The Benefits of Infused Water 

Are you one of those lazy souls who always forgets he/she has to drink water a couple of times a day and stay hydrated? Do your loved ones keep reminding you of drinking a glass of water every two hours? 

Did you grab a bottle of water and guzzled down half of it while reading this article because you suddenly felt dehydrated and thirsty? Well, you’ve landed on the right blog, my friend with chapped, dry lips. 

Water is essential for all beings on the face of the earth. Just like plants, we need water to sustain ourselves as our body is made up of 70% water. 

Water- the One Man Army

From transporting nutrients to the entire body to carrying oxygen to every cell, water has many responsibilities on its shoulders which it does with ease. It flushes all the toxins out of your body and stabilises your bowel movements. If you have dry and chapped skin, more often than not, the reason behind this problem is the lack of water in your body. It is the oil that keeps your joint-functioning smooth and flexible. If you lack an adequate amount of water, your sodium levels will crash, which can fluctuate your blood pressure, resulting in other complications. 

So the point we are trying to make here is, DRINK WATER. 

There is an age-old debate about the consumption of infused water vs regular water and we wanted to see id the consumption of infused water was more effective. 

The Foodism team believes in testing theories which is why we decided to have an experiment. One of our team members were assigned a task: Drink infused water for 15 days straight and see the results. So let us take you through the entire process and the results of the conducted experiment. 

15-Day Detox Routine With Infused Water 

So, my week started just like any other week in the winters of Ahmedabad. I woke up with groggy eyes and a sore throat. Gujarat is infamous for dry, chilly winter mornings. My bowels were also wreaking havoc in my life and peaceful sleep was a thing of the past.  Add chapped skin in the T-zone area, with red marks around the lips to this cocktail and winter mornings are screwed forever. All of this because of my bad habit of not drinking enough water, especially between November to February because of, cool weather. 

That is how all my winters have been in Gujarat. The torrid winds can do that to your entire body and no amount of cold cream or lotion will change that. But things were about to change drastically and that too because of a simple experiment that was assigned to me: drink infused water. 

The Experiment

So we already know all about the benefits of water. Let us now talk about what exactly is infused water. It is basically water with refreshing and flavourful segments of fruits, herbs and veggies infused for added benefits. These elements can be added as stand-alone ingredients or a medley of compatible flavours. 

For my 15-day detox program, I used the age-old combinations of lemon-mint, lemon-cucumber, orange-blueberry and lemon-ginger-honey. I alternated these concoctions every day to not get bored with the flavours. 

 

Lemon-Mint

Initially, I started with the most basic combo of lemon and mint. The freshness of mint and the tang of lemon was something I enjoy the most amongst all the flavours. 

The switch in flavour changed something significant almost immediately: I started enjoying the flavour and would look forward to drinking from my bottle, which drastically increased the water intake. That in itself was an achievement. The addition of mint kept me in a good mood all-day-long. 

Lemon-Ginger-Honey

The next morning, I woke up with a sore throat, so I decided to try ginger and lemon concoction in lukewarm water. I kept sipping the water the entire day and it had a soothing effect on my raspy throat. I continued with this mix for the next 3-4 days, which immensely improved my scratchy throat’s condition. 

Orange-Blueberry

The flavour profile of this piquant blend took me by surprise. I wasn’t expecting it to be this flavourful. The best part was when the blueberries burst in my mouth with a pop of sweet tartness. The acidity of orange went well with the sharpness of blueberries. 

Lemon-Cucumber

The last brew that I tried was as refreshing as the first one. The inclusion of cucumber added a little bit of sweetness which was very pleasant. This one kept me hydrated and energetic. 

My Findings

I followed this regime for 15 days and the results were astonishing. 

The Pros

My water intake has increased threefold. I have started emptying my bottle and drink at least two bottles of water. 
My skin has become more supple and the chapping has reduced. The red marks near my lips have almost vanished. 

I feel more energetic now. My bouts of tiredness and lethargy have decreased a lot. 

My throat feels much better now due to the intake of ginger, mint and honey. 

I also feel like citrus fruits have increased my immunity because I am less susceptible to infections. 

My bowels movements have become so much better and the infused concoctions have also improved my overall metabolism and digestion. 

I drank a lot of water and urinated equally and that also helped me chuck out all the toxins from my body efficiently. 

The Cons 

After a couple of hours, the lemon tends to make the water taste a little vinegary and pungent. 

Some people may feel a little gassy due to cucumbers, but this is not true for everybody. 

My Two Cents 

I believe these concoctions are a perfect way of increasing your water intake more than anything else. All the other pros are bonus points and enable your bodily activities to function smoothly. There is no hard and fast rule as to what kind of ingredients you can use for these infused water solutions. You can try different kinds of herbs, fruits or veggies and surely enough, they will work in your favour. The crux is to stay hydrated.