How to "Jazz Up" Drinking Water?

L.,
HI!!
Try cucumber slices! Yum!
~L.

e.

You had mentioned something other than lemon but I used to have these little packets of powdered lemon and lime that were just perfect to add to a bottle of water. They were called Just Lemon and Just Lime. I think they were with the drink mixes in the store. They are nice because it was only lemon and lime nothing else.

Hey!
This may sound a little strange, but when my daughter was little I didn't like the idea of her drinking ALOT of sugar, so I mixed her some koolaid that tasted alot like flavored water, without artificial sweeteners. My ratio was one packet of koolaid for 1 gallon water with 1 cup sugar, sometimes 3/4 cup. She liked it and I occasionally drank it also. My sister who loves flavored water was pretty excited about it also. You could change the sugar to suit your taste. I hope this helps.

Wow, i need to do this too. thanks for the reminder.

just an idea, sometimes i like the flavor of water better if i change the container i'm drinking it out of. I HATE hard plastic non-see through promotional water bottles. But if i drink out of a wine glass or maybe add icecubes or a straw, i can get more down.
I've even rinsed out a Mcdonalds soda cup, filled it with water and drank that with the lid and straw on, sort of to fool myself into thinking i was drinking a pop.

i've never tried the flavored stuff. My aunt buys the Fruit 2O water and I really like that but won't pay for it myself.

Hope you find something out there that works for you.

Some times what I do when I order water with a meal is to use the lemon wedge and add a packet of Equal. Since you can't do the artificial sweeteners, what about a little raw sugar--like 1/2 packet?

Limes, apples, cucumbers, oranges, and pears are all options I have tried that are also fairly good. I'm sure you could get more creative and add mangoes and other tropical fruits (as long as they are still somewhat hard), but I haven't done that yet. You could also add some mint to your water with any of these other flavors for a totally different taste!

L., I don't think anything you try is going to satisfy you. Heres a suggestion...since you enjoy soda, try watering it down. Use maybe 1/4 water then go to 1/2 then try 3/4. You will get used to the weakened flavor but it will still have the flavor you enjoy. Then as a treat, you have a full can. Its not pure water, but it'll get more water in you if you end up not drinking it at all. Good luck!

Hi L.,
I never drink soda.So I got use to drinking flavored seltzer.It feels like a treat when I pop open a can.They have many flavors.No sugar ,no calories,
I personaly hate the flavored waters they sell.But I do like to put lemon slices in my water.You might want to fill a large container and add different citrus fruits. I also think apples added could be nice tasting.
In the winter I brew green tea and then drink it all day.(Ikeep it light so I dont get the jitters Ialso get heart beat irregularity.)It is a very healthy antioxidant and no calories!
Goodluck L.

They make lots of little packets to put in your water. I have recently tried the propel ones, they are not bad. There is also a tea that i have tried that was ok. I usually just shake a little in to give it taste....i hate water :( Another thing i like to do is keep the water bottles room temperature, i can drink them right down that way.

Oh...have you tried lipton cold brew? You can stick the tea bag right in there...

Hi L.,

To jazz up your drinking water: Just think about you being on the desert dying of thirst.

That will help you appreciate plain water.

Good luck. D.

L.,

I know your difficulty but after almost 2 years of no soda and mostly water, i now love water and prefer water over almost all other drinks. Some ideas I have used to Jazz up water: make a pitcher the night before of "sassy water" half a cucumber sliced, 8 mint leaves, and a TBLSP of thinly sliced ginger with a few squirts of lemon juice- drain & drink the next day; propel fitness water packets have "splenda" sucralose (I don't know if you can have this sweetner); make herbal iced tea fruit flavors- it has no calories and no caffeine; or add a small splash of lime juice- not cut lime or lemon for that matter as the white and skin will go bitter sitting in water.

I drink anywhere from 60-100 oz of water a day now. I don't drink cold water with ice because it takes longer for me to drink. i drink a big glass first thing in the morning. I try to drink a glass before every meal. You will pee a bunch in the beginning - mostly late at night but your body soon adjusts.

Good for you for for leading a more healthy lifestyle. You will be great!

Fondly,
ann m

Add some cucumbers...........they taste good too!

Thanks for asking L. -- I'm answering cuz answering is the only way I know to get to the other answers !! I am addicted to soda, and I'd love to quit for health reasons and for $$ reasons. I don't like the flavored sodas -or flavored waters, and all of them have diet sweeteners in them, so what's the point ? When I was younger, my sister came up with an "iced tea drink" we used to do a lot of, but it's bitter. She'd take the unsweetened ice tea mix, and use half a serving, then add straight lemon juice. I used to drink it by the gallons, but not that I drink way too much soda, it's hard to go back to something and get used to its bitterness.

I've been drinking flavored ice tea right now, but it's horribly sweet. Unfortunately the only time I enjoy drinking water is when I'm mowing the lawn or after jogging or something. (Funny, but my 2 oldest girls drink water ALL THE TIME -- they love it. And I wish I were them !)

Good luck ! I suspect if you push on with it long enough, you'll prefer water to other drinks. I remember going on a no candy kick with my spouse for a few months, and I don't remember how long it took before I finally succombed at the grocery store and bought a candy bar --- only to discover that I didn't like it anymore. wow. What a surprise !!

Some herbal teas--especially the minty ones--make a wonderful decaf iced tea, which you could then sweeten with anything you like.

I've used the little packets of drink mix, but they all have artificial sweetners.

I've also added a "squirt" of lime juice.

Kudos for good intentions, we all need more water and less "junk drinks" these days!

L.,

There are some good suggestions here. I'll add a couple more if you don't mind. For me, I like tap water right out of the facet. I find that the only time I like it real cold is when I am overheated. See if it tastes better to you at different temps.

