How to Make Infused Water That is Absolutely Refreshing
Are you fond of drinking soda, coffee, and other flavored drinks? They taste good, but we all know that drinking these drinks in huge amounts can adversely affect our health. Why not try adding fruits and herbs? If you’re up for some positive change, start drinking healthy alternatives.
- What is Infused Water?
- What Does Infused Water Do to Our Health?
- How To Make Infused Water
- Most Popular Infused Recipes
- Final Thoughts on Infused Water
- Infused Water FAQs
- What fruits work best for infused water?
- What herbs or vegetables can be used?
- How long should you infuse the water?
- Does the produce need to be organic?
- How much produce should be used per serving?
- Do you have to remove the produce?
- What is the best way to store infused water?
- Does infused water need a sweetener?
- Can infused water be made into ice cubes?
Stop drinking soda and other artificially flavored beverages. We should drink water regularly, not coffee, soda, or artificially sweetened drinks. But what if water bores you? We’ve got one great solution for that – infused water.
What is Infused Water?
Infused water combines water, different fruits, and flavorful herbal leaves to make the water more interesting, tasty, and healthier. Examples of fruits and herbs that you can add to your water are strawberries, tea leaves, basil, lemons, cucumbers, oranges, blueberries, and mint.
You can add almost everything depending on your needs and personal preferences.
This is a natural way to drink a slightly sweet, tasty beverage without the addition of toxic artificial sweeteners.
What Does Infused Water Do to Our Health?
Unlike canned juices and sodas, infused water is a refreshing drink that’s actually healthy. It’s a great companion to healthy weight loss, too. Drinking water naturally boosts your metabolism, so if you don’t like the plain taste of water, infused water is exactly what you need. Since infused water doesn’t taste nearly as boring as water, you’ll likely increase your daily fluid intake as well.
If you want to lose weight, getting plenty of fluids is foundational. With infused water, you can cut out those unhealthy beverages that tempt you and replace them with this refreshingly healthy alternative.
Do you have digestive problems or feel bloated? Infused water can be a great way to detox, too. Infused water for detoxification is called detox water. It’s a combination of vegetables, fruits, and herbs plunged into cold water.
Although infused water is flavorsome, it contains little to no calories. It helps eliminate toxins and acids from your body, helping you feel great and lose weight. Combine your detox water with a full one-week detox plan to make it more effective and fun.
Other Benefits of Drinking Infused Water:
- Helps with hydration during weight loss.
- Keeps food moving through your system.
- Improves your mood.
- Cools your body.
- Flushes toxins away.
- Prevents you from craving junk foods.
- Reduces muscle fatigue during workouts.
- Perks you up in the morning (especially with mint).
How To Make Infused Water
- Gather your chosen ingredients. Rinse them well to make sure they’re clean. You can choose not to peel fruits and vegetables, but be sure to buy organic. Avoid overripe or bruised fruits. Slice the fruits and veggies thinly so that they will infuse more quickly. Fill up a pitcher or water bottle with purified water.
- Wait for the ingredients to infuse into the water. Let the water with fruits and vegetables sit at room temperature for 2 hours at most. The longer your fruit soaks in the water (even in the fridge), the more flavorful the water will be. Remember, fruits and vegetables infuse their flavors differently. Citrus infuses almost instantly, while herbs take a longer time. Once you’ve put in all the ingredients of your choice, put the infused water inside the fridge. Tip: To speed up the infusing of leafy ingredients like peppermint, slice or gently rub the leaves together before adding them to your water.
- Drink and enjoy! Now you can enjoy your healthy infused drink. Feel free to refill it with water and wait for it to be infused again.
Note: You can be very creative with your herbs, fruits, and vegetables. To make your water more charming, you can even add edible flowers.
Other Optional Ingredients:
- Spices: Cardamom pods, cinnamon sticks, cloves, black pepper, fresh ginger, and vanilla beans
- Herbs: Thyme, spearmint, cilantro, rosemary, basil, peppermint, and parsley
- Edible flowers: lavender, rose, hibiscus, pansies, violets and citrus blossoms
- Fruits: berries, tropical fruits, citrus, melon, apples, peaches, pears and more
- Vegetables: celery, beets, bell peppers, carrots, and cucumbers
Most Popular Infused Recipes
Making infused water is as easy as slicing fruit and filling up a pitcher. Many people have perfected their own recipes using fruits, vegetables, and herbs. Here are a few of the most popular infused recipes and their health benefits that you can try:
Lemon- Infused Water
The most basic and most popular infused water is lemon water. It is also called lemon detox water because it’s perfect for detoxifying the body and helps with healthy weight loss. Add in mint leaves, and you will have a delicious, invigorating citrus flavor. It’s really cheap and healthy compared to sodas and other unhealthy colored drinks.
Tangerine and Strawberry Infused Water
Hydration boosts metabolism, while fruity water increases the likelihood of keeping hydrated. Add some cinnamon to this recipe for a bit of warm spice if you’d like. Tangerine and strawberry are fruits available year-round, so you can always keep a fresh batch of this mixture in the fridge.
Mango Ginger Water
Ginger in water may sound strange, but it’s great combined with fresh ripe mango. Ginger and mango infused in water boost your metabolism while keeping you hydrated. Plus, the combination of these flavors is incredible. Try adding ginger to other recipes as well.
Cucumber Lemon Water
On a hot summer day, cucumber and lemon is a very refreshing combination. This is a great recipe for after a workout or after you’ve been out in the hot sun for a long time. If you need a pick-me-up or a way to cool down, this is a great recipe. Better yet, add some peppermint to this mix, and you will feel refreshed almost instantly.
Final Thoughts on Infused Water
Infused water doesn’t only make you feel refreshed; it makes the process of staying hydrated easy and simple. If you want to be healthy, you need to get used to drinking water. But, just because you need to drink water doesn’t mean that variety and creativity won’t make it into a pleasurable experience.
Fruits, spices, herbs, and veggies will be excellent healthy additions to the water you drink. With the small amounts of vitamins and sugars from these fruits, you’ll find that infused water feels like drinking a beverage without all the unhealthy characteristics.
Remember, there are many kinds of fruit-infused recipes that you can make. Compared to other drinks that are not so healthy, infused water will save money in your purse as well. Drinking water will never be boring again!
Infused Water FAQs
What fruits work best for infused water?
Citrus fruits like lemon, lime, grapefruit, and orange make refreshing infused waters. Berries, melon, cucumber, and apples work well too.
What herbs or vegetables can be used?
For a flavor boost, try herbs like mint, basil, rosemary, or sliced cucumbers, celery, and ginger.
How long should you infuse the water?
2-3 hours allows maximum flavor extraction. You can infuse overnight in the fridge for stronger flavor.
Does the produce need to be organic?
Organic is ideal, but thoroughly washing non-organic produce helps remove pesticides and chemicals.
How much produce should be used per serving?
1-2 cups of chopped produce like citrus slices, berries, or cucumber provides ample flavor infusion.
Do you have to remove the produce?
Yes, strain out produce after infusing to prevent overpowering flavors or mold growth. Compost leftovers.
What is the best way to store infused water?
Store in airtight jugs or bottles in the refrigerator for up to 2-3 days.
Does infused water need a sweetener?
The natural sweetness of the fruit is usually enough, but you can add honey, maple syrup, or stevia.
Can infused water be made into ice cubes?
Yes, freeze leftover infused water in ice cube trays for flavorful hydration later on.