You most likely know that you need to hydrate your body, especially in the desert. So you drink water.
Is that the end of it?
There is more!
Hydration can be a lot more fun than simply putting water in your gullet.
And hydration can be so much more effective than drinking naked water, no matter how well filtered and revitalized, no matter how high quality.
Mix in
Let’s mix it up and mix in the water – and here is where your imagination can go wild –
- a squeeze of citrus,
- a slice of cucumber,
- a stalk of celery,
- a pinch of salt,
- a dab of honey,
- a crushed berry . . .
Can you believe that when you do add something to the water, it changes the molecular structure of the water and its ability to hydrate?
More than the sum of the parts
Yes, infusing fruits and veggies can impart a hint of flavor to the water, and the water also gains a more vitality because it changes at the molecular level.
Adding a pinch of salt makes the beverage just a little more like sea water, which we are so desperately trying to maintain within our cells. A very dilute saline solution will absorb like magic into our internal sea within our cells.
Combining a few of these mix-ins makes the glass of what you are drinking that much powerful.
What I mix in
I have been drinking lemon water first thing in the morning for quite a while. Recently, I have added in a pinch of Celtic Sea salt to increase its effects. Then, sometimes I use lime instead of lemon.
In the middle of the day, one of my favorite rehydrating drinks is putting the flesh of a kiwi in a bottle of pure water, adding two frozen cubes of pomegranate juice that I preserved from last years’ crop, and whirl it up in my blender.
Mmmmm . . . and the kiwi seeds sink to the bottom, where I leave them as I drain the bottle.
Then there is mint . . . I have a patch of chocolate mint and one of spearmint. It doesn’t take much mixed in to make a cooling drink on a hot day.
Or how about basil? Traditional basil or holy basil, which I grow in my back yard, has found its way in my water glass.
And then there is my lemon verbena plant, which I overwinter inside the house. It is growing again now, so I pop a few leaves straight in my mouth. They can go in my water as well.
What is your “cup of tea”?
What would you combine?
- a cup of tea with lemon and honey – plus a pinch of salt
- hot cocoa made with plant-based milk and maple syrup and cinnamon like in the Andes
- bulletproof coffee with grass-fed butter or ghee
- pitcher of water with slices of lemon, orange, lime and cucumber
- crushed berries in a tall glass of cool water
- sprigs of herbs, beyond mint, like lavender or thyme or cilantro
- a pinch of salt added to any of the citrus, juicy veggies, or herbs
Whatever is in your cup or glass, do add something to it. The water in your cells will thank you.
