Jet lag medicine: the good and bad

Come and dig my herbs

(Credit: Flyright)

Update: I've tried Flyright, an herbal jet lag remedy stirred up by Silicon Valley herbalist Ted Ray. On the positive side, I can definitely say it takes the edge off the haziness and fogginess that can accommodate international travel. Drinking a spoonful every three hours along with several quarts of water and green tea during a flight to Tokyo definitely took away some of the surly wooziness that one can get from sitting in a plane for 11 hours.

I hit the ground and felt fine. Tired, but I could function better than normal in that situation. It doesn't taste bad either. It's a bit bitter, but sort of like Campari.

While studying the label, I did notice that the volume is 45 percent grain alcohol. But Ray tells me it is a normal ingredient in herbal tinctures. (Ray earlier said it was denatured but wrote to apologize for the mistake.)

But the downside? Flyright doesn't really help reset your circadian rhythms. I'm typing this at 3:45 in the morning. Advocates of sleeping pills (like the guy next to me on the plane) say you need Ambien for that. So if you're getting in during the morning, it works. If you get in at night, it's not perfect.

[leedselk]

Melatonin works

I have no knowledge of the product in question, but I have used melatonin, a natural brain substance, to good effect. It will help to reset the body's circadian rhythms so you can go to sleep better on the new schedule. Melatonin can be purchased at discount and health-food stores.