Speaker 1:
Welcome to The Dr. Gundry Podcast where Dr. Steven Gundry shares his groundbreaking research from over 25 years of treating patients with diet and lifestyle changes alone. Dr. Gundry and other wellness experts offer inspiring stories, the latest scientific advancements and practical tips to empower you to take control of your health and live a long happy life.
Dr. Steven Gundry:
Travel can be rough on the body, but just like aging, it doesn’t have to be. Let me tell you one thing right off the bat. My wife and I do not suffer from jet lag. That’s right. We do not suffer from jet lag and all of our friends and acquaintances and my patients are shocked when I tell them that. Now my wife and I, as you probably know, fly to Europe a great deal. One thing you may not know is I actually write most of my books while I’m over in Europe because quite frankly, I’m not seeing patients during that time and I see patients normally six days a week. So it’s one of the few times I actually have to sit down and write. A lot of what I write is developed while we’re in Europe. So how do you get over jet lag? What are the tricks for travel? That’s what we’re going to talk about today.
Now, first of all, I’m absolutely positively convinced that jet lag comes from a disturbance in the circadian rhythm of your gut bacteria. That’s right, your gut bacteria, your microbiome, your gut buddies have their own circadian rhythm. They become active and produce compounds in time with daylight syncing, and there’s more and more evidence that this circadian rhythm of your gut microbiome controls your circadian rhythm and jet lag. So what do you do on a flight to get these guys reset? So I’m going to talk about what to do before the flight, what to do during the flight and what to do when you get off the plane.
First off, many people take early flights and particularly living on the West Coast, if I’m heading to the East Coast or farther, many of these flights start off very early in the morning. Now most people tend to toss and turn when they know they have an early morning flight coming up. One of the easiest things to do is start preparing as if you were normally be getting up really early. So rather than trying to go to bed early the night before the flight, start doing that 2, 3, 4 even a week beforehand so that you’re accustomed to getting up much earlier.
Second thing I like to do is you know it, get a dog. Dogs are incredibly useful at getting you up early. They don’t have alarm clocks. They work on circadian rhythm.
Now, avoid overindulging in alcohol the night before the test. Alcohol really disturbs deep sleep and those of you who carry an Oura Ring or a WHOOP band can usually detect the effect of alcohol on deep sleep. And let me tell you, it’s not good. Many people think they’ve got to knock themselves out with alcohol so they can go to sleep early, but you really want that deep sleep to help you with the time zone changes. So please, please, please do not use alcohol before a long trip. Now we’ll get into alcohol on a trip in just a second.
Here’s the other thing, make sure all your travel documents are in one place. The last thing you want to do when you’re groggy in the morning is go around looking, “Oh my gosh, what did I do with my passport? Where’s my plane tickets?” Do it the day before, the night before, the week before and put them all in one place.
Here’s a fun thing. Now I don’t have any problem listening to an alarm. I use my phone as an alarm, but my phone is in the room next to me, not in my bedroom, and it’s nice and loud, but I have a patient who actually sets two alarms so that there’s no chance that you’re going to miss the alarm going off.
Now what do you do with long flights? Many of us now that COVID is hopefully over, at least the severe forms, are traveling. You can’t avoid it if you go to the airports noticing how many people are flying. First of all, people tell you don’t drink alcohol on the plane. What I have noticed is the people who drink alcohol excessively on the plane, those are the ones that suffer. I personally have a glass of red wine on the plane, a glass of red wine, and quite frankly, they give you small portions on the plane as well they should. But I see many travelers next to me have glass after glass, have several cocktails and they’re not doing well. Let’s put it that way.
Now, I’ve found that if you’re going to do an international flight, it’s better if you can arrange it to take an international flight, a long international flight that leaves late afternoon or early evening. Why? Because they will hopefully serve you a meal and then your bedtime will be when your bedtime would normally be. The other thing we found, particularly going to Europe is that those flights will arrive midday or late afternoon so that you then actually become almost synced with that time zone a day later. It’s a trick that I’ve used over and over again, and if you’ve never tried it, try that trick.
