Drink of the Week: 9/19/16

This week I've taken on the new trend of Detox Water. In the past drinking water has never been an issue for me, but recently I've been feeling fatigued and getting headaches in the afternoon and I can tell I'm dehydrated and just not getting enough to drink. With everything I've read, it seems Detox Water is a simple way to increase my water intake while naturally boosting my metabolism. Sounds good, right?

So what is Detox Water, exactly? Any combination of fruit, vegetable or herbs infused in cold water with nutritional properties that increase weight loss, decrease appetite, and flush out toxins. Audrey John writes in her book Fruit Infusion: A Collection of Day Spa Inspired, Fruit Infused Waters that besides tasting great and having zero calories, a water detox has many additional health benefits, including:

*Improves your mood

*Flushes toxins from your system

*Fills you up so you don't eat as much junk

*Naturally helps your body release fat cells for water weight loss

*Keeps food moving through your system

*Keeps your organs healthy while your sweating

*Reduces muscle fatigue while working out

* Helps you recuperate faster from a workout

*Keeps you from feeling groggy in the afternoon

OK, so a simple habit of drinking water can do all of that? I'm definitely in! With a little more research I dug up tons of great recipes to make delicious detox waters with just a few easy ingredients. I picked a quick 3 to try but there are so many to choose from! For the first round I went with the Lemon/Cucumber/Mint combo, a Strawberry Lemonade, and a Apple Cinnamon. I found these simple recipes on Bembu.com and they all feature inexpensive ingredients that are proven to boost your metabolism and detoxify your system.

Lemon, Cucumber & Mint

The spa classic is a great way to add some luxury to your every day. Thinly sliced lemon and cucumber with fresh sprigs of sweet mint will instantly take you away- close your eyes and massage some lavender oil on your temples to trick yourself into thinking your on a spa day! The health benefits should also relax your nerves. Lemons are packed with nutrients, including vitamin C, B-complex vitamins, calcium iron, magnesium, potassium, and fiber. According to lifehack.com, "the level of your vitamin C in your system is often the first thing to plummet when you're stressed." Drinking lemon infused water is a simple way to increase your vitamin C intake daily.

Apple Cinnamon

This one is supposedly great before bed and is sometimes referred to as the Zero Calorie detox water on account of its nearly nothing calorie count. To make, I thinly sliced about a 1/3 of an apple, and added 2 tsp of cinnamon and 2 tbsp of apple cider vinegar. The cinnamon it contains helps to stimulate your internal organs to cleans themselves, while the apple is providing you with its all natural source of vitamins of minerals. The effects of apple cider vinegar can be weight loss, lower blood sugar levels and improve symptoms of diabetes. Next time I will add a little tsp of honey. Although I thought there was enough water to dilute the vinegar it was still pretty strong. *Also, make sure you use some kind of tool to strain this one! I used a funnel and tea diffuser combination, but a strainer would probably work best!

Strawberry Lemonade

Strawberries are packed with vitamins, fiber and high levels of antioxidants known as polyphenols which can also reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease by preventing platelet build-up and reducing blood pressure. Besides the mineral properties, the natural sugars balance beautifully with the tart lemon creating a simple Strawberry Lemonade, without any added sugars. To make my version, I just added equal parts thin sliced lemon and strawberries. It turned out beautifully! I found I was going for this to drink with meals at home instead of the bottle of diet soda I had in the fridge.

I chilled my detox waters for at least 6 hours before drinking to allow for all the minerals and vitamins to infuse into the water. The cold water helps to keep fruit/veggies longer so even though they are sliced they stayed fresh for a day or two making it easy to keep these detox waters on hand!

Stay posted for other great detox water and smoothie recipes with our Drink of the Week feature!

XO,

Hattie

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