Healthy and hydrated: 5 Easy recipes for fruit infused water !

Staying hydrated during the summer is important, but let’s face it… water is just plain boring. Thankfully, my mom shared these recipes with me, which can add some life (and nutritional value) to my daily H2O. I think you guys will really enjoy trying these out, they’re really tasty and by the end of the day, you won’t believe how much water you actually drank! Here’s to an easy and delicious way to stay hydrated this summer! Cheers!

1) The classic — Lemon and Cucumber:

Mix 10 cups of water in a pitcher with one cucumber and one lemon, thinly sliced and 1/4 cup of fresh finely chopped basil leaf and 1/3 of finely chopped fresh mint leaves. Leave in the refrigerator overnight before serving.

2) The granite — Strawberry and Lime or Raspberry and Lime

Mix 10 cups of water in a pitcher with 6 strawberries 0r 6 Raspberries and one thinly sliced lime and 12 finely chopped fresh mint leaves. Leave in the refrigerator overnight before serving.

3) The digestive — Fennel and Citrus

First, infuse 1 to 3 grams of dried and crushed fennel in 150 ml of boiling water for 5-10 minutes. Allow to cool.
Mix 10 cups of water in a pitcher, add lemon juice (put the leftover lemon in the mix) and a small thinly sliced orange and 12 fresh chopped mint leaves and the infusion of fennel seeds. Leave in refrigerator overnight before serving.

4) The antioxidant — Blackberry and Sage

Mix 10 cups of water in a pitcher with 1 cup of blackberries that have been very slightly crushed and 3-4 sage leaves. Leave in refrigerator overnight before serving.

5) The tropical — Watermelon and Rosemary

Mix 10 cups of water in a pitcher with 1 cup of watermelon cut into cubes and 2 rosemary stems. Leave in refrigerator overnight before serving.

If you use any of these recipes to make your own fruit infused waters this summer, or if you created your own flavors, let us know by sending a picture on Twitter or Instagram ! Enjoy!

Simple Ways to Eat Healthy on a Budget ...

 Unfortunately, the rising food prices make it hard to eat healthy. Your paycheck is most likely not rising as fast. Worst case you’re student which makes it even harder. These 10 tips will help you eat healthy on a budget.

1. Buy Whole Foods. Unprocessed foods are cheaper and more nutritious than processed foods. They also give you total control over the ingredients. Avoid anything that comes from a box 90% of the time.

 2. Buy Cheap Proteins. You need 1g protein per pound of body-weight per day to build and maintain muscle. Eating whole protein with each meal also helps fat loss as protein has a higher thermic effect than other foods. Keep the steaks & salmon for special occasions. Buy eggs, milk, whey, mackerel, tuna, calves liver, frozen chicken breast, cottage cheese, …

 

3. Buy Generic Food. And store brands. Raw foods like rice, pasta, eggs, milk, cottage cheese, frozen fruits/veggies, … 

4. Buy Supplements. They’re cheap and make your life easier, however whole food is better. You can use supplements, but make sure the bulk of your diet consists of whole, unprocessed foods. 

5. Buy in Bulk. Especially when you have promos running. Foods like pasta, rice and oats are easy to stockpile. If they’re on sale, buy as much as you can afford & store to last you until the next sale. 

6. Buy In Season Fruits & Veggies. Food grown in season tastes better and is cheaper. Root vegetables in the Winter. Apples & squash in the Fall. Broccoli & berries in the Summer. To know the season of veggies and fruits check this article: Fruits & Veggies: When are they in season ?

Trending: GINGER.

I've been noticing that there are a lot of people using Ginger root for a lot of things, and I have tasted it in a lot of drinks, and it tastes very good, but besides the good tasting I found out that it has A LOT of benefits, like :

Ginger root (Zingiber officinale) is well known as remedy for travel sickness, nausea and indigestion and is used for wind, colic, irritable bowel, loss of appetite, chills, cold, flu, poor circulation, menstrual cramps, dyspepsia (bloating, heartburn, flatulence), indigestion and gastrointestinal problems such as gas and stomach cramps.

I will leave you a recipe to try it:

Kiwi, Ginger, and Mint Water

SERVINGS: 4

1 kiwi, sliced

1 Tbsp ginger, freshly grated

3 Tbsp fresh mint, finely chopped

1 Tbsp raw honey

PLACE all ingredients in a 1-quart jar filled with water. 

Stir with a wooden spoon and sweeten to taste. Place in the fridge overnight before serving, then pour it on your Infuser Water Bottle. Serve chilled with ice cubes and enjoy !

Get your Infuser Water Bottle  !

Visit our website: Hi-drate H2O !

Like us on Facebook: Hi-drate H2O

Follow us on Twitter: @HIDRATEH2O

(Recipe found at http://www.prevention.com/)

- Maritza Valdez