by Beating Jet Lag: Tips from Cardi B
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Traveling across time zones can wreak havoc on your body clock. The disruption to your circadian rhythm that comes with jet lag leaves many feeling exhausted, disoriented, and struggling to fall – and stay – asleep. While it may take a few days for your body to fully adjust to a new destination, there are steps you can take both before and after a long-haul flight to minimize those jet lag blues.
Rapper Cardi B is known for her high-energy performances and lifestyle. Despite her hectic touring schedule that sees her jet-setting around the world, she always seems to have boundless enthusiasm on stage. Her public persona of maintaining hydration, prioritizing rest, and keeping active provides inspiration for strategies to overcome jet lag. While not medical advice, Cardi B’s approach incorporates techniques recommended by experts and can help you feel more human after flying across multiple time zones.
Stay Hydrated Like Cardi B
One of Cardi B’s trademarks is her emphasis on drinking water. She frequently posts on social media about guzzling bottle after bottle to stay hydrated. Maintaining proper hydration is important for jet lag recovery, as water plays a key role in biochemical processes and cellular function throughout the body.
When your internal clock gets disrupted, remaining hydrated can help speed your adjustment in a few key ways:
Water regulates body temperature, which signaling cues like melatonin rely on to maintain circadian rhythms. Staying hydrated supports temperature regulation.
Dehydration is linked to daytime fatigue and sleep disturbances. Drinking water combats drowsiness and helps you fall – and stay – asleep.
Hydration supports the kidneys and liver in processing and eliminating toxins from circadian disruptions like caffeine and alcohol.
The general recommendation is to drink half your body weight in ounces of water daily. For a 150-pound person, that’s 75 ounces or about 9 average sized water bottles. Spread intake throughout the day and especially in the hours before bedtime to reap the most benefits. Water’s ability to aid recovery aligns with Cardi B’s emphasis on hydration for wellness.
Use Melatonin Like Cardi B
Cardi B relies on melatonin to help regulate her sleep schedule during busy touring periods. Melatonin is a hormone naturally produced by the pineal gland to induce sleepiness. It plays a key role in maintaining circadian rhythms by signaling when it’s time for nightfall and sleep.
Disrupting your circadian rhythm through jet lag throws off your body’s natural melatonin production cues. Taking supplemental melatonin can help reset your internal clock to the new time zone. The key is timing dosage to coincide with nightfall at your destination.
Some tips for using melatonin to beat jet lag:
Start 1-2 days before travel and continue for a few days after arrival.
Take 3-5mg approximately 3 hours before the typical bedtime in your new location.
Consult a doctor for appropriate dosage, as some find lower doses also effective.
Stop taking it once adjusted or wean off gradually to avoid overdependence.
Strategic melatonin use, as Cardi B demonstrates, supports circadian adjustment when combined with other lifestyle changes after flying long distances. Just be sure to research potential interactions with any medications.
Keep Working Like Cardi B
One thing Cardi B never stops doing is working – whether it’s recording in the studio, rehearsing choreography, or prepping for appearances and performances. She fills her days with activity to stay focused and energized. Maintaining a busy schedule can also help combat jet lag by regulating your sleep-wake cycle in the new time zone.
Some ways to keep working like Cardi B to beat jet lag include:
Schedule meetings, errands, workouts, and other daytime commitments in the destination time zone.
Limit napping so your body associates daylight with being awake and nighttime with sleep.
Go outside during daylight hours to maximize exposure to natural light cues.
Exercise daily, as physical activity promotes alertness and better sleep.
Stay social and busy to discourage drifting off to sleep during inappropriate daylight hours.
Filling your days with a full itinerary of tasks and activities tires your body out naturally for the appropriate nighttime bedtime. It trains your internal clock to sync with local circadian rhythms faster than just waiting it out. Staying productive, as Cardi B advocates, is a proactive approach to jet lag recovery.
Adjust Gradually Like Cardi B
Rather than dealing with a sudden multi-hour time change, Cardi B and other frequent fliers gradually adjust their sleep-wake cycles in the days leading up to travel. Starting the circadian adjustment process early can significantly reduce jet lag upon arrival.
Some gradual pre-travel tactics inspired by Cardi B’s approach:
Shift bedtime later by 30 minutes each night if traveling west or earlier by 30 minutes if traveling east.
Expose yourself to morning light if traveling west or block it if traveling east to cue circadian rhythms.
Gradually adjust mealtimes in the direction of the destination time zone.
Limit caffeinated and alcoholic beverages closer to new bedtimes.
Begin melatonin supplementation 1-2 nights before according to destination nightfall.
Taking small steps days in advance helps “ease” your body into the new schedule rather than experiencing abrupt circadian disruption. Gradual pre-travel adjustment, like Cardi B demonstrates, can cut acclimation time almost in half for many travelers.
Lighten Up Like Cardi B
Part of Cardi B’s approach to maintaining energy involves avoiding heavy foods that can induce drowsiness. When dealing with jet lag, it’s best to lighten your meals as well. Eating lighter aligns better with your disrupted circadian rhythms and aids recovery.
Some tips for light, easy-to-digest meals like Cardi B favors:
Choose simple carbohydrates that digest quickly for steady energy, like fruits, vegetables, whole grains.
Opt for lean proteins like eggs, fish, chicken, legumes/beans for sustained satiety without sluggishness.
Limit red meat and dairy close to bedtime as they can disrupt sleep patterns.
Hydrate well with water instead of diuretic beverages like coffee and alcohol.
Don’t skip meals as low blood sugar exacerbates fatigue.
Avoid spicy, fatty, or sugary foods that may cause digestive upset.
Eating lightly provides your body with balanced nutrition without taxing the digestive system when it’s already under circadian stress. Cardi B’s approach of favoring light, easy-to-digest meals supports jet lag recovery.
Additional Tips for Beating Jet Lag
In addition to the strategies inspired by Cardi B’s jet-setting lifestyle, here are some other tips backed by scientific research:
Expose yourself to bright light as soon as possible upon arrival. Daylight signals help reset your internal clock.
Limit daytime napping to less than 30 minutes. Short naps won’t disrupt your sleep-wake cycle.
Be mindful of your individual circadian rhythm type. Are you a night owl or early bird naturally? Adjust strategies accordingly.
Use compression socks or walk around periodically on long flights to prevent deep vein thrombosis.
Pack eye masks and earplugs to promote quality rest on the plane.
Consider natural supplements like magnesium, vitamin B6, B12, melatonin, and L-tryptophan to support circadian rhythms.
If very jet lagged, a short-term low dose of over-the-counter sleep medication may help reset your clock.
Avoid heavy alcohol use which disrupts sleep architecture needed for circadian adjustment.
Stay flexible and patient with your body. It may take a few days to fully adjust to a new time zone.
With diligent preparation and adjustment strategies both before and after long-haul flights, you can significantly reduce jet lag’s effects. While no magic cures exist, tips inspired by Cardi B’s jet-setting lifestyle can help you feel more energized and human faster after conquering the time change. Safe travels!
In summary, overcoming jet lag takes a multifaceted approach. By staying hydrated, using melatonin strategically, keeping busy schedules, adjusting sleep cycles gradually before travel, and opting for light meals – as inspired by Cardi B’s public persona – you give your body the best tools to overcome circadian disruption. With patience and consistency, these techniques can help you arrive at your destination feeling refreshed and ready to enjoy your trip.
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