Never eat these Top 10 foods before flying. What you eat before a flight can greatly impact how you feel during the journey. Unfortunately, sometimes it’s negative. Imagine dealing with bloating, excessive gas or sudden restroom emergencies while cruising at 30,000ft. These are scenarios you’d want to avoid, especially during your holiday travels. While we can’t do much about the turbulence you might face, we can certainly help make your flight more comfortable by highlighting how certain foods and drinks can cause discomfort midair. So buckle up and come along as we delve into the foods and beverages that, according to scientific insights, are best avoided before your next flight.
Top 10 foods you should never eat again
01. Fried foods
When waiting for your flight and in need of a quick, budget friendly meal, it might be tempting to opt for chicken fingers and fries at the airport, but there are several reasons why you should think twice about this choice. Firstly, greasy foods are high in fat, and foods rich in fat take longer to digest compared to proteins and carbohydrates. This means that if your meal of fries, chicken fingers and onion rings lingers in your stomach for an extended period, it could lead to bloating and possibly an upset stomach.
Follow Google News Channel to get “Recent Live” News
The discomfort of sitting through a long flight with a bloated and upset stomach is one thing. However, the prolonged digestion of high fat foods can also cause heartburn or severe acid reflux, especially in individuals who are more susceptible to these conditions. This could turn your flight into a rather uncomfortable experience. Top 10 foods you should never eat again.
02. High Sodium foods
if you find yourself enjoying a beer with chips and salsa before your flight, or maybe grabbing a bag of potato chips for the journey, it’s important to be cautious about your sodium intake. While savory snacks are tempting, too much salt before flying isn’t ideal. The combination of pressure changes and the low humidity environment inside an airplane makes dehydration a common issue during flights. High sodium foods further contribute to dehydration, creating an unfavorable mix.
Moreover, flying can lead to your body retaining more water due to the pressure changes and prolonged sitting. High sodium levels can exacerbate this issue. To minimize discomfort, it’s best to avoid overly salty snacks before flying. Choosing lower sodium options can help make your flight experience more pleasant. Top 10 foods you should never eat again.
03. Broccoli
Cruciferous vegetables like broccoli, kale, cabbage and cauliflower are among the healthiest options out there. They’re packed with antioxidants and essential vitamins and are notably high in fiber compared to many other vegetables. This high fiber content is great for your overall health, but it might be wise to skip that side of broccoli with your airport meal. The reason?
Cruciferous vegetables, due to their high fiber content, can cause bloating and excess gas. Feeling bloated on a flight is already a common issue, as drastic altitude changes can lead to bloating, consuming broccoli and other high fiber vegetables might exacerbate this discomfort, potentially leading to a more painful experience while flying. Top 10 foods you should never eat again.
04. Beans
when flying, the pressure changes in an airplane can lead to the expansion of your intestines. As noted by the Cleveland Clinic, this can increase the likelihood of experiencing bloating and excess gas. Beans in particular can aggravate this situation. Not only are beans high in fiber, which is known to cause bloating, but they also contain raphanose, a type of carbohydrate that many people find hard to digest. To spare yourself from stomach discomfort while confined to your airplane’s seat, it’s advisable to avoid beans before your flight. Top 10 foods you should never eat again.
05. Garlic
Given that flying can already cause bloating and discomfort due to pressure changes, consuming foods that are known to cause bloating can worsen the situation. Garlic is one such food. It contains high levels of fructance, a type of fiber. Many individuals have mild intolerances to fructance, leading to bloating, stomach discomfort and excess gas after consuming foods rich in this fiber. Despite its commonality, fructant intolerance is often under diagnosed and not widely recognized, leaving many unaware of the cause of their discomfort when eating high fructant foods.
Beyond the physical discomfort, eating garlic before a flight can also affect those around you, given the reality of garlic breath. Garlic consists of various sulfur compounds that become active when chewed, resulting in a strong mouth odor. To ensure a more comfortable experience for both yourself and your fellow passengers, it’s best to avoid garlic before boarding a plane. Top 10 foods you should never eat again.
06. Onions
the rationale for avoiding garlic before a flight applies equally to onions. Like garlic, onions are rich in fructins, those fibers that can cause unrecognized intolerances. In some people, indulging in an onion heavy meal before boarding your plane might lead to excess gas, which is certainly not ideal for anyone during a flight. Additionally, onions can affect your breath just as garlic does. They contain numerous sulfur compounds, which can result in a strong unpleasant onion odor on your breath. Top 10 foods you should never eat again.
07. Pears and apples
apples and pears are indeed healthy snack options due to their fiber content. However, when it comes to flying, it might be wise to opt for something different. Both pears and apples are known to potentially cause abdominal bloating or discomfort, largely because of their high fructose levels, a natural sugar. As we mentioned earlier regarding fructins, the same principle applies to fructose. Many individuals may have a tolerance issue with fructose without being aware of it. For these people, consuming fructose can lead to stomach pain and bloating. So considering these effects, it’s a good idea to choose an alternative snack when preparing for a flight. Top 10 foods you should never eat again.
08. Gum
it’s a common recommendation to chew gum to alleviate ear popping during a flight, but this practice can also contribute to bloating and stomach discomfort. Chewing gum leads to swallowing more air than usual, which can cause bloating. The Mayo clinic, as reported by Science Daily, advises against chewing gum and sucking on hard candies as a way to reduce the likelihood of bloating and stomach pain while flying. So while gum might help with your pressure, it’s important to weigh that against the potential discomfort of bloating during your journey. Top 10 foods you should never eat again.
09. Coffee
before indulging in a cup of coffee before your flight, it’s important to consider some of its potential side effects that might affect your in flight experience. Firstly, drinking a lot of any liquid, including coffee, increases the likelihood of needing to use the restroom more frequently during the flight. This can be especially inconvenient for passengers. In addition to its diuretic effect, coffee is also known to stimulate bowel movements. It activates contractions in your colon, leading to a more urgent need to visit the restroom. This can be particularly troublesome on a plane, especially if you’re seated in a window seat.
Moreover, coffee can exacerbate symptoms of anxiety in individuals sensitive to caffeine. It can cause jitteriness, nervousness and stomach upset. If you’re already a nervous flyer, consuming coffee might worsen your anxiety. It might be better to consider alternative beverages before boarding. Top 10 foods you should never eat again.
10. Alcohol
Spending time at the airport bar can be a relaxing way to wait during a long layover, but it’s important to be mindful of the issues that can arise from consuming alcohol before your flight. One significant effect of alcohol is its diuretic properties, which increase the frequency of urination and lead to dehydration. Since flights are already dehydrating, drinking alcohol can exacerbate this issue. Additionally, the increased need to urinate due to alcohol consumption means you might find yourself making frequent trips to the airplane bathroom. This can be inconvenient for both you and your fellow passengers. Alcohol is also known to impact mental health, with a link to heightened feelings of anxiety and depression.
This is partly due to the reduction in serotonin levels caused by alcohol. If you’re prone to nervousness or anxiety while flying, be cautious with alcohol consumption as it can potentially worsen these feelings. Much like coffee, these tips aim to help you avoid bloating, excess gas, frequent restroom trips and increased anxiety, ensuring a more comfortable and enjoyable journey. To further enhance your travel experience and overall wellbeing, we invite you to explore our other videos on healthy eating and lifestyle choices. By understanding the impact of what we consume not just before flying, but in our daily lives, we can make informed decisions leading to better health and happier travels. Top 10 foods you should never eat again.
