Detox Water – 7 varieties

EVENT: FOODIEMONDAY/BLOGHOP

THEME: #170 DETOX RECIPE

After all the Diwali fried snacks, sweets, desserts, heavy meals, its time to give the tummy a rest and give it a good detox. Just the right theme at the right time, well thought out by Kriti who blogs at  Krispy Kadhai.

So what’s all this hype about detox water, detox soup, detox salad, detox meals, detox smoothies etc, etc. etc? Well, basically its more of a marketing tactic. None of them contain any magic formula or chemical to miraculously detox the body in a matter of 1 or 3 days. Our body is designed to detox regularly, meaning getting rid of toxins on a daily basis. For that to happen our liver and kidneys have to work perfectly. The liver picks up the toxins from our bloodstream (remember biology classes!) before the blood laden with essential minerals, vitamins, etc is allowed to circulate to the rest of the body. The liver converts these toxins into a water soluble substances which are then expelled from the body when we poop or urinate.

In order for the liver and kidney to carry out their designated tasks, it is important to drink the required amount of water every single day. I sometimes don’t drink my required 8 glasses, sometimes I do, it all depends. Its natural that one does not feel thirsty when its cold. When we say 8 glasses of water, it means 8 fluid ounce per glass and half a glass does not count as 1 glass. In total that means ideally we should be drinking 2 liters of water. Ideally, its good to keep on sipping on water throughout the day if you’re not able to drink a glassful all the time.

There are times when I find plain water so boring that I would just want to avoid drinking it and would prefer fresh juices. However too much of fresh juices add sugar to your blood. The first time I ever came across a recipe for detox water was on Dr. Oz television show where slices of cucumber, lemon and mint were added to water and where the audience was convinced that drinking that miracle drink will help to reduce weight.

In reality adding fruits, spices, herbs, vegetables to water doesn’t basically convert it into a miracle drink for detox or weightless. What it basically does is that it makes water just that much more flavorful, more palatable and would have you craving for more. These days I’ve seen in many restaurants in India that jugful of water is served with sprigs of mint and lemon slices in them.

The variety of colour that is added to the humble colorless water makes it attractive for kids too and my hubby who never seems to drink enough water. More often than not, I  add the required ingredients into a 1 litre jug, top up with water and let it sit overnight in the fridge. Next day you have tasty water to drink to your hearts content. My green tea detox water is usually made in a glass as hubby is not a fan of green tea. I just keep on topping the glass with water. Works both ways for me, to make a whole jugful or to keep topping up the glass with water.

As I mentioned above water is essential for getting rid of the toxins in our bodies on a daily basis. Here I have 7 different types of detox water for 7 days of the week. There is no hard and fast rule as to what you can add to the water. Use what is available in your area, town, country and what you prefer.

Basic ingredients that go into making detox water or infused water are:

• fruits
• vegetables
• herbs
• spices

Chop,slice the vegetables, fruits, add sprigs of herbs or the leaves. Add in whole spices if using any. Make sure the fruits, vegetables and herbs are thoroughly washed.The following quantities are to make 1 litre of detox water.

1) BEETROOT, ORANGE AND MINT DETOX WATER

½ medium beetroot, washed, peeled and cut into slices or chopped

½ fresh orange/tangerine/ grapefruit, cut into thin slices

2-3 sprigs of fresh mint, leave whole or remove the leaves

1 litre water

1. Put the beetroot, orange and mint into a jug.
2. Muddle them a bit using a pestle.
3. Add water.
4. Leave it at room temperature or in the fridge.
5. Enjoy the naturally sweetish and tangy drink.

2) APPLE AND CINNAMON DETOX WATER

½ apple (red or green) washed well and sliced or chopped

1 cinnamon stick

1 litre water

1. Put the apple into a jug.
2. Muddle it a bit using a pestle.
3. Add water and cinnamon stick.
4. Leave it at room temperature or in the fridge.
5. Enjoy the fragrant drink.

3) CUCUMBER, MINT AND LEMON DETOX WATER

1 small cucumber, cut into thin slices or finely chopped

½ lemon, cut into thin slices

2-3 sprigs of  fresh mint, leave whole or remove the leaves

1 litre fresh water

1. Put the cucumber, lemon and mint into a jug.
2. Muddle them a bit using a pestle.
3. Add water.
4. Leave it at room temperature or in the fridge.
5. Enjoy the fresh cool drink.

4) MANGO, STRAWBERRIES AND MINT DETOX WATER

½ ripe but firm mango, peeled and sliced or chopped

4-6 fresh strawberries, washed, hulled and sliced

2-3 sprigs of  fresh mint, leave whole or remove the leaves

1 litre fresh water

1. Put the mango, strawberries and mint into a jug.
2. Muddle them a bit using a pestle.
3. Add water.
4. Leave it at room temperature or in the fridge.
5. Enjoy this summery drink.

5) GREEN TEA AND NECTARINE DETOX WATER

1 tsp green tea leaves or 1 bag

½ nectarine, washed and sliced or chopped

1 litre fresh water

1. If you’re using loose green tea leaves add them into a tea infuser
2. Put the nectarine  into a jug.
3. Muddle it a bit using a pestle.
4. Add water and the infuser or tea bag.
5. Leave it at room temperature or in the fridge.
6. A great way to enjoy some freshly flavored green tea.

6) WATERMELON AND CHIA SEED DETOX WATER

½ cup fresh watermelon juice or use 1 cup chopped watermelon

1 tbsp chia seeds

1 litre water

1. Put the watermelon juice into a jug.
2. Muddle the watermelon if you’re using pieces.
3. Add chia seeds and water. Mix well.
4. Leave it at room temperature or in the fridge.
5. A filling and cooling drink.

7) GINGER, TURMERIC AND LEMON DETOX WATER

3-4 sprigs of fresh coriander

1 tbsp grated fresh ginger (wash it well and grate)

1 tbsp grated fresh turmeric (wash it well and grate)

½ lemon, cut into thin slices

¼ tsp red chilli powder

1 litre water

1. Put the  coriander, grated ginger, turmeric and lemon slices into a jug.
2. Muddle the mixture using a pestle.
3. Add red chili powder and water. Mix well.
4. Leave it at room temperature or in the fridge.
5. A healthy glowing glass of healthiness, my favorite.

Tips:

• Fruits that can be used are berries, peaches, kiwi, persimmon, papaya juice, cantaloupes etc
• Fresh herbs that can be used besides mint and coriander are basil, sage, thyme, marjoram, curry leaves etc.
• Use spices like cloves, cardamom, star anise, saffron, green chili (whole).
• Can use white tea, yellow tea instead of green tea.
• Use vegetables like celery, carrots.
• All the ingredients used tend to lose flavor by the end of the day, so its best to discard them or eat the fruit or vegetable used.

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A little request:

If you do try this recipe then please either

• add a comment below,
• send a picture to my email mayuri.ajay.patel62@gmail.com
•  tag me as #mayuri_jikoni on Instagram
• or tag me on Twitter as #Mayuri1962

You may want to check out the following detox recipes:

Sharing this recipe with the following events:

Fiesta Friday #250 hosted by Angie and co-hosted by Jenny @ Apply To Face Blog., Jess @ Cooking Is My Sport, Jhuls @ The Not So Creative Cook and Judi @ cookingwithauntjuju.com

Foodie Friday Link Party 64 @ Back To My Southern Roots