Jet Lag

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We really wish we could wave our magic wand and make time travel possible. No time zones to cross would mean no jet lag. But since that’s unlikely to happen any time soon, we’d like to give you these tips on how to minimize jet lag. The goal is to feel as relaxed and refreshed when you step off the plane, as you did when you to on itt. The first tip is to keep yourself hydrated by drinking lots of water. The second tip, no surprise, is to keep your brain and body fed with highly nutritious algae, like our algae tabs.

It is well known that dehydration worsens jet lag, so if you don’t drink extra water before and during your flight, you’re sure to become dehydrated. Planes are very dry and have poorly circulated air with lower levels of oxygen. This combination will aggravate dehydration and fatigue but not as much as those cocktails you are likely to have en route. Alcohol is dehydrating at the best of times, but in the air, it is a double whammy. Not only does it dehydrate you, it also stops your brain from getting glucose (which contributes to the brain fog and fatigue of jet lag). To fully understand how alcohol cheats your body and your brain from getting this critical jet fuel, read the section below on how algae can prevent or reduce the affects of a hangover. For now, just understand that drinking alcohol while in the air is a sure way to make your trip memorable – but for the wrong reasons. However, if you still end up indulging, be sure to take a handful of our RECOVERYbits® algae tabs before you land so you can replenish your body with critical glucose, electrolytes, antioxidants, vitamins and minerals to bring your body back into balance and reduce the severity of a hangover or jet lag. For these reasons, we feel our algae tabs are the perfect travel companion - whether you are flying in coach, first class or in a G-6.

Did you know that your body is 60% water, your brain and muscles are 75% water and your blood and lungs are 90% water? Did you also know you need an average of 8-12 glasses of water a day? Sounds like a lot. Doesn’t it? But its true. Do the math. Each day you lose 6.3 cups from urine, 4 cups from breathing, sweating and bowel movements and 2-3 cups from digestion. So even before you add in things like stress, exercise or airplane cabins (which are notoriously dry), you can see why you need so much of it. Granted, some of your H20 needs could come from your diet, but only if its rich in fruit and vegetables. And whose is? Not many. And no, French fries do not count. So before you’re even strapped into your seat, you are likely dehydrated. Bummer.

This means that even a small decrease in your body’s hydration levels will now cause all your body parts and processes to work less efficiently and certainly with less enthusiasm. Sound familiar? Ever been asked by your boss to do something amazing with no budget or team to do it. If you have, you’ll know what we mean when we tell you that your body feels the same way, if you make it work without enough water. Like you, it will do its best, but it will eventually lose interest, cause a fuss (back problems, fatigue, constipation) and give up or quit. Yikes, you certainly don’t want that. Especially not on your fabulous trip! Water is vital to everything you do, so hydrating should be priority. Especially when flying.

Symptoms of dehydration include thirst, reduced sweating, reduced skin elasticity, reduced urine production, and dry mouth. Dehydration usually goes undetected for months or years and over time can stress just about all processes and organs in your body. Brain cells are particularly susceptible to dehydration, the symptoms for which are brain fog and confusion. Sound familiar? Sound like jet lag? It is.

Dehydration also stresses all your body functions. Hormones can get upset, lymphatic fluids can become thick, skin can get wrinkled, digestion can get compromised, immune system can get weakened and more. All just because you didn’t drink enough water. Are you starting to see why keeping your body hydrated with water on airplane flights and in fact everywhere is one of the keys to good health?

Why Algae Helps

Reduce Jet Lag with Alkaline Foods like Algae

Algae is a green food that is loaded with enzymes, chlorophyll, and antioxidants, all of which help combat the travel challenges your body goes through. Stress from air travel, acidic airport food and reduced oxygen in airplane cabins and dehydration are just a few. Too much acidic food upsets the delicate pH balance of your body. This causes fatigue, challenges your immune system and worsens jet lag. Which foods are the worst offenders? Its not just the obvious ones like salt, sugar, and refined or processed products. It is also animal proteins, nuts, grains and dairy products, all of which are highly acidic to the body. This means they require more work for your body to neutralize them and more water for your stomach to digest them.

