The experts’ recommendations are to consume 6 to 8 glasses of water per day, bare minimum, as the body needs water to function normally. Plus, many groups of people, times of life, activities, not to mention heat, can cause you to need even more water than usual.
The body is made up mostly of water—perhaps surprisingly, it’s made up of about 55 to 60% water. Some systems are made up of even more. For instance, the brain is comprised of about 73% water, lungs are 83% water, and blood is about 92% water. You can survive three weeks (or more) without food. But within a mere three days without water, and you’re done.
Does this mean you should only be consuming plain ole H2O, or do other beverages like infused water recipes count?
Well, that depends…
Consuming water in its simplest form definitely has its pros; however, you don’t need to drink all of that as water. Hydration can also come from other beverages, along with vegetables and fruits. Generally, around 80% of water should come from drinks with the remaining 20% from food sources. That means:
- For men, about 100 ounces, or 12.5 cups, of liquid water
- For women, around 73 ounces, or a bit more than 9 cups, per day
What about sparkling water and seltzer?
These types of drinks are enticing ways to help you consume more water. With a wide range of flavors, they increase variety. This may help explain why Americans spend about $1.5 billion a year on these beverages, with that number rising by 42% over the last 5 years.
While club soda contains sodium, sparkling water does not. Meanwhile, tonic water has added sweeteners, not to mention an ingredient called quinine, which was once available as a prescription drug to help with leg cramps but is now banned for that purpose. You can find sparkling mineral waters, which may contain minerals like calcium, potassium, and magnesium. Plus, numerous flavored sparkling waters contain added sugar, artificial sweeteners, caffeine, and other additives to alter the taste.
If you really want to know what is in your sparkling water or seltzer, simply make your own. I personally invested in a “Soda Stream” and simply add water and let it work its magic. I enjoy the carbonation it provides without the calories, and I can add whatever flavors I want.
These are some of my favorite infused water recipes:
1. Lemon Cucumber Refresher
Ingredients:
- Lemon slices
- Cucumber slices
- Mint leaves
- Soda stream seltzer/sparkling water
Benefits:
Lemon:
- Supports a healthy immune system.
- Is an excellent source of potassium.
- May aid digestion.
- Helps the system cleanse.
- Freshens your breath.
- May help keep your skin blemish-free.
- Supports weight loss.
- Supports healthy inflammation in the body.
- Provides an energy boost.
Cucumber:
- Provides extra hydration.
- Supports weight loss.
- Delivers antioxidants.
- May help lower blood pressure.
- Supports healthy skin.
- Promotes bone health.
Mint:
- Rich in nutrients.
- May help relieve indigestion.
- May help improve brain function.
- May help ease subjective cold symptoms.
2. Orange Ginger Infused Seltzer
Ingredients:
- Orange slices
- Rosemary leaves
- Ginger root
- Soda stream sparkling/seltzer water
Benefits:
Orange:
- Provides several vitamins and minerals, especially vitamin C, thiamine, folate, and potassium.
- Is an excellent source of vitamin C, with a large orange providing more than 100% of the recommended daily intake.
- Provides thiamin, one of the B vitamins, also called vitamin B1.
- Provides folate, also known as vitamin B9.
- Rich in potassium.
Rosemary:
- May help improve brain function.
- May help stimulate hair growth.
- May help reduce pain.
- Repels certain bugs.
- May ease stress.
- May increase circulation.
- May help perk you up.
- May reduce joint inflammation.
Ginger:
- Contains gingerol, which has medicinal properties.
- Many help relieve many forms of nausea, such as morning sickness.
- May help with weight loss.
- May support stronger bones.
- May lower blood sugar and decrease heart disease risk factors.
- May help ease chronic indigestion.
- May reduce menstrual pain.
- May help lower cholesterol levels.
- May improve brain function and protect against cognitive decline.
- May help the body fight infections.
3. Watermelon Basil Refresher
Ingredients:
- Watermelon balls
- Basil leaves
Benefits:
Watermelon:
- Improves hydration.
- Contains numerous nutrients and beneficial plant compounds.
- May improve heart health.
- May help the body fight inflammation and oxidative stress.
- May help support eye health
- May help relieve muscle soreness.
- Is good for the skin and hair.
- May improve digestion.
Basil:
- May help reduce memory loss associated with stress and aging.
- May help reduce chronic stress and depression related to it.
- May reduce stroke damage and support recovery, whether given before or right after a stroke.
- May improve fasting blood sugar, cholesterol, and triglycerides.
- May reduce blood pressure in people with hypertension.
- May help relax blood vessels and thin your blood.
- May protect against gut damage.
- May support mental alertness (when used in aromatherapy).
- May help inhibit the growth of bacteria that cause dental decay.
- Improve food safety, such as if integrated into food packaging by manufacturers.
- Help repel insects, such as mosquitos and ticks.
What About Water Enhancers?
My favorite water enhancer, which checks every box on the list, is Mojo H2O from BioTRUST. Mojo H2O’s fruity flavors pack a punch to plain water. Yet, it is made with no sugar or artificial sweeteners and is instead naturally sweetened. Even more, Mojo H2O is also…
- Keto- and Paleo-friendly
- Non-GMO
- Soy-, gluten-, and dairy-free
- Vegan
- Artificial color- and preservative-free
- Manufactured in a GMP-certified facility
- Third-party tested to ensure purity, potency, and safety
You can enjoy a squirt or two of Mojo H2O on its own or toss in some berries to kick up the flavor.
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