Hydration Sensation

For most, hydrating properly is easier said than done. We’re often told we need to drink at least eight cups of water a day, yet many of us don’t even come close. Personally, water bores me, so drinking that much per day is a daunting task. No matter what your excuse, making water taste better or tricking your mind into thinking it’s drinking something else is an easy way to increase your water intake. Learning a few tricks and recipes should get you on the right track, and your body will thank you.

Just in case you don’t know, or need a reminder, drinking the recommended amount of water each day:

• Optimizes your organ functions and protects them from toxins

• Allows your cells to function properly

• Transports nutrients and energizes your muscles

• Counters dehydration from alcohol, coffee, sweating

• Lubricates your joints

• Fills you up so that you eat less (hello, weight loss)

• Regulates your bowels

So now that you are feeling the pressure to drink more water, here are some great recipes and tips to make your water taste delicious!

Orange + Ginger + Cucumber

½ cucumber (English Cucumber preferred because it has no seeds)

1 inch peeled ginger, grated or thinly sliced

4 cups filtered water

Tip! Freezing your leftover fruits and herbs makes for easy grab-and-go ingredients for your  infused water. 

Cranberry + Lemon + Basil

½ cup fresh (or frozen) cranberries

4 basil leaves

1 lemon, thinly sliced

4 cups filtered water

Tip! In a blender, blend berries or your favorite fruit with a little water and pour into an ice tray. When you are on the go, just pop 4-5 fruit ice cubes into your water bottle. You can also do the same with herbs by freezing them in with the fruit puree or by itself with water. 

Apple + Cinnamon + Vanilla Bean

​1 apple (any variety you prefer), sliced into eighths, seeds discarded

1 cinnamon stick

½ vanilla bean, split

4 cups filtered water

*You can add 2 tsp vanilla extract instead of the vanilla bean. Warm the cinnamon stick prior to infusing.

Tip! Buy an infuser water bottle so that you can take your infusion on the go . (I like AquaDelight and InfuseFruit found on Amazon.com)

Grapefruit + Pineapple + Basil

½ grapefruit, quartered

8 pieces of frozen or fresh pineapple (about 1 square inch)

1 sprig fresh rosemary

4 cups filtered water

*Peel the grapefruit first to avoid bitterness from the rind.

Tip! The fruit in your grocery store’s freezer section is usually frozen at its peak season, so buy it for delicious tasting fruit that is out of season. Frozen fruit also is a great alternative to ice because it chills the water as it defrosts.