Good morning! With the weather starting to warm up a little, the realization that I’ll be wearing shorts is starting to creep up on me!
With our recent move, general school craziness, and everything else going on in our lives I haven’t been eating as healthy as I would like to. I’m definitely ready to get my heath back on track and one of the best ways to do that is to start off with a delicious and refreshing detox water!
Why Detox Water?
We all know that water is beneficial for our bodies, and a necessity to our good health. But it’s also a great way to flush out toxins, and it helps reduce bloating and makes you feel better all around. This particular recipe is like a double detoxifying beverage because of it’s yummy ingredients!
Lemon: Not only is lemon known for it’s antibacterial, antiviral, and immune-boosting powers. But it’s also a powerful detoxifying cleanse for your liver and a digestive aid as well. It helps cleanse and alkaline the body. If you’re in a hurry add a simple slice of lemon to your water! Lemon water tastes great all by itself! (Note: Over use of lemons can damage the enamel on your teeth, so eat in moderation.)
Mint: Mint is great for promoting digestion as well as soothing an upset tummy! It has also been known to help with morning sickness and motion related nausea. Although for my pregnancies this was not the case LOL!
Cucumber: Cucumbers, a.k.a. commonly referred to as a super-food, are one of the best foods for your body’s overall health! They are a great source of B vitamins, and will rehydrate and replenish daily vitamins while helping the body eliminate toxins. They can also be used to sooth skin irritations, fight cancer, relieve bad breath, aids in weight loss, promotes joint health, and aids in digestion! Seriously? With all that, who can afford NOT to eat cucumbers?
So let’s get on with the recipe shall we?
Ingredients:
- 1/2 Cucumber
- 1-2 Lemons (2 if they’re small)
- Fresh mint leaves (about 10 leaves or so)
- Distilled or Filtered Water (Don’t use tap water, it’s full of gunk and we’re detoxifying here!)
Directions:
This recipe doesn’t have to be exact, so feel free to alter it based on your tastes. That said, let’s start chopping!
Before I do anything, I quickly wash off my cucumber and lemons. Just to get off all of the germs from people in the grocery store handling them.
First you’ll want to grab a handful of fresh mint leaves and place them in your pitcher. I don’t love mint, so I did a couple sprigs, or about 10 leaves if you don’t want the stems in there. But really it’s easier just to drop it in whole!
Next slice about 1/2 a cucumber, make sure to leave on the skin for added health benefits!
Next cut 1-2 lemons into whole slices. If they’re small I’d suggest using 2 whole lemons, skin and all.
Just slice it up and get it in there!
Next, fill the pitcher full using either distilled or filtered water. I don’t really recommend using tap water as it has too much gunk in it and we’re really trying to detoxify here!
Put your detox water into the refrigerator and chill overnight to let all of the goodness infuse your water.
Once your water is fully immersed, drink away! I suggest drinking this over 1-2 days. After that the mint starts getting kind of icky.
not only is this drink good for your body, it’s absolutely delicious and refreshing! Ready for summer anyone?
Flavor Alternatives:
- 1 lime, sliced and 1 cup of watermelon chunks
- 1 cucumber, 1 lemon, 1 orange, 10 fresh mint leaves (All sliced with peel on except mint)
- 1 cup strawberries, 2 cups watermelon cubed, 1-2 sprigs fresh rosemary
- 6 wedges grapefruit, 1 tangerine, sliced, 1/2 cucumber sliced, a couple mint leaves
EDITED: I’ve had a lot of questions regarding how many times per week to drink this, if you need to fast, etc. This is NOT a dietary substitute. It’s just simply a refreshing and healthy drink to help your body. I do NOT recommend fasting or drinking this water everyday for an extended period of time. I typically make it, then drink it up within 2 days or so because the ingredients get yucky after that. Lemon can hurt the enamel on your teeth if used too frequently, so just use common sense and drink this whenever you feel like having a nice refreshing drink that’s a bit more tasty than plain water. But do not use it as a means to lose weight, or as a fast.
Disclaimer: I am not a health professional, if you have any questions regarding these recipes, please ask consult a physician.
Hi there, this is a really stupid question, but do you have to eat the lemon and cucumbers to get the health benefits or just the water??
Hi Abby,
No you don’t have to eat the cucumber or lemon! The nutrients infuse the water, so you just drink the water :o)
I love this post!!! I started making my own vitamin water about a year ago when my girls needed something for dance competitions and I wasn’t crazy about all the dye and sugar found in store bought drinks. I simply add organic fruit of choice: my favorite is pineapple and strawberry! I add water (we have well water, so I use that!) and muddle a little. I am hooked! I will try this recipe, it sounds wonderful!
Thank you!!!
Sounds yummy!!! Thank you for sharing.
I use lemon essential oil and it’s amazing!
Consuming lemon and cucumber at the same time creates imbalance in the stomach, as well as in the the liver or colon area. Cucumber is somagenic and cooling. The lemon is agneya (fire) and heating. It is not a good idea to put these food items together. Some foods are hostile to the stomach environment and the overall bodily tissues. This bad combination causes indigestion. These food items carry properties that are hostile to each other. If you like the flavor of cucumber with some lemon, try lime instead. Lime has an alkalizing effect on the body, while lemon is acidic and will reduce the body’s pH. Lime has enough agni (fire) to help digest the cucumber, without creating a fight. By adding a pinch of soma salt, this will help in the digestion. Eating foods that are contradictory causes deep tissue problems later on in life.
I find this to be true. I tried the lemon-cucumber detox water over two days and was vomiting both nights. I’m on antibiotics for 7 weeks due to an infection and I thought this would help. What is soma salt and where can I find it?
Hi.
I am making it right now so wanted to ask whether I should eat the mint, lemon and Cucumber or separate before drinking the water.
Will it be cool to add in some roasted cumin for taste?
Hi Malvika, You do NOT eat the mint, lemon, and cucumber, it just infuses the water, so when you pour your water it is flavored by the mint, lemon, and cucumber.
I do not have fresh mint leaves can I use dried mint
No, you do not eat the ingredients, you simply use it to infuse the water.
Does it have to be a glass pitcher? Or can i use a plastic one? Also how much water ? Thank you 😀
Glass is better because you don’t have to worry about BPA’s but I have used a plastic non-BPA pitcher and it’s tasted just fine.
Can you reuse the cucumber, mint, lemon and ginger? or do you have to make it fresh every single time?
is it safe to that the water while breastfeeding?
I would check with your doctor first.
can we replace mint leaves with any other integrate with same benifits
No, because any benefits would depend on what you add.