The oldest drink in the world

This non-alcoholic herbal beverage gained its worldwide popularity many ages ago. In ancient times, it was famous for its invigorating aroma and healing properties. It can quench your thirst on a hot summer day, and warm you on a cold winter day. This oriental beverage is called tea.

History of Tea

According to an ancient legend, the emperor Shen Nung, the creator of Chinese medicine, discovered tea accidentally in 2737 BC. He was sitting under a tree and boiling the water. Suddenly the wind blew and several leaves from the tree fell right into that water. The emperor dared drink that unknown infusion. Thus, he miraculously discovered a new plant called Camellia sinensis, or simply tea.

However, tea didn’t become popular as a drink in China at once. At first, only aristocrats could enjoy a tea drinking (due to high prices). After China was taken over by the Mongols in the 13th century, tea became accessible to people from all walks of life and gained its popularity throughout the country.

In the 12th century, Japan tasted the tea beverage thanks to a Buddhist monk who brought tea seeds from China to help other Zen Buddhist monks stimulate their meditation.

In the 15th century, thanks to the Japanese tea ceremony tea became more than just a drink; it represented life itself. Time passed and tea drinking became popular among common people.

Tea in Europe

In the 16th century, Portuguese merchants started importing tea from China to their native country. And in the 17th century, Camellia sinensis was brought from China to the Netherlands where it won its popularity. And from Holland tea was delivered to other European countries.

Tea in Britain

In the 17th century, tea was a favorite drink of wealthy Britons, who drank it in coffee houses while discussing business matters.

At that time, that beverage was inaccessible to common people due to fabulous prices caused by high taxes on tea. But in the 18th century, tea was imported illegally to let working classes buy it at low prices. Smuggled tea was often adulterated (by adding leaves from other plants to tea leaves).

After the taxes were reduced by the government in 1785, smuggling was stopped, because tea was sold at affordable prices. Before 1834, tea was mostly brought to Britain from China. But after discovering another variety of tea plant in India, the British started growing it instead of the Chinese tea and importing Indian tea to Europe at lower prices and in large quantities.

Since then, tea in Great Britain was drunk by everyone: from working people to high society, and it became an integral part of British lifestyle.

Tea in the USA

The USA also played its role in the tea history by making two interesting inventions: iced tea and tea bags.

The first tea plant was brought to the USA in the 18th century by a French botanist André Michaux.

In the 19th century, numerous recipes of iced tea appeared in American recipe books. At that time people preferred brewing green tea leaves by steeping them in liquor and adding other ingredients, such as lemon, ice and sugar. Such cold beverages were called tea punches.

In 1904, a merchant Richard Blechynden remembered an iced tea recipe and started to serve it at the World Fair in St. Louis on a sultry summer day. On that memorable day people showed their vivid interest in iced tea and it gained its popularity.

That year, iced tea was included in all cookbooks. However, green tea was replaced by black tea in recipes, because black tea exported from India and Ceylon was much cheaper.

Another important event in the tea industry became the invention of tea bags in America in 1908, thanks to a tea merchant Thomas Sullivan sending tea to his clients in small bags made of silk, which they mistakenly steeped in the boiling water without opening them.

Tea Ingredients

Tea contains:

· Caffeine (stimulating the muscles and the brain),

· Theophylline (activating kidneys, heart and the respiratory system),

· Polyphenols and catechins (antioxidants protecting our body cells from damage that can be caused by free radicals),

· Minerals (potassium, magnesium, copper, manganese) helping the body to make hormones, regulate the heartbeat, and build bones.

Types of Teas and Their Health Benefits

All types of tea are made from leaves of the same plant called Camellia sinensis, but they undergo different processing methods.

There are four main types of tea:

· Black tea

· Green tea

· Oolong

· White tea

Black Tea

Black tea is the most processed tea type and contains a lot of caffeine. However, it has a number of medicinal properties.

Health Benefits

· Decreasing the risk of heart attack and stroke

· Preventing dementia and Parkinson’s disease

· Protecting from certain types of cancer

· Reducing cortisol (stress hormone) level

· Relieving headache

· Improving concentration

· Energizing

· Thinning the blood

Green Tea

Green tea is less processed than black tea, therefore it has more antioxidants.

