“How much water do you drink?”, queried my doctor on a recent visit. I was suffering from sore throat and fever, what had how much water I was drinking got to do with it?
Apparently more than we care.
Be it a cold, knee- or backache, one’s daily water intake can prove an important factor in one’s suffering. And more often than not our reply is less than 2 litres.
Why do we not like drinking water?
The excuses are aplenty (I should know, I’ve used them myself): heavy workload, forgetfulness, “I’m not allowed too many toilet breaks”. Tasteless, is probably the most common after “no time to think, forget drink”.
“Confession time: I do not like the taste of plain water,” said Ahlaam Ali, a Dubai-based weight management coach and nutritionist and founder of PowwerTM Living. “I found that I was not drinking enough water to hydrate my body especially after a strenuous workout and many people I meet during the weight loss programmes, absolutely hate the taste of water. They say it doesn’t taste like anything.
“Another reason people drink less water is that our palates are so spoilt with high sugar, high salt food and drinks we consume on a daily basis. Our taste buds are constantly bombarded with added sugar fruits juices, coffees, flavoured water. Hence water seems boring and tasteless.”
Often enough people rely on bottled flavoured waters and store-bought juices to keep themselves hydrated, thinking they are healthier options to other drinks. The labels scream “calorie free” and “good for weight loss”. However, turn the bottle and read the nutrition label. With the high amounts of sugar and artificial sweeteners such as aspartame, you might as well drink a regular sugar induced cola. One bottle of flavoured water I picked up had 60mg per 500ml, which is 6 tablespoons of aspartame in half a litre. Artificial sweeteners, touted as low calorie and diabetic friendly, have already proven harmful if taken constantly in the long run.
Infused waters are a much healthier option because they include real fruits and no flavourings or sweeteners, advises Ali. And the best way to have infused water is to make it at home. Not only are they easy to make, you know all the ingredients are fresh and you can choose what fruits or vegetables you want.
Ali says because of her lack for plain water, she has been experimenting with infused waters for a decade now and it will form a major part of her next book.
“I like to call it ‘forest water’ as it sounds exotic, looks exotic and gives you the license to put whatever you want in it,” said Ali. “Now I can easily drink at least 3 litres of water a day. All my friends love it and the fact that each time they visit, they will get to try a new concoction.”
Moreover infused water is great for detoxing as all the properties of the fruits are transferred to the water including the alkalising effects, said Ali. “These help your body get rid of a lot of toxins that have been building up, by making the body and organs as well as the tissues a lot more alkaline. This makes it less prone to water retention, inflammation and general malaise”.
Plus, they are good for weight loss because detoxing is the first step towards weight loss. Once the organs and tissues work more efficiently, your metabolism kicks into a higher gear.
Mineral water, spring water talk of added nutrients but Ali feels that infused water should be made only with filtered water.
“Mineral water is of course good as well but to be honest all these waters have travelled so far in plastic bottles and stored for so long that I am reluctant to use them,” advised Ali. “Moreover, I always make sure that all the water I drink is either room temperature or warm. The benefits of room temperature water are far more than cold water”.
This is due to the fact that cold water doesn’t help much in eliminating toxins and fats.
Moreover, each recipe can be whatever you like it to be. Experiment with lots of different fruits and vegetables and find the best combinations that works for you.
“The best part is that you can serve these to your guests as well and they will love the novelty. They will thank you for it and you will tickle their taste buds”.
Box: How to make infused water
1 Take a tall jug or decanter.
2 Preferably fill with clean, filtered water. Bottled water is generally stale as it is left in the sun for months and the plastic tends to degenerate and contaminate the water.
3 Pick fresh fruits and vegetables you enjoy. It’s better to use fruits and vegetables separately, as they have their individual benefits. Make one decanter full of various veggies and the other full of fruits. Use one during the day and one in the evening.
4 Finely chop your fruits and vegetables and throw them into the two decanters or jugs. If you have a sports bottle then prepare that one as well so you can drink infused water on the go — while driving, walking or at the gym.
5 You can top up the water in the same fruit and vegetable at least twice. Make sure you eat the vegetables and fruits once the water is finished.
Box: Recipes to help you start your own experimentation
Grapefruit and basil (weight loss)
Finely slice one grapefruit and place it in a jug of water. Wash the basil leaves, crush and add. Let steep for 30 minutes.
Spicy mint and lemon (weight loss)
Slice one lemon, one red chilli and crush 10 mint leaves. Throw all of the above in a pitcher of water and let steep for 30 minutes to maximise the effect of the chilli.
This one is an interesting blend that will help kickstart your metabolism because of the chilli and the lemon will flush out the fat and toxins. The mint aids in digestion.
Note: Adjust chilli to taste and tolerance. Do not try this combination if you suffer from acidity or ulcers.
Lemongrass and mint (digestive and refreshing)
Cut two stalks of lemongrass into 1-inch pieces and boil in two cups of water for 30 minutes. Let it cool down and add to water. Crush mint and add to the mix.
Very Berry (refreshing and rejuvenating)
Finely slice handful of strawberries, blackberries and raspberries. Add to water. Crush 10 mint leaves and add.
Lemon, lime and cucumber (detox and flush)
Slice one lemon, one lime and one cucumber. Throw all into a decanter of water and steep.
Box: Why drinking infused water is a better option than plain water
- Tastes a lot better so you will drink more water.
- Minerals from the fruits and vegetables get transferred to the water which in turn benefit the body directly.
- Kickstarts your metabolism, hence great for weight loss.
- Fills you up as well as your senses so you don’t feel like bingeing on junk food.
- Satisfies your sweet cravings.
- Flushes toxins out of the body.
- Reduces muscle fatigue after a workout hence faster recovery after a monster workout.
- Keeps your organised, healthy, active and nourished.
- Refreshes and wakes you up early in the morning as well as when you feel a dip in your energy levels at work in the afternoon.
- The fruits and vegetables alkalise the water, proving to be more beneficial to your body by cutting down the acid in organs and tissues.
- Use the fruit one during the day and the vegetable one in the evening as there is no sugar in vegetables.
- Preferably use glass pitchers and bottles. Except, of course, your sports bottle which will be plastic but PBA free.