I too, can't use sweeters. I can use stevia though and it tastes just as good as sugar. I find that I can't use the flavor packets because of the ingredients so this is a great option for me.

If you are big on soda, you can always use half juice and half club soda for your soda fix.

I love adding fruit to my water. I do it to mix things up a bit and I can still eat the fruit, saving me money.

If you would like more health tips, check out my blog at http://www.exercise2dayinfo.blogspot.com

L.

Hi L., I know exactly what you mean. I buy a pomegranate or cranberry juice cocktail and add that to my water say 1 part juice to 9 parts water which gives a little color and flavour without adding a lot of calories
Hope you find a solution you are looking for.

L.
Congrats on making this switch! I also gave up everything else for water when I realized I just couldn't handle artificial sweeteners...they made me totally bloated. I got used to plain water after about a week or 2. Other than lemon, which I love...maybe cut it with a little real fruit juice like cranberry and soda water? Or better yet-make green iced tea.
-Aimee

I'm not sure on the specifics, but my mother mentioned the to me the other day about fruit slices in water, then you sit it in the sun like sun tea and is supposedly naturally flavors your water. I haven't tried it yet, but sounds simple enough.

Dear L.,
I love to make iced tea from Stash Wild Raspberry tea. It's herbal so there is no caffeine issue and when you make it (9 tea bags) twenty minutes in 2 quarts of boiling water. After it sets for those twenty minutes it will taste like it is sweetened from the berries. There is a tea place that I go to in Pittsburgh that makes it and I really enjoy it. Any herbal tea will work.
Good luck I am suffering through the South Beach diet and I can definitely feel for you.
G.

Yeah, if you can't do the artificial sweetners then there isn't much you can do. There is a product called "True Lemon" that isn't to bad. It is a powder and it comes in Lemon, Lime and Orange flavors. I got some samples one time and used them in my water. They were pretty good. You might try their website and see if you can get some samples. Also, if you slice up fresh fruit and just put them in a pitcher of water, the flavors steep into the water. You can use lemons, limes, oranges, probably even melons or pineapples. Just experiment (: Also...drinking enough water will help A LOT of health issues. We should drink half our body weight in oz's each day! Most people don't drink near that much. I hope you find something, because it will make a big difference in how well your body works. Good luck!

Have you tried cherry juice?

Hi, L.,

Here's a recipe you can try - it's a little elaborate, but totally healthy, refreshing and luxurious (it reminds me of the water they serve in the lounge area at Adolf Biecker, that fancy pants health spa on Rittenhouse Square):

2 liters (or 8 1/2 C) water
1 tsp freshly grated ginger root
1 medium cucumber, peeled and thinly sliced
1 medium lemon, thinly sliced
12 mint leaves

Combine all ingredients in a large pitcher, chill in the refrigerator, and let flavors blend overnight.

Maybe not an every single day thing, but once in a while to treat yourself...

Good luck, and stay hydrated!
H.

I live on large glasses of water with splashes of natural juice in them. My favorite is 90% water with 10% pomegranate juice or natural blueberry or cherry, but you can use any juice. Organic and natural juice are expensive, but they're good for you, and they last a long time this way. The sugar is natural, and the content is watered way down like this. Good work ditching the soda! OCCASIONALLY I treat myself to plain seltzer water with a splash of juice. Some times you need the fizz even though it's not the greatest for you. Hang in there! I love plain water, but it took time at first-I quit soda almost 20 years ago!

Also-you mentioned the irregular heart beat from artificial sweeteners. That is only ONE of the many risks including neurological damage. NEVER EVER USE THEM and beware of flavor packets that have them! If you fall off the wagon, always use normal sugar or natural sugar from juice. Just exercise it off-it's much less harmful than toxic artificial sweetenters. Stevia is OK.

Try mint leaves, any citrus or hibiscus. All add healthy flavor. Happy hydrating!

Vitamin Water just came out with their new 10 calorie drink. It's 10cal/serving so like 25 per bottle. It is NOT artificial sweetener. It is stevia which is a plant based natural sweetener.
hth
V.

Depending on how squicked out you are by things breaking down in your water, there are tons of things you can add.

I typically stick with lemons and limes, but I've also read wonderful things about cucumber, mint leaves, and peaches.

I'd imagine that just about any fruit could be added for a subtle flavor. I've also done oranges and grapefruit. Citrus seemed like a good theme.

I've also done diluted teas. One teabag to 4 or more cups of water and iced.

After awhile your taste buds adjust and you realize that water is water--I believe that all these "flavored waters" are just big corporations cashing in our our perceived need to constantly stimulate our taste buds. Water is water and should have flavor; if you drink good stuff, it's not boring or exciting, it just IS. Where I live, the water has a distinct flavor (of chlorine and other heavy metals), so I add a little lemon or a splash of cranberry (or other) juice to it, but where I work the water is "cleaner" tasting and I just refill my waterbottle and sip all day. If the water in you area has a "taste" and you want pure water, buy large 2-gallon containers of spring water or distilled water, or consider getting a distiller, which will save you money in the long run.

Best of luck.

Dasani just came out with flavored water that has no sweeteners or calories, the black cherry is wonderful. Also Glaceau came out with Fruit Water that has no artificial sweeteners but does has around 60 calories per bottle. And if you have a pur water filter they make flavor cartridges that you place in the pitcher, I think they have strawberry, raspberry and peach.

Try seltzer! I drink it all day long. It's just water with carbonation - gives you all the satisfaction of "fizz" but has no calories. There are flavors, too... And it's super cheap by the 12-pack. :)

I have added crystal light individual packets to my water in the past. It adds a good flavor and it is pretty healthy, I think. I got bored with water too and I love the variety of the flavors.

Hi L.! You could try Emergen-C in your water.