How to Use Fruit, Vegetables and Herbs for Detox Water

Detox water is a water-based drink that is flavored with fruits, vegetables or herbs. These drinks are usually low in calories, have no artificial sugars, and are infused with plenty of natural flavors. Detox waters can help with weight loss as they encourage you to drink more water. Lemon, cucumber, and mint water is a refreshing drink that’s great for early in the morning, while strawberry, lemon, and basil water is a sweet, hydrating choice that's particularly good for summer. Watermelon, strawberry, and lime water is a sweet and zesty beverage that’s perfect for social gatherings.

Ingredients

Lemon, Cucumber, and Mint Water

1 lemon
½ cucumber
10 mint leaves
1 US gal (3.8 L) of water

Makes 16 servings

Strawberry, Lemon, and Basil Water

10 strawberries
½ lemon
10 basil leaves
Juice of ½ lemon
1 US gal (3.8 L) of water

Makes 16 servings

Watermelon, Strawberry, and Lime Water

12 strawberries
1 lime
1.3 lb (0.59 kg) of watermelon
1 US gal (3.8 L) of water

Makes 16 servings

Method 1

Method 1 of 3:

Lemon, Cucumber, and Mint Water

1
Rinse and dry the lemon, cucumber, and mint leaves thoroughly. Get 1 lemon, ½ a cucumber, and 10 mint leaves. Place the ingredients into the sink and hold them under cool, running water, rubbing them slightly with your palm to remove any dirt. When all of the ingredients are clean, remove them from the sink. Then use paper towels or a tea towel to dry each ingredient thoroughly.^{[1]XResearch source}
- Lemon is a great source of the powerful antioxidant, vitamin C. Vitamin C is essential for producing collagen, which helps your skin to stay healthy.^{[2]XResearch source}
- Cucumbers are 95% water, which helps the detox water to be even more hydrating.^{[3]XResearch source}
- Mint has anti-inflammatory and immune-boosting properties.^{[4]XResearch source}
2
Cut the lemon and the cucumber into thin ¹⁄₂ in (1.3 cm) slices. Take the lemon and the cucumber and place these onto a chopping board. Get a sharp paring knife and use it to thinly slice the lemon and the cucumber. Cut both of the ingredients crosswise rather than lengthwise. The slices don’t need to be perfectly even or exactly the same size, as the detox water will still taste great!^{[5]XResearch source}
- Keep the skin on the cucumber, as you don’t need to peel it for detox water.
- If you want to remove the lemon seeds, now is the best time. Simply use your fingers or scoop them out with a teaspoon.
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3
Add all of the ingredients to a pitcher. Get a clean plastic or glass pitcher and hold it underneath the tap to fill it up with 1 US gal (3.8 L) of water. Then add the mint leaves and the lemon and cucumber slices into the pitcher. Use a spoon to gently stir the ingredients.^{[6]XResearch source}
- You can use room temperature water, as the water will be cooled in the refrigerator anyway.
- If you want a more intense lemon flavor, squeeze each lemon slice gently as you add it to the pitcher.^{[7]XResearch source}
4
Refrigerate the detox water for 12 hours before it’s served. To get the best tasting detox water, it’s important for the flavors to have plenty of time to infuse. Place the pitcher in the refrigerator overnight so that your detox water is ready to enjoy the following day or make it in the morning so that you can enjoy it in the evening. Keep the detox water stored in the refrigerator and use it within 3 days.^{[8]XResearch source}
- If you want the detox water to be even more refreshing, add ice cubes when you serve it.^{[9]XResearch source}
- Lemon, cucumber, and mint detox water is a great drink to help you feel refreshed in the morning.^{[10]XResearch source}
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Method 2

Method 2 of 3:

