Getting Personal

                More Tea Vicar | Personalised Mugs from GettingPersonal.co.uk
            
                The British love a cup of tea, in fact we're famous for it and there are no better things to drink a cuppa' from than some well made personalised mugs. So, in this article we're going to be focussing on the wonder that is tea and the delightful practice of drinking it! We'll also tell you why getting your friends personalised mugs for Christmas, or their Birthdays might be a good idea.

The Tea Institution
In the UK we drink a lot of tea; in fact some statistics suggest that we get through 165 million cups of tea each day! So it's a good idea to buy any Briton personalised mugs to drink their 2.5 cups a day out of. 

Tea has a very interesting history and it started to gain popularity in Imperial China. There the Emperor Shen Nung who was a herbalist was said to be boiling some water when some leaves fell in to it on the wind. He tasted the water, in which the leaves had steeped and legend has it that this was how tea was first born. Another story suggests that it was an Indian prince who first discovered tea and he was named Bodhidharma. 

According to some writings, Bodhidharma was a Buddhist convert who was touring China for religious reasons and he needed to stay awake for prayer, travel and meditation. He chewed on some leaves (tea leaves) and their stimulant properties (the caffeine in them) helped to keep him awake so that he could study.

There are lots of other myths and legends about the beginnings of tea too and some are more fanciful than others. One of the difficulties in finding the truth is the fact that until the 3rd century several different herbs were used to make a drink which was a lot like tea, not just tea leaves themselves, but they were all named T'u by the Chinese people. By the 3rd century Ch'a was used for tea specifically and some people think this is because it stood out from the rest and needed a character in its own right.

Health Benefits
The purported health benefits of tea are numerous! Which is why we think that personalised mugs make such great gifts, anything which can encourage your loved ones to drink more tea is a good thing. In fact tea has lots of antioxidants which help prevent tissues from breaking down and dying, tea is also very hydrating. This is news to some people because many of us think that tea dries you out according to surveys, but the truth is the amount of caffeine in tea, as compared to the amount of water means that tea is only ever really hydrating.

Caffeine in tea is only there in small natural amounts but there's still enough to keep you sparky and fluoride which naturally occurs in tea can help keep your teeth healthy! Each day about 40 of the UK's fluid intake is comprised of tea and without milk tea doesn't contain any calories at all which makes it a great thing to drink if you're on a diet. 

With skimmed milk, a cup of tea only totals around 13 calories per cup and the milk will also provide the drinker with some calcium and some minerals. Tea also contains: zinc and folic acid, Vitamin B6, Riboflavin B2 and Thiamine B1, along with some great minerals such as manganese which is good for bones and potassium which is good for keeping you hydrated.

Personalised Mugs
Throughout the years personalised mugs have been a bit of a staple in the gift industry and that might have given them a reputation for being slightly cheesy but they're actually fab. They are useful, personal and affordable and make great presents either on their own or along with some other small presents. Nothing is quite so nice as grabbing a book or turning on your favourite TV show and settling down in a big arm chair with a mug of tea! And personalised mugs just make the experience even better. 

With personalised mugs the people you give them to know that you've thought of them and made a little effort. They realise that it takes a bit of time and energy to get them something which is both practical and meaningful. Loads of people love personalised mugs and if you have a friend who drinks a lot of tea (they're probably very healthy!) a personalised mugs could be the perfect present for them.

Related article: 5 Minutes Peace with Your Name On it (Personalised Mugs)