Stay hydrated with infused water

We all know we should drink more water to keep our bodies hydrated and brains clear, but let’s face it, slugging back glass after glass of plain water is boring.

Malcolm Davies of Pod Systems, who’s a Brit living in sunny California, told me a few years ago that he pops a berry or leaf into a glass of water to add a subtle and refreshing flavour.

It seems Malcolm was ahead of the curve as this summer I’ve seen lots of posts about infused water on the kind of massively popular blogs that have big, gorgeous photos that turn everyday bits and pieces into objects of desire. You know the kind I mean.

These posts often show Mason jars (had never heard of them until these blogs popped up) full of fruit and water with a colourful straw stuck in. Some of the recipes tell you to half fill the jar or glass with fruit and top up with water, but that’s seems a bit over the top for keeping hydrated while you’re working.

So I’ve been trying out fruit and herbs I already have in the kitchen and garden. I use filtered water because it tastes so much nicer than tap in this area. You can get instant flavour from citrus fruits, but they also develop over time so beware leaving lemon or lime untouched for several hours! Berries and herbs take a bit longer, but you might be surprised how much flavour is released.

You could make up a jug or bottle of infused water for the whole day and leave it in the fridge, or just do a glass at a time for your desk. And of course you can do the same thing with hot water as the weather gets colder.

Here are a few ideas for infused water ingredients that you’re likely to have to hand:

Lemon, lime and orange – cut a slice and squeeze it into a glass, drop it in and top up with water.

Strawberries, blueberries, raspberries etc – a delicate flavour, but they look pretty and might encourage you to drink more. Plus you can eat them when you’ve drunk the water.

Mint – different kinds of mint have different strengths and slightly different flavours. Our apple mint is very delicately flavoured. And mint is good for digestion.

Fresh ginger – also good for digestion and nausea, and delicious with hot water in winter.

Cucumber – very refreshing, but it’s surprising how much flavour this has, so start with a slice and add to taste. And it’s nicer with added mint.

Cider vinegar – I keep coming across mentions of how good this is as a way of making our bodies less acidic, and it’s even supposed to cure fungal infections.

It’s an ingredient in this very simple recipe for switchel, an old American drink, also known as haymaker’s punch, which is made by adding cider vinegar, ginger and a sweetener such as honey or maple syrup to water.

And there are lots of those pretty pictures and ideas for combinations of fruit and herbs at this Free People blog post about infused water.

Do you have any ways of making sure you drink enough water?