Spending a lot of time on airplanes increases your risk of gaining weight, a recent study published in The New York Times has revealed. The most at-risk group are business travelers who fly regularly: from a few times a month to almost every day.

The body mass index of travelers who fly at least 21 days per month is higher than that of people who board a plane six times a month or fewer, with the difference being 10 lbs (4.5 kilos) on average, the study reveals.

Other health problems caused by frequent flying:

– Susceptibility to viruses, high blood pressure and diabetes.

– Insomnia, especially if the flight involves crossing time zones.

But ceasing to travel is not an option either. Because,

it turns out that people who travel the most and people who don’t travel at all have equally bad health.

The healthiest option is moderation, as always.

Why does frequent flying ‘help’ you gain weight?

Jet lag and the lack of access to quality food are among the major factors, along with a lack of regular physical exercise. The scientists who conducted the research from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the International Society of Travel Medicine emphasize that this aspect of travel has been under-researched and needs more attention from health specialists. 

>>> Read here: 7 really simple ways how to feel good after a long flight

What’s the golden formula?

According to the study authors, the best formula for your health is traveling by plane a few times a year.

Fun fact: Recent studies reveal that, unlike frequent flying, pasta does not cause gain weight.

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Here’s Celinne and what she shared in a special interview with us.

– Who is Celinne Da Costa and what are her dreams?

– Haha, what a loaded question! How about some fun facts:

•  I am half Italian (born in Rome) and half Brazilian, and I grew up in the US for 15 years
•  In 2016, I left my life in New York City to travel the world full-time
•  I’ve traveled to 50+ countries and have no plans of stopping!
•  In addition to travel, one of my biggest passions is writing. I do it every day 🙂
•  I’m an avid believer that when you have a dream and make a decision to take action towards it every single day, you WILL manifest it into a reality
•  On that note, my dream is to see and feel the world, while building an empire for myself that allows me to pursue my passions and help others along the way!

– Why is the leap from dreaming to acting so hard for most people?

– The biggest obstacle to action is the fear of failure. Most people are scared of the unknown – that they will fail if they jump, they’ll be worse off, they’ll get themselves in unpleasant situations, etc. We have a bad habit of blowing up dreams and putting them on a pedestal so that they almost seem unattainable.

I’ve learned to deal with these fears in several ways:

1. Trusting myself: every single time I’ve taken a leap of faith, it’s worked out for me. There is something to be said about the words “fortune favors the brave.” Not knowing what’s on the other side is scary, but it often pays off.
2. Breaking up dreams into smaller, doable bits: instead of chasing a big lofty dream, I break it down into mini dreams that feel achievable and I make a plan to complete them by a certain deadline!
3. Holding myself accountable: I make a list of my dreams and goals, and the actions I need to complete them. Visualizing helps to keep myself in check and make sure I’m progressing.

– What was the most challenging part of your trip around the world?

– The quick and sudden shifts in lifestyles was quite challenging. I went from living in a big city, working a corporate job, and leading a very stable life, to traveling the world full-time, having no income security, and no control over the conditions I’d be facing in the places I visited. I had to adjust my “New York City” mindset and shift gears to a “vagabonding” mindset. I kept burning out from how much I wanted to do and accomplish, and had to keep reminding myself to slow down and relax.

Funny enough, my challenges during my journey were 90% inside of my head: dealing with my mindset, demons, feeling alone, and being consistently out of my comfort zone to name some.

– What has putting your fate into the hands of strangers taught you about the world?

– I have developed an unshakable belief that on the whole, people are kind. Words cannot describe the many people who, despite not knowing me and owning me nothing, went above and beyond to help me during my journey. They let me into their homes, fed me, sometimes even clothed me, shared with me their deepest vulnerabilities and fears… I learned that everyone has something to teach you, if you just listen. Personally, I learned to be kinder, more compassionate, and open-hearted with the people that I meet, because that’s exactly the type of treatment that I received.

Of course there are bad people in the world, but I strongly believe they are a minority.

– How has your life story changed after the journey?

– Finally, I am writing my own story. When I was in New York City, I felt like I was living in someone else’s dream. I did not have control over my future. Since I left that life behind, I call the shots: where I travel, what I do for a living, who I spend my time with, and what projects I work on. Every day, I wake up and design my life as I want it. It’s an amazing feeling, and I wouldn’t change it for the world.

– Over 70 people hosted you around the world, all connected to you in one way or another. Do you think it’s a realistic feat for anyone to follow your steps?

– It depends on what you want. I wouldn’t recommend that someone copy and paste my project, because it was designed specifically to cater to my strengths and interests. I love traveling, writing about people’s stories, and staying with locals. I also have no problem striking up a conversation with a stranger and asking him or her to stay over. Many people would not feel comfortable with this.

I think it’s possible for people who share similar interests and are willing to put in the hard work of building that network. If that’s not something that someone is passionate about, there are so many other ways to travel similarly to how I did. You just have to get creative by designing a project that works for you and plays to your passions. There are 1001 ways to do this.

