Staying Hydrated With Fruit-and-Herb-Infused Electrolyte Water

With the summer months ahead, it’s starting to heat up outside, so it’s important to stay hydrated. Kami McBride, an herbalist of 35 years, told The Epoch Times that it’s easy to whip up a homemade electrolyte drink to replenish your body by infusing your water.

It just consists of putting a few leaves of fresh herbs and whatever seasonal fruit you have in a pitcher of water, she said.

She said that sometimes she adds a few dried spices, like a stick of cinnamon, a few allspice berries, or a star anise.

Ms. McBride, who is a teacher at “Herbal Healing Arts” at kamimcbride.com, said these drinks will give you quick energy and the electrolytes that are lost to sweat, and they add some sweet, salty, and sour flavor to your drink when the thought of another plain glass of water has lost its appeal.

She said electrolytes include sodium, potassium, magnesium, calcium, and chloride, and they conduct electricity when dissolved. Because our bodies use electrical signals to function, we need electrolytes for our nerves, muscles, heart, and brain to work properly.

“It’s not just about drinking water; it’s about getting electrolytes, and your fresh herbs and your fresh fruit are full of electrolytes to help your body actually use the water, use the liquid,” she said.

She explained that electrolytes are essential for balancing the amount of water in our bodies, transporting nutrients into cells, removing waste from cells, and balancing acidity in the body.

Mint and cucumber are cooling and make a great summer herb water, she said.

“So if you’re red-faced and irritated, have a headache, feel overheated in your head, like you get hot-headed … the mint and especially cucumber is very hydrating, it’s full of electrolytes, and it helps to cool the body,” she said.

She usually makes a pitcher of herbal electrolyte water first thing in the morning so that it’s there all day, she said.

“It’s super simple, and it’s also just nice to have something refreshing when you come home that’s beautiful and colorful,” she said.

She said setting up a hydration station with a pitcher of herbed water can help your family stay hydrated in between meals, which is good for your health because drinking a lot of your fluids with your meals affects your digestion.

Another recipe of hers starts with adding some fennel leaf to the water, giving it a licorice flavor, and then she puts in a few orange and strawberry slices. This recipe is good if you have family members who are just starting out; if you use colorful fruits, people are a little bit more attracted, she said.

Rather than drinking a store-bought electrolyte drink, which might have dyes and sweeteners and other artificial ingredients, she suggested making a rehydration drink at home at a much lower cost. Some of the ingredients might already be in your kitchen.

She also mentioned that kombucha is hydrating and so is bone broth, which can be good for the winter months.

She is the author of “The Herbal Kitchen,” which provides additional resources.

Making Herbal Water

Ms. McBride gave instructions on how to make herbal water:

1. Fill the pitcher of your choice with water.
2. Add 5 sprigs of clean, freshly cut herbs of your choice.
3. Add ½ cup of thinly sliced fruit of your choice.
4. Let the ingredients infuse in the water for up to 1 hour before drinking. You do not need to strain the ingredients from the water before you serve. In fact, the longer you let them steep, the better the flavor will become.

Herb waters will keep in the refrigerator for approximately 24 hours.

Here are 30 of her herbal water ideas:

Basil and peppermint

Basil and pomegranate

Calendula and melon

Calendula and rose petal

Chamomile and kiwi

Chamomile and plum

Cucumber and peppermint

Elderflower and lime

Fennel seed and orange peel

Lavender and plum

Lavender, rose geranium, and lime peel

Lavender and strawberry

Lemon balm and cantaloupe

Lemon balm and peach

Lemon geranium and kiwi

Lemon verbena and blueberry

Orange peel and mint

Peach and clove

Peppermint and apricot

Peppermint and kiwi

Peppermint and lemon

Peppermint and orange

Pine needles and lemon

Rose geranium and rose petal

Rose geranium and watermelon

Rose petal and peppermint

Rose petal and pomegranate

Rose petal and strawberry

Rosemary and peach

Rosemary and persimmon

Homemade Electrolyte Drink Recipe

This recipe makes one 8-ounce serving.

Ingredients

• 1 tbsp ginger honey (or mix 1 tbsp honey with 1/2 tsp powdered ginger) You can also use hibiscus or elderflower instead of the ginger if you would like a more cooling electrolyte drink
• A pinch of high-quality unrefined salt
• 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
• 1 cup coconut water (can substitute with plain water)

Instructions

1. Mix the ginger honey, salt, and lemon juice well, warming gently if needed.
2. Add your coconut water or water and mix well.
3. Enjoy!

Ingredient Features

Ms. McBride said ginger is rich in the electrolytes calcium, magnesium, sodium, and potassium. It also contains a proteolytic enzyme that reduces inflammation and supports the body’s repair processes.

She mentioned that raw honey has electrolyte minerals, is packed with antioxidants and prebiotics that foster a healthy gut microbiome, and is a sweet alternative to refined sugar.

She said that even though we’ve been cautioned to avoid salt, we lose sodium and chloride every day through urine and sweat, and if you are trying to eliminate salt from your diet, you might not be getting enough salt; so make sure to avoid table salt and go for mineral-rich salt.

For this recipe, she said to use the highest quality mineral salt you can find. Regular table salt is refined, meaning it has a higher concentration of sodium chloride as well as added anti-caking agents. Whole salt contains naturally occurring trace minerals in addition to sodium chloride, giving it a more diverse mineral profile.

Celtic salt, pink salt, and gray salt are some of the high-quality salts available, she said.

She said lemon juice also adds a nice tang that complements the sweet and salty flavors of this drink while boosting the overall electrolyte profile with small amounts of sodium, potassium, calcium, and magnesium.

Coconut water is nature’s sports drink, she said, as it contains natural sugar as well as the electrolytes sodium, chloride, calcium, magnesium, and potassium.