By Michele Shapiro
With summer heat and humidity at its worst, you probably feel like you’re drinking water nonstop. What’s great for your health, however, can get tedious for your taste buds. “Staying hydrated is so important for your body to function optimally, but you don’t have to drink it plain if you find the taste boring,” says Amy Gorin, MS, RDN and owner of Amy Gorin Nutrition in the New York City area. To get the amount of fluids recommended by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine—that’s about 91 ounces a day for women and 125 ounces a day for men—she suggests replacing plain H2O with one of these waters with natural flavorings and no added sugars.
CAWSTON PRESS
Known for its pressed juices in unusual flavors such as apple with elderflower or gooseberry, this British company now offers sparkling drinks such as Apple & Rhubarb and Elderflower Lemonade that are made with sparkling water and pressed fruit for a hint of sweetness. Bonus: They come in eco-friendly cartons. cawstonpress.com
CORE ORGANIC
As the name suggests, this brand contains only organic ingredients, including antioxidants to support your immune systems and promote a healthy gut. Fun flavors include cherry berry lime, orange mango, coconut and wild blueberry. (Note: CORE Organic does contain sugar substitutes, organic stevia and organic erythritol.) hydratewithcore.com
HINT
Former AOL employee Kara Goldin developed fruit-infused hint waters in her home (and first sold them out of her garage) as a refreshing alternative to diet soda. Free of all sweeteners, preservatives and calories, hint features a variety of delicious flavors such as honeydew, strawberry-kiwi, pear and cherry. Prefer some bubbles? Try hint fizz, available in cherry, peach, grapefruit and blackberry. Hint Kick includes a 60mg caffeine boost if you need a pick-me-up. drinkhint.com
SPINDRIFT
Spindrift’s tangy Grapefruit and sweet Raspberry-Lime have become go-tos for people who want a soda-like taste without the calories and chemicals. The company reformulated its drinks last year, replacing all natural flavors and essences with real fruit. Plus, Spindrift donates 1 percent of its total net sales to nonprofits, so you’ll feel doubly refreshed. spindriftfresh.com
TICKLE
What started out as an alternative to sugary kids’ drinks has become a favorite with adults, too. Tickle’s unsweetened, lightly carbonated waters—which still come in cute, animal-themed packaging—are made with triple-filtered water and 100 percent natural flavors (including watermelon orange-mango, green apple and grape) that are derived from fruit oils. What’s missing? Sodium, sweeteners, calories and preservatives. drinkticklewater.com
WTRMLN WTR
Beyoncé has called this drink made with the water from watermelons “the future of clean, natural hydration.” (Okay, she is an investor). But you don’t need to be part of her hive to try this very buzzy drink, especially now that they’ve added four new flavors like mint, cayenne, cucumber and blood orange. What’s more, Wtrmln Wtr is made with “ugly” watermelons that would otherwise be discarded. wtrmlnwtr.com