My friend and TV travel expert Peter Greenberg gave me excellent advice to beat jet lag. Peter travels over 400,000 miles per year (equal to sixteen times around the earth annually), yet he never suffers from jet lag. How does he do it? I’m going to share Peter’s secret here with you.

I can tell you with some authority that it works.

At the moment, I’m in Osaka, Japan and haven’t had a single bout with jet lag since my arrival three days ago. After the fourteen hour trip (which I’ve taken over 20 times), I’m usually demolished for the coming week. This time around, however, I’ve been alert since I hit the ground and have slept like a baby each night.

Here, in Peter’s words, is the secret he shared with me in person. At the end, I’ll add a few extra comments of my own.

FIRST, DON’T EAT MUCH ON THE PLANE. Remember, most people don’t eat airplane food because they’re hungry (and that includes food you bring on the plane yourself). They eat food on planes because they’re bored. And even on planes that serve food, keep in mind that there’s a good reason that almost all airline food is cooked at least twice: It’s almost impossible to maintain moisture at altitude. That may explain why it’s almost always coated with that thick mystery sauce. Why eat that? If you do want to eat, do what I do. Bring fruit (in my case apples) and drink low/no sodium club soda or sparkling water.

SECOND, AVOID ALCOHOL. Because of altitude, pressurization and dehydration, one drink during your flight has the alcoholic equivalent of nearly two and a half on the ground. Instead, drink as much water as you can. But one important note: Try and buy your own bottled water once you clear security. I don’t trust many airlines to serve me bottled water. In fact, a number of airlines that don’t stock enough bottled water on their flights place their flight attendants in an awkward position. And in many cases, that results in the flight attendants refilling empty water bottles with the water carried in the plane’s holding tanks. Talk about a bacterial breeding ground. (Flight attendants even have an appropriate nickname for that water — “tappian.”) So, unless you see the flight attendant physically twist and then snap open a cap from the top of the bottle, don’t drink it.

THIRD, IF YOU FEEL LIKE SLEEPING ON THE FLIGHT, SLEEP. If you feel like working or watching the movie, that’s OK too. Then, at least twice during the flight, avoid getting hit by the beverage cart, and at least make an attempt to walk around the cabin.

FOURTH, AND PERHAPS MOST IMPORTANT,  it’s what you do once the plane lands that will make the biggest difference in your battle to avoid jet lag. No matter what time you land, no matter how long the flight, you MUST stay up until at least 11 p.m. local time. This is the most difficult, but most also the most important, challenge you’ll face. If you succumb to the temptation to take that 4 p.m. nap, no one will see you for three days — and that includes YOU! Almost inevitably, you’ll feel sleepy around 2 p.m. on the first arrival day. Do not eat a heavy lunch. Stand up. Take a walk. Go out and shoot hoops if necessary, but do not take that nap. If you do, you’ll find yourself awake at 3 in the morning watching bad ab-sizer infomercials.

Again, stay up until at least 11 p.m. (in my case midnight) and then hit the sack. Will you totally cycle? Most likely, you will average about five hours of sleep. But the second night, again staying up until 11 p.m., you will sleep your normal cycle.

Then, on your return flight home, repeat the entire process.

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In addition to Peter’s plan, I also have avoided eating bread both during the flight (don’t eat the bread rolls they offer) and once I arrived. Instead, I’ve continued to drink massive amounts of water, and eat more protein than usual.

Another tip that may have helped is ginger. I brought along crystallized ginger candy and ate it during and after the flight.

I’m on vacation in Japan for two weeks, and look forward to staying awake all day, every day, thanks to Peter Greenberg and his great advice. I sincerely hope it helps you on your next trip too.