The Traveler’s Diet 3

Cruising toward health

This equipment can help you work out even on one of the most challenging trips for those trying to stay healthy. Did you know that, on average, people gain 8 pounds on a seven-day cruise? The culprit is the all-you-can-eat buffets and the eat-any-time-you-want philosophy.

Your best antidote to bulging up here is to be smart and rely on the buddy system. If your significant other or travel companion is interested in staying fit, that built-in support system can help tremendously. After all, along with those buffets, cruise ships also offer swimming pools, exercise classes and even rock-climbing walls. (Have you noticed that onboard gyms on most cruise ships are full for the first two days, and then virtually empty for the rest of the week? People just give up. For you, that means never having to wait to work out.)

Sleep right

Scientists believe that the less sleep you get, the hungrier you are. But it’s not real hunger that you’re feeling in those conditions. When sleep is restricted in healthy, lean adults, leptin, a hormone that regulates appetite and promotes the feeling of fullness, actually decreases. When you’re sleep-deprived, false signals are sent to the brain that say you’re starving. And that’s when midnight minibar madness takes over. (Hint: Call up the hotel and have them empty out the minibar before you arrive. Temptation eliminated.)

The best way to counteract jet-lag-induced hunger is simple: Sleep well and drink lots of water. OK, that first one is easier said than done, but here are some tips on reducing post-flight fatigue and jet lag:

Try to arrange to arrive in the early evening so you can sleep the night in your hotel.

Set your watch to the destination time zone as soon as you get on the plane.

Flying west to east is harder on your body clock, so prepare yourself by waking up and going to bed earlier for a few days before your trip.

If it’s still light out when you arrive at your destination, take a walk to suppress your body’s natural melatonin production and reset your body clock.

Avoid alcohol: It may induce drowsiness, but usually results in fragmented sleep.

Avoid caffeine: It takes a few days to clear caffeine from your body, but definitely avoid it for at least six hours before your bedtime.

Eat high-protein breakfasts and lunches, and high-carbohydrate dinners to increase your levels of sleep-inducing serotonin.

This last one may be tough, but whenever possible, don’t eat your main meal after 8 p.m. That will help not only your sleep habits, but also your waistline.

If you're concerned about jet lag, do what I do: No matter what time you arrive, stay up until midnight local time. If you succumb to the temptation of a 3 p.m. nap, you won’t feel like yourself for three days. So stay awake. Take a walk. Shoot hoops. Do anything you can not to sleep until midnight. By the second night, your body will be back on its regular cycles. Then, repeat the same process before your flight home so you can adjust back to your normal routines of working out and eating right. Do that and you won’t gain back any weight you’ve lost by following healthy habits on the road.