Hot Infused Water For Winter

Do you naturally drink a lot of water in wintertime or do you need to force yourself at it? With winters comes a common health issue; less water intake. When the weather gives us chills, we don't really feel the need of drinking water all day long. But the reality is less water intake affects many of the body function like digestion and detoxification. On one side, most of us crave warm drinks and bigger flavors during winter, the other side we feel lazier in preparing them. Isn't it?

Let me be honest here about my behavior in this cold season (it is still cold here in Lucknow). I want to remain inside my quilt all day when I am not in office. I even wish to eat sitting at my bed only and I hate going anywhere if it is not sunny outside. All I remember "No winter lasts forever, no spring skips its turn." The biggest messiah for me this time is a hot cup of Tea.

I am a big tea fan and the frequency of my milk tea (without sugar though) increases so much in winter, if I am at home. Tea, our best friend in winters, warms our hands, throat, stomach and mind too (at least for my case). The atmosphere, the chilling and the cozy weather, all make me covet for hot drinks very frequently.  However, I know that too much tea is also an unhealthy practice. Hence I looked upon a few hot drink options that are easy to make and are healthy as well. A single cup of such drink/teas can give great health benefits which can make us enjoy winters with feeling good.

Like fruit infused water in summer, I now infuse hot (lukewarm) water with various combinations of spices and herbs in winter. Not only does it tastes great but these teas look so beautiful that they attract me a lot. Spices naturally come with a hot tendency and they are rich with medicinal properties. So, their formula not only cures winter ailments, but their aroma makes overall tea/infused water sipping experience much enjoyable. Infused water is everyone's mantra these days to combat hydration issues. But most of us feel infused water is only for summer. It is true that in summer our body needs more liquid intake, but in winters as well, we need to stay hydrated. The good news is we can prepare hot infused water to soothe winter bites. These are in fact herbal teas only that need similar infusion process for ingredients to release the goodness they hold.

1. Cumin, Coriander & Fennel Tea : These three spices help to warm up blood circulation and clear out water retention. It improves metabolism and the digestive fire.
Ingredients:

• 1/4 tbsp Coriander seeds    
• 1/4 tbsp fennel (saunf) seeds    
• 1/4 tbsp Cumin(jeera) seeds

Method:  Boil 1 1/2 cups of water. Add the whole cumin, coriander, and fennel seeds. Let it settle      for 5 minutes, or until it cools to comfortable drinking temperature. Strain and serve, discarding      the spices.

2. Turmeric Cumin Tea : This tea is the best choice to fight winter allergies. Cumin's pungency dilates blood vessels, helps in making blood flow smoothly through your veins and restoring your skin's healthy glow. Turmeric rejuvenates your blood and gets it moving again, eliminating winter stagnation.
Ingredients:

• 1/4 tbsp Cumin(jeera) seeds   
• 1/4 tbsp turmeric

Method:  Grind whole cumin seed in grinder or mortar and pestle. Place spices (cumin powder and turmeric) in tea cup. Pour 1/2 cup boiling water over spices and let steep, covered, for thirty seconds. Fill remaining cup with room temperature water/lukewarm water, or until liquid is cool enough to drink.

3. Cardamom, Ginger & Fennel Tea : Cardamom, ginger, and fennel improve circulation, digestion and ease off morning mucous. This tea is a great filler between meals to contol your appetite.
Ingredients:

• 1/4 inch ginger   
• 1/4 tbsp fennel seeds      
• 2 pinch cardamom

Method:  Mash or chop ginger.Grind cardamom and fennel using a mortar and pestle or grinder. Place in a cup. Pour boiling water over ingredients and steep, covered, for three minutes. Strain and serve.

To prepare these teas, you can use any kitchen pan. But my favorite way is to use InstaCuppa Insulated Thermos Infuser Water Bottle  This bottle is the cure for all lukewarm infusion. The steel detox infuser in the bottle comes with double walled vacuum insulation that keep hot detox infusions remain hot up to 12 hours. It is an all-weather infuser that can even be used with loose leaf tea, green tea or any other detox brews. As it is easy to carry and use, hydration and rejuvenation can be experienced anywhere; in the office, gym or during any outing.You can buy this product from InstaCuppa site or from Amazon's link. To make a spice brew, place all ingredients in the infuser of InstaCuppa bottle and add lukewarm water. Let it settle for some time. Let all taste and richness steep in water. And your herbal super healthy tea is ready!

In case you are a green tea lover too, in my recent post I wrote about Green tea and the right way of preparing green tea. Read my post "How Much You Know About Green Tea?"

Come, let us have some tea and continue to talk about happy things.

This article as a part of SuperBloggerChallenge2019 conducted by Healthwealthbridge.com, Allaboutthewoman.com and should not be repurposed, republished or used otherwise. The content herein is owned by the blogger. SuperBloggerChallenge2019 is not responsible for any kind of infringement caused.

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