Now, on the other hand, if you are taking earlier flights and a lot of the airlines like to arrive early, particularly in Europe, then here’s the deal. Please, please, please stay up once you get there. Two reasons. Number one, you want to be exposed to bright light for at least 30 minutes in your new time zone. That bright light will really, really enhance resetting your circadian rhythm. I’ve written about the suprachiasmatic nucleus in your brain that light senses and really sets how your circadian rhythm works, and bright light exposure is essential however you can get it. That’s number one.
Number two, while you’re on the airplane, I mentioned eating dinner and going to bed. Certain international airlines have fairly decent food. I’ll bring up Air France as an example, and no, they don’t pay me to tell you that. On the other hand, a lot of the American airlines, their food is not very good for you. So try fasting. It’s another way to reset your circadian rhythm. Bring your own snacks. I always carry my Gundry nut mix. Take some lectin-free bars like Gundry MD’s macadamia nut bar, and there are other lectin-free bars to choose from. You don’t have to eat the snacks that they give you. But by the way, Delta now has pistachios as an option for a snack.
The third thing is get up and walk every two hours, particularly if you’re in coach or you don’t have a seat that reclines very much. There is a real thing called deep vein thrombosis or economy thrombosis. Get up and move. You should be drinking enough water on the plane that you probably do want to get up and move every couple hours to go to the bathroom and use that as an excuse to keep hydrated so that it’ll make you get up and pee.
Now, there are all sorts of gadgets and tools that you can take with you. Your feet most likely will swell. Now, that is not a sign of a dangerous thing. On the other hand, if your feet swelling bothers you, buy yourself a pair of compression socks and wear them. Quite frankly, as a heart surgeon, I wear compression stockings all the time because I stand constantly, but it’ll keep your ankles from swelling.
Invest in noise-canceling headphones or earplugs. The noise on modern jetliners can actually be higher than a nightclub, and that’s a stressor on your body. Plus the noise of fellow passengers or the noise of talking in the aisles is enough to disturb many people’s sleep. And these noise-canceling headphones are getting pretty doggone reasonable, particularly the ones that fit in your ears or just get some earplugs. They work well as well.
Now a lot of the long flights do pass out face masks, eye masks, even in economy and economy plus, but just in case, and I’ve been on some recently where they didn’t, I always bring an eye mask in my backpack and I always have it with me, and it really does help block out light. It’s the same way you really want blackout curtains in your bedroom. You want blackout eye masks, and there’s a number of companies that make really good blackout eye mask. Bon Charge happens to be one of them.
Speaking of Bon Charge, if you’re going to watch movies on the plane, and quite frankly, I very rarely do that, but if I do, I wear blue blocking glasses. That blue light is one of the best ways to keep you awake that anyone has ever designed. And if you’re going to watch movies on the plane, please invest in a pair of blue light blocking glasses. And again, one of my favorites is by the company Bon Charge.
Finally, supplements. I’m a huge fan of supplementing for travel. First of all, whatever vitamin D dose you are currently taking, double it. Double it for a couple of days before you leave. Double it while you’re gone and keep doubling it for a couple of days after you get back. That’s my number one trick.
Number two, double your vitamin C during the same time period. It’s a one-two punch. If you want to add zinc like 30 milligrams to that regimen, that’s fine with me, but vitamin D and vitamin C are the one-two punch.
Now the other trick that we’ve tried that I think makes this so successful is we change up our probiotic regimen. Go crazy with probiotics. Whatever probiotics you’re taking, double it. Take them the morning you get there. Now most people are taking one or two types of probiotics. In my opinion, you really want to change things up, so get yourself a multiple strain probiotic. My wife and I happen to take Gundry MD 24 strain probiotic while we travel for that purpose.
The second thing is up your polyphenol regimen. You may remember that polyphenols are the food that feed good gut bacteria. So we happen to take packets of Vital Reds and individual packets, we put them in our water in our plane, we put them in our water when we go down to breakfast, and it’s a really good one-two punch. And they also have probiotics of readjusting the circadian rhythm of your microbiome.