– What’s your recipe for being aware of the tiny miracles in our daily lives?

– Pay attention. The only way to find these tiny miracles that surround us every day is to look, smell, feel, and hear them. Practicing mindfulness and being aware of our surroundings is so important when it comes to cultivating our awe and appreciation for this world. How often do we stop and glance at a flower, just because it’s beautiful? Or memorize the details of someone’s face?

Life is so much more fun when we are tapped into the moment and practice gratefulness for even the smallest things that amaze us.

– Share something inspiring with everyone reading this!

– I just published a book! “The Art of Being Human” is a collection of short stories from this life-changing journey around the world – a journey that taught me that we are indeed capable of creating a life that we are proud of, and we don’t have to do it alone.

With this book, the goal was to get my writing out into the world as well as share some of the most special and insightful experiences from my travels around the world.

The message of the book is simple but powerful: humanity is good. No matter where I went, there were people who treated me with kindness, hospitality, and generosity. Yes, there are bad people in the world, but from my experience continuously putting my fate in the hands of strangers, evil is the exception and not the norm.

The hundreds of people I encountered around the world taught me that being human is an art, and this life is our canvas. My book attempts to capture a bit of that philosophy in a way that’s captivating and easy to read.

Follow Celinne’s stories in her website celinnedacosta.com and on Instagram. All photos: Courtesy of Celinne Da Costa

The post Inspiring travelers: Celinne Da Costa’s humanity challenge appeared first on 203Challenges.

>>> Read an excerpt from Lost With Directions here!

We reached out to Rob to ask him a few very important things about challenges and adventures.

– Who is Rob Erwin and what are his dreams?

– I’m just a small-town guy from Illinois who’s spent most of his life doing things I really had no business in doing. I never played a minute of football in my life, and then went on to coach college football for seven years. I never swam a lap in pool in my life until a few years ago, and now I’m training for my first Ironman triathlon. I had no formal writing training, and managed to write a best-selling travel book last year. My goal is to continue learning from all my adventures and experiences, and eventually share something great with the world. I’m not there yet, but I’m working on it.

– Why is the leap from ‘I have a boring job’ to ‘I’m following my dreams’ so hard for most people?

– We’re all afraid of something.

For many, the greatest fear in their lives is what will others think of me? In particular, what will others think of me if I fail? 

The thought of failure, and the pain we associate it, is sadly what keeps many of us from taking chances in our lives.

But what really hurts more? Going on a great adventure, even though you might fall short of your ultimate destination? Or following the herd, and successfully arriving somewhere that, in the end, doesn’t really matter? That’s the question for me.

– What was your biggest ‘mistake’ on the road that you laughed at later?

– The time in the Pelican Valley of Yellowstone, when I sprayed myself in the face with bear spray definitely stands out. And, no, there wasn’t actually a bear involved.

– Why does the wild backcountry attract you?

– Depending where you’re at, the backcountry can be a pretty scary place when you’re out on your own. But I love the adrenaline rush. It’s frightening going through dense brush in grizzly country, or being miles from anyone else in a mountain valley where you just watched a wolf chase down an antelope. But it’s also really exhilarating. You have to dig deep and find the courage to keep going, and for me, that’s always been a rewarding and exciting experience.

– If you have to list five reasons for people to travel more often to small towns, what would they be?

1) You never know what you’re going to find. (Big cities are already well-traveled, it’s really hard to find something that hasn’t already been written about 1,000 times.)

2) You never know who you’re going to find. It takes an uncommon kind of person to live in small-town Appalachia, or the Northwoods of Minnesota, hours away from the closest major city. I’ve met some pretty incredible individuals in these types of towns. (You’re also bound to run into some pretty unusual characters, as well.)

3) Great food. I always eat better in small towns.

4) Cheaper. You won’t break the bank staying the night.

5) Unexpected history. Many of America’s small towns weren’t always so quaint and sleepy. As the population migrated towards the cities in the 20th century, they left behind some pretty incredible stories in their former frontier outposts, boomtowns, and rural hubs.

– What’s your next travel challenge?

– My next travel challenge is a pretty big project, which I’ve already started.

Several years back, I came across the travel series Departures on Netflix. It followed the multi-year journey of two travel companions around the world, and it truly changed my life. The whole time I was watching, I just kept saying to myself, “These guys are living at a different level than the rest of us.”

Departures inspired me to go on the journey that eventually became Lost with Directions: Ambling Around America, and it’s also the inspiration for my latest project, my own travel miniseries.

I’ve currently filmed two installments, with the ultimate goal of four episodes. Each one explores a different part of America, and is shot in a different season. For instance, the Summer episode takes place across the American West, while the Winter episode was shot in the Northwoods of Minnesota and Canada.

It’s been an amazing process, and I’m excited to share it with others. (Anticipated release in December 2018.)

All photos: Rob Erwin. Discover more about his book on its website Lost With Directions. 

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