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Wednesday 31 July 2013

Real Fruit-Flavored Vitamin Water!

My favorite beverage on a hot summer day? Real fruit-flavored vitamin water! They are easy to make, and I get the added bonus of knowing exactly what's in them. No added sugars, artificial sweeteners, harmful food dyes, or other chemical additives, plus I get to eat the fruit when I'm done! I make them the night before in a mason jar or glass pitcher. I like the mason jars because they are 1L with a tight-fitting lid, so I can just grab and go.

It's really important to me to stay hydrated throughout the day to feel my best. Our bodies are made up of 60-75% water and drinking too little can leave us feeling tired, cause headaches and other symptoms. It's also important to stay hydrated for proper digestion.

How do you know if you are getting enough water? On average women need at least 2.2L of water a day and men need around 3L. I personally need a minimum of 2.5L everyday to feel my best, more if I am active, working up a sweat, or spending the day in the sun. I also eat plenty of water-containing fresh fruit and veggies, so if I was eating a typical diet, I would probably need even more. Drinking enough water in a day can be difficult at first, but making fruit-flavored vitamin water makes it fun and tasty! Bonus tip:  Start out each day with 1L of water first thing in the morning, before breakfast - It's energizing and gives our body a nice hydrating flush.

What kind of water do I use for my real fruit-flavored vitamin waters?
I used to buy Prairie Spring water in the blue jugs, a filtered spring water that retains the minerals, before that I used a Brita, but now I have a Northern Water Cleaners filtration system hooked up to my entire house. It filters the water for my showers, baths, garden, turtle aquarium, the taps in my kitchen...everywhere! My three dogs and I enjoy chlorine-free, lead-free, flouride-free, pharmaceutical-free water everyday. I encourage you to research the water in your area and decide which option is right for you. 

So here's the fun part! My favorite fruit-flavored vitamin water recipes:

1) The Original: Lemon Cucumber Lime:
Mix in a pitcher: 10 cups of water + 1 cucumber, 1 lime and a lemon, thinly sliced. Leave in the refrigerator overnight before serving.

2) Cucumber Melon Mint
Mix in a pitcher : 10 cups of water + 1 cup of watermelon cut into cubes + 2 mint leaves + 1/2 thinly sliced cucumber. Leave in refrigerator overnight before serving.

3) Funky Strawberry Lime
Mix in a pitcher : 10 cups of water + 6 strawberries and one thinly sliced lime + 12 finely chopped fresh mint leaves. Leave in the refrigerator overnight before serving.

4) Raspberry Lemon
Mix in a pitcher : 10 cups of water + 1 cup of raspberries and three thinly sliced lemon. Leave in the refrigerator overnight before serving.

5) Citrus Boost
Mix in a pitcher: 10 cups of water +1/2 Grapefruit + 1/2 Freshly squeezed Grapefruit Juice, 1/2 Lemon thinly sliced, 1/2 Lime thinly sliced, 1/2 Valencia Orange thinly sliced. Juice grapefruit and add to a large 1 litre glass or mason jar, add remaining ingredients and stir. Leave in the refrigerator overnight before serving.

6) Cooling Pineapple Mint
Mix in a pitcher : 10 cups of water + 1 cup of pineapple cut into cubes + 12 fresh mint leaves finely chopped. Leave in the refrigerator overnight before serving.

7) Sweet and Spicy: Apple Cinnamon
Mix in a pitcher : 10 cups of water + 1 cup of apple cut into cubes + 2 cinnamon sticks + 2 teaspoon of ground cinnamon. Leave in the refrigerator overnight before serving.

8) The Zinger : Lemon Ginger
Mix in a pitcher: 10 cups of water with 4-5 pieces of fresh ginger cut into cubes + 2 thinly sliced lemons. Leave in the refrigerator overnight before serving.

9) The Holiday: Cranberry Ginger
Mix in a pitcher: 10 cups of water with 4-5 pieces of fresh ginger cut into cubes + 2 thinly sliced oranges and a handful of fresh cranberries. Leave in the refrigerator overnight before serving. Great to serve your guests over the holidays. 

You can also make these recipes in individual mason jars and refrigerate overnight. Play around with your favorite fruits and come up with your own fabulous creations! 

***Thanks again to Heather and the lovely ladies on the Regina Global Morning News Show for having me on the set today to share my favorite vitamin water recipes. It's always such a fun treat to talk and share with you all!


Thanks for reading/watching!!

Lots of love and fresh squeezed hugs,
Naturally Ashley

Holistic Health Coach
www.naturallyashley.com
www.facebook.com/naturallyashleynutrition

*For more information on Northern Water Cleaners check out: http://www.northernwatercleaners.com/

*Dietary reference intakes for water, potassium, sodium, chloride and sulfate.Institute of Medicine.http://www.nal.usda.gov/fnic/DRI//DRI_Water/73-185.pdf. 

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