Finally, take a shot of olive oil. Olive oil is loaded with polyphenols and every breakfast spot in Europe that I’ve ever been to has olive oil available and they’ll look at you a little funny, but pour yourself a shot of olive oil instead of a shot of orange juice.
Finally, please reject the orange juice on the plane or at the breakfast where you’re going. The one best way to kill off your immune system is orange juice. The sugar in orange juice has been shown in human volunteers to blunt your immune system function for six hours, and that’s exactly what you don’t want to happen when traveling long distances. Most people are so tired that they find they want sugar at all costs. And believe me, when I was a busy heart surgeon, I wanted sugar at all costs when I was up night after night, and that’s one of the reasons I got so fat. So please avoid the need to wake yourself up with sugar. You’ll thank me in the long run.
Finally, there are products that will change your circadian rhythm. I make one called Bio Sync, which as the name implies synchronizes your circadian rhythm, and we always travel with Bio Sync as well.
Finally, take a powder like our new Nitro Pulse, which makes nitric oxide that’ll improve your blood flow, improve the elasticity of your blood vessels, and that will also help make this change.
Again, we do not get jet lag and I think it’s the tricks that I’ve just told you that’s going to help you avoid what most people think is one of the worst parts of long distance traveling.
This is your gut and me on vacation. I travel a lot. Sometimes for vacation, but most of the time for work. And when I meet plant paradoxers on the road and I meet them all the time, they almost always ask me the same question. “Dr. Gundry, how do you stick to the Plant Paradox plan on the road? It’s hard enough when you’re at home with your kitchen, but when you’re traveling, how do you do it?” It’s true. Eating the Plant Paradox way can be extremely difficult on the road, but when you’re out and about, it’s especially important that you focus on keeping your gut healthy. In fact, did you know that when you travel to a new country your gut microbiome actually changes? It’s true. And that influx of new bugs is likely one of the reasons, along with some strange to you foods, that so many travelers suffer from tummy troubles, especially in the beginning of their journeys. So how can you protect your gut and mostly stay on the plan when you travel?
Well, along with sticking to any supplement routine that works for you, there are a few amazing things you can actually try and it starts before you leave. In fact, in my opinion, it should start when you buy your ticket. How? Well the first step is make your gut bugs thrive because if they’re happier before you leave, you’ve got a better chance of staying happy when you’re on the road. And as you know, that’s a great way to keep your digestion smooth, easy and comfortable, your energy levels high and even your immune system healthy. So as you start planning your next trip, make sure to start eating more prebiotic foods like leeks and onions, leafy greens and Jerusalem artichokes, and opt for a healthy dose of probiotics too, either in capsule form or in probiotic foods like sauerkraut and kimchi. It’s a smart way to set yourself up for success so that once you’re on the road, you’re focused on maintaining your gut rather than healing it.
But once you’re on your trip, then what? Well, one of the things that makes my life easier is to start my day with a set breakfast and to eat the same thing each morning of the trip unless I skip breakfast entirely. Personally, I like to have a green salad with plenty of olive oil. It fills me up, it feeds my gut bugs, and it’s something I can find just about anywhere. Any country, any city. And sure, they may look at you funny when you order a salad for breakfast, but chances are they’ve got what you need in the back. Plus, if you make a Plant Paradox-friendly breakfast part of your routine, you’re setting a good tone for your day.
Now, if you’re really on the run, like in an airport or trying to catch an early meeting, remember it’s totally fine to skip breakfast or you can grab a black coffee and a handful of walnuts. They’re also available most places.
Now, along with starting my day right and keeping up with my healthy routines, I tend to plan my meals out way ahead of time. Now, this wasn’t always possible, but thanks to the magic of the internet these days, it’s actually easy. What am I talking about? Well, you can actually read menus before you dine. That’s right. By heading online and checking out restaurant menus, and heck, even hotel room service menus, you can really set yourself up for success. Personally, I always look for menus that are heavy on the leafy greens and wild-caught seafood and light on fried, starchy dairy-heavy foods, unless I’m in Southern Europe where they use A2 milk. And just like with breakfast, when in doubt, you can almost always get a salad with olive oil and lemon juice, and a lot of the time it’s pretty easy to find a piece of grilled fish too.
