The other day (average temperature 93F, humidity 90%) I was talking to a friend who usually is very proud of her healthy eating habits, when she mentioned “iced tea”, I went wait a minute, did she really say that? How can a sweet iced tea really quench thirst? My impression of sugary drinks in hot weather is that they always leave me with an unsatisfying sweet ending that makes me thirsty again shortly after, especially if they are not sparkling. Thank goodness in the last couple of years, we discovered fruit infused water, which are not only very refreshing, low calories (and if you really eat the fruits they are natural sugars not refined) but also have added health benefits.

In the hot summer days I always prepare by bottle/pitcher of infused water in the morning and drink it throughout the day, often mixing it with room temperature water because the cooling effect is greater.

Here are some of my favorite recipes for fruit infused water:

BASIC

Lemon, mint and cucumber can easily be found in any kitchen in the summer, so there are no excuses not to prepare it especially since this super hydrating mix has been hailed as a detoxifying, tummy flattening elixir, not to mention vitamin packed.

Recipe (from Holistic Living):

• 12 cups of filtered water (3 quarts)
• 1 medium organic cucumber
• 2-3 small organic lemons
• 10-12 organic mint leaves

Wash, cucumber lemon and mint. Cut them in slices (thick for a bland flavor, thin for a stronger one), put them in the pitcher with water for at least a couple of hours, drink within 24 hrs.

TANGY&SWEET

• 3 quarts filtered water
• 1.5 cups fresh pineapple pieces
• piece ginger (1.5 inches) thinly sliced
• 1 teaspoon of edible lavender

So far this is my favorite. I love ginger, and in the summer I used miss my hot spicy teas with ginger and other herbs, but then I discovered this fabulous cocktail of pineapple and ginger to which I’ve added a dash of lavender. This is another super healthy drink. Ginger is renowned for its antioxydant nutrients, vitamins and  of course for its healing properties (stomach and throat just to name two). Lavender is well known for its relaxing effects, especially PMS, and bloat-busting properties. Finally pineapples might be ugly on the outside, not to mention tedious to clean, but the list of their benefits is very long: they promote respiratory health, improve digestion, help you lose weight, strengthen bones, improve oral health, boost eye health, reduce inflammation, prevent cancer, increase heart health, improve the immune system, and increase circulation.

FRUITY

• 3 quarts of filtered water
• 0.5 lb of strawberries (about 12 medium ones)
• 3 sprigs of basil

Having being raised on an Italian diet, basil is something I associate to summer, pasta and tomatoes but not to fruit. However, I was pleasantly surprised by this combination: the bittersweet notes of basil actually enhance the sweet tartness of strawberries, yes these two ingredients meet on sweetness and they complement each other where their flavors diverge. An original classic.

FRESH

• 3 quarts of  filtered water
• 6 cups 1/2 inch-cubed watermelon (about 1 1/4 pounds; lightly smashed)
• 9 sprigs mint (lightly crushed)

There is no other fruit that screams summer as a nice cool watermelon, therefore I couldn’t resist this super easy recipe from the Food Network. I just add a personal healthy & thrifty tip: instead of, or together with, the red pulp of the fruit use the white part of the watermelon rind: it’s packed with vitamins and nutrients and you’ll reduce waste. If like me, you’re skeptical of watermelon rind because your mom told you it’s not easy to digest read this post on Livestrong . My only regret is that in the USA it’s now almost impossible to find natural watermelons, that is WITH SEEDS, they might appear for a couple of weeks in peak season, but for the rest we have to do with the GMO seedless variety, which for me has a less full flavor than the natural seeded ones.

That’s all for now, stay cool & Follow my blog with Bloglovin!