All those who dislike drinking water raise your hand….now go and get a glass of water and pour it over your face, silly.

I’ve never been able to understand people who dislike drinking water, your body needs it; up to 60% of the human body is water, the lungs are roughly 83 % water and the brain and heart are 73% water .

I suppose this is easy for me to say, I’ve never disliked drinking water and have always been puzzled over people that say they find coffee, coke and squash refreshingly hydrating….it’s not good for you at all, stop it! Stop it now!

As I’ve grown older I’ve realised that some people are just stubborn and clearly refuse to drink water at all.

Fine, I will not be beaten!

I’ve created 6 potions that you can drink instead of plain tap water and they all have the same benefits of plain water and MORE! Now how can you say no to that?

First I would like to get one thing straight: there is no such thing as detox water that will make you “skinny” within a few weeks. Water infused with fruit (pictured) has some amazing health benefits and because it tastes so nice you may drink more of it, the more water you drink the more toxins are flushed from your body and therefore the toilet will be your new buddy. You’ll be surprised at how different you’d look if you drank about 1 gallon of water per day, bye-bye puffy puppy! Don’t be fooled though, it’s the toxins leaving your body, not fat and it’s not permanent if you don’t keep at it.

When your body is holding onto excess fluids (which it will be if you drink little amounts of water) it is called Water Retention, this can be caused by many things from diet to injury however the main cause is not being hydrated in the first place. When you are not hydrating yourself your body goes into survival mode and holds onto as much water as it can get to make sure your body keeps running, much like a bicycle chain that is going rusty.

Lets start with raspberry water: crush some (frozen or fresh) raspberries in a mug, add ice and tap water.

Raspberries are packed with antioxidants which fight against cancer, heart and circulatory disease and premature aging, they have also been shown to have anti-inflammatory properties.

Strawberry water: cut up some fresh strawberries, crush them in a mug, add ice and tap water.

Yay a superfood!!! Strawberries are nutrient-dense and packed with vitamins C and K, fibre, folic acid, manganese and potassium. Again they are an anti inflammatory and help protect against cancer and heart disease.

Lemon water: cut up some fresh lemon and add a few slices to a cold glass of water with ice.

Lemons have been used for centuries for their antibacterial, antiviral and immune boosting qualities. They are good for weight loss as the juice is a digestive aid and a liver cleanser. (Keep the rest of the lemon in a air tight container with a tiny bit of water to keep them fresh and hydrated, you can also add lemon slices to warm water for a nice hot drink!)

My personal favourite is fresh lemon, lime and mint: add the lime and lemon slices to water and ice, rip up some fresh mint leaves and stir.

Limes have also been used for centuries but this time in the treatments of digestion, eye care, weight loss, scurvy, skin care, respiratory disorders, etc. Mint promotes digestion as well as soothes indigestion and inflammation. All that plus the benefits of lemon as well! (This one tastes just like a mojito…minus the rum and sugar)

Green Tea

My father says that green tea tastes like slug water…I’m hoping he’s not talking from experience. I hate to admit that he’s not far from the truth, I’m not a huge fan of the taste of green tea however you can buy flavoured versions which are much more tolerable. My favourite is lemon but you can also get mint, pomegranate and jasmine to name a few.

It is loaded with antioxidants and nutrients that have powerful effects on the body including improved brain function and weight loss due to it’s thermogenic properties helping to speed up your metabolism.

Now for a trick a friend taught me: have you thought about cold green tea? At first I was slightly offended at the suggestion…

COLD GREEN TEA? ARE YOU JOKING?!

I was silenced quite quickly after I tried it, I can honestly say that aside from a crisp glass of cold water, green tea with ice and tap water is the most refreshing drink I have ever tasted in my life.

All of these recipes you can put into a single mug or your litre bottle to refill throughout the day…don’t forget to wash it out at night otherwise the taste will be tainted.

ENJOY

♥