You know that drinking plenty of water is important, but sometimes it’s less than inspiring – especially if you’re used to diet soda or juice drinks. So how do you make your water taste better without adding sugar or anything artificial? Infused water to the rescue!
Infusing your water with fruit or herbs adds great taste without changing the calorie content or sugar impact. As an added plus, a cup of fruit is enough to infuse a whole pitcher of water, while a handful in your water bottle will flavor your refills all day.
Here’s some quick tips and recipes for infused water that will have reaching for your glass all day long…
As a busy entrepreneur, the one thing I prioritize is great sleep. I don’t perform at my best when I don’t sleep well, so getting 7–9 hours of quality sleep is non-negotiable. My Sleep Cheat Sheet gives you my top tips for solid, consistent sleep every night. Get the FREE guide here.
How to Make Infused Water
- Choose your favorite combination of fruits and herbs from the list below. (Remember, pick organic when you can and wash produce thoroughly.)
- Thinly slice fruits and gently crush herbs and ginger root to release their flavorful oils.
- Add your produce to filtered water and refrigerate; cucumbers, citrus, melon, and softer herbs like mint flavor water almost immediately. Meanwhile, apples, cinnamon, fresh ginger root, and tougher herbs like rosemary need an overnight soak.
- If infusing in a water bottle, refill with fresh water when you’re at the halfway mark. That will ensure your water remains flavorful throughout the day.
- If you’re not going to finish your infused water within 24 hours, strain out the fruit or herbs and refrigerate the water for up to 3 days.
Remember, water with fresh fruit in it shouldn’t sit at room temperature for more than 2 hours because it may cause bacterial growth. Be sure to stash your bottle in the fridge between drinks or add ice to keep it fresh.
Flavor Options
Some of my favorite flavor combinations are listed below, but the sky’s the limit! It’s worth noting that some of these fruits are high-sugar impact, so treat them as flavor carriers rather than snacks…
- blueberries and strawberry slices
- crushed raspberries and thinly sliced lemon
- crushed mint leaves, crushed ginger root, and thinly sliced lime
- watermelon chunks and crushed basil leaves
- grapefruit slices and fresh thyme leaves
- thinly sliced apple and cinnamon sticks
- cucumber slices and thinly sliced jalapeno
- cantaloupe chunks, crushed mint leaves, and thinly sliced lime
- thinly sliced lemon, strawberry slices, and crushed fresh rosemary
- thinly sliced orange, crushed ginger root, and cinnamon sticks
Staying hydrated really is essential to looking and feeling your best. It helps your body fight infection, decreases your appetite, and makes your skin look younger and firmer.1-3 (Learn 5 easy ways to tell if you’re getting enough water in this blog.) Make yourself a pitcher of infused water before bed tonight, and get ready to feel great tomorrow!
My Ultimate Health Roadmap is a short, actionable guide that shows you how easy it can be to take small but important steps every day toward staying fit, healthy, and positive. Grab your FREE guide here.
References:
1 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17228036
2 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18589036
3 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22190027
The views in this blog by JJ Virgin should never be used as a substitute for professional medical advice. Please work with a healthcare practitioner concerning any medical problem or concern. The information here is not intended to diagnose, treat, or prevent any disease or condition. Statements contained here have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration.
