Refreshing Mocktail Moneysaver

As I stroll through the aisles of Whole Foods, one of the trends that has become increasingly popular are the herb flavored waters. And I will admit to having tried them and enjoying them on occasion. But for $2 to $4 a pop (and over $5 at JFK!), I realized I could very easily make my own.

This baby is easy peasy to make and cheap to boot! It also has a number of health benefits! According to the University of Maryland Medical Center, ginger is used to treat stomach issues and inflammation as well as a number of other medical needs. Whole Foods explains that lemons have numerous health benefits including containing anti-carcinogens and act as a natural diuretic.

Remove the tough outer skin from a piece of ginger and use a fine grater or micro-plane to shred the ginger into a pitcher. Using the same grater, grated the zest off of a lemon into the same pitcher. You want to avoid grating the white portion and only grate the yellow zest. You can then juice the lemon or just add slices right into the pitcher. Add cold water, stir and let rest. The amount of ginger and lemon you choose to the ratio of water will depend on your taste entirely. I used one medium ginger bulb and one lemon for my pitcher. If the water is too strong, you can dilute it in your glass by only filling it part of the way with the lemon-ginger water and the rest with plain cold water.

What are some ways you spice up your water during the summer?

me: unavailable

It wasn't intentional that after a long absence, this fabulous beverage was my first feature back. While I would love to blame the light fruity bubbly beverage for my being unavailable, instead I will say it was an inspiring way to come back!

As someone who has been avoiding most soda-type beverages due to their inclusion of artificial sweeteners and high fructose corn syrup, it was refreshing to stumble upon a beverage that lacked these offending ingredients. With other intriguing names including curious, vivacious and uninhibited, I picked up the four pack of ME's unavailable. With only 70 calories for the can, this beverage hit my sweet spot without killing my sweet tooth.

Unavailable is a dragonfruit blackberry flavored beverage whose primary ingredient is sparkling water. I loved the packaging design but also the sales pitch: "The unavailable individual has a strong personality, confident in their position and inner strength. They are a bit intimidating, perceived to be unapproachable, yet they offer a great deal of beauty and insight." Who doesn't want to be included in that description!

The other reason I picked up the package was the amazing deal I found. The 4-pack was on sale and had a $1 coupon attached. While I can't secure you the $1 coupon I found in stores, I did find a 75 cent off coupon on their web site!

Not sure which drink will fit your personality? Check out their Match Me quiz! Oh and don't forget to sign up to get free stuff!

Ingredients for unavailable: Sparkling filtered water; fructose; white grape, clarified dragonfruit, blackberry and lemon juice concentrates; citric acid; fruit and vegetable juice (for color); natural flavors; oligofructose; erythritol.