How infused water has changed my life (with recipes).

Before moving from the Mother City to Dubai, my idea of hydration was 5 cups of coffee a day. Not ideal. And when you're eating out every night (I cant/wont cook) in Cape Town, you're going to include some wine with your dinner and it's probably not going to be "just one drink". However moving to the UAE where drinking tap water isn't an option and navigating between the two extremes of air conditioners and living in the middle of the hot desert one tends to rethink those priorities whether on a conscious or subconscious level and so I started upping my liquid intake - but it was still diet Pepsi. I just could not be helped,  until.. I started working at an office where infused water was available literally 5 ft from my desk. I was hooked, not just because of the flavour but the results were visible. I mean everyone tells you that you should drink water and I could not be bothered but once I saw the effects it had on my hair, skin and weight, I was sold - and now I just tell people its going to make them look cuter because I've seen that it's true, first hand.

​What is infused water?
​
It's slices, chunks or cubes of fruit and/or vegetables with cold water. The flavours of the ingredients infuses itself into the water meaning lots of taste and zero calories. Lemon water is probably the most well known one for its detoxing properties but below are three of my other favourite recipes.

Apple and cinnamon water

Apple's are rich in antioxidants, flavanoids, vitamin B and C. Which helps to reduce the risks of hypertension, cancer, diabetes and heart disease. Cinnamon is also known to lower cholesterol and relieve arthritis pain.

1 Apple thinly sliced
1 Cinnamon stick 
(Not powered cinnamon as it clogs the water)
2 cups of ice.

Put the apple slices at the bottom of the jug and add the cinnamon. Add the ice and cover with water. And you're done. Let it infuse in the refrigerator for at least an hour. 

Tangerine and Strawberry water
High in vitamin C and a metabolism booster. 

Half a cup of fresh strawberries
Rind of one tangerine
Water 

Place tangerine rind and strawberries in a teapot. Cover with water and bring it to boil. To serve run it through a fine mesh sieve into your bottle or over tea cups if you prefer to have it as a hot drink. 

Cucumber Mint water
This water has great anti inflammatory properties and it will give your metabolism a vitamin C boost. 

One thinly sliced lime
One medium sized cucumber sliced
5 mint leaves 
Two cups of ice

Put the lime, cucumber and ice into a pitcher, add ice top with water and add mint leaves. Let it infuse for 1-3 hours. 

Looking to make some more positive changes in you health but still want to live your life? 
Read: Types of Alcohol which won't make you gain weight and Food Swapping could help you shed some kilos.

See more Dubai lifestyle posts here.
See more Cape Town lifestyle posts here.