Strawberry, Lemon, and Basil Water

1
Wash and dry the strawberries, lemon, and basil leaves. Get 10 strawberries, 1/2 of a lemon, and 10 basil leaves. Hold the ingredients under cool, running water and wash each one thoroughly to remove any dirt. After the ingredients have been washed, dry them using a tea towel or kitchen paper towels.^{[11]XResearch source}
- Strawberries have high levels of vitamin C and antioxidants.^{[12]XResearch source}
- Lemons are high in vitamin C, calcium, and folate.^{[13]XResearch source}
- Basil has antibacterial properties and is rich in vitamins A and K.^{[14]XResearch source}
2
Slice the tops off the strawberries. Although you need to leave the strawberries whole, it’s important to remove any stems or leaves. Place the strawberries on a chopping board and get a sharp paring knife. Hold each strawberry by the smaller end and use the knife to carefully slice the top off so that the leaves are removed. You don’t need to remove much of each strawberry, as approximately ¹⁄₈ in (0.32 cm) is all that’s necessary.^{[15]XResearch source}
- You don’t need to slice or dice the strawberries unless you are aiming for a stronger flavor.^{[16]XResearch source}
Get the lemon half and place it onto the chopping board. Hold the lemon securely and use a paring knife to slice it lengthwise into wedges. If the lemon has seeds and you want to remove them, carefully scoop them out with a small spoon.^{[17]XResearch source}
4
Place all of the ingredients into a water pitcher. It’s now time to combine all of the ingredients for the detox water! Get the strawberries, lemon wedges, basil leaves, and the lemon juice and place it all into the pitcher. Then add 1 US gal (3.8 L) of fresh water to the water pitcher. Stir the ingredients thoroughly with a spoon and secure the lid on the pitcher if there is one.^{[18]XResearch source}
- You can use room temperature water.
- If you want to give your detox water some fizz, use sparkling water instead.^{[19]XResearch source}
5
Keep the detox water in the refrigerator for 3-4 hours before serving it. Take the pitcher of detox water and place it into the refrigerator. Keep it in the refrigerator for a couple of hours before removing it and pouring it into glasses to enjoy. You can store the detox water in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.^{[20]XResearch source}
- The longer you leave the detox water before drinking it, the stronger the flavors will be.^{[21]XResearch source}
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Method 3

Method 3 of 3:

Watermelon, Strawberry, and Lime Water

1
Wash the strawberries and lime with cool, running water. It’s important that the strawberries and lime are clean before you add them to your water. Place 12 strawberries and 1 lime in the kitchen sink and hold each fruit under running water. Then rub each fruit lightly to remove any dirt. Once all of the strawberries and the lime are washed, dry each one using either a tea towel or a paper towel.^{[22]XResearch source}
- You don’t need to wash the watermelon because you won’t be using the skin.
- Strawberries are a great source of fibre, potassium, and folic acid.^{[23]XResearch source}
- Limes have high amounts of vitamin C.^{[24]XResearch source}
2
Slice the lime into thin slices and the strawberries in half. It’s time to slice the strawberries and the lime to help as much flavor infuse the water as possible. Get a chopping board and a sharp paring knife. Take the lime and cut it in half crosswise and then slice each half into very thin slices, approximately ¹⁄₈ in (0.32 cm) thick. Then take each strawberry and slice the top and the leaves off, before cutting each one in half lengthwise.^{[25]XResearch source}
- It doesn’t matter if the slices aren’t even or perfectly sized.
3
Cut 1.3 lb (0.59 kg) of watermelon into small pieces. Place the watermelon wedge or piece onto a chopping board and get a sharp paring knife. Cut the watermelon into thin slices, approximately ¹⁄₄ in (0.64 cm) thick, just down to the rind without slicing through. Then turn the watermelon by 90° and slice it in the same way, but just in the opposite direction. Once you have finished slicing the watermelon down to the rind, carefully slice along the bottom of the rind to separate the fruit from the rind.^{[26]XResearch source}
- Alternatively, you can use a melon baller.
- Watermelons are hydrating, as they are made up of 92% water. They are also a good source of vitamins A and B6.^{[27]XResearch source}
4
Add all of the ingredients to a water pitcher. Now you get to combine all of the ingredients to make your watermelon, strawberry, and lime detox water! Carefully place the halved strawberries, the lime slices, and the watermelon chunks into a clean water pitcher. Then add 1 US gal (3.8 L) of water of fresh water to the pitcher and secure the lid if the pitcher has one.^{[28]XResearch source}
- Once all of the ingredients are in the pitcher, stir them gently.
5
Refrigerate the pitcher for at least 2 hours before serving the drink. The longer the fruits have time to infuse, the stronger the flavor of your detox water. Place the water pitcher in the refrigerator and only take it out when you’re ready to serve the detox water. You can stir the detox water again before you serve it if you prefer.
- Watermelon, strawberry, and lime water will keep in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.
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Tips

It’s recommended to drink 1-2 glasses of detox water per day or whenever you feel like a change from plain water.^{[29]XResearch source}
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You can strain the detox water before you drink it if you don’t want any large chunks of fruit or vegetables. Alternatively, you can enjoy it as it is!
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