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Jo-Anne Rizzotto, MEd, RDN, LDN, CDCES, is Director of Educational Services at the Joslin Diabetes Center and Harvard Medical School in Boston, MA. She is a registered dietitian and a certified diabetes educator with over 25 years of clinical, research, management and industry experience and is a key member of the clinic leadership team. Jo-Anne is co-chair and an active member of the National Certification Board of Diabetes Educators Exam Board. Jo-Anne has a proven track record of managing many facets of quality assurance and improvement with documented outcomes including advancing the use of technologies in the clinic for the management of diabetes. Jo-Anne establishes, directs and manages all aspects of diabetes education programs including overall direction, content, design, delivery, budgeting and staff management. She ensures all programs and staff delivering education meet the highest quality standards and do so with the highest level of efficiency and effectiveness. Jo-Anne participates in and has been the co-principle investigator in numerous clinical research studies. Jo-Anne chairs and participates in a variety of high level selection committees, clinical guideline committees, publication review committees and academic promotion committees. She also chairs the quality committee with the General Counsel at the Joslin in addition to the Clinic policy and procedure committee.
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I travel for work a lot, flying back and forth between different time zones. Are there any foods I should avoid or eat that will help me with jet lag?
Jet lag is a drag—you may feel irritable or suffer from insomnia, indigestion or general disorientation. It occurs when the body's inner clock is out of sync with environmental time cues, including meal times, sunrise and sunset, and daily cycles of rest and activity.
Although the effects of jet lag vary among travelers, almost everyone experiences some symptoms. Physical differences among travelers require varying strategies for jet lag management. Recommendations often emphasize plenty of sleep, proper nutrition and sometimes the use of medication.
Avoiding factors that contribute to jet lag may be the best defense. Because sleep-wake disturbance is the most widely felt jet lag symptom, being well rested before travel can help the body cope with the inevitable change in time zone. Therefore, it is helpful to avoid alcohol, caffeine and nicotine, which are associated with restless sleep.
A few tips that may protect you from jet lag: