The best drink for anyone with acid reflux is good old-fashioned water. Ice cold or piping hot, water is the answer. Other drinks have a combination of sugar, acid, carbonation, alcohol, or caffeine that can exacerbate acid reflux, but water is free of all of that. There is absolutely nothing about water that will trigger acid reflux. Drink up!
The only problem with water is that it can get a little boring. A popular way to jazz it up is to add lemon. A few squirts of lemon juice probably won’t make your acid reflux act up, but it’s a good idea to avoid lemon water anyway. The good news is, there are plenty of other ways to add flavor to your water without using citrus.
The following recipes for flavored waters are refreshing and will soothe troubled throats. Many other ingredients will do the trick as well. Avoid orange, kiwi, cranberry, and pineapple. But try any of the following:
Basil
Blackberries
Cantaloupe
Cherry
Fresh ginger root
Grapes
Honeydew melon
Lavender
Mango
Papaya
Raspberries
Rosemary
Strawberries
Watermelon
There are dozens of wonderful combinations as well, including the following:
Blackberry and ginger
Blackberry and thyme
Cantaloupe and watermelon
Papaya and mango
Strawberry and rosemary
Watermelon and rosemary
Just juice any of those fruits and herbs and pour a little into your water, or cut pieces of fruit and some herbs and put those in your water. You can leave them there or strain them out. The longer you leave them in the water, the more flavorful the drink will be.
Berry Good Spa Water
Preparation time: 15 minutes
Yield: 4 servings
8 strawberries, halved, fresh or frozen
12 blueberries, fresh or frozen
8 raspberries, fresh or frozen
4 blackberries, fresh or frozen
32 ounces filtered water
In a pitcher or beverage dispenser, add the berries to the water.
Let sit for at least ten minutes in the refrigerator before enjoying. Let the berries sit longer if they’re frozen.
Per serving: Calories 16 (From Fat 0); Fat 0g (Saturated 0g); Cholesterol 0mg; Sodium 0mg; Carbohydrate 4g (Dietary Fiber 2g); Protein 0g.
Cucumber Water
Preparation time: 35 minutes
Yield: 4 servings
1/2 cucumber, thinly sliced
1 sprig Thai basil (optional)
32 ounces filtered water
In a pitcher, add the cucumber and basil (if desired) to the water.
Let sit for at least 30 minutes in the refrigerator before enjoying. Serve at room temperature, refrigerated, or over ice, whichever you prefer.
Per serving: Calories 4 (From Fat 0); Fat 0g (Saturated 0g); Cholesterol 0mg; Sodium 0mg; Carbohydrate 1g (Dietary Fiber 0g); Protein 0g.
The longer this water sits, the more flavor it will have.
This recipe makes great ice cubes! Or make ice cubes with fresh juice and serve them in the cucumber water.
Thai basil is an herb native to Southeast Asia. It’s a little heartier than regular basil. It can stay intact in higher cooking temperatures and has a stronger flavor than the type of basil used in Italian cuisine, for instance.
