This week’s 8 Weeks of Wellness Challenge we are focusing on hydration and improving water intake over sweetened or alcoholic beverages. Water is one of the most essential nutrients for life but so many people fall short of the recommendations. One of the best ways to do this is to make water more drinkable and appealing to the masses. Today I’m sharing some tips to spice up your basic water and make it more exciting and palatable- the better you can make water taste the more likely you are to drink it!
- Add fresh fruit or a splash of juice
When trying to get away from sweetened beverages sometimes we need a gateway to curb the difference. Add some fruit or a splash of fruit juice to plain water gives it a real fruit flavor as opposed to the artificially flavored and sweetened sodas. A squeeze of an orange or a lemon can go a long way. And most spas swear by their cucumber water!
- Try sparkling water
That carbonation effect is real. Who doesn’t love something fizzing and bubbling!? Replace your soda with sparking water in combination with one of my flavor extras (juice, fruit, etc.) to get that same effect.
- Make flavored ice cubes
It’s fun to freeze various food elements in ice cubes to add to your drinks. It makes them more appealing to the eye and creates a curiosity. Sometimes I use juices and sometimes I use fruit and herbs. My husband likes coffee ice cubes in water to create a sort of coffee flavored water (I think this is gross/weird but to each their own).
- Brew tea in your hot water
Tea is basically water with natural flavors added. I’m currently obsessed with my Teavana brewer so I can use loose leaf tea but a regular old tea bag does the job just as a well. Most flavored teas are typically made with spices, herbs, etc. so they are generally not sweetened and are flavorful enough to forgo any added sugars.
- Add spices or herbs
Fresh herbs and spices such as rosemary, basil, cinnamon, mint, and thyme all add refreshing flavor to plain water. It’s similar to making your own homemade tea. #hack
I personally like drinking water plain- I find it the most quenching that way but I think I’m in the minority so adding something more appealing to make your water taste better can definitely improve intake. In my newsletter I describe the importance of water and talk more about healthy habits. Sign up below to join for Weeks 4,5,6,7, and 8. Feel free to shoot me an email if you want to catch up on Weeks 1 and 2.
My grandmother used to freeze iced tea in ice cube trays and add it to iced tea so it didnt get watery. The coffee idea is also brilliant! I’ve been a big fan of seltzer these days!
I think seltzer is a great way to make a mocktail or fancier water drink to keep things interesting without adding alcohol or sugar
Such great ideas! I’m always trying to drink more water so I’ll try your tips 🙂
Drinking out of a fancy glass helps too 😉