The only foods that are good for you are alkaline foods. These foods should get an immediate upgrade to first class because they are loaded with antioxidants, vitamins, minerals and also usually chlorophyll, water and oxygen, all of which boost your immune system. So which foods are alkaline? Not many. It's a really short list - vegetables and algae. Yup., that's pretty much it (along with green tea). But who wants to travel with a bag of vegetables/groceries in their "carry on"? Luggage restrictions are bad enough as it is. Fortunately you can easily carry our algae tabs with you because they come in really stylish, slim  travel tins that easily slip into your pocket or pocket book. So be sure to bring them on your next trip. Not only are our algae tabs a healthy, nutritious snack (60% protein, over forty nutrients and just one calorie per tab) but their high level of chlorophyll and antioxidants will nourish your body, reduce hunger, stress, fatigue and most importantly, jet lag.

Oops, so You Had a Few In-Flight Cocktails. Now what?

Any of our algae tabs will help you recover from a hangover but  our RECOVERYbits® have been actually found to prevent one. So whenever you have an in-flight cocktail, why not be armed with something that could prevent a hangover before you land?  Why does it work? Quite simply because chlorella algae absorbs toxins. Chlorella has been studied for over 50 years, during which time it has been used as an effective, safe and natural solution for removing toxins of all kind, from mercury poising, to radiation, and yes even alcohol. This remarkable detoxing ability of chlorella algae was first discovered in Japan after WW II and the Hiroshima bombings, when chlorella algae was given to the Japanes during the food shortage. All who took it, recovered from radiation poisoning.  This unexpected outcome led to extensive study of chlorella by the American and Japanese Governments which in turn led to the discovery that chlorella has a unique ability to absorb toxins and to remove them from the body. For the last 50 years, Japanese have been eating chlorella virtually every day. They also happen to be one of the healthiest nations in the world. Could it be the algae? Maybe. So next time you are having that in flight cocktail, be sure to have a 'chaser" of RECOVERYbits®  which are 100% chlorella, before you land. Say hello to your new favorite travel companion. No reservations required.

 Want Help Recovering From that Travel Hangover?

While chlorella is the only algae that can may actually prevent hangovers (by absorbing toxins and escorting them out of your body), all of our algae tabs can help you recover quickly from a hangover. Why? Because algae contains the critical nutrients that alcohol depletes from your body. Things like electrolytes, magnesium and potassium (which are necessary to preserve your body’s delicate pH balance); B vitamins, which become depleted in times of stress (like drinking alcohol); Vitamin B1 (Thiamine) in particular which prevent the buildup of glutarate in your brain (a main cause of hangover headaches) and amino acids which combat all hangover symptoms. And that’s just the start. Most importantly, since algae is over 60% protein (the highest concentration of protein in the world)  and since this protein is all in the form of amino acids, it is quickly and easily absorbed. Alcohol depletes your amino acids and since your body can’t store amino acids the sooner you restore them, the sooner you’ll be back on your feet.

Why are amino acids important? Because amino acids give you a steady supply of glucose. They are the jet fuel for your brain and your body. No amino acids. No energy. It's really that simple. So you see, getting amino acids back into your body is a game changer if you want to recover from that in-flight hangover. Consider this. When you drink alcohol, your liver gives alcohol the VIP treatment. Sort of like when a celebrity shows up at a nightclub and security is given marching orders to attend to their every need. Your fickle liver behaves in a similar way when alcohol shows up at its door. Suddenly, all your liver’s enzymes are marshaled away from their usual duty of escorting lesser known but more critical nutrients like glucose and fatty acids, up to your brain (as they usually do). Liver activity virtually grinds to a halt when alcohol is in town.

Why? Because, like an old Hollywood Diva, alcohol is high maintenance and has a reputation for trashing the place. Its all hands on deck as your liver enzymes work overtime to clean it up and get it out of your blood stream before the paparazzi show up. This leaves the precious few, if any, enzymes to move vital glucose and fatty acids up to your brain (as they usually do). Instead, they pile up unattended in the liver, waiting for their turn to be noticed and allowed into the blood stream, like a throng of anxious patrons jostling outside a fashionable nightclub hoping to move past the velvet rope and into the pulsating beat of the club. The more you drink, the longer their wait. Long term, this can lead to liver damage. Short term, the lack of glucose and fatty acids getting to your brain contribute to what is affectionately known as the hangover headache. Ouch. That’s where algae comes in. Like an Emergency Medic getting the call, algae’s amino acids get absorbed with lightening speed, rivaled only by a Dominos truck racing to a frat house party with pizza - to deliver critical glucose to your brain. Ahhhh. With relief in hand, the drama and throbbing pain soon fade away. It’s a new day. Thank you algae.

Why Drink Water?

