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.

5 popular Peloponnese destinations

1. The seaport town Nafplio

2. The castle town Monemvasia

3. The historical Mani

 
 4. The picturesque Methoni

 
5. Greece's third largest city Patra

The benefits of swimming

Swimming not only builds you strength and stamina but it can also save your life. Swimming is a carviovascular exercise and we could say that it's a forced cardio exercise because if you stop moving you will sink. It's more difficult for you to suffer an injury while swimming as the buoyancy of your body won't let such thing to happen. The reason is that the water resistance makes it more difficult for you to move which prevents you from sudden moves and thus reduces the danger of suffering an injury. Water can also have therapeutic properties as it can contribute to the recovery of an injured person. A good healthy diet and a swimming workout routine will help you achieve fitness faster and safer, release your stress and teach you patience.