Flavored Water: Strawberry Cucumber Cooler + 10 Benefits of Strawberries

Featured Ingredient: Strawberries

Flavored water is one of my favorite drinks during the summer! One of the best ways to quench your thirst during those hot days, and of course to stay healthy– is to drink plenty of water.  However, if you want a little flavor without added sugars, chemicals or simply add a kick to your H2O intake– this quick and easy strawberry flavored water cooler will hit the spot.

Not only will it hydrate you, it will make your taste buds super happy.  Strawberries are an amazing source of antioxidants, which fight cancer and heart disease.

Here are 10 out of many healthy benefits of Strawberries:

1. Helps burn stored fat
The red coloring contains anthocyanins, which stimulate the burning of stored fat. When a group of animals was fed a high-fat diet along with anthocyanins, they gained 24 percent less weight than the animals eating the high-fat diet without added anthocyanins. (The Journal of Agriculture and Food Chemistry)

2. Boost short term memory
The anthocyanins boost short term memory by 100 percent in eight weeks. (The Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry)

3. Low in Calories – High in Fiber
One cup contains only 54 calories.

4. Ease Inflammation
Strawberries lower blood levels of C-reactive protein (CRP), a signal of inflammation in the body. In a study, women who ate 16 or more strawberries per week were 14 percent less likely to have elevated levels of CRP. (Harvard School of Public Health.)

5. Lower cardiovascular disease
Flavonoids — which are responsible for the colour and flavour of strawberries — lower the risk for heart disease.

6. Promote bone health
Strawberries contain potassium, vitamin K and magnesium which are important for bone health.

7. Prevent oesophageal cancer
Studies show freeze-dried strawberry powder may help prevent human esophageal cancer.

8. Anti-aging properties
Strawberries are filled with biotin, which helps build strong hair and nails. They also contain the antioxidant ellagic acid, which protects the elastic fibers in our skin to prevent sagging. 

9. Good for weight loss
The compound nitrate found promotes blood flow and oxygen in our body, which is great for weight loss.

10. Promote eye health
Eating three or more servings of fruit like strawberries may lower the risk of macular degeneration, a condition resulting in vision loss. (Archives of Ophthalmology)

To Read the original & entire article from Care2.com  click here.

What I do occasionally when I am going to be somewhere away from home and to save time in the mornings:

I slice the fruit and vegetables the night before then store them in little containers.  Then the next morning I toss them in my favorite water bottle. You can us Stainless steel, BPA free, or even better a glass water bottle. Then after lunch I repeat the procedure with my other container of fruit/veggie mix. That way the fruits won’t  become soggy floating in the water all day.

Here are some of my favorite Flavored water mixes:

Ginger- Lime

Watermelon- Fennel- mint

Tangerine -basil

Berries-mint

Fennel-green apple or cherries

apple slices-mint… And you get the idea.

The key is to change your water up sometimes with your favorite fruits or veggies.  Now, be wise when mixing and matching. My friend called me the other day asking that all she had in the fridge was eggplant and a banana left. Ahh, no sweets… that ain’t going to be refreshing- LOL I couldn’t stop laughing…

As always thanks for reading and sharing the post.  I hope you make your own mixes and come by here or any of my social media channels to share your creations inspired by this post. 🙂

Over to ya!

Do you love naturally flavored waters as much as I do? If so, I’d love to hear what is your favorite flavor?

To your best health,

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