Some links on posts are affiliate links and will earn us a commission from qualifying purchases
(Last Updated On: December 3, 2017)
If you have a health conscious person in your circle of friends, and you want to buy them a gift, but you aren’t that healthy yourself, you may be struggling to come up with any ideas.
One of the most important things you can do to keep healthy is to drink plenty of water. It helps by giving you clearer skin and giving you fewer wrinkles, your digestion is improved and your liver functions better, it makes you more alert and your memory is better.
But plain water can be a bit tiresome after a while, even if it is filtered and refrigerated. So to get round that, it is good to infuse herbs, fruit or vegetables in the water that you are drinking. These added ingredients will provide a wide variety of delicious flavours and also a few extra nutrients to their diet.
What type of water?
If at all possible, filtered water is best, although tap water will suffice. Filtered water is generally cleaner than tap water, so the ingredients will improve the overall quality of the water. So think about whether your friend has a water filter, and whether that would make a good present. Brita are the major name in water filters in the UK but also look out for…
A filter jug of infused water, ideally refrigerated but could be at room temperature (never warm or hot, which will make the ingredients break down quicker), will be a great way to ensure your friend drinks plenty and keeps their skin glowing.
The VonShef Fruit Infusion Water Jug is perfect for your needs. Simply add freshly chopped fruit into the core of jug and fill with water.
Made from Non-BPA plastic, an ultra-safe material for food and drink consumption, enjoy delicious fruit infusions without worry
What type of ingredients?
Of course, you may also be tempted to adopt this practice, and as such you will want to know more for yourself. If at all possible, try to select organic fruits and vegetables. These can often be found in the produce of your supermarket, but a better option might be to get them from a weekly farmer’s market. This allows you to get fresh fruits and veggies that you know were grown locally without added fertilizers and other chemicals. Organic produce does tend to provide a better flavour for infused water. However, the most important part is having healthy water with your favourite fruits and veggies, so if you can’t use organic, don’t worry too much about it!
Suggested recipe from VonShef:
Pineapple, Ginger & Mint Recipe
Ingredients:
•6 – 10 pineapple chunks
•Thinly sliced ginger
•Mint leaves
•Still or sparkling water
How to Prepare the Ingredients
After you select the ingredients you want to use for your infused water, you will then need to prep them before putting them into a jug. You should always rinse the fruits and vegetables to make sure no chemicals are left on them. Even if you bought them organic, it is still a good idea to rinse them and make sure they are clean. If you are using herbs, you want to crush them with a pestle and mortar since this will help to release the oils. If you are using a leafy herb like basil or mint then just throw in a few leaves.
Most fruits and vegetables need to be cut at least in half before being put in the jug so that they can release their flavours. Hard fruits and vegetables like cucumber and apples need to be cut into thin slices since they can take longer to release flavour to the water. With berries and citrus fruit, they are softer, so just cutting them in half or quarters should be fine.
What to Make Your Infused Water In
By far the best container is a glass jug. Plastic is ok, but it won’t stay as fresh as in a glass jug, so this could be an idea as a gift. You can get jugs with special compartments to put the fruit in. These usually have lids that are air tight which help with freshness and make transportation a possibility. More common along this thread are bottles with these compartments – these are very popular now for people on the go.
How Long To Soak
Ideally you will have at least 2 hours to soak your fruit in the water before drinking. If you are doing this in the fridge, then you may need 4 hours. This time allows for the nutrients and flavours to come out fully, so don’t expect great results if you start drinking straight away. Personally I would suggest preparing last thing at night and keeping the water in the fridge overnight – by the morning it will be lovely, and a great way to start the day.
If you don’t use the water the same day, keep refrigerated, but remove the fruit and consume as soon as possible. If you drink the water on the first day but still want more, you can re-use the fruit by just adding more water and repeating the process.
Hopefully this has given you some ideas for your health conscious friend or friends, or even yourself!