If you are an herbalist from the United States you've no doubt heard of Rosemary Gladstar. She is pretty much a celebrity in the world of herbs and for all the best reasons. She has been an advocate for folk herbalism since the 80's and has written dozens of books. I even own a few!
The other day I wrote a short post about elderberries and wanted to check what rosemary had to say about the herb. While flipping through "Herbs for Common Ailments" I saw a page about Jetlag and wanted to share a few of the most helpful tips Rosemary shared there.
To start out she says something that I really resonated with " When you travel through one or more time zones in a day, your body is sometimes unable to adjust. Its hormone level and biorhythms are disturbed, resulting in a feeling of disorientation, sometimes nausea, and depression." I always feel a bit down after my cross-continental voyage and it usually takes days to feel like myself again. So, I was eager to read what herbs/treatments she advises.
She recommends several supplements and tinctures, here I will summarize what I find to be most helpful and have tried myself:
- Make a tincture of ginkgo, hawthorn, and St. John's wort and take 1/2 - 1 teaspoon three times a day several days before flying.
- Drink plenty of water when flying ... They do serve water on planes, but it is never enough. Drink several quarts while you'r in the air. It may mean frequent trips to the restroom, but that's a good excuse to exercise on the plane.
- carry a spritzer bottle of water with Rescue Remedy and a few drops of lavender essential oil added. I always fly with this, and no one ever seems to mind when I freshen the stale air in the plane with a few sprays.
- Pack kava tincture and take it frequently throughout your travels if you find traveling stressful. You'll be noticeably less stressed, and perhaps you'll even enjoy a warm, sweet feeling of euphoria.
All of these, and especially the last one, were good to be reminded of. The scent of lavender is so calming, an so is kava in tincture or a drink. I am actually planning yet another trip to the States soon and will certainly be prepared with a few of these remedies as well as my own staples of travel.