Issue Date: October 17, 2004
Ways to minimize jet lag
Start adapting to a new time zone before you leave home.
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Air travelers know the symptoms all too well: restless nights, groggy days, general malaise. As planes hop across multiple time zones with ease, our bodies have trouble keeping pace. Experts say there is still no cure for jet lag, but travelers can take steps to minimize the effects.
A recent study of business travelers who crossed two or more time zones showed that exercise (on the plane and at their destination) significantly improved alertness. Healthful eating also helps, as do drinking more water, and avoiding alcohol and caffeine in flight (dehydration intensifies jet-lag symptoms).
Many travelers advocate melatonin, a hormone that can be taken as a supplement to help reset the body's clock. But a more effective method is to control your exposure to light. Light and darkness are the signals that set our internal clocks. When daylight hits the eyes, it triggers nerve cells in the brain that establish our daily rhythms. The problem with long-distance air travel is that our brains, which run on roughly 24-hour cycles, adapt to time changes much more slowly than the speed of flight.
Travelers can speed up the process by making gradual changes before leaving home, says Charmane Eastman of the Biological Rhythms Research Laboratory at Chicago's Rush University Medical Center. If you're traveling east, gradually adjust your schedule over several days so you go to bed earlier and wake up earlier. Expose yourself to daylight as soon as you wake up. If you're traveling west, go to sleep and wake up later. The technique requires planning and discipline, but the payoff is worth it: You'll maximize your vacation time.
Kimberly Lisagor is a travel writer based in San Luis Obispo, Calif.
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Can't stomach wheat? It may be celiac disease
Few people know what it is. Doctors rarely test for it. Yet celiac disease -- an inability to digest the gluten in wheat, barley and rye -- causes needless suffering in as many as 3 million Americans, according to the National Institutes of Health.
Classic symptoms are severe abdominal distress and bowel problems. But research also ties the autoimmune disorder to epilepsy, chronic headaches, learning disabilities and attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder. A recent Israeli study found that children with celiac disease are 2 1/2 times more likely to develop neurological disorders.
If you suspect you have this disease, ask your doctor about diagnostic tests. The treatment is a lifelong gluten-free diet: Substitute rice, corn and quinoa and eat only baked goods and cereals labeled "gluten-free."
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Follow the basics to age in great health
As we get older, it's clear that lifestyle plays an inescapable role in health. As a member of the President's Council on Physical Fitness and Sports, I frequently speak on the need for people to follow simple principles, which we call the four pillars of good health:
1. Be physically active every day.
2. Eat a nutritious diet.
3. Get preventive screenings.
4. Make healthy choices, and avoid risky behaviors.
According to a survey conducted by Harris Interactive earlier this year, 72% of U.S. baby boomers ages 45 to 54 understand the importance of taking preventive measures now to ensure healthier lives later. Still, most of us fall short when it comes to taking care of ourselves, especially when it comes to things (such as exercise and eating a good diet) that require planning. So we're intrigued when we hear a commercial touting some newfangled "scientifically proven" method to look and feel young. And herbal supplements, hormones, hormone "blockers," vitamins, minerals and even medical treatments (such as colonics) all have become more readily available to the public. It's confusing, and difficult to know what's good, what's bad, what's snake oil, etc.
The debate rages on, but this much we know: Much of what will happen to us as we age depends on our habits, so getting back to the basics can help us all. It's easy: Just follow those four pillars of good health. As one of our Cooper Clinic exercise scientists put it, when Ponce de León searched the New World for the fountain of youth, he should have been looking for a gym!
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Carve up some scary fun
Did you know a power tool can help you carve your jack-o'-lantern? I've long been a fan of Dremel's rotary tool, and now the company has a pumpkin-carving kit that makes masterpieces out of the orange orbs. The kit (about $20) comes with a tool that runs on four AA batteries, and templates to create wonderful, spirited designs. It's so much fun, you'll want to carve several pumpkins! Go to dremel.com for more information.
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