It goes without saying that increasing your water intake can have many health benefits for your body. On average, it is suggested that the recommended daily water intake for an adult is 64 ounces. Meeting this daily requirement can have lasting benefits on skin hydration, burning fat, feeling fuller longer and more. It can flush out your system further removing toxins from your body, improve kidney function, reduce inflammation, and the list of benefits goes on. Infusing water with fruits and vegetables can add even more benefits to drinking water, likely in ways that you have never even thought of.
If you are like most people, because we have been introduced to several different flavored beverages over the years, like soda, flavored waters, sports drinks, etc., you may find that drinking water just isn’t your thing. Many people find water in itself to be flavorless, distasteful and hard to drink for those reasons, especially at the recommended capacity. As a result, many people have turned to drink powders like crystal light and other artificially sweetened drink infusers that contain potentially harmful substances like artificial sweeteners.
The first benefit from fruit and veggie infused water is that you can essentially flavor and infuse your water with natural and healthy flavors, making your water flavorful and enjoyable, all the while, taking advantage of natural and healthy sugars along with natural vitamins and minerals that can aid in boosting your metabolism and immune system that you can’t get from just drinking plain water. This makes it easier and more pleasurable to increase your water intake. However, the burning question may be, “what about the natural sugars that become infused in the water? How many calories are in fruit and veggie infused water?” The answer is, usually none. Naturally infused water does not boast any calories. If weight loss is your goal, then drinking infused water can further support your efforts in counting calories or sticking to your diet with no problem at all.
Secondly, if weight loss is your goal and the reason you are reading up on the benefits of drinking fruit and veggie infused waters, then we have exciting news. Increasing your water intake has been proven to make you feel fuller, longer. Studies have shown that it’s merely a common myth that when our bodies experience every day stomach growling, we are hungry. This couldn’t be more wrong. Surprisingly enough, the stomach will growl as an indicator that our body is starving from something, yes, and studies have shown, the stomach will growls as an indicator of our bodies thirst and desperate need for water. (2) Increasing your water intake, whether infused with anything or not, will definitely make you feel fuller longer, further preventing those tummy grumbling woes. Another huge indicator that our body is starving of water is headaches. Dehydration notoriously can cause headaches because our brain no longer has the lubrication needed to function properly. Adding fruits and veggies to your water, however, can add nutrients that further nourish your body, not found in water alone. Furthermore, when it comes to weight loss, studies have scientifically proven that drinking infused waters for dietary purposes has effectively been able to reduce weight and encourage weight loss. The study posted to the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition concluded that, “Studies of individuals dieting for weight loss or maintenance suggest a weight-reducing effect of increased water consumption, whereas studies in general mixed-weight populations yielded inconsistent results.” (5)
Now that we are on the subject of the vitamins and minerals that can be infused into your water through fruit and veggies, it is important to note that another added benefit from infusing your water is that it can increasingly improve your mood for the better. Increasing your water intake can flush unwanted toxins from your body that would not normally be able to flush on your own when not meeting the daily recommended requirements of water intake. These toxins can make you feel chronically fatigued, weigh you down, and induce depression and an overwhelming sense of just not feeling well. So, by boosting you water, you can ultimately boost your mood. By simply infusing your water, you will have more energy, more positivity, and you may feel overwhelmingly good and healthy for the first time in a while. It can also reduce and prevent afternoon grogginess.
Boosting your water can also boost your workout. Increasing water intake is said to reduce muscle fatigue and increase recovery time post work out. In a study published to sports medicine, where they evaluated whether or not fluid balance within the body can affect power, strength and endurance, the study concluded that hypohydration, (dehydration) did affect strength by 2%, power by 3% and most importantly, high intensity endurance by 10%. (3) Keeping your body hydrated can give your muscles what they need to replenish and restore.
Lastly, taking in the required amount of water daily, especially with super infused, vitamin boosted water, you can single handedly improve the functionality of your internal organs. Drinking enough water alone can aid your digestive tract by keeping the food you eat moving through your system. Drinking infused water can hydrate your brain, giving it the lubrication it needs for synapses and neurotransmitters to send and receive information more fluidly, further improving cognitive function. As previously mentioned, it can increase your kidney function through cleansing it. It can help chronic disease sufferers suffer a little less. It hydrates the skin, hair and even has anti-aging properties that can make you look younger when properly hydrated. (4)
No matter what your goal is, whether it is weight loss or better healthier living, you absolutely cannot go wrong with: 1. increasing your water intake and 2. further infusing your water with deliciously fresh fruits and vegetables, further boosting the metabolism and immune system. By giving your body the boost that it needs, you will clearly begin to notice the benefits on your own from infusing your waters and increasing your intake. Not only will you look better, you will feel better, while unknowingly aiding your body in shedding unwanted pounds and further flushing toxins. The best water infusion recipes are out there, whatever your flavor, so there is no reason or excuse good enough to not infuse your water, as there is no downside. As a result, we all might as well take advantage of all the advantages that water infusing has to offer our mind, body and even spirit.
Sources:
- https://www.loseweightbyeating.com/infused-water/
- http://pkdconnection.org/pkd-health-notes/hungry-or-thirsty
- https://link.springer.com/article/10.2165/00007256-200737100-00006
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2908954/
- http://ajcn.nutrition.org/content/early/2013/06/26/ajcn.112.055061
