June is National Iced Tea Month (Giveaway)

Did you know that June is National Ice Tea Month? I ♥ Iced Tea! I could drink it year round. For me, Iced Tea is the perfect summer time beverage. It’s cold, refreshing, tastes great and packs some health benefits too. Yes, you read that right, Iced Tea has health benefits.

Unsweetened Iced Tea has virtually no calories, fat or sodium.  Iced Tea is also a hydrating alternative to sugary beverages like soda, and might help boost weight loss efforts, along with a healthy diet and plenty of exercise. Research cited in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition said that people who consume  an average of two cups of tea a day have a lower percentage of body fat and better weight control compared to those who do not drink tea. 

For those who want to follow the 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans, it is recommend that you limit the amount of sugar that you consume. Tea is the recommended beverage of choice.

Joe Simrany, President of the Tea Council of the USA, recommends consuming plenty of tea. “In addition to keeping you cool and hydrated throughout the summer season, Iced Tea is one of the healthiest beverages you can drink!  Tea helps maintain proper fluid balance and may contribute to overall good health.”

There is a continuous flow of new research supporting the health benefits of drinking tea, particularly those conferred by flavonoids, which help protect skin and keep blood vessels healthy.  Drinking tea has been linked to heart and brain health, as well as a reduced risk for certain cancers, and neurological decline.

Did you know that tea is the most widely consumed beverage in the world next to water? In 2010 Americans consumed well over 65 billion servings of tea, or over 3 billion gallons.  WOW! That is A LOT of tea! Of these amounts 85% of the tea consumed in America is Iced Tea. Tea is also delicious and widely available.

In honor of  National Iced Tea Month, do something good for your body that tastes great. Drink a refreshing glass of Iced Tea. Tea is inexpensive and easy to make at home by the glass or the pitcher. Iced tea can be made from brewed, instant or bottled varieties. 

Here is how to make some refreshing Iced Tea to enjoy all summer long.  

- For small quantities, bring fresh cold tap water to a full, rolling boil. Use 50% more tea than if you were preparing hot tea to allow for dilution by ice.  For example, use one and a half teaspoonfuls of loose tea or one and one half tea bags per cup (five to eight ounces) of water. Pour the boiling water over the tea. Brew three to five minutes. If you prefer your tea less strong, add more water after brewing. Pour over ice.

- For large quantities, prepare a concentrate as follows:  Bring one quart of cold water to a rolling boil. Remove from heat and add 8-10 tea bags per quart of brewed tea desired. Steep three to five minutes and add ice cubes. To serve, pour into tall glasses filled with ice, garnish and sweeten as desired.

- For extra flavor add your favorite fruit, such as lemons, limes or even peaches. I keep one of those plastic lemons filled with lemon juice on hand to squirt into my Iced Tea if I want to add some flavor to it. I haven’t tried Peach yet, but I think I’m going to.

For more information about the role of tea in a healthy diet and lifestyle, please visit www.TeaUSA.org.

The  Tea Council of the USA sent me an awesome pitcher, plenty of tea bags and a really nice cup with a lid that I can enjoy my Iced Tea in. The cup has a travel lid so I can take Iced Tea with me on the go. (The cup pictured below is not the same cup that I received. It was dirty in the sink when this picture was taken).

I make a new pitcher of Iced Tea on average every 2-3 days. It depends on who else in my family drinks it other then me. My husband is not a fan of Iced Tea (he likes hot tea). My kids drink it a few times per week.

Iced Tea is so incredibly easy to make. The longest part is just waiting for the water to boil. LOL!

The pitcher is tall and slim which allows me to keep in on the fridge door. It takes up barely any space at all. I think our Ketchup bottle takes up more space on the door.

Writing about Iced Tea made me crave a glass, which I am enjoying as I type this.

The  Tea Council of the USA has generously offered another Iced Tea set that I can give to a lucky reader. The set includes a pitcher, travel cup, small bottle of lemon juice and some tea bags so you can make some refreshing Iced Tea right away. Thank you Tea Association!

To enter please comment on your favorite way to enjoy tea (hot or iced) and/or your favor flavor of tea. Do you like it sweetened or unsweetened? Another words, tell me why you love tea.

For extra entries you can do any or all of the following. Please leave a separate comment for each that you have done. Extra entries are optional.

- Subscribe to She Scribes and/or Connect with Google Friend Connect. Both options are found on the right side bar.

- “Like” the Tea Council on Facebook, http://www.facebook.com/pages/Tea-Council/79173395916?ref=ts

- “Like” She Scribes on Facebook, www.Facebook.com/SheScribes.

- Follow the Tea Council on Twitter, www.Twitter.com/TeaCouncil.

- Follow She Scribes on Twitter (www.Twitter.com/She_Scribes) and tweet about National Iced Tea Month, the health benefits of tea and/or this giveaway. Be sure to include @She_Scribes in the tweet so I may see it too. This is limited to three tweets per day.

- Blog about National Iced Tea Month and link back to this post and TeaUSA.org. Please provide the URL of the post.

- Share this giveaway with others (Facebook, Digg, Technorati). Please be sure to tell me what you did and provide a name and/or URL so I can verify.

This giveaway is open to US residents only and will end on June 14, 2011 at 11:59 PM (EST). The winner will be chosen at random using a random number generator from all eligible entries. The winner will be notified via e-mail and will have three days to reply with a name and mailing address (no PO Box) or a new winner will be chosen.

Other great giveaways can be found on the right side bar under “Win It”.

Kimberly

*I received a free product sample in order to do this review. There was no compensation. The opinions expressed are my own.

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