When you arrive at your destination, says Clark of Penn State, skip the local steak house and the hotel bar, especially if you arrive at night in preparation for a morning meeting. Fat and booze will only make you sluggish. If you're still groggy the next morning, wake yourself up with some lean protein-a glass of skim milk or some yogurt. Protein increases the brain chemical norepinephrine, Clark explains, which can make you more alert. To keep jet lag at a minimum in the first place, think ahead, Clark says.
People overeat when they travel, often with high-fat airport food.
The bad part, of course, is that you probably feel chewed up and spit out. What you need is some relaxation. This means avoiding chocolate, caffeinated soft drinks, even iced tea. Instead, when you finally make it home, curl up with some carbohydrates, such as bread, bagels, pretzels or unsweetened cereal . Carbohydrates raise blood insulin levels, increasing the uptake of the amino acid tryptophan, which is then converted to serotonin-known to induce drowsiness.