It is a summer water infusion!!

Second Quarter Challenge Prizes are in!!

HFA is very excited about our new water bottles for our second quarter challenge winners. The Minute Master Challenge competitors received these really cool water bottles with something called an infuser in them. This made me think about how little I know about infusing water and its benefits. Naturally, I went looking for information so I thought I would give you a few interesting facts I found.

There are many reasons to infuse your water beyond “just to make it taste good.” One of the main reasons to infuse water with fruits and or herbs is to enhance weight loss. One of the best habits you can gain in your weight loss journey is to increase you water intake. The bottled water industry knows this and has introduced many forms of either flavored water/teas or drops and powders that give your water a more pleasing taste. Many of the ingredients in these products are not actually that healthy for you, artificial sweeteners and preservatives do not have a place in your water. But natural water infusion has many benefits.

Just to name a few, it can

· Improve your mood.

· Flushes toxins from your system.

· Fills you up so you don’t eat as much.

· Naturally helps your body release fat cells for water weight loss.

· Keeps food moving through your system.

· Keeps your organs healthy while you’re sweating.

· Reduces muscle fatigue while working out.

· Helps you recuperate faster from a workout.

· Keeps you from feeling groggy in the afternoon.



Prep for water infusion is really easy too! You simply

1. Place desired fruits/vegetables in a small mixing bowl or directly in your infuser or water bottle. Use the end of a wooden spoon to slightly mash or breakdown the fruit/vegetables

2. Next add any herbs and spices. Don’t forget to gently bruise the leaf of any whole plant herbs such as mint or basil to help release the natural oils found in the plant.

3. Then place these ingredients in your bottle or container (or if you have our fancy bottles straight into your infuser) then add sparkling water or just good old filtered water to your bottle and enjoy!



Here are some ideas for ingredients to use.

FRUIT
Citrus | grapefruit, lemon, Meyer lemon, key lime, lime, blood orange, orange, tangerines
Berries | strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, blackberries, cherries
Tropical | pear, pomegranate, mango, pineapple, banana, kiwi, starfruit
Melons | honeydew, cantaloupe, watermelon
Other | apples, grapes, plums, peaches, nectarines

VEGETABLES
cucumber, carrots, celery, peppers (hot or sweet)

HERBS
mint, sage, rosemary, basil, cilantro, thyme, stevia, lavender

SPICES
ginger, cinnamon stick (ground cinnamon will float), black pepper

WATER
Filtered water, sparkling plain water (San Pellegrino, etc.)

And here are some of my favorite combinations to try!! 

grapefruit + sage//rosemary//mint//basil
lemon + mint//cilantro//basil
lemon + lime + cilantro
lemon + ginger
Meyer lemon + tangerine + pear + hot green pepper + cilantro
lemon + orange + ginger
blood orange + ginger + basil
cucumber + lemon + lime + mint//basil
cucumber + grapefruit + sage//rosemary
cucumber + watermelon + mint
carrots + apple + lemon + ginger
carrots + pomegranate + sage
honeydew + cantaloupe + watermelon + sage//mint
watermelon + mint//rosemary//basil
cantaloupe + blood orange + lemon
pear + rosemary//sage
banana + nectarine + basil
blackberries + raspberries + strawberries + mint
strawberries + grapefruit + sage
apple + plum + blueberries + mint//sage
cherries + lime + mint

Water never has to be dull again. If you have any questions never hesitate to hit us up at Health and Fitness Academy, we have gone water infusing crazy!!

G

ghouston@mvhospital.net
208.557.2823