In keeping with this week’s detox theme, water seemed a prudent choice for this week’s drink. We all know how important water is to keep the body healthy and functioning properly. I try to drink at least 60 ounces of water a day myself. I have an army of reusable water bottles—Sigg, Nalgene, Camelbak—to help ensure that I do. I always have one of them nearby so that I can have a constant intake of water throughout the day. Whether you believe in drinking water in concentrated amounts or sipping on water continuously (even when you’re not thirsty), it’s obvious that you should just plain drink it. If that’s still up for debate in your mind, I would suggest you consult Google.
Before I continue, I feel compelled to weigh in on one matter: I think the use of bottled water is downright awful. For one thing, it’s unnecessary. Even if you live in an area where the quality of tap water is contaminated to the point where you must turn to an outside source, there are still better options than all those plastic land fillers. If you don’t live in an area where the tap water is compromised, than there is no reason not to drink it. The quality of tap water is oftentimes just as good, if not better than a lot of the bottled water out there claiming to be “filtered” or “bottled from artisan aquifers”. Consider installing a faucet filter for your sink, or investing in a Brita pitcher if the taste of tap water is off-putting. Bottom line, bottled water is environmentally harmful, in most cases unnecessary, and financially costly.
Now, back to the issue at hand: drinking water. I can appreciate that water can be difficult for some to drink all day, if at all. There are so many tempting alternatives, and busy schedules can push it off to the wayside. I often hear that people either forget to drink water or don’t want to drink it because it’s tasteless. But this is your health at stake here, people. Water does so much good for your body it’s senseless not to give it all the water it can take. For those of you that need a little boost to make water more appealing and drinkable here are some tasty options. If the infusion trick works, I would suggest using a reusable glass (or BPA-free plastic) Ball jar to help keep your infused water handy.
Note: Simply placing the fruit and herbs in water won’t necessarily result in much added flavor. You can intensify the flavors with a little muddling; the intensity of the flavors increases the more your muddle. However, I would try to avoid muddling so much that your infusions turn into watered-down fruity mushes (unless you like that kind of thing). The flavors will also permeate naturally, and without muddling, the longer they sit in the water. For the drinks pictured, I tried to layer the ingredients before topping with water. The amount of fruit and herbs used per pint of water doesn’t need to be a ton, especially for the herbs. I used more than necessary in order to photograph them better.
Grapefruit & Rosemary
Cantaloupe, Blueberries & Basil
Pineapple, Blackberries & Mint
Lemon, Orange & Cilantro
Cucumber, Lime, Strawberries & Mint
Rhea Torreon