So rest assured you’ve always got options, which brings me to my next tip. Make your adventures Plant Paradox-friendly. Sure, I’m talking about exploring new cities on foot. It’s a great way to get a bit of exercise in, but it goes beyond that. Personally, I love checking out the unique farmer’s markets and food halls in new cities and building picnic lunches there. It’s a great way to guarantee that I’m indulging in a little fruit, but it’ll be in season and it’s easy to get to know more about the food you’re buying because local artisans will actually be excited to tell you how their products were made so you’ll have a better sense of whether something was grass-fed, pasture raised or made with A2 milk. It’s also a great place to buy gifts for your loved ones. There’s nothing I appreciate more than a bottle of really nice olive oil and I bring them to my friends.
And last but not least, reset when you get home. No, I’m not talking about going back to your pre-trip habits, but going back to square one and restarting my three-day cleanse, or at least going back to phase one for a week or two. It’s actually a great way to give your gut bugs the reset they and you probably need, and to remind your system that vacation mode is not the new normal.
Oh, and one more thing, whether you’re traveling for work or for fun, make sure to take some time to relax even if it’s just a few minutes each day. You deserve it. I’m Dr. Gundry, and I’m always looking out for you at home and on the road.
It’s easy enough to eat the Plant Paradox way when you’re home in the comfort of your own kitchen. But how can you make it work when you’re out and about? It may surprise you to hear it’s not that hard, but it does take some smart planning and careful preparation. So today we’re going to get into the Plant Paradox on the go, but first I want to know, is there anything you’d like to learn more about? If yes, please do me a favor and let me know in the comments below. I’m making this channel for you after all, so I want to make sure your health questions get answered. In fact, this video is actually inspired by one of our viewers who wrote in wondering how to help her husband stay healthy on the road. He travels a lot for work, and it’s something that’s been on my mind a lot because I’ve got a few really big trips coming up myself. And in my opinion, traveling is just better if you’re feeling your best, whether you’re on the road for work or for pleasure. So let’s get right to it.
First of all, I understand if you’re on the road a lot, eating in restaurants every night is a drag. So while I’ll briefly talk about restaurant strategy at the end of this video, today, I want to focus on snacks, lunches, and other meals you can pack at home and eat on the go.
First, snacks. Now, if you’ve been with me for a while, you know that one of my favorite snacks on the planet is nuts. They’re high in protein and healthy fat and they keep you full for a long time, but they can get boring, especially if you’re on the road for a while. So I like to mix them up a little by tossing them in herbs and spices. Try garlic and rosemary, paprika and salt, or even a bit of cinnamon and vanilla stevia for a sweet tasting treat. But I understand that can get boring on its own. We all need options.
So if you have refrigerator access on your trip or at least a well-insulated lunch bag, consider making a batch of guacamole and bringing some celery jicama sticks or Belgian endive for dipping. You can also stock your fridge with healthy cheeses like buffalo mozzarella. Costco sells them in individual vacuum-packed servings. It’s really super convenient now. Or try some celery and jicama with almond butter instead.
Another great snack option if you’re browsing the grocery store shelves are those little seaweed chips. Basically just dehydrated seaweed with salt and seasonings, but read the label to make sure there aren’t any sneaky ingredients in with your healthy seaweed.
Now, if you’re on the road a lot, I think it’s handy to get a big plastic container and fill it up with shelf-stable, pre-portioned snacks like seaweed chips, nuts, those single serving packets of almond butter, bittersweet chocolate, or even jicama or coconut chips. That way, if you’re on the road for hours at a time and you feel a little craving coming on, you know you’re taken care of. And remember, if you aren’t prepared, those long trips are a great time to play around with intermittent fasting. It’s great for your health. It’s way better than stopping at a gas station for a bite. And as long as you’re staying well hydrated, you’ll probably get used to it fairly quickly and start feeling great fast. If not, there’s always lunch.
