by AmidaCare Magazine
Drinking a nice cold glass of water on a hot day can be so pleasing and refreshing. Water is important for keeping our minds and bodies healthy and balanced. In fact, more than half of our body is made up of water! Water is in each cell, tissue, and organ that we have. Water is in charge of many processes in the body.
Water helps us:
- Keep a healthy weight
- Control our body temperature
- Help with brain function
- Fuel muscles
- Help with digestion
- Help with mood
- Lower the risk of illness
- Prevent constipation
- Get rid of toxins
- Keep our skin hydrated and glowing
It’s important to drink at least 8 glasses of water a day; which should be easy since water is free! Try some of these refreshing and easy flavored recipes to jazz up your water!
- Refreshing Cucumber: Slice 1 cucumber into thin circles. Add slices to a pitcher of water. Refrigerate for 15 minutes and pour over ice to serve.
- Citrus Blend: Slice 1 orange, 1 lemon, and 1 lime into circles. Add slices to a pitcher of water. Refrigerate for 15 minutes and pour over ice to serve.
- Watermelon Rosemary: Cut 1/4 of a watermelon into cubes. Throw out the white and green parts. Add watermelon cubes and 1 spring of rosemary to a pitcher of water. Refrigerate for 15 minutes and pour over ice to serve.
- Minty Iced Tea: Boil 1 cup of water. Add 3 Black Tea bags to boiling water. Let steep for 15 minutes. Throw out the tea bags. Add 2 cups of cold water and 1 bunch of fresh mint. Refrigerate for 1 hour. Serve over ice with a squeezed wedge of lemon.
- Tangy Cranberry Lime Water: Combine 2 cups of water and ½ cup of unsweetened cranberry juice. Refrigerate for 15 minutes. Serve over ice with a squeezed wedge of lime.
Keep flavored water cold at all times. Do not keep flavored water for more than 24 hours or bacteria can grow in the water.
*This blog post is adapted from Amida Care Inc. a not-for-profit health plan that specializes in providing health coverage and coordinated care to New Yorkers with chronic conditions, including HIV and behavioral health disorders, and people who are of transgender experience or homeless (regardless of HIV status). For more information, visit https://www.amidacareny.org/.