Are you interested in placing an order? Tea Connexions and its independent distributor members ensure that your orders are processed simply and safely. Through our system of localized distribution, you have the opportunity to order from your nearest distributor for prompt, courteous, and cheerful service. Local service benefits you because it decreases shipping time and costs. It also benefits you because you are not dealing with a head office in another state or country, but a local representative better able to serve your needs, answer your questions, and address any concerns you may have. Many of our distributors offer gift-wrapping and other gift giving services to facilitate your gift giving needs. To find out about these services, simply call your nearest distributor or send them an e-mail. Do remember that all of our products carry a 100% money back guarantee! To find your nearest distributor, please click here.

I look forward to giving away many more cups of FREE tea. Remember our motto: Gourmet Teas. Beautiful Packaging. Superior Service. Exceptional Value.

Yours sincerely,

Daisy Lieu
Marketing Director
Tea Connexions

P.S. Feel free to share this newsletter with your friends and family.
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2.Tea4Free Contest Winners
The Tea4Free contest is ongoing and winners are posted here.

Congratulations to our 3 recent lucky winners: Davison N. of White Bear Lake, MN., Betty D. of Anthony, NM., and Nicole Y. of Saskatoon, SK.

• Bill Ingrahm, of www.incelebrationoftea.com, presented the tea4free prize to our lucky winner, Davison N. of White Bear Lake, MN.
• Mike Hernandez, of www.nmteawholesale.com, presented the tea4free prize to our lucky winner, Betty D. of Anthony, NM.
• Daisy Lieu, of www.teaconnexions.com, presented the tea4free prize to our lucky winner, Nicole Y. of Saskatoon, SK.

To date, nearly $6140.00 worth of FREE gourmet teas beautifully packaged have been given away to tea lovers throughout North America. That is enough tea to make nearly 60,050 cups of free tea. WOW!
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3. Brewing Tea Tips
Brewing a great cup of tea is not difficult! If you pay attention to a few crucial details, you can sit back and enjoy an excellent cup of tea -- whatever type you choose. The correct quantity of tea, good water, and accurate steeping time are all essential components of brewing tea.

For all Hot Teas:
a) Start with fresh drawn water, low in chlorine and calcium salts, and heat the water. It is also good to use filtered or distilled water. For black tea, use the water when it comes to just the boiling point (at this temperature, the water begins to roar slightly, but does not give off steam significantly). For Green tea, the water should be heated to a lower temperature. Don't over-boil the water, as it will deaerate and result in a flat tasting tea.

WATER TIP:
According to expert tea tasters, water is as important an ingredient in brewing tea as the tea leaves themselves. Unfortunately, chlorinated water from most city taps is said to jeopardize the aroma of tea, and pollutants can affect the colour. Natural water sources, such as spring water, are best for brewing tea rich in aroma and vibrant in colour. If spring water is not readily available to you, store regular tap water in containers overnight to allow the chlorine to evaporate. After this, the tap water will be good for brewing the perfect cup of tea.

If you are using bottled spring water, be sure to shake the bottle to aerate or oxygenate the water, or your tea could have a flat taste. It's the oxygen in the water that opens up the tea leaf for full flavor extraction.

b) Warm your empty tea pot by filling it with hot water.

c) Add the tea. In the case of loose tea, one half to one level teaspoon is sufficient for one cup. In the case of tea bags, one tea bag is sufficient for two cups. Use high quality teas for a better cup.

d) The hot water should be immediately poured over the tea pot, covered (preferably with a tea cozy), and given time to brew. We suggest placing the tea directly at the bottom of the tea pot. Tea balls and strainers, while convenient, often yield poorer tasting tea as they are often too small to allow the leaves to fully unravel.

Caffeine Facts:
These tips help lessen the caffeine content in your cup.

Usually 80 percent or more of the tea's caffeine content is released within the first 20 to 30 seconds of steeping. Wash your tea leaves by infusing them for approximately 1 minute and pouring off that brew which contains the most caffeine, then steep tea as usual.

However, the trade off is that you will lose many of your nutrients found in that initial steep. Tea bags impart more caffeine into your cup, because there is more open surface in bagged teas, more open surface allows more caffeine into your cup.

e) Brewing times vary. The amount of time needed varies depending on the leaves being used and your desired tea strength. In the case of tea bags, one minute is sufficient. Black loose leaf teas require 3 to 5 minutes. All teas will become bitter if brewed for longer than 5 or 6 minutes. The exception is Oolong and Green teas, which can be brewed for 5 to 8 minutes without becoming bitter. Use a timer to prevent over-brewing.

f) Serve the tea. In the case of tea bags, remove them and serve the tea. In the case of loose leaf tea, pour the tea into cups through a strainer to catch the leaves.

g) Enjoy your tea. Additives like sugar, milk, lemon, and honey may be added. Darjeeling is best taken pure.