OK, so now you know that algae can help you feel like a superhero again. But you’re not done yet. You also need water. Lots of it. And no, coffee or soda's don’t count. Nice try though.

Think about this. When you were a kid, you probably had a gold fish. Right?  Remember what happened when you didn’t change the water? It got murky. Your goldfish seemed depressed, stopped swimming or worse – died. Poor thing. But once you cleaned out the bowl and replaced it with fresh water, little “Goldie”  was probably back doing laps again, maybe even back flips like Dr. Seuss’s  “One Fish, Two Fish”. Well, your body’s cells are just like little Goldie. They need a constant supply of fresh water and if they don’t get it, they slowly but surely shut down,  just like little Goldie Without a daily supply of fresh water, the water around your cells gets dirty, murky and toxic like the water in your goldfish bowl did. Yuck. Who wants dirty goldfish water sloshing around inside them? Not us. Not Goldie. And not you either. So drink up. Drink often. And hopefully drink with our algae tabs.

But seriously, here’s why you and your need water. Your brain is 75% water. In fact, your muscles are 75% water too. Ever notice how you get thirsty when you lift weights? You do lift weights don’t you? The point is, your body is over 60% water and some parts are even higher, like your blood and lungs which are 90% water. Did you know your body is constantly rebuilding itself? Yup, your bones, your organs, your skin, absolutely everything is in a constant state of re-growth 24/7. Can you imagine a skyscraper built without steel? Well, water is one of your body’s most critical building materials and it can’t build healthy bones, organs or anything else for you without water.  Not only that, but water is what moves stuff around in your body. Not having enough water is like not having enough construction workers on a work site. Donald Trump would not be amused. So, are you starting to see that water does more than just quench your thirst  It actually helps to build and run your body efficiently. That’s why just an occasional glass of water isn’t enough. You really need those eight glasses every day. Sounds like a lot. We know.

So, lets do the math. Each day, a typical adult loses an average of six cups of water from urine, four cups from breathing, sweating and bowel movements and two to three cups from digestion. That’s twelve cups even before you add in the dehydrating effects of caffeine, stress or exercise. Granted some of your H20 needs could come from your diet but only if you are eating a lot of fruits and vegetables. And no, French fries do not count. Nice try though.  We bet you are walking around dehydrated but just don’t know it. When you are dehydrated, you fatigue easily and nothing works as well as it should. In fact, without sufficient water, your body thinks it's in survival mode. And when this happens, your body behaves like a squirrel who hides nuts before the winter. It holds on to and stores whatever water it can get its hands on –causing swelling in feet, legs, hands, or horror of horrors - weight gain. But once you give your body what it needs, this stored water is usually released. Say hello to new energy and weight loss.

By the way, those eight glasses of water a day are just a starting point. Your body treats water like a bank account. Every time you drink water, it’s like you’re making a deposit into the account. But unlike a real bank account where you are the only one authorized to make withdrawals, water withdrawals from your body can be made without your authorization or knowledge. Yikes! That’s right. It’s like giving thousands of total strangers your ATM card and PIN number and allowing them to withdraw whatever they want, whenever they want. And they do. The result? You become bankrupt, of water. And who are these unscrupulous strangers making these unauthorized withdrawals? Some are things you can control like your food and drink (eg caffeine and sugary foods are very dehydrating). Others are things you can’t control like breathing. Remember those twelve cups of water that you lose each day?  Without making additional water “deposits” (i.e. drinking more water)  to cover these other "unauthorized" water withdrawals your body can easily go into “overdraft” and become bankrupt i.e. dehydrated.

Still not convinced you need water? Then consider what happens when you get dehydrated. Without water in your body, you would be poisoned by your own waste products. Whoa! That got your attention didn’t it? Sorry for the drama. But here's what happens. During dehydration, the water surrounding your cells is reduced, leaving the small remaining amount to become stagnant and loaded with toxins. As dehydration continues, since your body absolutely has to have water surrounding its cells (to perform all its daily duties), it pulls out water from inside your cells. Yup, like a fugitive on the run, your body literally “steals” water where ever it can find it, from inside your cells, your blood, your organs and even from inside your colon (a big contributor to constipation). This continues until your cells finally lose all or most of their internal water, shrivel up, malfunction or become damaged. You can usually stop these early stages of dehydration just by drinking more water, but most people have no idea they are dehydrated. Too bad because there are so many health conditions that could be eased just by drinking more water. Who knew? Well, now you do. So drink up and drink often – preferably with our algae tabs. Heck they’re even approved by little Goldie