Jazz up Your Water

I don’t know many people who say they actually like water. I think we just drink it because we have to. Funny enough, when our bodies are lacking water we will crave it!  

Yeah, so water doesn’t taste like anything and it isn’t a pretty color like juice, but we do need it. A human body is made up of approximately 80% water. Water is to our bodies like peanut butter is to jelly. You can’t have one without the other.  

Here are just a few benefits to drinking water:

• Water is essential for digesting food. It is also important for getting rid of various toxic elements from the body, in the form of urine, sweat and fecal matter

• Water helps to cushion our joints and prevents shocks in them

So now that you know you can’t live without water you probably want to know if flavored water acceptable? Yes and no! You do need some good ole pure water with nothing else in it. You’ve heard it before, 64 ounces of water a day will help keep the doctor away. But you can get your water many other ways. With it being summertime and hot as heck, I thought I would offer up some creative ways to stay hydrated.  

Let’s start with the simple stuff. Dress up your water! Get a pitcher, cut up some slices of peeled cucumbers, lemons, or limes and put them in your water to add a little flavor. Raspberries are a good addition to water too. How about eating some good ole fashioned fruit.

Slice up a juicy watermelon for you and the kids and have them snack on that while they play outside. Grapes (pick your color) are also great to help keep you hydrated in the summer. Don’t forget to eat your veggies. Cucumbers, celery and corn on the cob are all water filled vegetables good for summer eating.     

Now for the fun stuff. Popsicles are a good way to keep the kiddos cool when they are out in the sun. If you don’t have time to make your own you can easily buy them at any grocery store. There are a ton of ice pop recipes available online. Below are some ideas you can try at home for the summer:  

Melon Stripe Ice Pops courtesy of Women’s Health Magazine  
1 cup of cantaloupe, diced
2 tbsp of lime juice, divided
2 tsp of honey, divided
1 cup of honeydew, diced

In blender, combine cantaloupe with 1 tablespoon of lime juice and 1 teaspoon of honey.  Fill a fourth of each ice pop mold with a layer of cantaloupe and put it in the freezer for 1 hour. Set remaining mixture aside. In blender, combine honeydew with remaining lime juice and honey. After cantaloupe is set, add a layer of honeydew. Freeze for o1 hour. Add one additional layer of cantaloupe and then honeydew, allowing ice pops to set in the freezer for 1 hour between each layer.

After pouring the final layer, insert sticks and freeze for another 4 hours.  

Cucumber Water:
1 pitcher of filtered water
3 cucumbers, peeled and sliced thin
1-2 sprigs of mint (optional)
Place the cucumbers in the pitcher of filtered water and let set over night in the fridge.  Add mint for added flavor.  You can either leave the cucumbers in the water and serve cold or fish them out before you serve.  If you use mint, you may want to take it out before you serve or wait to add them just before you serve.

Fruit Water:
1 pitcher of filtered water
1 apple, sliced or diced
1 lemon, sliced
1 orange, sliced
1 pear, sliced or diced
4 large strawberries, sliced or diced|

Handful of raspberries

Handful of mint leaves
Place the fruit and mint leaves in the pitcher of filtered water and let set over night in the fridge.  You can either leave the fruit in the water and serve cold or fish them out before you serve.  If you use mint, you may want to take it out before you serve or wait to add them just before you serve.

Fruit & Herb Ice Cubes:
This one is for fun!  Get some blueberries, raspberries, blackberries and mint.  Fill an ice tray with a couple pieces of fruit and a mint leave.  Or you can mix and match or do some mint ice cubes and some fruit ice cubes.  Fill the remaining space up with water and freeze.  Use in water or in your sweet tea.