Drinking plenty of water is one of the best things you can do for your health. Without adequate amounts of water, your body just can’t function at its best. Unfortunately, most people just aren’t getting enough water. Some people don’t like to drink water and others just forget all the time. But if you’re trying to increase your water intake, why not have it do double duty by drinking herb infused water? This will not only improve your health overall, but it will also help boost your detoxification and alleviate some of the problems associated with common health issues.
Herb infused water is exactly what it sounds like. You can put any combination of herbs, fruits, or edible flowers into your water for a hint of flavor. And you can even choose what you put in your water based on the effects you’re hoping to enjoy.
Drinking water that’s infused with a flavor you enjoy will encourage you to drink more water, which will help your overall hydration. Best of all, it’s salt and sugar-free and you can use just about any herb that you enjoy. Some of the benefits of herb infused water include:
Best of all, this water is easy to make. Here’s how:
Herbs can be a tasty addition to water that offers other benefits whether you’re healthy or suffer from disorders such as Adrenal Fatigue Syndrome (AFS).
Staying hydrated is incredibly important when you have AFS. AFS is brought on by stress and when you’re dehydrated, you’re causing stress for every circuit and organ in your body, which need lots of water to function at their best. Stress naturally causes the activation of the NeuroEndoMetabolic (NEM) stress response. This is the system that uses chemical messages to control how your body responds to stress. Under normal circumstances, the NEM stress response would turn on and off as needed. But because chronic stress is so common in the modern world, this system is often overused.
When the NEM stress response is overworked, it can become unbalanced and cause malfunctions throughout your body, in all of the circuits that are affected by the stress response. There are six circuits in the body, each of them encompassing three separate components, and all of them are affected by the cortisol that’s produced as a response to stress. Occasional stress can be healthy. But when you’re under long term stress, the constant flow of cortisol can cause imbalances in the circuits. It can also cause the adrenal glands to fatigue and even start to break down.
This can be a very dangerous situation that causes many strange symptoms and can even be a threat to your life. So, you must understand how your life choices, good or bad, affect your NEM stress response and the separate circuits. This includes how making the change to herb infused water will affect your AFS generally and your Detoxification Circuit specifically.
Detoxification Circuit imbalances are very common when you have AFS. This circuit is designed to rid your body of the reactive metabolites that are produced as a result of stress. When you’re under stress over a long period, these metabolites are produced in higher numbers. If they aren’t removed from your body, they can build up and cause a whole host of troubling symptoms and problems. When your body is functioning properly, your Detoxification Circuit deactivates the metabolites and resolves the stress without you even becoming aware of it.
But when you have AFS, this circuit can break down. The three components: the immune system, liver, and the extracellular matrix (ECM) can start to decline in health and functioning. This can cause devastating clinical symptoms and disorders including digestive issues like pain and bloating, neurological problems like brain fog and anxiety, and more general issues like autoimmune flare-ups and general pain.
All three components of the Detoxification Circuit will become unbalanced when you have AFS. As your stress levels increase, the production of toxic metabolites increases as well. Unfortunately, the malfunctions in the Detoxification Circuit will mean that these three components will struggle to cope with the overload.
The liver, which is responsible for deactivating the metabolites so that they become harmless, will start to fall behind in its duties. This will cause the accumulation of metabolites in the ECM, the fluid-filled spaces between cell walls. The ECM usually communicates the body’s chemical messages, so these will start to slow or be blocked. The increasing congestion of the ECM will then cause the activation of the immune system, which will create more inflammation to try to rid the body of the danger.
This increased inflammation can be very dangerous when you already have AFS and the accompanying rampant inflammation. It will further increase the production of metabolites, increasing the stress load on the liver and the congestion in the ECM. This can be a very toxic and dangerous situation.
Drinking herb infused water may help relieve some of the symptoms of AFS and boost the health and function of the Detoxification Circuit and its components. Firstly, it will increase your hydration. If you’re one of the many people who don’t drink enough water, this will alleviate a very important source of stress.
Increasing your water intake will also impact the Detoxification Circuit more directly. Drinking more water will help alleviate constipation, which will speed up the expulsion of wastes and other toxins such as metabolites. Having more water in your system also means you will need to urinate more, which will flush out even more toxins. When you have AFS and your system is congested with harmful metabolites, this can go a long way to boosting your health and alleviating symptoms. And this will lower your stress levels, improve the balance and functioning of the Detoxification Circuit, and help lessen the damage that AFS is doing to your health and your life.
