Detox with Infused Water

Infused water is one of the hottest health hacks that have swept the Internet. If you haven’t heard of it, this post will guide you to everything about this simple yet effective concoction.

Water has always been one of the most essential things that we can’t live without. Drinking water quenches our thirst, helps regulate body heat and even remove toxins from our body. Today, people have discovered that they can detox with infused water while also boosting their metabolism and ultimately improving their health and wellness.

What Happens When You Don’t Drink Enough Water

People who aren’t getting enough water on a daily basis are prone to dehydration. Not drinking enough water over an extended period of time has several negative effects to the body such as:

Slower Metabolism

Our body’s metabolism slows down once we don’t drink enough water. On a daily basis, a person should consume anywhere between 6-8 glasses of water or more. A recent study also has found out that consuming an additional 16 ounces of water a day can boost your metabolic rate by 30-percent.

General Fatigue

Those who don’t have their enough fill of water have their energy levels suffer. As such, they constantly feel tired, have lesser focus, unable to concentrate and are left unable to exercise.

Increased Hunger

When we’re dehydrated, the body often confuses it for hunger. The body interprets it with the need to consume more food. In the end, you end up eating more than what you need which eventually leads to you gaining weight.

Digestion Problems

One of the nastiest effects of dehydration is constipation or irregular bowel movement. It’s not fun and is a great inconvenience.

Increase Blood Sugar

Our body needs water to help break down sugar. An incredibly huge amount of sugar in our blood can lead to diabetes, which is one of the leading health hazards in our modern world.

Drinking Enough Water is Key to Health

Our body is at least 60-percent made out of water. Therefore, constant replenishment is required to keep it functioning. With this information we can easily conclude that drinking sufficient water prevents a ton of health hazards. Just by drinking enough water we can improve the quality of our health without having to spend a lot of money.

The problem is how do you motivate yourself to drink more water from what you may be consuming now. Water doesn’t have any taste and that’s why a lot of us are compelled to drink things like coffee, tea, carbonated drinks and sports drink to quench our thirst.

However, many of these drinks often contain calories and other unwanted substances to gain that special kind of flavor. Not to mention, there are also drinks that have high acidity levels which can contribute to the formation of several diseases such as ulcer.

So, how do you make plain water more exciting without having the trouble of getting more calories or unwanted substances? Enter infused water.

What is Infused Water?

Simply put, infused water is drinking water flavored with fruits, herbs, vegetables or a combination of these ingredients. You can choose your favorite fruits or veggies to create a mix that best suits your health needs.

Because of the added flavor in infused water, you are likely to consume it more than just plain, regular drinking water. Infused water is also a great alternative to drinking coffee, beverages and other carbonated drinks as the former have little to no calories. If you’re trying to lose weight, then you should definitely try this out.

Just by being constantly hydrated, we can improve our satiety which also reduces our hunger. Less hunger means the less temptation there is for our bodies to consume more than our recommended daily intake.

Benefits of Drinking Water for Detoxing

Overtime our body accumulates toxins from eating, drinking and being exposed to pollution. It’s a normal by product of taking in food and oxygen. Toxins are harmful substances that are found in the environment. Among the more popular ones are mercury found in fishes, azodicarbonamide present in yoga mats and bisphenol A or BPA which are common in consumer plastics.

An overexposure to toxins can lead to unfavorable and even life-threatening conditions. Think of them as poison that threatens certain parts of our body.

Luckily, our bodies also have a way of removing them from our digestive system through our bowels with the help of our liver. Out body also naturally detoxifies through our kidney, liver, lungs and by sweating.

However, when we accumulate toxins faster than our body can displace them is the root of the problem. It’s in this moment that our body needs the support from a detoxification program- which can help our body remove toxins naturally. It is in this regard that drinking water becomes integral in detoxification. Below are some of the crucial benefits of drinking water, aside from flushing out your toxins:

• Keeps you from feeling groggy especially in the afternoon
• Reduces muscle fatigue while exercising or doing extreme activities
• Helps recuperate your energy faster when working out
• Keeps food moving throughout your digestive system
• Keeps your organs healthy
• Helps you lose weight by helping your body release fat cells
• Fills you up so you won’t need to eat as much
• Improve your mood

Water is a natural lubricant that helps in the evacuation of the bowels by softening the stool. It also helps the kidney to filter and eliminate the toxic substances and waster products from our blood and into our urine. Water also transports essential nutrients where they are needed while flushing out waste and toxins from our body.

