HEALTHY BODY

By Katharine Coggeshall

CITRUS: lemon slices, orange slices and fresh basil leaves. FALL SPICE: apple slices, a whole cinnamon stick, and a dash of nutmeg. SPRING FLING: a few springs of fresh Drinking more water is a great way to boost metabolism and facilitate weight loss. However, many lavender with fresh chamomile flowers. WARM AND COZY: a vanilla bean pod with a cardamom pod. people find it difficult to consume BERRY: frozen blueberries and enough water throughout the day. strawberries. One of the easiest ways to increase SUMMER MIX: fresh cherries, pear water consumption is by making it slices, and cucumber. more flavorful without adding sugar or calories. LIKE A MOJITO: fresh basil and

Healthy flavored water recilime slices. pes start with clean, filtered water. SPA WATER: fresh sage with Filtration helps remove heavy metals cucumber slices. and chemicals that may have snuck into your tap water and can interfere GARDEN: fresh rose petals with a with your body's weight loss func- vanilla bean pod. tions. With your clean water, you can SPICE: a fresh fennel bulb with a few add a variety of healthy flavors from fresh cloves. herbs, spices, edible flowers, fruits and vegetables. ISLAND: pineapple with orange slices. Organic flavoring agents are best, as this will help you avoid pesticides CLASSIC: kiwi slices with strawberries. and other harmful chemicals, but are COOL: watermelon with not necessary. To give you some ideas cucumber slices. from which to start, here are 15 flavored water recipes for weight loss. VEGGIE: fresh carrot with celery and

Combine your chosen flavor in- ginger. gredients with your filtered water and HERB: fresh sage, rosemary, basil, and leave for 8-24 hours before drinking. thyme. This gives the flavors time to meld together and infuse into the water. FLAVORED WATER Weight Loss Weight Loss RECIPES FOR You can make large batches in the evening and leave overnight to enjoy the next day. To get the best metabolism boosting benefits, and therefore weight loss benefits, start your day with a glass of water each morning. This should be consumed before breakfast, right after you wake up. This wakes up your metabolism and helps you feel fuller before eating. In fact, consuming water consistently before meals throughout the day will help you eat less overall. It is best to make water drinking a habit rather than waiting until you actually feel thirsty. This is because the body doesn't alert you to thirst until you have lost about 5% of your total body water. That means by waiting until you are thirsty to start drinking, you have already put your metabolism at a disadvantage. A better idea is to consistently drink water from the moment you wake up until the moment you finish your last meal. Avoiding water right before bed is very reasonable, as too much water late at night can keep you up. Drinking flavored water is a simple way to boost your metabolism daily and bolster your weight loss goals.