How to Make Flavored Water

Drinking enough water or eating foods that contain water is essential to maintaining a healthy body. Your body loses water through sweating, breathing, and through eliminating wastes and that hydration must be replenished to keep a healthy balance. Many people avoid drinking water because it lacks the flavor that comes with drinking tea, juices, or soft drinks. Other people don't buy bottled water because of the cost. Here are some natural recipes and tips for making your water a little less bland. Some can be made in pitchers and poured into reusable bottles, eliminating the need to purchase costly bottled water.

Natural Flavors
You can add a variety of natural ingredients to plain water to make it more flavorful. Such ingredients are lemon wedges, lime wedges, ginger, cucumber, mint, lemongrass, parsley, and sliced strawberries. Raspberry and mint added together make an interesting flavor. Try these alone or experiment with various combinations. Another idea to dress up plain water is to use flavored ice cubes. When freezing water in an ice tray, squeeze some fruit juices into the cubes or add crushed mint leaves to them.

Cucumber-Citrus Water
To make a cucumber-citrus water in a pitcher, combine 5 cups of water, 4-5 slices of cucumber, and 2-3 slices each of orange and lemon. Let the mixture steep for a few hours before serving.

Cucumber Herbal Water
This is another water mixture you can make in a pitcher. Combine 5 cups of water, 10-11 thin slices of cucumber, 2 thin slices of lemon, 2 sprigs of fresh mint, and 3 sprigs of rosemary. Before adding the rosemary and mint , crush the leaves a little to release flavor. Once all ingredients are in a pitcher, allow the mixture to steep in the refrigerator for several hours.

Replacing your usual soda using your own flavored water can cut down your daily intake of calories, sugar, and sodium. Start mixing and enjoying the numerous benefits of drinking water today!