Infused Water

Good for Your Health

by A.L. Woods, Staff Writer

Infused water, or detox water, as it's sometimes commonly called, is all the rage now, and for good reason. It's delicious, easy to make, and has wonderful nutritive benefits.

Simply put, infused water is made by slicing select fruits and veggies (and sometimes herbs) into water and letting it stand, or infuse, anywhere from 30 minutes to overnight. Much of the vitamin content of the fruits and veggies seeps into the water and you receive the health value when you drink it.

There are many recipes available for making infused water, and you're only limited by your creativity in terms of the fruit and veggie combinations that you put together. Some choose their ingredients based on the nutritional value of each fruit and vegetable; others choose based on the taste that they're seeking to achieve.

The most popular infused water recipes use lemons as a staple ingredient. The very first well-publicized notion of infused water was promoted by Prevention Magazine as a component of the Flat Belly Diet. Branded as "Sassy Water," the recipe for Sassy Water quickly went viral all over the Web.

Anecdotal evidence reveals that infused water encourages:

• Increased water consumption, thereby keeping one more hydrated
• Helps with detox
• Decreases stomach bloating and
• Facilitates weight loss in general

Some of my favorite infused water combinations are:

Lemon/cucumber
Lemon/cucumber/mint
Lemon/cucumber/lime
Lemon/cucumber/lime/orange/apple
Watermelon/lemon/mint

In terms of proportions, I just eyeball the amounts of each fruit and vegetable used based on the size of the pitcher, again, using lemon as the predominant ingredient.

Dr. Oz has promoted infused water in the past and believes strongly that it offers multiple health benefits to all who drink it. He also has a number of recipes with specific nutritional benefits associated with each fruit or vegetable used.

With the increase in popularity of infused water also comes an increase in the manufacture and sales of a variety of infusion pitchers and infusion water bottles. These items have a small vented cylinder that attaches to the top of the container in which the user can place her chosen fruits and vegetables for infusion. The advantage to using infusion pitchers and water bottles is that the fruits and vegetables can easily be removed from the container simply by removing the cylinder so that they don't overinfuse into the water, causing bitterness.

As summertime approaches, I heartily recommend that you try infused water for yourself. It's a great alternative to the sugary, expensive, and chemical-laden vitamin waters that you buy from the supermarket and it's a great way to stay hydrated with a minimal amount of fuss.


*Photo: Rachel B. Lane

[Originally published on Yahoo! Voices on 05/18/2014 (no longer published there).]

An Infused Water Recipe That Everyone Will Love

by A.L. Woods, Staff Writer

Infused water continues to be a popular choice for health enthusiasts right now because of its many nutritive benefits, ease of preparation, and taste. It's also a wonderful substitute for the commercially prepared, sugar-laden vitamin waters that are available in the grocery stores. Infused water is great for hydration, helping with weight loss, and increasing your energy level. It also tends to promote increased water intake, always a major value add.

 

Here's my own personal recipe for my favorite mix that gets rave reviews every time it's served.

 

What You'll Need

 

A 3-quart glass pitcher (either an infusion pitcher or a plain one)

Purified water (either bottled or filtered)

3 large lemons

1 large cucumber

1 medium lime (optional)

3 sprigs of mint

3-5 large strawberries

1 large apple

How to Prepare

 

Wash all produce thoroughly and slice.

 

Rinse mint sprigs well.

 

Drop all produce in pitcher starting with the softest first (in this order: Lemons, cucumbers, limes, strawberries, apple, and mint).

 

Fill pitcher with water, cover, and allow to sit overnight.

 

Final Results

 

The resulting infusion is both delicious and beautiful, and the strawberries lend a lovely pink blush to the water.

 

Sip on this all day. Most people find that it encourages restroom runs due to its detox effect, so take this into account as you go about your day. If you tend to suffer from stomach bloat, the increased tinkling will help with that.

 

With your increased water intake, you'll be better hydrated. I'd always heard that the better hydrated you are, the better you sleep and the more energy that you have. I've found this to be true with my own experimentation with infused water.

 

Since I've started drinking infused water I've lost my taste for sodas and sugary drinks. Seriously, even without any sweetener (either natural or artificial) I've found this recipe to be absolutely delicious-and that's a lot to say coming from a self-avowed sugar addict.

 

Tips

• Use a natural veggie wash. You can find a variety of these either online or in the store.
• Buy organic whenever possible. Yes, it will increase your preparation costs a bit, but the health benefits are well worth the increase in price.
• Always be careful to choose the freshest produce that you can. Be sure that there are no blemishes or spots.
• Add a little ginger to the water for added digestive effect.
• Buy a pretty glass to use to drink your infused water throughout the day. I even use a glass straw to sip mine with. They add to the beauty of the presentation and the water tastes really clean going through it.

I hope that you enjoy this recipe as much as I do and that it adds an added boost to your health and fitness journey.

Drink up!

Source:
Personal experience

*Photo: (c) A.L. Woods

[Originally published on Yahoo! Voices on 05/20/2014 (no longer published there).]