Health Benefits

· Lowering bad cholesterol and blood sugar levels

· Reducing the risk of stroke or heart attack

· Preventing dementia, Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s diseases

· Improving mental alertness

· Suppressing appetite

· Lowering high blood pressure

· Reducing anxiety

· Preventing cancer

· Promoting weight loss

· Inhibiting skin aging

· Improving blood coagulation and stopping bleeding

Oolong Tea

‘Oo’ means ‘black’ and ‘long’ means ‘dragon’. This tea type is only partially fermented, therefore it possesses qualities of green and black tea.

Health Benefits

· Inhibiting skin aging and improving skin health

· Decreasing bad cholesterol and blood sugar levels

· Preventing the formation of dental plaque and caries

· Strengthening the immune system

· Preventing cancer and heart disease

· Improving mental performance

· Promoting weight loss (by increasing metabolic rate)

White Tea

White tea undergoes the shortest process of oxidation, therefore it contains only a small amount of caffeine, but the greatest number of antioxidants compared to other types of tea.

Health Benefits

· Inhibiting premature aging (by counteracting free radicals)

· Improving skin health

· Preventing the formation of dental plaque and caries

· Preventing cancer

· Lowering bad cholesterol and blood sugar levels

· Minimizing the risk of cardiovascular disease

· Lowering high blood pressure

· Protecting the body from pathogens

· Relieving the symptoms of cold and flu

· Promoting weight loss

· Relieving joint pain

· Thinning the blood

· Improving mental activity

Side Effects of Tea

If you drink a lot of any tea (black, green, oolong, or white) more than 5 cups a day, you may experience the following side effects caused by caffeine:

· Anxiety

· Irritability

· Insomnia

· Headache

· Irregular or fast heartbeat

Nowadays, drinking tea has been commonplace all over the world. But if you want to experience all health benefits of tea, drink it regularly 2-3 cups a day. Just remember the ‘golden mean’ rule: drink it, but don’t overdrink it.

Cats through Ages

On March 1, the whole world celebrates the International "Cat" Day.

From time immemorial these fluffy creatures intrigued people by their mysteriousness, and therefore numerous legends were spread about them all over the planet. When did cats appear? And what is their history?

History of Felines

Wildcats, the ancient ancestors of modern cats, appeared in Mesopotamia (present-day Iraq) 130,000 years ago. However, they were only domesticated about 10,000-12,000 years ago. Mesopotamians bred their cats and used them to catch rodents which tried to devour their grain harvest.

The ancient Egyptians made wildcats their pets about 3500 B.C. and started to treat them with profound reverence, because they truly believed that cats were gifts from the gods. Later the Egyptians created a cult of cats to worship Bastet, the goddess of fertility, depicted with a cat’s head and a woman’s body. She protected hearth and home from evil spirits.

Around 1500 B.C., cats became sacred by the laws of ancient Egypt and those who dared kill them were condemned to death. Moreover, the ancient Egyptians mummified their dead cats and buried them in sacred receptacles. They also shaved the eyebrows to show their deep grief and only stopped mourning their loss when their eyebrows had grown back.

The Egyptians valued their cats’ lives more than human ones. In case of imminent danger, such as fire, people tried to save their cats in the first place even by risking their own lives.

According to the Egyptian laws, these sacred animals were not allowed to export from the country. However, Phoenician traders found a way to bring these precious animals to Europe by smuggling them out of a country. Thus, cats first appeared in Europe about 1000 B.C., where they were used to get rid of rodents. For the ancient Romans, the Egyptian cat became the guardian spirit of their home.

Nevertheless, a cat’s life wasn’t that easy during the Dark Ages, in times of superstitions and fears born by profound ignorance. In Medieval Europe all cats were associated with black magic and for that reason thousands of these poor creatures were annihilated without remorse.

However, later on the Europeans finally realized that the extermination of cats caused the outbreak of the bubonic plague in 1348, because rodents started to propagate uncontrollably.

As a result, fortune smiled on long-suffering cats again.

When the cat family appeared in Asian countries, they were primarily used for the protection of silkworm cocoons from rodents. In Japan, cats were guardians of the home. And in the 10th century, only noble people could be their proud owners.

