bottled water on planes is not the best in terms of it’s ability to keep you hydrated.

The quality of water you consume is an extremely important factor in the acutely dehydrating aircraft cabin. Bottled water has dissolved organic and inorganic matter in it. This matter is measured in total dissolved solids(t.d.s). Most bottled waters have t.d.s counts in the hundreds. If you could see this matter in the water it would look muddy. This reduces the amount of water by volume and its ability to keep you hydrated.

The World Health Organisation (W.H.O) used to measure the best quality water as having less than ten total dissolved solids. Lots of bottled water falls short of this mark Even though the W.H.O doesn’t recommend this standard anymore you get an idea of what the standard for drinking water once was.

Staying hydrated on planes requires skill, knowledge and creativity, because you are restricted by how much liquid you can take on board. As potable water on planes isn’t of a high enough quality to rely on, you are stuck with sugar laden drinks or bottled water. While you can’t change the basic quality of the water available, you can add products to the water to make it more absorbable. Using these types of products regularly and drinking better quality water as a priority helps keep dehydration at bay.

Dehydration at altitude causes toxins to build up quicker because oxygen is scarce and your body functions less efficiently. More toxins and acidity upsets the homeostatic balance (the preferred way your body works) and puts you in a stressful mode of operation. The knock on effect is your physiological systems function differently, including the hormones which control the body clock and jet lag.

Choosing to stay hydrated as a way of life gives you far-reaching benefits in health and flying. Alternatively, you can super hydrate before your trips to ward off dehydration, jet lag and fatigue. If you make it a lifestyle choice you stand to get the most benefit, as most people’s default state is chronic dehydration.

If you decide to super hydrate before each trip you can select from a range of products in the marketplace to make your water more rehydrating, and/or increase the amount of hydrogen in your body. More hydrogen equals more hydration. You can also shop for good quality water with less than 1 (tds) per million in bottles or shop for a home installed water system.

Cutting down on acidifying habits is important as they affect hydration and tax your ability to stay alkaline. All the usual suspects are implicated, fast food, smoking alcohol and recreational drugs. Choices you make in these areas and the amount of stress you experience all have an effect on stress acidity and hydration.

3 things to take away from this article are that:-

1) Hydration is linked to jet lag as it interferes with homeostasis.

2) You start at a disadvantage when you step on a plane unless you cater to your hydration needs.

3) Long term lifestyle solutions are the best way to reduce and eliminate jet lag, and stay hydrated.

#hydration #jetlag #structuredwater #tds