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Domestic Travel

7 foods to definitely avoid before catching a flight

If you want to be comfortable in the air, avoid chowing down on these foods before you board.

1. Burger and fries

It can be tempting to grab a last minute Big Mac meal at the airport, but you really should resist. Your body struggles to digest large amounts of saturated fat and salt even at ground level and this becomes much more difficult at 35,000 feet, meaning you’re in for an uncomfortable trip. Saturated fat can also constrict blood flow and increase your risk of deep vein thrombosis (DVT).

2. Carbonated beverages

Don’t even think about washing that burger down with a nice cold Coke. The bubbles in carbonated beverages, like soft drink, sparkling water or beer, can cause bloating. The air pressure will change during a flight, making these little pockets of air swell and become even more uncomfortable than they are on the ground.

3. Garlic

This one is more for those in the cabin with you. Eating a meal rich in garlic will give you more than just bad breath. As garlic is absorbed into the blood stream it causes particularly bad body odor that will start to seep from your pores, which will make sitting next to you seriously unpleasant.

4. Alcohol

While not strictly a food, alcohol should definitely be off your pre-fly snack list. The air inside plane cabins is very dry and causes you to dehydrate. Add to that the dehydrating properties of alcohol and you’re in for one nasty hangover. One drink can help you nod off more quickly, but studies show that too much alcohol actually makes for a disrupted, poor quality sleep.

5. Spicy foods

Leaving aside the potential for stomach upsets, foods with a lot of chilli in them can play havoc with your body temperature. You don’t want to spend a 14-hour flight boiling hot and running with sweat.

6. Gaseous vegetables

That means everything from the traditional culprit of beans to cruciferous vegetables like broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, kale or Brussels sprouts. They will cause gas to build up in your stomach resulting in painful bloating or embarrassing flatulence. Approach with caution.

7. Everything

Some studies suggest that it is actually better for your body to fast completely for up to 16 hours before a flight. It has been shown to reduce the effects of jet lag by using hunger to manipulate your internal body clock. Even if you don’t want to go to this extreme, it’s a good idea to eat lightly in the hours before a flight to ensure you’ll be as comfortable as possible. And so will your seat mates.

Have you ever found yourself in strife on a flight after indulging in a particular food? What do you like to eat before a flight? Let us know in the comments.

Image: Getty

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travel, flying, food, AIrport, avoid