FRUIT INFUSED WATER
photos: kristin ess
photos: kristin ess
As hot as it is on the West Coast (particularly LA), summer is coming to an end soon. But that doesn’t mean we’re not going to juice it for all it’s worth! (Ha, see what we did there?) All summer we’ve been trying to stay hydrated in the TBD office. As many cites, states, countries suffer from a shortage of water, we consider ourselves very lucky to have access to clean drinking water.
Hopefully I don’t sound ungrateful for saying this but as long as I can remember, I’ve never liked the “taste” of water. I have to force myself to drink it and before infusing, I would often go days without a glass of water. Maybe it’s the minerals or maybe it’s just how utterly plain it is, but I have discussed this with many people over the years and I was surprised at how many friends have this same issue. I don’t drink soda and I don’t drink sugary drinks so it’s not like my tastebuds are just used to sweetness. Nonetheless, I started popping fresh fruits into my water and my hydration game changed. I now can go through bottles and bottles without an issue. Even if you DO love the taste of water, this is a fun way to change it up.
Pretty sure we’ve talked about the importance of drinking water before, but in case you forgot, here’s a refresher:
- brain tissue is about 75% water.
- muscles + kidneys are about 79% water.
- lungs are about 83% water.
- our skin is comprised of about 64% water.
- water helps flush waste and toxins from the body.
- it helps regulate body temperature.
- it helps deliver oxygen to your brain!
- water lubricates your joints.
- even your bones are 31% water.
Fill up some small milk bottles.
Chop up your favorite fruits.
Plan out some fun flavor combos! Or just mix them all together. I love pairing them up so I have different types of water throughout the day and I don’t get bored.
Put a lid on it. I put some of my waters in the refrigeratior because they stay fresher longer and I tend to make 10 small bottles for a day. But if you’re just doing one or two, the flavors will infuse faster out of the refrigerator.
Wait 30 min to an hour and give it a little stir. I use this long spoon and poke at the fruits a little to release more flavor.
If you want a change of flavor, add the tiniest bit of coconut water! Here are some of the flavor combos I love along with a description of what they taste like…
- Watermelon, Strawberry + Mint: Tastes like summertime in a bottle.
- Cherry, Blueberry + Raspberry: Sangria-ish.
- Orange + Rosemary: Savory. Makes me less hungry.
- White Peach, Green Apple + Basil: This one tastes like PIE!
- Plum + Basil: Plum picking!
- Kiwi, Raspberry + Orange: Tropical Fruit
- Blueberry + Strawberry: this one tastes just like a red popsicle.
- Orange, Green Apple + Mint: reminds you of being at the spa!
If you have a meeting at work or you’re just having friends over, cut up some larger pieces of your favorite fruit, stuff them into a decanter with water and serve over ice.
This is truly a great trick and something I’ll also carry over into winter with stone fruits. I used plum above but I can’t wait to figure out new combos for the season! Hope you enjoy this and hope you drink lots and lots of H20.
