Infused Water: The Benefits and How to Make it
Infused Water
Infused water can help you to drink more water. Drinking plenty of water is good for our health. But most of us don’t drink the amount we need each day.
The first time I had infused water was when I was on a diet called The Flat Belly Diet. Each day you had to make a pitcher of Sassy Water. To make Sassy Water you needed to add cucumbers, mint, ginger, and lemon to a pitcher of water. Then you would let it sit overnight.
The water was tasty and helped with bloat. Of course, back then I had no idea what infusing water was. But I did like drinking Sassy Water.
Infused water is a great way to drink more water daily. And it makes a good substitute for fruit juice. Which my kids consume more than I’d like!
What is infused water?
Infused water is water flavored with fruits, herbs, and vegetables. The ingredients are added to the water. Then left for a certain amount of time to release the natural flavors and nutrients. Leaving you with water that’s healthy and tasty.
The Benefits of Infused Water
Infused water has a lot of health benefits. These health benefits will depend on the ingredients you use.
Hydration Benefits
The biggest benefit of drinking plenty of water is hydration. But many of us don’t like drinking plain water. We prefer drinks with more flavor. Such as soda, juice, and sugary coffee.
Infusing your water can add a ton of flavors to plain water. It’s an excellent option for those who don’t like the taste of water. Also, it can help to keep you hydrated.
Hydration is important. Because it provides better transportation of nutrients and oxygen throughout the body. And helps to keep your skin and hair healthy.
Reduce Your Appetite
Another great benefit of drinking infused water is that it can reduce your appetite. If you’re struggling with your weight, you may find switching to infused water can help.
Water alone can help to curb your appetite. But with infused water, the flavor can help to satisfy your sweet cravings. Without adding unwanted calories.
Fat Burning Benefits
Infused water can also help with weight loss. It has fat-burning capabilities by helping to speed up the metabolism. It also eliminates excess fat cells from the body.
Another weight loss benefit is that it can help you to feel much more energized. This can help to encourage you to do more exercise, boosting your weight loss.
Improved Immune System
The nutrients found in the fruits, herbs, and vegetables can help to boost the immune system. This means you’ll be at a lesser risk of picking up colds and the flu. It also means your body will be better equipped to fight off diseases.
Good For Mental Health
Another benefit of infused water is that it can do wonders for your mental health. As you have more energy, you’ll be less likely to snack on unhealthy foods. The extra energy you’ll feel also helps you to work out more. Working out more can help you get better sleep.
All these benefits help to give your mental health a boost. You’ll feel great after switching to drinking infused water.
How to Make Infused Water
Choose your ingredients
The first thing you’ll need to do is choose which ingredients you want to use. You can use fruit, herbs, and vegetables. Also, try mixing it up by using a combination of fruits and vegetables. Or try using all three ingredients.
Think about the benefits you want to get from drinking infused water. Are you looking to feel more energized? If you do, you’ll want to use citrus fruit flavors.
Don’t use hot water
It’s better to use cold water for infused recipes. Because hot water can cause vegetables and fruits to break down much faster. This can lead to them becoming soggy. So, use cold or room temperature water.
Infuse the water slowly
When infusing the water, you want to make sure you give it plenty of time to soak up the flavors.
The ingredients should infuse for at least 20 minutes. But, for a more intense flavor you should wait for up to two hours for the water to infuse.
You may need to drink some of the ingredients right away to get the benefits. Other ingredients will need to infuse for longer to get the most flavor. Some recipes may need overnight refrigeration. So times can vary when infusing water depending on the ingredients you’re using.
Ingredients to Make Infused Water
When making your own infused water, you’ll have a lot of options when choosing the ingredients.
Best fruits to use
Fruits are the easiest ingredients to use in infused water. But some are better to use than others.
Apples are a great example. They have iron and is a natural appetite suppressant. Also, they’re sold in a wide choice of varieties, each with its own unique flavor.
Blueberries are also a good choice to use. They are full of antioxidants and are naturally sweet. Also, it’s one of the easiest fruits to use since you can add it to the water without prep.
Lemon is another good option. It is a great fruit to use in morning infused water drinks. Because it helps to detoxify the body and boost energy levels.
Best herbs to use
You can use any number of herbs to create healthy infused waters.
Ginger adds a spicy, warm taste to the water. It has great anti-inflammatory benefits and detoxifies the body. Ginger also has benefits for the digestive system.
Mint is a refreshing addition to infused water. It also has antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties.
Parsley is another great herb to use for its health benefits. It has a lot of vitamins and nutrients.
Best vegetables to use
There are many vegetables to choose from to add to your infused recipes. Like herbs and fruits, some veggies are better to use than others.
One vegetable to try is carrots. Carrots would be good to add to infused water because they are high in vitamin A and carotene. Also, they are great for your eyesight and skin. Plus, they go well with a lot of fruit.
Beets are another vegetable to try. Beets are messy but they have some powerful benefits. Spinach, sweet potato, and broccoli are some other great veggies you can try.
How to infuse water
- Fill a pitcher or glass with water, then grab your ingredients.
- Gently mash up the ingredients before adding them to the water.
- Leave to infuse for at least 20 minutes.
- Strain the water and enjoy it!
The Last Thing You Need to Know about Infusing Water
Use a glass pitcher or large mason jar to make sure you end up with the best flavors. Plastic can soak up some of the flavors. And plastic can add its own flavor to the drink.
Also, make sure to use fresh ingredients. Don’t use bruised fruit or herbs that aren’t fresh.
Slicing the fruit and vegetables thinly will give you more flavor. Also, when you cut the ingredients into smaller pieces, they infuse quicker.
I hope you found this guide helpful in creating your own infused waters. Which ingredients do you plan on infusing your water with? Let me know in the comments 🙂
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