Ways to Make Your Water Healthier and Tastier
You don't have to look far to see another article on how important water is to staying healthy and happy. We've all heard the saying to drink about eight glasses a day, or at least 2 liters. However, since our bodies are all different, individual water needs and how much we intake depend on how much water we lose.
How much water your body needs depends on three crucial factors:
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Bodyweight. Larger bodies need more water.
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Temperature. If it is hotter, people are bound to sweat. When you sweat, you lose water, so you must replace it.
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Physical activity. If you're exercising or your activity level is intensive, you sweat, and that is lost water that needs replacement.
A one-size-fits-all with water may not be appropriate for everyone. In general, the recommended average for how much water you should be drinking is:
- 5 cups to 7 cups of fluids a day for men
- 5 cups to 7 cups of fluids a day for women.
However, for those of us on a whole food plant-based diet, we may not need all that water! We have to take into consideration the high-quality water we get from our raw foods, juices, etc. The best overall guideline is to get ½ your body weight in ounces of high-quality liquids daily.
Are there ways to make your water healthier and tastier than ever? There are! Let's get right into it!
Fresh Fruit
If you love the taste of fresh fruit, adding sliced fruits to your water might be the solution to making your water taste more attractive and be even healthier for you. Citrus fruits like lemons, limes, and oranges are classic go-tos for enhancing water flavors. You can slice these fruits (but remove the peels to avoid bitterness) and place them in your preferred water container to drink out of right away, or put them in overnight to let the flavors seep into the water.
Citrus fruits are a great source of vitamin C, a primary antioxidant that helps protect cells from free radicals known to be damaging. Vitamin C may also help reduce the risks of cardiovascular disease, stroke and may even lower blood pressure.
For example, putting the juice of one lemon into your water can provide you roughly 18.6 milligrams of vitamin C. The recommended daily amount for adults is between 65 to 90 milligrams daily.
Other fruits you can try are blueberries, strawberries, raspberries, and blackberries. Try crushing these fresh fruits into the water so that their juices can flavor the water. Cucumber and mint are also great refreshing flavors for a sweltering summer day.
Fruit Juice
Any fruit juice can be a fantastic base flavor for your water. Tart juices, like cranberries, grapes, apples, or pomegranate, for example, can be incredibly delicious. To keep it healthy, choose either all-natural, no-sugar-added juices, or try to juice your raw fruits yourself at home for 100% natural juices to use as a water additive. Not only are you boosting the flavor of your water, but you'll also be adding the vitamins and antioxidants from those fruits that will benefit your health and wellbeing too.
Herbal Water
Herbal waters may not be for everyone's tastes, but you can still pass on the sugar and whatever else comes in packaged drinks and enjoy your water with a different flavor. Herbs have long been known as some of nature's most calming and potentially healing medicines. With the right flavors and combinations, you can enjoy a tastier drink of water with potent antioxidants and health-enhancing benefits at the same time.
Roots, leaves, and spices can all work to enhance your drinking experience. Try combinations like:
- Ginger and mint
- Lavender and blueberries
- Cilantro alone, or cilantro and lime
- Watermelon and lime for a sweet and tangy, refreshing cold drink
Other herbs to experiment within your water:
- Fennel, which is high in vitamin C, potassium, and magnesium, as well as calcium and iron
- Nettle
- Dandelion
- Rosemary
Add some Bubbles
Sparkling water has come a long way over the years. With many bold, new flavors, many prefer sparkling water over plain flat water. Also, if you're trying to cut out sodas from your diet, sparkling water can be a fantastic replacement to give you that same sensation and flavor without any of the drawbacks of regular sodas. Many sparkling drinks of water have no added sugar or calories. Look for sparkling water that uses natural flavors. If you want even more out of your bubbling water, try flavored effervescent mineral water for the added benefits of the minerals found within them.
There are even home seltzer or sparkling water makers you can buy for your own home to make and experiment with free if you find yourself falling in love with these.
Flavored Ice Cubes
If you're a fan of your drinks being ice-cold and kept ice-cold, you might enjoy experimenting with your ice cubes. Any flavoring suggestions or combinations of fruits and herbs above could be placed in an ice cube tray and frozen to be placed in your water glass the next day. Play around with herbs, crushed fruits, flowers, spices, veggies, juice, tea, even concentrated coffee if you like.
Hot or Iced Teas
Herbal teas, green teas, fruit teas, oolong, white and red teas are a great, healthier alternative to coffee if you love to have hot drinks. Additionally, they're better for you than black teas as they have less caffeine and fluoride, and they can make an incredible cold iced tea drink as well.
Other Flavors
Do you prefer more savory flavors? Bouillions, broths, stock, and consommes can create hot and savory liquids that are easy to sip instead. For the healthiest option, choose low-fat and low-sodium. Of course, there's always soup as well, as it counts toward your daily fluid intake.
When it comes to ways to make your water healthier and tastier, there are so many fantastic options! We hope we've helped make reaching your water goals more effortless and more flavorful than ever.
