Flavoured water is great for your body and skin

Flavouring water with fresh fruits, fragrant herbs and vegetables can be immensely ­beneficial for your health. Apart from adding life to your drink, it satiates the skin, while releasing a host of nutrients and antioxidants into your system.

Eight glasses full, a ­towering decanter and an elaborate, brim-less jar. Everyone tells you to ­compulsively hydrate and keep the water levels up, whether it is ­summer or winter. But, even your humble H2O needs some prepping up to keep your palate happy and your health, on top of its game. Flavouring water with fresh fruits, fragrant herbs and vegetables can be immensely ­beneficial for your health. Apart from adding life to your drink, it satiates the skin, while releasing a host of nutrients and antioxidants into your system.

Make your own jar
As the word suggests, ‘infused’ refers to all the goodness of fruits, vegetables or herbs that will make a place in your water, over a set amount of time. The first step is to choose your ­flavour — from ­berries, citrus fruits to green ­wonders like cilantro and basil, to a combination of all of these, you can pick what you like. Just let these sit in the water overnight at room temperature and you’ll have your infused water ready.

How to choose
“One can use blueberries that are rich in antioxidants. Carrots are high in beta-carotene, which boosts ­vitamin A in the body. Orange, grapefruit, pineapple, basil, ­fenugreek and ginger also help keep the body warm,” says Seema Anand, a doctor of ­alternative ­medicine. “For winter, ­strawberries and green apple are recommended, and for summer, watermelon and ­pineapple, or herbs like mint and rosemary are great picks,” says ­fitness expert Prachi Agarwal.

Health on your side
You would think only parched weather demands hydration, but winter, too, needs hydro-treatment. “During cold and dry winter months, drinking the amount of water that is required for your weight and activity levels can be challenging. Having naturally-­flavoured water made at home, with no added sugar, makes ­hydrating a lot easier,” says Agarwal, as Anand adds: “Fruit-infused water is great in winters when one is prone to cough and cold. It works as an antioxidant and immune booster and also provides added vitamin C to the body.”

The beauty bit
Apart from cleansing your body, your skin can also take a healthy break when you infuse water with these goodies. “Winter is harsh for skin due to less water intake, which makes the skin dead, dry, itchy and prone to rashes. The combination of red grapes and black currant, lemon, strawberries and cinnamon-infused water is best for the season to keep the skin rejuvenated,” says dermatologist Navin Taneja.