Day 5 - The Craving Curer

So The Craving Curer is the last in the water series and I hope these recipes have given you some new ideas. Great for the dinner table if you have people over or for just having in the fridge to encourage you to drink more water. So we have all heard the saying ‘an apple a day, keeps the doctor away’ and it really is true! The Craving Curer focuses on blood sugar control and the health benefits of both cinnamon and apple to achieve this, so read on to find out how.

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The Craving Curer 1 Apple 2 cinnamon sticks 1 teaspoon of ground Cinnamon Jug of water

Cut the apple up into cubes and add to the jug, with the cinnamon sticks and ground Cinnamon. Fill with water and leave for a few hours. This is a much stronger tasting water so doesn’t need as much time to blend.

Health benefits of Apple: Apples are great at balancing blood sugar regulation and actually lessen the absorption of glucose from your digestive tract. They stimulate the beta cells of the pancreas to secrete insulin and to increase the uptake of glucose from the blood via stimulation of insulin receptors. In addition, the phytonutrients found in apples inhibit enzymes that break down complex carbohydrates into simple sugars, thus preventing that spike in blood sugar.

Health benefits of Cinnamon: Cinnamon has beneficial effects on glycemic control and reduces the amount of glucose entering the blood stream after a meal, by slowing the rate at which the stomach empties. Studies have shown there is a link with improving glucose and lipid levels and concluded that high does of cinnamon will reduce the risk factors associated with diabetes.

Day 4 – Hawaiian Healer

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I love pineapples and the tropical flavours remind me of holiday. They are also a great sweet snack, with health benefits, as you can see below. In this water, mint is definitely the stronger flavor but make sure to eat the pineapple chunks after as they have a lovely mint flavor to them.

Hawaiian Healer ½ Pineapple Small handful Mint Jug of water

Cut ½ pineapple into cubes and finely chop mint leaves. This one definitely needs leaving over night as the pineapple flavor is much more subtle and needs time to develop.

Health benefits of Pineapple: Pineapples contain bromelain, which is a natural anti-inflammatory and digestive promoter. Studies have shown that bromelain helps modulate the immune system and can also be great to use if you suffer with hay fever or allergies. It contains high levels of vitamin C, which is an immune booster and important in allergies, colds and hay fever.

Health benefits of Mint: So having already featured mint once this week, here are some different health benefits (if you missed Day 2 – Liver’s Livener, take a look). Mint is effective for respiratory orders, especially clearing congestion of the nose, throat and lungs. Mint can cool and soothe and hence why so many cold balms are based on mint.

Day 3 - Refreshing Watermelon

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So watermelon represents the epitome of summer and especially refreshing in the heat. This is a great one for picnics, BBQ’s or to enjoy in the outdoors. I find watermelon a great one for smoothies if you have people coming over for lunch/dinner and need an alcohol free drink. Refreshing WATERmelon ¼ Watermelon 8-10 stems of rosemary Jug of water

Cut ¼ watermelon into small cubes and add to the jug, with the rosemary. Fill the jug with water and place in the fridge overnight or for a few hours before serving.

Health benefits of Watermelon: Watermelon’s main claim to fame is its lycopene content and actually contains more than raw tomatoes. Lycopene is a powerful antioxidant and has been shown to have anti-cancer properties due to this. Other studies have looked at it reducing stroke risk and heart attacks, both showing positive results.

Health benefits of Rosemary: Rosemary is great for digestion and has been used to help elevate flatulence, stomach cramps, constipation and bloating. It is great in stress relief and can be seen to decrease cortisol.

Day 2 – Liver Livener

So to continue with the water ideas today is my favourite. This is great if you are having people round for dinner or I just have a jug in the fridge and get through it throughout the day. The cucumber is so refreshing and makes me think of Gin and Tonics in the sun. Those who enjoyed one too many drinks in the sun and your liver is looking for a bit of support, then this one is definitely for you.

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Liver Livener 1 lemon 1 small cucumber Large handful of basil Small handful of mint Jug full of water

Take the ends of the cucumber and get a peeler to peel the cucumber into thin slices (this makes it look more impressive too). Then slice the lemon into thin slices and add everything including the basil and mint to the jug. Fill with water and leave in the fridge over night or a few hours for the flavors to blend together.

Health benefits of Lemon: Lemon’s are great at stimulating the liver and provide energy to the liver enzymes so that they can do their job. This helps with flushing out toxins. It is a great source of vitamin C and we all know vitamin C’s role in helping prevent the common cold. In addition to the above, it is a great one to enjoy with warm water in the morning

Health benefits of Basil: Basil contains oils and flavonoids that help protect the body from illness and infection. Studies have shown that it has a strong anti-bacterial benefit and adding to salad or other foods, can help eliminate harmful bacteria and ensure the safety of your fresh products.

Health benefits of Mint: Mint as we are all aware is a well known mouth and breath freshener. It is good for digestion and can sooth stomachs in the case of indigestion or inflammation. It can also be used for nausea and travel sickness (having suffered with this when travelling by boat when pregnant I can definitely vouch for that).

Health benefits of Cucumber: Cucumber’s are mainly water and the flesh is rich in vitamin A, C and folic acid. They have high alkaline levels, and therefore help regulate the body’s blood pH and neutalise acidity so especially good for those with gastric issues.

Water…. Shaken AND Stirred!

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So sugar is a hot topic at the moment and we are all probably aware that we need to reduce our consumption. A recent study has shown a clear link between soft drinks, sweetened milk drinks and type II diabetes. If we look at the ‘think before you drink’ picture, Ribena has a similar sugar content to Irn Bru and Coke. So what can we drink instead?! Well the study was based on people replacing these drinks with water.

I commonly come across people in clinic who do not drink the required 2 liters of water per day, which is so vital for the body. Signs of dehydration or lack of water can include headaches, migranes, increased hunger, constipation, dizziness, mental fatigue and fainting, to name a few.

I drink water every day but sometimes it can be a bit bland and you can fancy something a bit more exciting. So I thought I would spend the week sharing some water ideas to give us all inspiration.

So here is Day 1’s delicious water recipe:

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Antioxidant Booster 1 large handful of Blackberries 8 sage leaves Slightly crush the blackberries in a jug and add the sage leaves. Fill with water and leave in the fridge for a few hours so the flavours blend together before serving.

Health benefits of Blackberries: Blackberries are a superfood and get their great colour from powerful anthocyanin, which play a part in healthy memory function, anti-aging and reducing certain cancer risks. They are rich in the antioxidant compound phenolic acid and also pack a high dose of vitamin C, to boost the immune system.

Health benefits of Sage: Sage packs a good health punch too and has a high level of antioxidant activity, especially against oxidative stress in liver cells. It is a great memory booster and can be used to relieve some menopausal symptoms too.