We all know that water is good for us. It is estimated that we can only survive for 2-3 days without water, as opposed to 30-40 days without food. (2) This does not come as a surprise: Water makes up roughly 60% of our body weight, and every single system and process in our body requires water to work. (3) Want to build muscle? Drink water. Feeling lethargic? Drink water. Need to flush out toxins? Drink water! Obviously, it is crucial to our existence.

The CDC recommends total water intake of 2.7 liters (91 oz) for women and 3.7 liters (125 oz) for men. (1) While that includes water from foods and other beverages, that’s still a lot of water! Plain old water can get monotonous, but drinks such as juice, soda, and even coffee and tea have negative impacts if drank in too high quantities.

These 8 water remedies not only provide flavor for your water, but they also add a host of extra health benefits to help you through even your toughest of days. The next time you have cramps, headaches, bloating, dull skin or lifeless hair, check out this list – there’s probably an infused water here to help!

8 Easy Homemade Water Remedies

*NOTE: It is very important to use filtered water (not plain tap water) for these drinks. If you can, natural spring water is the absolute best!

1. Honey Water

Honey is a powerful superfood. The benefits of honey include (4):

• fights acne

• reduces bloating and gas

• soothes a sore throat

• flushes out toxins

• aids weight loss

• reduces allergies

• boosts immune system

How to Make Honey Water:

1. Boil water, pour in mug to cool

2. Add 1-2 tablespoons of pure honey and stir until dissolved

Drink honey water every morning, especially when suffering from PMS or illness, for maximum results.

2. Fennel Water

Fennel seed is a spice commonly used in Indian cooking to provide flavor to dishes. As a water, fennel is not only flavorful but also provides easily-accessible health benefits (5, 6):

• relief of menstrual symptoms and pain

• relieves and prevents indigestion, constipation, bloating, and other digestive problems

• promotes weight loss

• promotes healthy, glowing skin

• gets rid of bad breath

How to make Fennel Water:

1. Boil 1 liter of water on the stove or in a kettle

2. Toss in fennel seeds and immediately remove from the heat

3. Cover and let cool to room temperature before drinking

3. Rice Water

We think of rice as the processed, starchy white grain that most of us eat too much of. Making rice water using organic, unprocessed rice, however, is cheap, easy, and has health and beauty benefits that can’t be ignored! These include (7):

• smaller pores and radiant skin (makes a fantastic toner!)

• shiny hair (use as a rinse, or combine with Castille soap for an all-natural shampoo – we like this brand)

• energy booster

How to make rice water:

1. Combine 6 cups of water with 1 cup of brown rice in a large pan and soak for 3 hours

2. After the 3 hours is over, boil the rice in the same water, reduce the heat and simmer for 15 minutes

3. Allow it to cool, then blend mixture in a blender or food processor

4. Strain mixture through a cheesecloth before serving.

4. Cucumber Water

Cucumbers have a long history of being used for beauty treatments, but adding them to water (or other healthy drinks) adds extra freshness to the drink, and plenty of health benefits to boot (8, 9):

• glowing skin

• relief of nausea

• hydration

• eases headaches

• removes dark eye circles

• contains silica (good for muscles, connective tissues, and supple skin) (8)

How to make Cucumber Water

1. Remove strips of cucumber skin, leaving 1/2-inch strips of skin alternating with bare cucumber

2. Trim and discard the ends, halve the cucumber lengthwise and cut into 1/2 inch slices

3. Combine with water in a large pitcher, allow to steep for 1 hour

4. Serve over ice

5. Ginger Water

Ginger is another powerful spice that is often included in the category of superfoods for its extraordinary anti-microbial properties and other health benefits. Drinking ginger water can help with the following (10):

• relieves menstrual cramps

• gets rid of headaches

• reduces bloating, gas, and indigestion

• increases immunity

• decreases inflammation, swelling, and joint pain

How to make Ginger Water:

1. Boil ginger and water in a medium sauce pan

2. Once boiled, reduce the heat and simmer for 15 minutes

3. Serve hot in a mug, or cool and drink chilled

6. Rose Water

To buy, rose water can be quite expensive, and not as easy to come by as some of the waters mentioned above. The benefits, however, are powerful, and it is quite easy to make at home! Some of the benefits of rose water include (11):

• Skin: Maintains pH of skin, controls excess oil, and has anti-inflammatory properties to reduce redness and clear acne, dermatitis, and eczema

• tightens pores

• lightens scars

• soothes eyes

• shiny hair

How to make Rose Water:

1. Pluck and rinse the petals of a fresh rose

2. Place water and rose petals in a pan

3. Cover and heat on low until fragrant

4. Filter and store in a mason jar in the fridge

7. Mint Water

Mint has been used for many years for its healing properties. Restaurants and gum manufacturers have capitalized on this distinct tasting herb for years, and with good reason. The benefits of mint water include (12):

• cleanses your palate and appetite

• freshens breath

• aids digestion

• soothes stomach from indigestion and inflammation

• improves complexion

• detoxes the body

How to make Mint Water:

1. In a large pitcher, combine water, mint leaves, and lemon slices.

2. Refrigerate and stir once a day for 2-3 days while the water is infused.

3. Serve chilled.

Try drinking mint water after your next big family meal to help you digest the larger-than-usual meal.

8. Lemon Water

Lemons are full of vitamin C and potassium, and drinking lemon water first thing in the morning sets your body up for a healthy day! Here are the many reasons you should be including lemon water into your morning routine (13):

• boosts metabolism and aids weight loss

• kick-starts your immune system

• fights and prevents acne

• aids digestion

• detoxes the body

How to make Lemon Water:

1. Dilute 1/2 cup of lemon juice in 8 oz of water (3 tbsp boiling water and the rest cold)

2. Pour into mug or glass and drink

All of these waters are easy to make, fun to drink, and have a wide variety of health benefits. Replace some of your plain water with these drinks to look and feel your best yet.

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