SIP YOUR WAY TO WELLNESS

Beat the heat with healthy and tasty detox water, which is infused with fruits and veggies

How many glasses of water do you drink in a day? Experts say drinking eight glasses of water in a day not only keeps your body hydrated but also has multiple health benefits. You can also experiment with water by infusing it with citrus fruits and vegetables to make detox water. One can even add a dash of mint to pep up the flavours, but detox water is not merely about good taste, it’s much more than that.

HOW DOES DETOX WATER WORK?

Wondering why the water is beneficial? So when we infuse fruits and veggies in water all antioxidants and properties of the fruits are transferred to it. “Detox water has a lot of benefits minus calories. These fruits add electrolytes, vitamins, and minerals [to water] and keep your body hydrated,” says nutritionist and author Kavita Devgan. Beside hydrating the body, detox drinks have other benefits too. “It helps in cleaning the colon and liver,” says nutritionist Ritika Sammadar. Certain detox drinks are recommended for weight loss along with healthy diet plans. “Infused water or detox water helps in weight loss and flushes out the toxin from the body,” says dietician and nutritionist Manisha Mehta. Also, some detox drinks are designed as energy drinks. They help in lifting mood, detoxifying the body and cleaning toxins.

HOW TO MAKE IT AT HOME?

In a jar of filtered water add any sliced fruit of your choice. Let it infuse for 24 hours or overnight, refrigerate and your detox water is ready. Don’t throw away the ingredients after finishing your drink. “You can again add more water to the fruits. Add two to three glasses of water again to the fruits, keeping in mind the quantity [of ingredients],” suggests Devgan. “In one litre of water add 200-250 grams of sliced cucumber, a lemon, ½ inch ginger, two to four strawberries and 20 fresh mint leaves,” adds Sammadar.

DIFFERENT TYPES AND THEIR BENEFITS

Lemon water, apple cinnamon water, ginger mango and cucumber lemon are some popular types of detox water. For people with high blood sugar levels, apple cinnamon is a great option as cinnamon stabilises blood sugar and boosts metabolism. And apple is also rich in antioxidants. Citrus fruits like grapefruit, lemon and orange are a great source of vitamin C, rich in antioxidants and they enhance immunity. You can add mint, which promotes digestion and appetite or as a palate cleanser. Watermelon detox water is great for people with blood pressure issues as it stabilises the body’s blood pressure. However, experts recommend not overdoing it or replacing fruits with these drinks. “The purpose of these drinks is different and they cannot replace the fibre intake from fruits,” says Devgan. Drinking beyond two litres is not recommended, “Your body won’t be able to take more than that. It needs a balance of both food and water, so balancing both is crucial,” advices Mehta.

IN A JAR OF FILTERED WATER ADD ANY SLICED FRUIT OF YOUR CHOICE. LET IT INFUSE FOR 24 HOURS, REFRIGERATE AND YOUR DETOX WATER IS READY Your body won’t be able to take more than two litres. It needs a balance of both food and water, so balancing both is crucial MANISHA MEHTA, DIETICIAN AND NUTRITIONIST Detox water has a lot of benefits minus calories. These fruits add electrolytes, vitamins, and minerals [to water] and keep your body hydrated KAVITA DEVGAN, NUTRITIONIST

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