Our RevolutionHer Team has been on a bit of a health kick lately, trying to eat better and move more. There is one area that we noticed we needed to improve on however; drinking enough water. So, we challenged ourselves to drink two extra glasses of water every day, and the extra glasses couldn't be just plain old water. We had to flavour the water with natural ingredients and not use the same combination for more than two days in a row, for a total of 7 days, drinking 3 litres a day.
Here’s how it went:
Day 1
Water with Blueberry, Lemon & Rosemary
Upon searching online, we found this blog for inspiration. First up, blueberry, lemon and rosemary. The rosemary sounded interesting but also scared us a bit. What if we didn’t like it and had to drink 3 litres?! Yes, we could have opted to dump it down the drain, but that would not be a great start to this challenge. In the end, it was surprisingly refreshing! The rosemary was very mellow and not overpowering, which was a surprise.
One thing to keep in mind - your body may not be prepared for so much extra water! Take it in strides and make sure to be close to a bathroom for the first few days.
Day 2
Water with Cucumber & Mint
This combination is not for the faint of heart, and collectively our least favorite. The first glass was good, mellow and refreshing; however, as the cucumber steeped throughout the day, it became overpowering. We highly recommend slicing the cucumber very thin, and add at least 3 parts mint to 1 part cucumber.
Day 3
Water with Blueberry & Apple
By Day 3, our options and enthusiasm were waning; we hadn’t planned well for exciting additions to add to our mixtures, and after the disappointment with the cucumber we were hesitant. The blueberries had been a nice surprise on Day 1 so we opted to try that again and add some apples. This was a great combination which we all enjoyed easily.
Day 4
Water with Orange & Ginger
This concoction renewed our faith in this challenge - light, zesty, a little spicy, and oh so refreshing. This one was a big win, and had us all drinking more than the required extra 3 litres for the day.
Day 5
Water with Raspberry, Lemon & Basil
With our confidence growing, we decided to add another herb this time. This is when we rounded the corner and really started to enjoy the challenge while also feeling the benefits of being hydrated and feeling vibrant.
Day 6
Water with Orange & Raspberry
Another favourite that is light and tangy. The two flavours pair so nicely together and were a treat to indulge in.
Day 7
Water with Lemon, Ginger & Raspberry
This combination was our all-time favourite! Sweet, tangy, spicy, refreshing and enjoyable... we ended our week-long challenge with the biggest win of all.
Apart from the cucumber, every concoction we tried were all so yummy, and certainly made drinking water way more interesting, and for us the challenge was overall a success! Though this challenge may not be for everyone, it is worth considering if you are looking to move away from sugary drinks and/or to increase your water intake.
What We Learned From This Challenge:
- Adding fruit and herbs made drinking water more interesting for us.
- The more colourful, the more inclined we were to drink more water.
- Our favourite ingredients to add included citrus, raspberry and ginger.
- The herbs were an interesting addition that we would use again; we weren't expecting to like them, so it was good to try them.
- We all know the health benefits of staying hydrated, but we still didn’t drink enough water on a daily basis. This challenge worked well to keep us motivated.
- It took a few days for our bladders to adjust to drinking more water; we avoided drinking after 8pm otherwise we were more likely to wake up (several times) in the middle of the night to use the washroom.
Try adding some fun combinations of natural ingredients to your water, and see if this challenge is something that will work for you; also please feel free to leave some comments and let us know what you think or any new combinations that worked for you!