Despite the health benefits of water, people still love to drink juice and soda. Unfortunately, these beverages are usually empty calories filled with sugar that do little in the way of hydration — even diet soda can be damaging. I think that water tastes great, but sometimes I get bored of drinking it all the time. Instead of giving in to juice and soda cravings, I've been making my own flavored water at home. Not only does it taste great, it's extremely economical.
My advice is to keep a few flavors in your fridge at all times; that way you'll always have a bit of variety and never get bored. Because I only like a hint of flavor in my water, I don't add a ton of stuff — find what works best for your taste buds though!
For a few ideas on how you can make your own read more.
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- Add fresh citrus juice to water. I especially love the combination of lime and orange.
- Add herbs to your water. I love putting a few sprigs of fresh mint in my H20 pitcher or even lemongrass.
- Add freshly cut cucumbers. This small addition really gives water a clean and refreshing taste that is ever so subtle.
- Add fresh sliced ginger, and you've made yourself a natural tummy tamer.
- Add pickle juice to water and make your own electrolyte replacement drink. It might sound gross but it really works!
- For a hint of sweetness, crush up some berries or pomegranate seeds into your water. I love mixing strawberries and kiwi together.
- If you're really craving soda, liven up soda water. Add a hint of flavored syrup, juice, or fresh fruit.
Donna Karan
I put lime and lemons into my soda when I'm at work. So refreshing!
1I'm a big fan of the Crystal Light packets, my favorite is Wild Strawberry, which is packed with B vitamins for energy!
2While these all sound good, I prefer my water plain. I have never cared for flavored water.
3seriously, now fruit juice is consider as a reason for cravings....ugh, chill out....if you want to, drink it!
4i like my water as it is tho..... but maybe for visitors who dont this will be like a treat cuz its looks classier than normal water =P
5When I'm out at restaurants I usually ask for a lemon or lime for my water because I don't like the taste of their water there.
However, on my own, I usually like just plain water. I don't like adding Crystal Light or anything like that to it.
6I LOVE cucumber water. It sounds really weird until you actually try it. It's fresh-tasting and it makes you feel like you're at a spa or something.
7These suggestions all sound so delicious! I like plain water as well, but I drink it at my desk throughout the day, and sometimes I feel like trying something different.
8I really want to try cucumber water - but I got a question though - should I leave the cucumber skin on?
9I generally take the skin off and slice the cucumber very thin and put it in a pitcher of water. It's best when it's very cold.
10Once in a while, when I'm having an allergy day I'll grab the cucumber slices in the water and throw them on my eyes. It takes the swelling and itching down really quickly
Great tips! When I worked at a spa we would slice fresh cucumbers, lemons and oranges and put them in ice cold water to serve guests. I need to start doing that at home!!!
11As a registered dietitian, I agree that flavored water can be a delicious choice to provide hydration. But so can juice and soda, and there is nothing wrong with these beverages, if people enjoy them in moderation. People get calories from many sources. The key is to achieve a balance between the calories we take in and the calories we burn. I also consult for food and beverage companies and therefore follow the research in these areas. And I can tell you that most of the recent studies including the one referenced in one of your hyperlinks are observational – in other words, they do not establish causalities between diet soda and health outcomes. When it comes to nutrition it’s not about elimination. It’s about moderation and exercise. With this approach any food or beverage can be part of a sensible diet.
Daniel Santibanez, MPH, RD, LDN
12My gym turned me on to nuun (www.nuun.com), which is awesome. Less than 5 calories, no sugar or artificial colors (some of those crystal light style powders stained anything they touched!).
Using half of a nuun tablet in a glass of water really helps me to drink more while I'm sitting at my desk through the day, and the electrolytes are nice during/after the gym.
13rbaech
14I love nuun too. My fave flavor is triberry. What's yours?
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