Infused water! What's up with this trend?

MsHarryWinston wrote: »

janejellyroll wrote: »

vikinglander wrote: »

livingleanlivingclean wrote: »

It makes plain water taste better? I personally find cucumber water gross...

An alkaline compound called cucurbitacin is produced by the plant to make its leaves less attractive to animals. Some of this compound often accumulates in the stem end of the fruit as well. Lack of adequate sunlight can increase this compound in the fruit.

One answer to remove this bitterness is to peel the cucumber before eating or infusing with it.

A few thin slices of peeled cucumber, some mint leaves, and a pinch of salt in a pitcher of cold water, left for an hour or two in the fridge, makes a nice refreshing beverage on a summer day.

Alternatively, try ice cold pickle juice and vodka. Seriously.

There is a bar I go to that does a vodka martini with two infused vodkas (one horseradish, one dill) and they garnish it with a tiny pickle. One of my favorite cocktails ever, perfect on a hot day.

When I was at the symphony last winter, after the performance they offered these amazing orange and earl grey tea infused gin martinis. It was probably the single most delicious drink I've ever had. I don't even like gin! I've always been a vodka martini girl.
The bergamot in the earl grey tea just made the drink sing.
But I couldn't get the recipe!!!!

It would be a shame to have to run multiple experiments. ( )

Also.. technically tea is infused water.

WendyLeigh1119 wrote: »

ninerbuff wrote: »

ereck44 wrote: »

On a similar note, What's up with alkaline water? I was buying water the other day, and totally confused by the types of water on the shelf, smart water, alkaline water....etc. What the hay? What happened to plain old H2O?

Claims by idiots thinking that by drinking alkaline water or consuming alkaline foods will put the body in an alkaline and not acidic state.
Problem is, it's BS. The body regulates pH on it's own REGARDLESS OF WHAT YOU EAT OR DRINK. But, they won't tell you that. It doesn't sell.

A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

While it's true that the body alkalizes itself... GI problems, illness, and disease change that balance. If the body actually alkalized itself PROPERLY then Reflux, Ulcers, and other GI problems would not be caused by or exacerbated by foods, beverages, or medications. And yet.... the that's exactly what Gastroenterologists will limit or have you eliminate. That's also what actual Medical Doctors point to as the cause of a variety of GI disorders.

So while it's *supposed to* regulate itself... that's not actually reality. And food and drinks absolutely affect that ability.

My mother has Laryngopharyngeal reflux (LPR). She was always clearing her throat - I used to say it sounded like she had (mild) hairballs. She switched to alkaline water and I don't hear her hairballs anymore.

I believe she made other dietary changes at first, but that the water is the only thing she still adheres to religiously now.

The infusers are only hard to clean depending on the style. I have a cheap "Green Canteen" and the infuser part is a very large, plastic tube that just unscrews from the top and washes normally with a sponge and soap (or dishwasher). But I also change my fruit every 12 hours, so I don't know how funky it would be if I left it in longer.

People also use the infusers to make a fast/compact "sun tea". Instead of roasting tea bags with water out in the sun for a day (like my Mom always did growing up) or filling your coffee filter basket with loose herbs, brewing, and storing a huge container in the fridge (how I used to do it)... you can just secure herbs or tea bags in the infuser, fill it with hot water, throw it in the fridge for a few hours... and it's ready to drink/take on the go.

There's lots of smart uses for them, so I don't think they're likely to go anywhere soon. Hopefully, they'll improve the design on some brands, instead.

it's funny, when i was really little (back in the 1970's) my church always had baby showers and other functions. there was always some type of punch, but also a big clear jug of water with cucumber, lemon, etc. it's not new, but probably just a swinging trend that came back around.

It gives some flavor so when I feel like drinking something sweet or flavored I can choose no-calorie water instead and still get similar satisfaction from it, and is more refreshing than plain water so it encourages me to drink more. My favorite is watermelon, which is fantastic ice cold on a hot summer day. I haven't made my own, I buy it bottled, but I plan to start making my own because it would be a lot cheaper.

PaulaWallaDingDong wrote: »

jgnatca wrote: »

The infuser bottles will disappear once people find out how hard they are to clean.

I thought that about sippy cup valves that are impossible to clean thoroughly, but they're still making those disgusting mold traps.

I bought a set of tiny brushes, like bottle brushes, but in much smaller sizes for cleaning nooks and crannies, baby bottle nipples, reusable drinking straws, test tubes, aquarium tubing, etc.; they make it much easier to clean my Contigo sippy cup-type valve bottles. I use hot water and hydrogen peroxide with it since that is what was recommended by the makers of a water dispenser I bought a long time ago. It works well, I think, without leaving a soapy taste or smell.

You can find brush sets like this on Amazon by searching for "small bottle brush" or "pipe cleaner brush". Super useful!

Arrrgh won't post and I am over hot. h

Dianetheinvincible wrote: »

PaulaWallaDingDong wrote: »

jgnatca wrote: »

The infuser bottles will disappear once people find out how hard they are to clean.

I thought that about sippy cup valves that are impossible to clean thoroughly, but they're still making those disgusting mold traps.

I bought a set of tiny brushes, like bottle brushes, but in much smaller sizes for cleaning nooks and crannies, baby bottle nipples, reusable drinking straws, test tubes, aquarium tubing, etc.; they make it much easier to clean my Contigo sippy cup-type valve bottles. I use hot water and hydrogen peroxide with it since that is what was recommended by the makers of a water dispenser I bought a long time ago. It works well, I think, without leaving a soapy taste or smell.

You can find brush sets like this on Amazon by searching for "small bottle brush" or "pipe cleaner brush". Super useful!

I'm talking about ones that are completely enclosed. I know it's not the same as infuser bottles.

You guys are using complicated infusers if you need tiny brushes. One pic is the actual infuser chamber... and it's large. The pink part screws off and as you can see, easily can fit normal sponges and cloths. The other pic is of it assembled with fruit (and such). My "Green Canteen" is cheap and washes easily in the dishwasher. And the mouth spout is just an open spout that seals when the lid is closed (someone mentioned weird drinking spouts earlier in the thread).

A few extra vitamins and better taste tend to help some people drink more water.

Not that there's anything wrong with juice or soda, as long as you can fit it in your calorie allowance. [/quote]

I disagre! You can live on chips and fizzy drinks within your calorie allowance, but come on that would make you seriously malnourished. As an example 1 can of coke that is about the same as 2 boiled eggs. That means you will miss out a lot of nutrients such as protein and vitamin.
However a little juice can substitute some fruit, but without the fibres your blood sugar will be more affected.

kwaasen wrote: »

Not that there's anything wrong with juice or soda, as long as you can fit it in your calorie allowance.

I disagre! You can live on chips and fizzy drinks within your calorie allowance, but come on that would make you seriously malnourished. As an example 1 can of coke that is about the same as 2 boiled eggs. That means you will miss out a lot of nutrients such as protein and vitamin.
However a little juice can substitute some fruit, but without the fibres your blood sugar will be more affected.
[/quote]

Oh dear - I dont think anyone is suggesting living entirely on chips and fizzy drinks.

I personally dont drink cans of coke - but i eat other 'treat' things that have at least the calories of 2 boiled eggs - like cake - and, like most people, can do so without missing out on lots of nutrients

you know, balance and moderation.