Furthermore, cats became an object of admiration in Oriental countries for their mysterious behavior and feline grace. They were even immortalized in Japanese and Chinese art.

In the 15th century, cats sailed on ships with seamen to exterminate vermin.

In the 18th century, these fluffy creatures were brought to North America from England by colonists and merchants to chase mice and rats.

In the 19th century, even queen Victoria of Great Britain showed her ardent interest in felines and adopted 2 Persian cats. Soon common people in England and the United States started to follow her example.

Maneki Neko in Japan

In Japan, there is ‘Maneki neko’, a popular cat’s figure bringing good luck.

According to a legend, a cat raised its paw to wave at a passing landlord who was attracted by this gesture and decided to come up to the cat. Suddenly a lightning struck where he had been standing a few moments ago. So that landlord was lucky, because the cat had saved his life. For this reason, the beckoning cat has become a symbol of good luck, especially in business.

Health Benefits of Owning a Cat

According to numerous studies, stroking cats and listening to their purring (generating low frequency sounds) relieves anxiety, stimulates bone growth, especially after fractures, minimizes the risk of heart attack and stroke, and can even lower high blood pressure and ‘bad’ cholesterol. Moreover, cats strengthen the immune system, reduce the symptoms of dyspnea and promote better development of autistic children.

Inventions Inspired by Cats

After comparing philosophers and cats, a French historian Hippolyte Taine came to the conclusion that the wisdom of cats was infinitely superior.

Tesla, electricity and a cat

At the age of three, Nikola Tesla (a physicist and electrical engineer) stroked his cat’s back and saw sparks coming from his hair. The little Tesla was so impressed by this ‘cat’ phenomenon (known as static electricity) that he decided to devote his life to studying electricity.

Cat’s eyes and road reflectors

Felines are also known for their specific night sight, thanks to which reflective road markers were created.

In 1933, Percy Shaw was driving down a dangerous road in pitch darkness and noticed that his headlights had reflected in the eyes of a cat. So, thanks to cat’s eyes glowing on the road at night, Percy invented road reflectors, which saved many drivers’ lives.

The secret of cat’s eyes

Thanks to a reflective layer (tapetum) in feline retina, cat’s eyes can shine in the dark by making an image brighter.

Inspiring scientists, artists and movie makers, cats will always attract people by their mesmerizing look and graceful movements.

By looking into the depths of your soul, these little wise creatures know how to restore your peace of mind when your soul is tortured by worries, and fill your heart with joy when you are in the blues.

P.S.: My blog and photos are dedicated to cats which I have been watching for years in token of my admiration for these fluffy animals.

Hope

Three invisible substances nourish our soul by filling it with a strong wish to continue the chosen way: these are hope, faith and love. My poem is about hope.

Hope
At the dawn of life hope came into being
Like a flower it bloomed in the immature souls
Inspiring people to follow their goals
Fed by emotions day after day, hour by hour
Hope has become the source of inner power,
Burning like eternal flame in the cave of the subconscious mind
Hope has turned into the stronghold for all mankind ...
From time immemorial till the present day
Hope has been the sun lighting up the way
To all human intentions which have flown
Like birds to the future unknown
Hope has been the lighthouse directing all aspirations
Like ships through time and space to chosen destinations
Hope has been the bridge over the river of Fate for ages
Supporting people at all life stages
In this ever changing world hope is a treasure of the soul,
Reflecting indissoluble union of the mind and goal

Photography

In my opinion, one of the greatest achievements in the hi-tech history was the invention of the camera which enriched our life considerably. Photography became one of the ways of embodiment of our artistic ideas by adding colorfulness and freshness to our memories.

Our memory possesses an interesting feature of erasing vivid images of the past in the course of time, but thanks to the camera we can retrieve them from the digital all-remembering memory, whenever we like in all their beauty of the years gone by.

Among my photographic preferences are representatives of flora and fauna. But most of all I like photographing the sky. The universe has its own soul. And every time we look at the sky, we see the soul of the universe, the reflection of its emotions which vary every day like our own emotions. And the camera perfectly demonstrates it.