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Detox drinks: Swapping sugary drinks for sparkling water beverages

How will you make 2022 a healthier year? Whether your goal is to buy more fresh produce, or eat less fast-food, making sparkling water a part of your healthy lifestyle is a great way to elevate your health and work towards your health goals! It’s a great way to detox your body, manage your weight, and become a physically and mentally-healthier you.

Let's take a look at how homemade sparkling beverages can fit into your new healthy routine.

New Year's resolutions for healthy living

It’s no surprise that many of the top New Years' resolutions are centred around healthier living. Here are some of the most common goals:

  • To lose weight
  • To eat healthier
  • To exercise more
  • To be aware of your mental health
  • To be more environmentally conscious

Have you considered how homemade sparkling water can help you reach all these resolutions on this list?

  • It helps you feel full and better aware of your body's natural satiety signals
  • It’s a healthier, less sugary beverage to replace sugary drinks and alcohol
  • It’s great for hydrating when you’re bored of still water during your workouts
  • It hydrates well, contributing to improved brain function and mood
  • It can be carbonated on-demand at home rather than canned or bottled in factories

Benefits of reducing sugar intake

With an average diet of 2000 calories per day, the average person should only consume 10% (~12 teaspoons or 50g) of sugar. A can of Coca-Cola has 39 grams of sugar (over half your daily recommended amount). Many other artificially sweetened drinks and alcoholic beverages are also high in added sugar.

Naturally occurring sugar (like found in fruits) is much healthier for you than “added sugar.” Added sugar or syrups are usually added to store-bought beverages to make them last longer, taste sweeter, and sometimes hide other less tasty additives). This added sugar adds extra empty calories and no positive nutritional value.

By reducing the amount of sugar in your diet, you may notice:

  • Weight loss or healthier weight management, as a result of consuming fewer calories
  • Improved cholesterol levels and triglycerides
  • Lower risk of heart disease
  • Healthier teeth

An easy way to cut added sugar from your diet is by replacing your habit of drinking high-sugar beverages with healthier beverages, like sparkling water.

Recipe ideas for detoxifying sparkling water drinks

If you have health goals on your list of New Year’s resolutions, drinking sparkling water can support you as you achieve your goals. In addition to cutting down on sugar, adding certain ingredients can have body detoxification qualities too. Some of these ingredients include:

  • Lemon and lime
  • Ginger
  • Apple cider vinegar
  • Mint
  • Watermelon
  • Cucumber
  • Cranberry
  • Grapefruit (and citrus fruits)

Here are some great recipe ideas for kick-starting a healthier diet and lifestyle this year:

Lemon Sparkling Water

Lemon water promotes hydration and weight loss, is a good source of vitamin C, and aids your digestion. Always use fresh lemon (not bottled) for the most benefit. You can drink these using carbonated or still water (to your preference) for the same benefit.

When mixing an 8 oz glass of lemon water, use 3-4 slices of lemon, then add any of the following:

  • 3 sprigs of mint 10 fresh (or frozen) blueberries
  • 4 slices of cucumber 3 slides of fresh ginger (skin on)

Cucumber-Lime Sparkling Water

Some detoxing, flavoured waters are better when the ingredients are left to infuse into the water to release their juices. You can drink this one right away, but it’s better after infusing for a few hours. Mix the ingredients, stir, and chill in a sealed glass bottle in the fridge for several hours. Here’s what you add to your pitcher:

  • 4 cups sparkling water
  • 1 sliced cucumber
  • Pinch Himalayan salt
  • 1 sliced lime

Cucumber-Lemon-Mint Sparkling Water

Here is another classic combination of flavours you’ve likely seen at the spa. This one is great to keep in a sealed pitcher in the fridge and keep topping with fresh sparkling water for a couple of days (until the flavour profile weakens):

  • ½ cucumber
  • 1 lemon (sliced)
  • Mint springs (to taste)
  • Sparkling water

Watermelon-Mint Sparkling Water

Watermelon is a great summer fruit with high water content and nutritional value. It’s also good for flushing toxins out of your body:

  • 1 cup cubed watermelon
  • 1 handful for fresh mint
  • 4 cups sparkling water
  • Bonus: Try replacing the watermelon for strawberry!

Ginger-Mint Sparkling Water

Ginger is well known for reducing gas and providing relief from gastrointestinal discomfort, which sometimes happens when you change your diet. Ginger and mint is a great refreshing flavour profile:

  • 1 cucumber
  • 2-inch chunk ginger root (peeled)
  • 2 lemon and/or lime wedges
  • 10-12 fresh mint leaves
  • Pinch of Himalayan salt

Berry Sparkling Water

Berries are a healthy and versatile ingredient to add to your sparkling water. You can often mix and match any berry you want, so load your sparkling water with any fresh or frozen berries of your choice. Half each berry to help the juices easily infuse into the water. Here’s one excellent berry combination we like for a 24 oz glass jar:

  • 2 strawberries
  • 6 blueberries
  • 4 red raspberries
  • 4 blue raspberries

Citrus-Mojito Sparkling Water

If one of your new year’s resolutions was to drink fewer alcoholic beverages, this mock-mojito is a great, healthier option. Just mix these ingredients (squeeze the citrus into the water before dropping the whole slice in) and let infuse for 1-3 hours:

  • 1 cup fresh mint leaves
  • 2 limes, sliced
  • 1 orange, sliced
  • 4 litres sparkling water

Cherry Sparkling Water

Do you love picking fresh cherries off the tree in the summer? They pack so much flavour and health benefits in such a small package. You can use fresh or frozen dark cherries in this recipe, just avoid maraschino cherries. Let the flavours mingle in the water for a few hours before serving:

  • 20 dark cherries, halved
  • 1 tablespoon pomegranate seeds
  • 4 litres sparkling water 

Strawberry Vanilla Bean

We use vanilla extract in many baking recipes but avoid using an artificial extract in this recipe. Get a real vanilla bean! Cut the bean lengthwise, then lengthwise a second time, so you have four pieces. Don’t scrape the seeds out. Instead, put the four freshly cut strips of vanilla directly in the water. Let them infuse for a couple of hours:

  • 1 vanilla bean
  • 1 cup strawberries
  • 4 litres sparkling water

Bonus: Try replacing the strawberries with 2 cups of frozen peaches for “Peaches and Cream” flavour.

How to get the freshest carbonated water for these recipes

You’ll love how refreshing and natural these ingredients are. They don’t have any added sugar or preservatives, so they’re a healthy alternative to add to your healthy lifestyle.

To preserve the freshness of these ingredients, always use freshly carbonated water in these recipes. You can get carbonated water from your kitchen sink with SeltzaTap. Just dispense the carbonated water from your tap into your glass or pitcher, then add your ingredients. Remember to seal the pitcher with a tight-fitting lid when letting it infuse in the fridge, or you’ll lose the fizziness!

You can order a SeltzaTap for your home today!

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