Apple Cranberry Detox Water (another Wonder Water)

Refresh and hydrate with this light and snappy Apple Cranberry Detox Water. It makes drinking your water a whole lot more fun and helps detox your system after one too many holiday treats. (Skip to recipe.)

Quick, if you want to make this refreshing water (and other cranberry deliciousness) rush out to the store and buy any packages of fresh cranberries you can still get. There are often stacks of them in the produce section of grocery stores - sometimes at a reduced price - after the holidays are over. Cranberries freeze well. Just give the berries a quick rinse, pick out any soft ones, and freeze them in a single layer on a cookie sheet. Then pop the frozen cranberries into a zip-top bag and freeze for future use in muffins, loaves, and this healthy and tasty detox water.

Add the berries to recipes straight from the freezer. They are easy to chop for baking, or to cut into halves for adding to this apple cranberry detox water.

The holiday craziness is over, and if you're like me, you maaaayyyy have eaten a tad too much turkey, stuffing, and pie, drank a glass or two too much wine, and maybe, just maybe, stuffed a cookie or two too many into your pie hole . . .

Yes, it's time to get back to reality, and a part of that reality is eating in moderation again, saving wine for the weekends, and detoxing my overtaxed system by cutting wayyyyyy back on sugar and drinking a whole lot more water.

I always find the 'drinking more water' part is much easier if my water tastes delicious (like this Dieter's Wonder Water). Plus, I can sneak in some healthy detoxing ingredients, like apples, lemon, and cranberries. Green apples contain enzymes and organic acids that can help detox your liver, ease digestion, and curb your appetite. Cranberries are a power-packed little berry - high in antioxidants and phytonutrients. They are most commonly known as a natural cure for reducing urinary tract infections, but they're also a natural diuretic, helping flush extra water and toxins from the body. And lemons are potent little nuggets of gold, providing lots of vitamin C, stimulating the liver, and also helping flush out toxins. Meyer lemons are in season right now, so those are fun to use because they add a slightly sweeter touch to the detox water.

So there you have it - a power-packed trio to jump-start your detox. Drink plenty of this apple-cranberry-lemon detox water every day and you'll be hippity-hopping down the good health trail, clicking your heels together like a dancing bunny!

Stick in a straw to sip just the water, or add a spoon so you can crunch down the green apples and cranberries at the end, for some added nutrients and fiber (totally optional, but I find I'm getting quite addicted to chomping on those little puckerers).

I'm raising my glass to you - Cheers and a Happy New Year!

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Kitchen Frau Notes: If possible, try to get organic green apples and organic lemons - since the objective is to detox, you want to start out without adding extra toxin stress to your system.

Apple Cranberry Detox Water

• 2 litres/quarts filtered water
• 1 small green apple (like Granny Smith)
• 1 lemon (Meyer Lemons are particularly good right now)
• ½ cup fresh or frozen cranberries

Fill a large jug with the water.

Cut the apple into wedges and cut out the core. Thinly slice the apple wedges and the lemon. The more thinly you slice them the more surface area there is to release flavour into the water.  Remove the seeds from the lemon slices. Add the apple and lemon slices to the water.

Cut half of the cranberries crosswise into halves. Cranaberries have tiny seeds in them that may float or sink in the water, but are not noticeable when you drink it. Add the cut and whole cranberries to the water.

Let chill and steep in the refrigerator overnight. Serve with plenty of ice cubes. Strain out the fruit to serve, or leave it in and serve with a straw and/or a spoon to nibble the apples and cranberries.

Makes 2 litres.

Guten Appetit!

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You might also like:

Dieter's Wonder Water with Green Apple, Cucumber, and Mint

The Great Green Smoothie

Agua Fresca de Chia (Chia Limeade)

Honey, Lemon, and Ginger Tea