How to Infuse Your Own Water – Complete Guide & Recipes
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Everybody knows the many health benefits of drinking enough water, but sometimes plain water gets boring. Then, it’s time to spice things up a bit by drinking infused water. Infused water is not only delicious, but it also helps add nutrients to you water, making it even more healthy for you. Although you can by flavored water in nearly any store, they’re often loaded with sugars and other additives. Instead, infuse your own water to save money and improve your health.
Infusing water is incredibly easy. Begin with a pitcher of fresh or sparkling. Glass pitchers work best since they don’t leach any extra undesirable flavors into your water. Then, just add your infusion ingredients, several of which we have listed below. With most ingredients, make sure you mash them up or break them into as small of pieces as possible before adding them.
Then, all that’s left is to wait. If you are infusing at room temperature, you can let your pitcher sit out for about 4 hours. If you want a stronger infusion, then you can put your pitcher in the refrigerator to infuse overnight. This will allow the added ingredients plenty of time for their nutrients to be absorbed into the water.
Popular Infusion Ingredients:
Here are some of the most popular ingredients for infused water. You can chose just one, or several for different combinations of flavors and benefits.
Lemon
This is one of the most popular infusion ingredients, and one of the best because of the effects it has on your body. First of all, lemon helps balance the pH of your body which is important for a number of functions. It also helps to cleanse your whole body, particularly your liver.
Lime
Like lemons, limes are beneficial to a number of areas of your body, including the skin, eyes, and digestion. They have also been shown to help aid in weight loss.
Orange
Most people just think of vitamin C when it comes to the benefits of oranges, but oranges also have a number of other important vitamins and minerals. These nutrients work together to make oranges a powerhouse in lowering bad cholesterol and increasing heart health.
Berries
No matter which type you choose, berries are packed with antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals. Everything from blueberries to raspberries to blackberries will help you feel and look younger with their anti-inflammatory properties.
Cucumbers
Cucumbers are another powerful vegetable when it comes to cleansing your system and getting rid of toxins. They also have been found to help with digestive problems and can improve joint health, making them a great add-in to any water infusion.
Apple
High in fiber and super beneficial to your digestive tract, apples are a great infusion ingredient. They will not only help increase the number of good gut bacteria, but they will also help you regulate your blood sugar levels.
Whether you follow somebody else’s recipe or try your own by mixing and matching, making your own infused water is one of the fastest, easiest, and cheapest ways that you can be healthier and enjoy drinking water.
Water Infusion Recipes:
1. Infused ice cubes
Check out this great idea for infused ice cubes. When you have some leftover herbs and produce, grab some ice cube trays and fill halfway with water; then simply chop up ingredients and drop into ice cube trays. Let freeze for a few hours, then add more water to fill to the top. Freeze again. These make great quick infusions when you are short on time.
2. Berry, Peach, Coconut
Check out this yummy combination. It includes blueberries, blackberries, peaches, and coconut water. We love using coconut water because it has electrolytes and minerals to replenish hydration. Here’s the recipe for infused coconut water with blueberries, blackberries, and peaches.
3. Sweet-Tart
Check out this fun recipe for infused water with pineapple chunks, cherries, and granny smith apples. The flavor combination is sweet and tart, for when you feel a little bit on the wild side. Apples are known for their vitamin C content, as well as, being heart healthy and lowering cholesterol.
4. Watermelon Mint
Check out this watermelon and mint infused water recipe. Simple and tasty, this infused water is the quintessential flavor of summer. Mint has a lot of health benefits, including relieving indigestion.
5. Strawberry Lemon
This actually tastes like a lemonade without the extra calories and sugar. Check out the strawberry lemon water recipe and get to infusing. Strawberries are very good for you, packed with antioxidants and known to promote eye health. Be sure to remove the rind from the lemon. Lemon rinds can make the water tart.
6. Cucumber Lavender
You may not think these two go together, but just try it and see if you change your mind. Here is the cucumber lavender water infusion recipe. Lavender is a great anti-inflammatory and helps treat anxiety.
7. Rosemary Grapefruit
This is unique twist on infused water— rosemary and grapefruit. The rosemary is sweet and earthy, and the grapefruit and bright and tart. Rosemary has vitamin B6, iron and calcium. It is known for helping to alleviate sore muscles. Here’s the rosemary grapefruit water infusion recipe with instructions.
8. All Citrus
You can’t go wrong with orange, lime and lemon. Check out exact quantities here: orange, lime, lemon infused water. These three citrus fruits contain antioxidants and protect against heart disease.
9. Lemon Cucumber Mint
This combination is fresh and satisfying. Lemon and cucumber work together to help relieve bloating, making this recipe a great detox water infusion. Read more here: cucumber, lemon, mint water.
10. Pineapple Orange Ginger
Have you tried ginger in your water yet? If you haven’t, definitely put it on your list. And the combination with pineapple and orange will be tangy and delightful. Check out this pineapple orange ginger water infusion recipe. There are many benefits of ginger, one of the most well-known is relieving nausea.
Still need more information on water infusions:
Check out these resources:
Fruit Infused Water: 80 Vitamin Water Recipes for Weight Loss, Health and Detox Cleanse
Fruit Infused Water from Michigan State University Extension
Source: GardeningChannel
Featured image: credit to Flickr/wjarrettc
