The Minoan civilization

Crete is a land of great history where the bright Minoan civilization prospered. Great mystery covers this civilization as there are no written sources to get more information about it because they were probably lost due to great disasters. Some connect this mystery with the volcanic eruption of Santorini which in its turn caused immense waves to rise and cover Crete thoroughly and others with constant earthquakes and enemy attacks which caused the disappearance of the civilization. Only ancient ruins remain to remind us that thousands of years ago the civilization that took its name from its mythical king Minos, who was the son of Zeus and Europa, existed. It is said that the Minoans were some of the most experienced sailors of antiquity. They were also good warriors, merchants and looking at their frescoes found in ruins like the ones in Knossos we realize that they were very skillful artists too. The Minoans were peaceful people as a trading culture but sometimes they would act aggressively against pirates. One of the most known symbols of the Minoans was a symmetric double axe named Labyris or Labrys also known as Pelekys and was associated with female divinities. The center of the Minoan civilization was the city Knossos which is also considered as Europe’s oldest city and some believe that Knossos was where the mythical structure labyrinth, home of the half man, half bull Minotaur existed.

Why does time fly when you’re having fun?

Have you ever noticed that when you are on vacation or going out with friends and family and having fun time seems to pass by faster than usual? But what is the explanation of this phenomenon?! Focus! When you focus on doing something you enjoy, your mind perceives time differently than when you are doing something you would rather not. The same principle applies to the idea that time goes faster as we get older. Adult life has increased responsibilities and less time to have fun and all we notice is time itself. Furthermore anxiety combined with our focus on time has a negative impact on our mental health as all we think is that there isn’t enough time to get everything done and the anxiety increases rapidly. We should organize our days in a way that will benefit our health instead of making it worse. There is time to do everything we need the only limit is our mind’s perception of it. Fulfill your obligations, eat balanced and healthy and focus on the good and happy side of life!  

The ancient Greek warship, the Trireme

The Trireme was invented at the end of the 8^th BC century and took its final form at the 5^th BC century. It had three rows of oars, two sails and its main weapon was a bronze ram on the ship’s prow. It was one of the fastest and one of the most agile ships of the ancient Greek navy and proved it during the battle of Salamis in the Saronic Gulf. Trireme was one of the best inventions of ancient Greek technology. Furthermore it had 90 oars on each side and a single oarsman per oar. The light materials that were used for its construction and the strength of the oarsmen allowed the Trireme to travel at high speed which combined with its battering ram could inflict devastating damage on the enemy ships.

What to do to have a healthy life

But what is health?! The term health refers mainly to two different meanings. The first is our physical health which relates to our muscles, internal organs, skin, bones and cardiovascular system. The second one is our mental health which relates to our emotional and psychological well-being, our ability to cope with the stresses of life and a good mental health helps us enjoy life.

Some tips to improve your physical and mental health:

1.    The power of laughter! Laughter annihilates stress and fear, releases endorphins which are chemicals produced by the central nervous system and increase our resistance to pain. It can also boost our immune system and it can be a good abs workout as it expands and contracts our abs group of muscles. So laugh to your heart’s content!

2.    Listen to your favorite music or choose your favorite instrument and start music lessons if you haven’t already! Studies have shown that music affects the part of the brain which controls feelings and emotions. It can reduce stress and anxiety, elevate mood, help you sleep better and motivate you to workout.

3.    Feeling motivated yet?! Now it’s the time to start working out! A regular physical activity program will benefit your body and mind as it can help you lose and control your weight, boost your immune system and protect you against health conditions and diseases, improve your muscle strength and endurance and even improve your self-confidence and self-esteem.

4.    Change your diet! Good and balanced nutrition is the key to a healthy and improved life. Eat a variety of foods drink lots of water which considering the above mentioned will improve your physical and mental health fast.

 

5 Foods that protect you against harmful sunrays

1.Carrots

They contain high content of water and high levels of anti-oxidants such as beta-carotene which protect and repair your cells from damage like sunburns. Carrots will also help slow down the aging process.

2.Watermelons

Another great food to shield your skin from sunburns. They contain the red carotenoid lycopene which increases skin protection against UV rays and they can easily quench your thirst as they are made up of 99% water.

3.Green tea

It’s rich in an anti-oxidant called Epigallocatechin gallate. EGCG can stop genetic damage in human skin cells caused by harmful sunrays.

4.Almonds

One of the best sources of vitamin E which make the body healthy from within, so it’s consumption is one of the best choices to help you protect your skin.

5.Dark chocolate

Rich in anti-oxidants called flavonoids dark chocolate can lower the risk of cardiovascular disease, lower blood pressure, improve blood flow and improves the skin’s ability to protect against skin damage such as sunburns.