Making a Pretty Good Second Pot
Remember that you can get a second pot out of just about any tea type. If the tea is loose in the pot, first pour off the cold excess liquid through a filter and return the leaves to the pot. Fill the pot about 3/4's full of fresh hot water. If desired, add a bit more fresh tea. Let this pot steep a few minutes longer than the first.

If the tea is in an infuser or paper filter, simply put it back into fresh hot water as above. It is a lot easier to add a bit more fresh tea if you are using a filter rather than an infuser.

If you would like to share some of your tea brewing tips, please email me.
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4. Tea Value

*For every 100g carton of loose leaf tea, you can brew over 100 cups of tea! WOW! That's pennies per cup!

*For every tea bag, you can brew 2 cups of tea! Great value!

*While tea value is second to coffee, cup for cup, tea drinkers outweigh coffee drinkers, making tea the most consumed beverage, second only to water.

*Besides its monetary value, by now we all know that tea has many excellent nutritive values such as having powerful antioxidant properties that can help us fight free radicals, aiding in digestive function such as helping the functioning of the kidneys to remove waste from the body, and has no fat, starch or sugar and is calorie free. Thus tea is the ideal complement to a diet and can contribute to a healthier lifestyle.

*Additionally, the average daily tea consumption provides approximately 16% of the recommended daily amount of calcium as well as significant amounts of folic acid, riboflavin (B2) and vitamin B6.

*As warm drinks are more readily absorbed by the body, tea is also an excellent choice after exercise, helping replace lost body fluid as well as being revitalising and refreshing.

*What is also great about tea is that it is an ideal fluid replacement, and with a daily fluid intake recommendation of 1.5 litres a day, you can enjoy tea as much and often as you like!

Tea...is the Beverage of Choice!!
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5. This Month’s Featured Teas
Happy St. Patty's Day! How about some Green or Oolong teas for St. Patricks Day...March 17 is reserved annually to honor St. Patrick. A Green tea party makes a suitable idea for people who love tea!

GT01 - Darjeeling Organic Green Tea Darjeeling Organic Green Tea's unfermented leaf differentiates it from black teas, which rely upon fermentation for their flavor. Research has proven the health-giving benefits of antioxidants, like those found in tea. The mellow taste of Darjeeling Organic Green Tea makes becoming healthier sheer pleasure. This tea is suited best without milk.
GT02 - Gun Powder Darjeeling Green Tea The "Green Pearls" or Darjeeling Gun Powder Tea leaves are unfermented. Gently steamed within hours of plucking, leaves are skillfully rolled into tight small pellets resembling gunshot. Gun powder tea retains its delicate flavor and aroma far longer than other Green teas. Rich in fluoride, calcium, and antioxidants, gun powder tea is well known for its strong bitter taste, which is why coffee drinkers readily switch to Green tea. This dark tea is best without milk.
ST04- Silver White Tips The delicate buds of Darjeeling Silver White Tips are plucked before they are opened. Natural moisture evaporates and the buds are gently dried. The silver-white bud produces pale, straw colored liquor, subtly flavored and scented. Darjeeling Silver White's health benefits are similar to those of Green tea. This tea is delicious without milk.
DT205- Oolong Darjeeling Capture the essense of old Calcutta with Oolong Darjeeling, a semi-fermented leaf tea. This popular straight tea is perhaps the only one in which the two-leaf one-bud combination is almost intact until the final stage of production. Oolong Darjeeling combines the aroma of a quality Green tea with the taste of a quality black tea. To learn more about other lovely tea gifts or order any of these teas for St. Patricks Day party, please click here to find your nearest distributor. - - - top - - -

Have you ever noticed that tea is brought to the table for all ages at all types of occassions?

Teens (ages 12-17)
According to the Tea Association of Canada, tea is the beverage of choice for the next generation. Teens tend to drink more loose leaf teas. More than other age groups, teens enjoy a wide selection of herbal infusions, specialty black teas, and Green teas. Teens have discovered the pleasure of sipping a variety of black and Green teas and that tea is not only a fresh, hip beverage, but healthy too.

