If your patients and clients are anything like mine, they drink too much sweetened or high calorie beverages. No doubt you’ve spent many hours discussing the virtues of calorie-free water. And no doubt, you hear complaints that water tastes bad or is just plain boring. I usually recommend an inexpensive water filter pitcher or faucet attachment as a first attempt to freshen the taste of water. For patients who want more, I offer a list of well-received additions. Your patients might also like these easy ways to brighten the taste of nature’s perfect drink. The first two on the list below are my recent discoveries and my current favorites. Be sure to refrigerate your water for 30 minutes to overnight to get the desired taste.

• Strawberries, lime, and rosemary
• Peach and basil
• Cucumber slices
• Cucumber slices and mint
• Lemon or oranges slices (or both!)
• Mixed berries
• Tea: yes tea counts too. If your clients have a few glasses a day, the caffeine shouldn’t be a problem. The bigger concern is the sugar or honey that many add.

Hint: to get the best flavor from fresh herbs: gently bruise or crush them just before putting them in the water. You may have seen the new infusion pitchers (http://www.prodyne.com) that make it super simple to flavor your water. I have one, and I love it for its ease and beauty. They’re nice to have, but not a necessity.By Jill Weisenberger, MS, RD, CDE