The body undergoes incredible stress and physical changes when travelling long distances. Dr. Charles Ehret has devised an anti-jet lag program which is simple to use and has been proven successful.

The essential element is allowing your body to feel it is in the new time zone before you leave. How does it work? It begins with a PREFLIGHT STEP of feasting and fasting (fasting meaning eating sparingly), starting from one to three days prior to take-off; and it progresses into the INFLIGHT STEP, where you begin to reset your body's internal time clocks from the old time zone to the new time zone while on board the plane, periods of light and darkness and periods of quiet and activity; and it concludes after you land with the POSTFLIGHT STEP, when you eat meals that are designed to see that you get the biggest boost of dependable energy possible during the day and best possible sleep at night while you are in a new time zone.

By pulling down the shade of a window while on the plane during what would be nighttime at your destination--even if it is still daytime on your hometown schedule--and covering your eyes with an eye shade or dark glasses to help shut out light, you can begin to trick your body into thinking it is in its new time zone. Food also plays a large part in telling your body when to be active and when to be restful. Researchers have shown that a meal composed primarily of HIGH PROTEIN foods, such as fish, fowl, eggs, meat, dairy products, and beans, stimulates the adrenalin pathway and gives you up to five hours worth of long lasting energy. In contrast, a meal consisting principally of HIGH CARBOHYDRATE foods, such as pasta, salad, fruit and desserts, gives you a surge of energy for up to an hour and then actually encourages you to sleep.

STEP ONE: PREFLIGHT

• Three days before the flight, begin the Program by initiating HIGH PROTEIN breakfasts, HIGH PROTEIN lunches and HIGH CARBOHYDRATE suppers.
• STOP consuming beverages, foods or drugs containing methylated xanthines (coffee, tea, cocoa, chocolate, etc.) in the early a.m. and late at night. If you want to have caffeinated beverages between 3 - 4:30 p.m. feel free to do so.
• TWO days before the flight, eat a HIGH PROTEIN breakfast, a HIGH PROTEIN lunch and a HIGH CARBOHYDRATE supper. Because this is a FAST day, keep the meals low in calories; a daily total of 800 calories is ideal. Do NOT have any snacks after supper.
• The day before the flight, a FEAST day, allow yourself generous portions of foods based on the HIGH PROTEIN breakfast and lunch and HIGH CARBOHYDRATE supper. No snacks after dinner and drink caffeinated beverages only between 7 - 11:30 a.m.

STEP TWO: MORNING OF THE FLIGHT

• Just before breakfast, and between 7 - 11:30 a.m., drink two to three cups of black coffee or plain, strong tea (if you drink these).
• Eat a HIGH PROTEIN breakfast and HIGH PROTEIN lunch (or skip lunch). Because this is a FAST day, keep the meals low in calories.
• DO NOT eat again until destination time breakfast. RESET YOUR WATCH TO DESTINATION
• Drink a lot of water to compensate for the dehydration that is common on flights. Don't drink anything alcoholic.
• Since noon "old time" is midnight or later destination time, try and rest or sleep as soon as possible - even if you do not feel tired - until morning destination time.

STEP THREE: (BREAKFAST, DESTINATION TIME)

• A half hour before breakfast, destination time, activate your body and brain (read, talk to your friends on the plane, walk around, stretch).
• This is a feast day, so when you eat, have a hearty HIGH PROTEIN breakfast on destination time. Lunch should be a large HIGH PROTEIN meal and supper should be a sizable HIGH CARBOHYDRATE meal.
• Do not have any methylated xanthines at all today.
• Keep active. DO NOT nap.
• Get to sleep by 10 p.m., destination time.

DURING THE PROGRAM, DO NOT TAKE ANY SEDATIVES OR SLEEPING AIDS. THIS JUST CONFUSES THE BODY'S NATURAL CLOCK.

TIME CHANGES: Bali, Indonesia is eleven hours later than the U.S. East Coast (from April 30 - October 30) and twelve hours later on standard time (October 30 - April 30).

Therefore, if it's noon in Boston, it's 12 p.m. in Bali
          if it's 7 p.m. in Boston, it's 7 a.m. the next day in Bali
          if it's midnight in Boston, it's 12 p.m. the next day in Bali.

The main thing to remember is that during waking hours destination time, keep your mind and body busy and during sleeping hours destination time, sleep, rest and block out any light source.