OH SO EASY BELLY BUSTING SLIMMING DETOX WATER

WOW what a mouth full title!!

For those that know me personally they know come summer I have a pitcher that I keep in the fridge that contains flavored water.  I have been a big fan of cucumber water for years.  Pretty sure way before it was vogue to sip at the day spa.  Just something about the flavor of cucumber gets me.  I know they say when you go out to a restaurant you should not have lemon water but I am a fan of lemon water as well.  Strawberry water is amazing to enjoy in the summer.  Or better yeah cucumber strawberry water.  OH MY!!!  

Last week I decided enough was enough and it was time for me to get serious about eating healthier and cleaner. I did struggle for the first few days.  Which amazed me because I am not a breakfast eater and sometimes do not eat until late afternoon.  Yes, my eating habits leave something to be desired.  My metabolism needs help.  Of course, I was drinking water but I decided to make detox water to help me flush some gunk out of my system.  I knew specific fruits were good for different things so I did some research and decided to add lemon, lime, orange, cucumber, mint, and ginger to a gallon of water to see what it would do for me.  Each of those ingredients has wonderful benefits for your body.

Water being the main ingredient.  Yeah, we all know that it hydrates you and helps to make you feel full but did you know it will boost your metabolism? Water also helps with headaches and fatigue.  I could go on and on why you should drink water but I won't.  

Citrus (Lemon and Lime) helps with heartburn, gastric issues, and bloating.  Citrus juice helps enzymes in your gastric tract function better. It also stimulates your liver and helps detox your system.  

Oranges are not just for Vitamin C.  They are packed full of B vitamins, fiber, vitamin A, calcium, and potassium.  Oranges have carotenoids and flavonoids that help to eliminate toxins and stimulate your immune system.  Plus they help with fat burning.  

Cucumber, my favorite ingredient in this detox water. I have to admit I had no clue how wonderful cucumbers are for your body.  They can relieve joint pain, reduce cholesterol, helps with digestion, and rehydrates your system.  Cucumbers have a good amount of water and soluble fiber, which promotes weight loss. They are also full of vitamin A, B, and C.  I have read that the electrolytes in them help to flush out your system.  

Mint.  This one I was leery of due to the fact I am not a huge mint fan.  Reminds me of medicine.  However, the small amount you use does not really add a huge mint flavor.  It helps with indigestion and gas by increasing bile and bile flow, which helps to speed up and ease digestion.  Again helping to detox your system.  

Ginger helps with indigestion by speeding up the emptying of your stomach.  It expands blood vessels which increases your body heat which helps to burn more fat.

It so incredibly eases to put together.  One lemon, one lime, one orange, half of a cucumber, 20 to 30 mint leaves and some fresh sliced ginger added to a gallon of water.  Allow it to sit for 24 hours and drink.  I have to admit I have been drinking it since I made it or within a few hours.  However, you can really tell a difference in the blending of flavors by waiting a day which of course helps it work better.  On one website they said just to refill your pitcher and re-use the ingredients.  I have been doing that but as soon as I see a difference in flavor I will toss out everything and start again.  

I have only been doing this for 3 days but honestly, I can tell a huge difference in my energy level.  I drink water daily so I know it is not just because of the water.  I also can tell it is flushing out my system because I have gone to potty a lot.  I had a friend ask me if it was helping me with bowel movements.  I can not say for certain that it is, but I can say that when I diet I tend to have an issue with that and I am not now.  Sorry, not trying to be gross but this is a detox water.  It is meant to cleanse your system.  

The flavor is very citrusy and it did take me a few glasses to get used to drinking it but now I find it rather refreshing.  

I put the recipe above but for those of you that like to see a per say recipe here it is.

BELLY BUSTING SLIMMING DETOX WATER

Ingredients

• 1 gallon of water (I used filtered from my fridge)
• 1 lemon sliced
• 1 lime sliced
• 1 orange sliced
• Half of an English cucumber peeled and sliced
• 20 to 30 mint leaves 
• 4 to 5 slices of fresh peeled ginger
• 1-gallon container

Directions:  Add all together and allow to sit in the fridge for 24 hours.  You can refill with a fresh filter, distilled or spring water until the flavor has decreased.  

I suggest using organic products.  Make sure you wash everything really well.

ENJOY!!

UPDATE:  I wanted to update this since I have been drinking this water for about 3 weeks.  It is so delicious and I can tell a huge difference with my energy level.  They say if you drink 2 to 2 1/2 liters of water a day this will detox your body but adding the above ingredients helps to clean your system out.  As I mentioned I was a bit weirded out about the mint but honestly, it does not leave a heavy taste.  My last batch I muddled my ginger and mint for extra flavor.  

I am pretty sure I will keep this on hand for probably the rest of my life.  

I am thinking of adding some watermelon next time because watermelon helps with bloating.