Adults
Women between 30 and 50 years of age are still the predominate tea-drinking consumers who mainly drink it during leisure-time breaks and in social outlets. Women prefer flavored teas such as vanilla and mango, and chai, and blends such as Earl Grey.

Men, however, comprise an increasing segment that is seeking the enjoyment of tea. They have heard the reports that claim tea is good for you and are consuming tea for health reasons, as well as to relieve stress. And, once they try tea, they realize that it tastes good, too. Men generally prefer the basic teas, including Oolongs and Greens.

An article in www.teausa.com indicated that the tea-drinking demographics are changing to include a broader consumer base from young to old. Also changing is the time of day when tea is traditionally consumed to include almost any time during the day.
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7. Green Tea Recipe

Green Tea Fruit Punch

Ingredients:
3 cups of Green tea (loose or bagged)
1 1/2 cups water
1 cup honey
1 cup orange juice
1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
1 cup fresh fruit, crushed
1 pint ginger ale

Method:
Brew Green tea according to Tea Brewing Tips (in Topic #2). Allow it to cool. Mix all ingredients except ginger ale. Just before serving add ginger ale and crushed ice. If the punch is too strong for your taste you can dilute with ice water or more ginger ale.
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8. Health News

To submit health news, e-mail us.

TEA AND CANCER
At a conference at the US Department of Agriculture, a study by Dr Junshi Chen from the Chinese Academy of Preventative Medicine in Beijing, has revealed that there is evidence, given as a liquid and rubbed on to the affected area, the tea significantly reduced the growth of pre-cancerous cells.

TEA AND PROSTATE HEALTH
Men who enjoy the mellow flavor and soothing ritual of Green tea may also be lowering their risk of prostate cancer. Scientists at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland reported that Green tea polyphenols inhibit an enzyme that is over-expressed in prostate cancer, indicating that Green tea might be effective in prostate cancer prevention.

TEA AND YOUR SKIN
Researchers at the Medical College of Georgia say the skin-healing properties of Green tea may help scientists develop new treatments. Green tea contains compounds called polyphenols, which help eliminate free radicals. These free radicals can cause cancer by altering DNA. Polyphenols containing EGCG (reactivates skin cells) also protect healthy cells while promoting the death of cancer cells.
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9. TEA-mates: Members of the Tea Connexions Buying Group

Tea Connexions is dedicated to providing the highest quality gourmet teas. Packaged beautifully, they make an ideal gift for tea lovers, health enthusiasts, and connoisseurs of fine art. Our mission is to offer you beautifully packaged gourmet teas distributed by an elite group of independent distributors that offer you superior service and exceptional value. Your satisfaction is assured; all of our products carry a 100% money back guarantee.

More than 100 distributors look forward to serving your tea and gift giving needs. For an updated list, click here. If a distributor is not in your immediate area, please choose the closest distributor. Please note, this list represents distributors whose online stores are live and active; missing are distributors whose stores are still under construction. To choose your nearest distributor, using a clickable image map, click here.
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10. Once Upon a Tea Time . . . Submit Your Fondest Tea Memory to Win Free Tea

Whether it's childhood memories of granny's kitchen, mom's healing hands or toasts to success, each month Tea 4 Free News - Teazine features favourite tea stories. We would love to hear yours. If we choose your story, we will send you a FREE carton of Darjeeling tea bags.

This featured Tea Story is from Dianna Nelson:

The tradition of "party tea" has been in my family for four generations. When my mom was a little girl, her grandma served her "party tea" made the "British way" (Grandma was British) and served in a proper, pretty tea cup. It consisted of at least half a cup of milk, a spoonful or two of sugar and then tea to the top. This delightful drink was perfect for a little girl because it was mild, sweet and not too hot.

My mom remembered this with such fondness that she started making "party tea" for me when I was a girl. I have carried on the tradition and make it for my own daughters, ages seven and four.

We all love a good cup of tea, the beauty of the teacups and the wonderful company of one another. Ahhhhh, a slice of paradise.

To submit a tea story, e-mail us.
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Next Issue . . .

- - - >Tea 4 Free Winners
- - - >What is Herbal Tea?
- - - >Tea and Food Combinations
- - - >More Recipes
- - - >Spring Tea Ideas
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12. Credits

This issue of Tea 4 Free News - Teazine was researched and written by Daisy Lieu, Marketing Director for Tea Connexions. The html version of this newletter and all web sites www.leaftea.com, www.teabizinabox.com, www.tea4free.com, and www.leafteabiz.com are managed and created by our Creative Director, Suruchi Gupta. If you would like more information about how you can benefit from her services, click here.
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