Now, it’s easy enough to find a Plant Paradox-friendly meal at most restaurants. And like I said, I’ll talk about dining out at the end of this video, but if you want to pack a lunch on the go, there are a few things you can do to make sure your lunch is delicious and not a soggy mess at lunchtime. First, you know that plastic container you’re filling with snacks? Throw in some sea salt, some pepper, good quality olive oil and balsamic vinegar. That way you can stop anywhere for salad greens and you’ll be able to dress your salad and top it with some nuts for extra crunch. Always handy.
Now when it comes to packing a same-day lunch, your possibilities are pretty darn limitless though unless you’ve got access to high-quality, lectin-free bread, traditional sandwiches are off the table. If you want something hot and don’t have access to a stove or microwave, I suggest heating up something like a stew or a soup until it’s piping hot, then transferring it into a thermos and sealing it tight. It’ll cool a little, but if you really heat your food up at the beginning of the day, it should stay until lunchtime. And if you have access to a microwave but not a fridge, consider packing frozen soups and stews in glass jars. They’ll start to thaw throughout the day. Then just unscrew the jars and warm them up.
Now, if you’re more of a salad person, I suggest either packing your salad undressed and using that oil and vinegar I mentioned earlier. Or if you don’t have access to a fridge during the day and you want the convenience of a pre-dressed salad, ditch the delicate greens and make your meal with heartier ingredients like broccoli slaw, kale, chopped radishes and shaved asparagus. Not only will it make your salad a little more delicious and exciting because it’s not your average lettuce. You’ll avoid that end-of-the-day soggy green thing too. But if you are someone who craves leafy greens, make your salad upside down. Put your dressing in the bottom of the container, followed by the heavy ingredients like animal protein, avocado and chopped veggies. Then put the greens at the very top. When you’re ready to eat, just invert the container onto a plate and you’ve got an instantly dressed salad and not a soggy green in sight.
Bonus. If you’ve got refrigerator access and are packing multiple meals at a time, you can make a lot of salads this way at once. I find that [inaudible 00:27:26] five, six days in the fridge just like this. That’s not bad. Or you could also just make a meal of snacks, some nice goat cheese, a little prosciutto, plenty of leafy greens, maybe a fig or two. Think of it as a Plant Paradox cheese board.
Now, if you’re staying in a hotel, first thing you should do is ask for a refrigerator. Most hotels have them, though they may charge a small deposit, but that way you can keep things like salads and sparkling water cool for when you’re hungry, and you can stash coconut yogurt, boiled eggs, and pre-chopped veggies inside when you want an easy breakfast or a snack. And also, if your room comes with a hot water heater, buy a pack of miso paste. You’ve got everything you need to make miso soup, which is fantastic anytime of the day. They actually eat it for breakfast in Japan.
But when you do need to go out and eat, first and foremost, check out the nice long video I made about doing the Plant Paradox at restaurants. It’s right here on this channel. But also remember these simple tips.
One, when in doubt, just get a salad with oil and vinegar. Most restaurants will have some version of it, even fast food places and diners. Just make sure to pick off the croutons and tomatoes and go ahead, pay extra for that avocado. Your health is worth it. Check out the appetizers. I’ve been seeing lots of buffalo cauliflower, sauteed brussel sprouts and fennel salads on menus, most of which are perfectly compliant. Skip the meat and make your dinner vegetarian. Salads, roast veggies, even a nice baked sweet potato with a little Parmesan are all delicious options, and they’re great for you too. Plus, when you skip the meat, you can rest assured you’re not getting all the lectins that come from grain and corn-fed animals, so you’re keeping your body safe too. Like I said, life’s too short to stay at home. But traveling for work or for fun should not be a reason to let your healthy habits slide. In fact, I think you’ll agree when you feel your best, those trips are even more enjoyable.
Speaker 1:
I hope you enjoyed this episode of the Dr. Gundry Podcast. If you did, please share this with family and friends. You never know how one of these health tips can completely transform someone’s life when you take the time to share it with them. There’s also the Dr. Gundry Podcast YouTube channel, where we have tens of thousands of free health insights that can help you and your loved ones live a long, vital life. Let’s do this together.
