This is what you should eat to counteract a jetlag

The longest flight that exists takes you from Singapore all the way to New York. And that means sitting folded up in a chair for 18.5 hours and watching three-quarters of the globe fly by underneath you.

I have unfortunately never booked that flight, but I have flown from Auckland in New Zealand to Los Angeles in the USA and believe me: that was a good 15 hours of fun in the air. I didn't know who I was from the front to the back and it was so bizarre: we flew through a time zone. Departed on Monday morning at eight o'clock, we arrived on Monday morning at seven o'clock. Not kidding. Yes, those lost hours in that plane, that's no fun. But yes, anyone who wants to see the world knows: that miserable traveling is part of it. That fifteen times shifting and still not falling asleep in that hard little seat with two strangers next to you who burp and fart and listen to loud music in their earbuds: it takes you somewhere. That crying child in the row in front of you and that spot right next to the toilets and that seat that barely reclines and that minimal legroom that makes you feel the thrombosis shooting in your calves: it's good for something. It's the beginning of your vacation, your world trip, your ultimate discovery of yourself.

Fortunately, we know how to make it a bit more pleasant, should you be moving far away this summer (or later this year). Because you can easily trick a jetlag. It also helps you feel better if you have a short flight ahead, by the way.

Here they come, our golden world tips:

1. You can especially eat something to counter that groggy feeling of a jetlag. And those are particularly berries. As in: blueberries, raspberries, blackberries. The moisture in the berry is good for your mood, just like the vitamins and antioxidants. Bring a Tupperware container, yes, fill it with this fruit. A bit nerdy, but you’ll feel great upon arrival. Oh, cherries do the trick too. They contain melatonin, the substance that makes you sleepy. Eat them two hours before you snuggle under your plastic ‘blanket’ and inflate your neck pillow.
2. Think in the time zone of your destination. Is it morning there? Fine, then you can have a coffee. But if it's already late afternoon: don’t do it. Herbal tea is allowed, no matter how silly.
3. This one is fun: eat carbs for dinner. Yes, you read that right. That little pasta fills your stomach and therefore you sleep better in the air. Come on through. Pasta or chicken? Pasta or chicken?
4. No alcohol: sorry. Water is your friend.
5. No fast food: sorry. But the fat makes you feel even worse and the cheese clogs you up even more than flying already does. Be nice good upon arrival and eat vegetables, fibers, and nuts. Boring, but smart.
6. Other good things: quinoa, cumin seeds, bananas, fresh ginger, turkey breast, and kiwi. And definitely go to bed when you feel bleary-eyed. Or to the local bar at three in the morning when you have zero sleep: a small advantage of all those world times.