You can get all these benefits without having to spend a single dime. However, if you want to add more to your drinking water we highly recommend drinking infused water.

What to Put in the Infused Water?

We now know that to create infused water you simply need herbs, vegetables, fruits or a combination of these ingredients. But what specifically do we have to add to make infused water?

There is no specific formula on what you should put in infused water. It can generally be just one fruit, such as a lemon or kiwi. Or you can add two or more fruits in one drink depending on your preference. Same goes with veggies and herbs as they, too, can come as a standalone ingredient or as part of a combination.

Some health practitioners even combine all three in one drink to get the most out of their infused water. The key here is that they complement each other’s taste and the nutrients they provide. After all, that’s the point of consuming infused water- to get more nutrients and minerals while increasing your water intake.

You can use different kinds of berries, to citrus fruits, tropical fruits, green vegetables, seasonal vegetables, certain kinds of flower, honey, basil, cilantro, and even flavorings such as vanilla to create your infused water. If it’s found in nature and is edible, you can most likely use it to concoct this wonderful drink. The best part of it all is that infused water can be homemade and can even be shared with family, friends and relatives so you can all lead a healthier life.

How to Prepare Infused Water

Creating your own infused water recipe is quite easy. You simply add fruits, herbs, and vegetables or any of its combination to water. Their juices can be extracted by squeezing it out or using tools such as a blender or juicer. You then add it to the water and let it stay for a while until the juices and water have mixed. You can even add ice, especially during summer or any hot day. Conversely, you can also serve it hot when the weather is somewhat cold.

As a general rule, you really have to experiment infusing your water and just find out what works for you. Everyone’s taste is different and you really need to try out several flavors before discovering what works and what does not.

Here’s how you make your very own infused water.

Step 1: Choose from these popular ingredients

To get you started here are some of the more popular items you can mix and match:

Fruits

• Citrus- lemon, lime, orange, tangerines, grapefruit
• Berries- strawberry, blueberry, cherry, blackberry, raspberry
• Tropical fruits- mango, banana, kiwi, pear, pomegranate, pineapple, starfruit
• Melons- watermelon, honeydew, cantaloupe
• Popular fruits- apple, peach, grape,

Vegetables

• Carrot, celery, cucumber, ginger

Spices

• Cinnamon stick, pepper

Herbs

• Stevia, lavender, cilantro, sage, mint, rosemary, thyme

Water

• Filtered water, sparkling water, distilled water, mineral water, etc.

Step 2: Prepare the Fruit and Vegetables

Depending on what you choose, you may need several steps to prepare them. Peel the vegetables or fruits that need to be peeled. After which, take a muddler or regular spoon to breakdown or slightly mash the fruit or vegetable you choose.

Step 3: Prepare the Herbs and Spices

Depending on what herb or spices you chose, you may need to prepare them. Some leaf based herb and spices may need to be bruised while others need to be mashed.; if you can extract its natural oils, the better.

Step 4: Add them to the Water

Finally, add the combination to a glass or pitcher of water. Add ice and natural flavoring, such as honey, if needed. Serve and enjoy a healthy drink that won’t bother your conscience.

Infused Water Combinations

There is almost an endless amount of infused water recipes that are available online. You can even create your own, if the taste you are looking for doesn’t exist yet. If you are looking for some great recipes, below are some of the combinations that we loved:

• Basil, Lemon and Strawberry- sweet, citrusy and with a minty punch
• Champagne Mango and Lime- a good balance of sweetness and sourness in a glass
• Watermelon and Coconut Agua Fresca- very refreshing with a mild sweet taste
• Orange and Blueberry- delightful combination with rich flavors
• Watermelon and mint- quite refreshing and has a minty punch
• Raspberry and Honey Dew Agua Fresca- somewhat sweet, but very revitalizing
• Cucumber and Kiwi Agua Fresca- has very potent cleansing properties
• Citrus and Cilantro- has a sour taste but very healthy
• Raspberry, Rose petals and Vanilla- somewhat sweet and very fragrant
• Cucumber and Kiwi Agua Fresca- delectably refreshing and has high cleansing properties

These are just some of the recipes we have found to love. There are tons other which you can discover. If you love a particular fruit or veggie, you can start from there. The key is to experiment and simply come up with new flavors.

Infused water is taking the Internet by storm. Millions have tried it and many have expressed positive feedback about how the drink helped them lead healthier lives. It’s about time you create your own.