You live in Houston and it’s hot in the summer (and a couple of months into the fall). Your trainer continually tells you about the importance of hydration…about a million times. Some of you just don’t get enough water. I remember reading a statistic that a huge percentage of the population (like 85%) is chronically dehydrated.

I recently bought an infusion pitcher and love it. Adding a little bit of flavor to water is a refreshing change and hopefully will make you keep coming back for more. And FYI, you don’t need an infusion pitcher so don’t let that stop you from trying some of the following recipes.

With any of these recipes, place the fruits/vegetables in a pitcher and allow to infuse for a couple of hours before serving.

Citrus Cucumber Water: 1 large lemon, sliced; 1 large lime, sliced; 1 large orange, sliced; 1 large cucumber, sliced and 1/2 gallon of water

Orange Mint Water: 3 large oranges, sliced; 10 mint leaves and 1/2 gallon water

Watermelon Basil Water: 2 cups seedless watermelon, cubed; 10-12 basil leaves and 1/2 gallon water

Melon Cucumber Water: 1/4 honey dew melon, cut into thin slices; 1/2 cucumber, thinly sliced; 4-5 mint leaves, torn into quarters and 1/2 gallon water

Experiment with some other combinations of the following:

Orange
Lemon
Lime
Watermelon
Cantaloupe
Berries – single or mixed berries
Cucumber
Mango
Pineapple

I hope you enjoy and stay cool this summer!

Kim