You stagger into your seat feeling a little faint and definitely stressed, wishing for a drink and hoping they serve dinner soon as you are famished. You are by now a medical disaster waiting to happen. Add alcohol and prolonged sitting and the situation is even worse. According to research conducted by Makoto Matsumura of the Saitama Medical School in Japan, the best prevention to all this is to eat a light preflight meal. This raises your blood volume, increases your blood sugar level, and reduces your stress and prepares you for the flight ahead.
Hunger is definitely a risk factor for an in-flight emergency.
But so is chowing down a fast, greasy hot dog as you pelt down the concourse. Choose a light meal and an electrolyte-rich drink that will reduce stress, give you time out for pleasure and replenish your body. Overloading your stomach can reduce your circulation, producing a sharp drop in blood pressure. Also, as diabetics know, it can stimulate a sudden outpouring of insulin from you pancreas, resulting in a sudden drop in blood sugar. Once on board, it is important still to make the healthy choices.