Five Ways to Yummy-Up Your Water
This post is for my water drinking peeps that don’t drink water. Or, don’t like to drink water. Or… maybe talk about it and intend to and try to but just can’t get over the fact that it’s not tasty and yummy and fizzy… and just can’t stick to it, but know they should.
This is also for you peeps that are on the ball, drink your 96oz of water pretty regularly, but don’t exactly like how it tastes. You’re drinking water to live; you’re not living to drink water.
Water. Is. A. Must. Always. Every. Day. But it just isn’t the most popular drink in the world, nor is it the most exciting.
Sooo…. We’re going to change that right now.
Here are 5 different ways to have fun with water, change up the flavor, the fizz and even the sweetness, without compromising your health.
#1. SODA WATER
If you’re missing the fizz or tang of soda, soda water is a great alternative. Added lemon or lime and a scoop or two of stevia powder extract, and you’ve got yourself a sweet, flavorful and fizzy, yet still healthy glass of water.
Soda water is water infused with carbon dioxide gas under pressure, which is why it has bubbles. There have been several studies done on sparkling water and our health. Questions like: how does it affect dental health, bone health, pH levels in our body, etc. But nothing super significant has really come up that makes me feel like I should stay away from it any more than regular, plain ol’ water.
#2. LEMONade WATER
My son absolutely loves making his own “homemade lemonade” he calls it. He started this when he was 7. He pours about ¼ cup of lemon juice into a mason jar and adds several shakes of stevia powder to it. (I don’t know his measurement exactly, it’s his secret) 😉 He then fills the rest of the jar with water and ice and will sit and down an entire quart jar within an hour.
WHAT IS STEVIA? Stevia is an herb native to South America. The leaves of this plant are a natural source of noncaloric sweetener. It is calorie free and 100% safe for diabetics and people who want the sweet without using sugar and without any of the side effect that come with artificial sweeteners.
Stevia extract is a sweetener that I always keep in the house. If you’ve never used it, you have to get used to the idea that less is more with this stuff. 1/8th of a teaspoon of stevia powder equals 1 teaspoon of sugar in sweetness. 4 Tablespoons is equal to 2 cups of sugar. So you can see how little you really need. And it lasts forever! Just be careful when buying it in the stores. The packets usually still contain other sweeteners in addition to stevia. I highly recommend Trader Joe’s brand Stevia Extract because it is pure with zero added ingredients.
#3 CUCUMBER WATER
When I lived in the country, I grew cucumbers and had an abundance of them. So I started using them for things you’d never think of.
You wouldn’t think a cucumber would make water taste so great, but trust me! My kids love it. It’s refreshing, gives it a light, crisp flavor and the green adds a fun, pretty bit of excitement to boring ol’ water.
Directions:
Wash and slice a cucumber, add it to a large pitcher and fill the pitcher with ice before adding water. (The ice kind of keeps the cucumbers from floating to the top and helps them infuse the water with flavor a little more than when they just sit at the top). Let the pitcher sit in the fridge for about 30 minutes to a few hours, and add more ice to a glass, pour up and… ahhhh so good.
I don’t recommend leaving it in the fridge for more than a day, the cucumbers start to disintegrate and the flavor becomes too bitter.
#4 HERBAL TEA
Most herbal teas are safe for regular consumption, but some herbs have toxic or allergenic properties, so just be sure you read up on what you’re buying.
My favorites are peppermint and chamomile tea. I also like red tea (rooibos). My kids like the Celestial brand fruit tea sampler. All of these are great just as they are, but if you prefer it sweet, again, add some stevia.
Black tea doesn’t count as “herbal tea” here. I would stay away from black teas and other caffeinated drinks altogether as much as possible. In an article, “How Not To Get Cancer And What To Do If You Do Get It” written by Doctor Agatha M. Thrash, M.D., Preventive Medicine and founder of Uchee Pines Natural Health Lifestyle Institute, she says, “Never use soft drinks, coffees, or teas . . . May use herb teas.” I tend to believe her so I (mostly) stick to this rule.
#5 FRUIT INFUSED WATER
I honestly have to admit that, besides lime and lemon, I’m not a huge fan of putting fruit in my water. I have seen several pretty fruit infused water “recipes” on Pinterest, though. If you must add flavor to your water to be able to drink it, fruit is 110% better than any artificial flavor pack loaded with chemicals and words you can’t pronounce along with artificial sweeteners and colors that were created in some lab.
Enjoy! Experiment, search on Pinterest, and explore your options. If you find something you love, please share with me! You can comment below, or, if you want to follow me on social media, come on over! I am on Facebook, Instagram, E-mail, Twitter, Pinterest and balance8life.