By Sometimes hydrating can be boring – water, water, water, and more water. Infusing water helps spice things up a bit, and there are many additional health benefits as well. Some health benefits of infused water include appetite control, hydration, immune defense, heartburn prevention, blood sugar regulation and weight management.
What does infusion mean?
The process is basically using fruits, vegetables, or herbs and soaking or infusing them in purified water. The longer you soak your ingredients, the stronger the flavor permeates throughout the water. For best results in flavor, infuse at least 4 hours. This is faster when water is at room temperature, and it will last about 3-4 days when refrigerated. Another way is to leave the infused water overnight in the fridge, and voila! Ice cold, refreshing, and healthy flavored water!
How long does infused water last?
Keep in mind that unlike store bought flavored water, homemade infused water doesn’t have any preservatives. So if left unrefrigerated, it’s best to consume it within the day. Citrus like lemons, limes, and oranges generally last longer and have natural preservatives. However, the rind gives the water a bitter taste after a few hours. To prevent this from happening, simply peel off the rind before dropping the fruit in the water.
How to keep fruit from spoiling?
Not only is cold water refreshing but it also keeps the fruit fresh in your infused water. So don’t forget to refrigerate! Or place it in the freezer for a couple hours before consumption so that it’ll remain nice and cold a few hours more.
What to use?
With infused water being so popular lately, there are several options out in the market for infusion water bottles for individual consumption or infusion pitchers [get photo]. Which is the best one to use? That would be the one that you would will bring with you wherever you go, therefore reminding you drink more water more often.
A Infusion Mixtures/Health Benefits
- Green Tea, Mint, Lime: Fat burning, digestion, headaches, congestion, and breath freshener
- Strawberry and Kiwi: Cardiovascular health, immune system protection, blood sugar regulation, digestion
- Cucumber, Lime, and Lemon: Water weight management, bloating, appetite control, hydration, digestion
- Lemon, Lime, and Orange: Digestion, vitamin C, immune defense, heartburn (should be room temperature)
- Lemon and Ginger Root: Healthy skin, digestion, liver cleansing
If you have a few mason jars lying around, these are also good options if you don’t want to break the bank. Simply strain out the pieces of fruit and vegetables as you pour the water.
If you want a thirst-quenching yet tasty drink without all the calories, making your own infused water is the way to go. Find your favorite combination of ingredients and water bottle (or pitcher) that works for you, and let us know! We love trying new flavors and having plenty of options. Cheers to a healthier and more hydrated you!
Sources:
Excellent Resources for Infusing Water
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