What Airplane Food Does To Your Body

My family live on the other side of the world in Czech Republic so I do my fair share of flying. One thing that always bothered me was why airplane food always leaves me feeling bloated, sluggish and gross... so I did my research and found some interesting facts about airplane food.The first thing I noticed is that airplane meals are usually very high in sodium, sugar, saturated fats (and trans fats!) and preservatives. AND they're low in vitamins, minerals and fiber. Why the crap food? Well, after doing a bit more digging I found that:

1. The change in the air pressure and the low humidity inside the cabin numbs about one third of our taste buds making ‘normal’ food tasteless. Increased salt, sugar and spice content make the airplane meals more palatable.
2. Airplane meals need to be precooked and frozen to comply with health and safety standards. Unfortunately, the freezing process tends to degrade the taste of food (again) and so the meals are loaded up with even more extra salt and fat to compensate.
3. Preservatives and hydrogenated vegetable oils (high in trans fats) are necessary to stabilise and store the food.

What does this type of food do to your body?

• High sodium intake causes bloating, dehydration, gastrointestinal symptoms (constipation) and dry mouth (also contributes to high blood pressure and deep vein thrombosis).
• Highly processed foods, coffee and soft drinks all cause acidosis. If your body is too acidic, you start feeling lethargic and your immune system is affected too, making you prone to catching any bugs flying around he cabin. Acidosis also leads to constipation.
• We all know that lack of fiber in our diet causes constipation, especially when dehydrated at the same time.
• Lack of essential nutrients (vitamins and minerals) affects not only our physical health, leaving us lethargic, weak and prone to illness. It can also influence our mood by increasing anxiety, irritability and anger.
• Do I really have to mention that sugar is a cell-damaging poison and the more of it you eat, the more you crave it?

 However, to be fair, we can’t just blame just the food. Other factors contributing to gastrointestinal issues and jet lag include lack of movement, inadequate hydration and the change in your ‘body clock’ due to different time zones. How can you expect feeling great when you just had all that highly processed food, washed down with a glass of cheap wine or highly acidic juice while sitting in the most awkward position for hours doing no exercise and watching movies? 

So, what can you do about it?

• Have a nice healthy meal before heading to the airport or take it with you and eat while waiting to board the plane. Including alkaline meals (fresh fruits and veggies) is a must to prevent acidosis and jet lag.
• Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate!!! Drink plenty of still water the day before flying, on the way to the airport and at the airport. Adding chlorophyll to your water will help creating alkaline environment thus preventing acidosis to a certain degree.
• Pack your own food to take on board; you are allowed to do so. I’ve tried a home made trail mix, raw bars and a piece of fruit… be creative.
• Pack an empty bottle to your carry on luggage. Have you ever noticed how difficult it is to get water on the plane? They give you that little plastic cup, half full, and if you start calling for a refill every 30min they get very cranky or they just ignore your request altogether pretending they forgot.
• Never ever, eat snacks offered to you on the plane. They are evil number one, packed with sugar and salt!!!
• Avoid coffee, tea and alcohol as they dehydrate you.
• Also avoid carbonated drinks and chewing gums, they will just make you bloated.
• Move around often! Stretch in your seat and walk to the bathroom where you can stretch more. Just don’t get your foot stuck inside the toilet bowl...
• The day before a flight involving a time difference greater than six hours, eat your meals and go to bed 3 hours ahead your usual schedule. This will help your body to adjust to the new time zone quicker thus minimizing jet lag and its symptoms.
• Don’t eat jut because you are bored or anxious (or because it’s for free). Fill your time with activities such as watching movies, reading books, writing, chatting to whoever you travel with or just sleeping.