Drinking enough water can be challenging at times… trust me, I know! It’s probably the one area I tend to fall down in, especially when life gets busy. As such, I’ve developed a number of ways to help both myself and my patients overcome this. One of my favourite options, is to infuse my water with fresh fruits, herbs and vegetables. It really is as simple and as easy as it’s sounds, incredibly inexpensive, completely devoid of artificial colours and flavours AND funnily enough, truly does boost your daily water intake.

WHAT YOU NEED

• Filtered water. You’ll need 2L of filtered water daily. Room temperature is best.
• A glass water jug OR large bottle. I picked up a great water jug from a homewares store for $19.95. If you’re opting to use a glass water bottle, make sure it has a wide “mouth” to enable you to easily get the fruit, herbs and/or vegetable out once your done. I always prefer glass over plastic, you can read about why here.
• Fresh fruit and/or vegetables. Choose organic produce where possible (as they will be soaking in your water), peel if you opt for conventional produce. Wash produce thoroughly to remove any residue.

TIPS FOR FRESH FRUIT & VEG

• Citrus fruits and harder fruits like apples will need to be sliced thinly. Softer fruits like strawberries and melon will become waterlogged after a few hours, so chopping them in large chunks to ensure and easy change-over, will save you time and hassle down the line.
• Citrus fruits will flavour the water almost instantly, but herbs and harder fruits take time. Add them at separate times if you’re combining the two.
• After 4 hours, unpeeled citrus fruits can make the water taste somewhat bitter. Keep that in mind if you leave your desk for too long.

MY FAVOURITE FLAVOUR COMBINATIONS

• LEMON – My favourite. Simply slice 2 small lemons and place in a 1.5L jug. You can re-fill the jug without changing the lemons over the course of 2hrs.
• LEMON & ORANGE –  Simply slice 1 small lemon and 1 oranges and place in a 1.5L jug. You can re-fill the jug without changing the lemons over the course of 2hrs.
• CUCUMBER & MINT – Honestly, one of the most refreshing combinations available. The trick is to crush the mint leaves before adding to the water and leave for a few hours before adding 1/2 small Lebanese cucumber.
• WATERMELON & BASIL – Often overlooked but incredibly tasty.
• LIME, STRAWBERRY & MINT – One of my favourites! Perfect for the Christmas table as the colours are really quite festive. dd approximately 10 strawberries, thickly sliced alongside 5 crushed mint leaves. Allow to infuse for 1 hour before you add an optional thinly sliced fresh lime. Stir gently to combine.
• ORANGE & BLUEBERRY – Add 1 cup of blueberries to a 1.5L jug of filtered water; allow to sit for approximately 1 hour before adding 2 sliced oranges. Stir gently.
• PINEAPPLE & MINT – One of my favourite summer combinations! Peel and thinly slice about 1/4 of a pineapple (the more you add, the more flavour), add to a 1.5L jug with 10-12 leaves of fresh mint, crushed.
• PINEAPPLE & BASIL – Very similar to the above recipe, but a more sophisticated twist.Peel and thinly slice about 1/4 of a pineapple (the more you add, the more flavour), add to a 1.5L jug with 10-12 leaves of fresh crushed basil leaves.
• LIME & MINT – Tastes somewhat like a mojito without the alcohol or sugar hit! Add 1 thinly sliced lime with some crushed mint leaves and stir gently to combine.
• LEMON, LIME & MINT – probably one of the more popular infused combinations! Simply slice one small lemon, one small lime and crushed mint leaves before adding them to your glass jug.

Do you pimp your water? What’s your favourite flavour? 

Comment below!