If you can’t decide which herbs to add to your water, then here are some of the tastiest and most beneficial choices:
Watermelon is sweet and refreshing, especially in summer. And it combines well with basil, which is antimicrobial and will help kill infections. Basil can also help improve circulation and soothe headaches.
This is a cooling mix that’s a cold balm on a hot summer day. Mint is especially good for digestive upsets and can help soothe vomiting, bloat, and other stomach upsets. It’s also antiviral and can help fight off infections. But mint isn’t the only component of this herb infused water that will benefit your health. Lemon balm is known to:
Chamomile has long been used to relieve anxiety and stress and promote relaxation. It can also help ease digestive problems such as pain, nausea, and diarrhea. It goes well with other herbs such as lavender or lemon balm for an extra boost of relaxation.
This combination can relieve an upset stomach and has cooling effects, which are very soothing on a hot summer day.
With this combination, you get a lovely sweet taste from the strawberries as well as a shot of vitamins. The thyme is even more beneficial and can help:
Dandelion herbs can help improve your digestion and may even help with Type II diabetes management. These herbs have a slightly bitter taste, so add some natural sweetener if it’s too strong for you.
Fennel seeds contain lots of oils that can soothe your stomach, improve digestion, and decrease gas and bloating. Make sure you crush the seeds before drinking for the best results.
Ginger is often used to relieve nausea and it will have the same effects when you drink it. If you’re feeling ill, then drinking water with ginger may help pep you up. It’s also a natural anti-inflammatory and antioxidant.
If the taste is too strong for you, then think about adding some lemon slices to tone down the bite.
Peppermint is one of the best additions you can make to your herb infused water. It freshens your breath and it’s also antimicrobial and antiviral, which means that it will help fight off infections. Drinking peppermint can also increase your antioxidant intake and improve your digestion. Add berries, cucumber, or watermelon to this herb for a delicious treat.
Elderberry has powerful immunoprotective properties and can be helpful if you think you’re coming down with a cold. It’s also a diuretic, which means it will make you go to the bathroom more often. This can be very helpful if you have AFS and need to boost the removal of toxins from your body.
Nettle leaves are nutrient-dense and can help provide your body with fiber, vitamin K, calcium, vitamin A, and manganese. They’re also a natural detoxifier, which means that they will help support your Detoxification Circuit in its work by encouraging the removal of toxins through your urine.
Just be careful when you add these leaves to your water as they can cause an allergic reaction in some people. This is particularly important if you have new sensitivities and allergies as a result of your AFS.
Adding a few rosemary sprigs to your herb infused water boosts your antioxidant intake and lowers inflammation. This herb tastes best when paired with cucumber or grapefruit slices.
If you’re stressed because of AFS or because of other factors in your lifestyle, then add some licorice to your water. Licorice root is an adrenal tonic, which means it helps strengthen or weaken its action depending on what your body needs. It also helps support the liver, which will boost detoxification and help rebalance the Detoxification Circuit.
When you have AFS, you must make any changes carefully and slowly. Even beneficial changes can be a shock to your overtaxed body, causing additional stress and further increasing your body’s demand for cortisol. This is the opposite of what you want if you have adrenal fatigue. That’s why you must introduce your herb infused water slowly and stop if you have any adverse effects. And if you’re concerned, then talk to a doctor who’s aware of your condition and the dangers of making changes to your lifestyle.
Drinking herb infused water is an easy way to make water taste good, which will encourage you to drink more. Depending on what you put in your water, you can also enjoy other benefits that will improve your health overall and specific conditions like AFS. If you want to supercharge your water this way, here’s where to start:
If you’re looking for more ways to improve your health naturally, the team at Dr. Lam Coaching can help. We offer a free** no-obligation phone consultation at +1-626-571-1234 where we will privately discuss your various options. You can also send us a question through our Ask The Doctor system by clicking here.
© Copyright 2021 Michael Lam, M.D. All Rights Reserved.
Herb infused water is made by adding your favorite herbs to a pitcher of water. You then let it sit for a while as it infuses the natural flavors. Then you'll have a refreshing way to maintain your daily water intake, which improves your health and wellbeing.
