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Fruit infused water allows additional flavors and nutrients to be added to your water without adding sugar, like smoothies, juices and sodas. Our bodies rely on adequate hydration to function properly, including healing and preventing eczema flare ups.
Dehydration is serious and the majority of people don’t drink more than 2-3 cups of water daily. If someone tells me they’re not feeling well, especially when they indicate they have a headache or are fatigued, my impulse is to ask them about their water intake.
As I’ve noted before, drinking water can help our bodies purge harmful toxins, like nickel. John D. Kirschmann author of the Nutrition Almanac affirms this concept noting how “absorbed nickel is rapidly and efficiently excreted via the kidneys” (pg. 74). Infusing your water with strawberries, kiwi, papaya or oranges also naturally adds vitamin c to your diet, which has been shown to help reduce the absorption of nickel.
Filtering my tap water, my Pur Classic 18 Cup Water Dispenser became unwittingly too tall last fall when I purchased a my new bottom freezer refrigerator. Determined to make it work, I removed one of the three shelves, which enabled the water dispenser to fit, until I needed additional shelf space when l hosted Thanksgiving dinner. Noticing my own reduction in water intake after we no longer had readily available cold water, I requested the 8 inch tall nickel free, BPA free Prodyne Big Fruit Infusion Pitcher (affiliate link) for Christmas. I wanted a pitcher with a water infuser canister or rod that could both contain the fruit and easily be removed.
Unaware of specific techniques to infuse my water, I checked out Britt Brandon’s book Infused Water: 100 Easy Delicious Recipes for Detox, Weight Loss, Healthy Skin, Better Immunity and More (affiliate link) from my library. Filled with fantastic ideas, her recipes offer various combinations of fruit, herbs and teas to easily infuse your water. She organizes the recipes for detox, improved immunity, boosting energy, stress relief and reduced inflammation.
Brandon recommends infusing the water for 4-24 hours and drinking the water within 1-2 days. Personally I like to infuse longer, for 12-24 hours, but through experience I quickly learned that infusing the water for too long can cause the water to become bitter or ferment, making it not drinkable.
I’ve also learned, it’s best to peel fruits like apples and pears for added benefit. My favorite combinations include strawberries with crushed blueberries, cucumber, and orange slices with muddled mint and slices of apples and pears with lemon.
Do you infuse your water? If so, have you found it helps you drink more water daily? Are there fruit and herb combinations you enjoy? I’d love to hear about it in the comment section below!
Christy Cushing
Marjon Scheffer
Stevie Howe