Whether you’re recovering from a bit too much summer BBQ indulgence or just looking to stay trim during bikini season (or any time or year!), we’ve got you covered with another one of our flat belly “detox” drinks! As registered dietitians, we love these as much as you and our clients do, and we’re always up for new flavor combinations to sip on that taste delish and flush bloat, making us feel great!
This ‘lil grapefruit, ginger, and mint concoction was born from our current “detox” drink obsession! 🙂 It’s filled with antioxidant goodness, fresh flavor, and a spicy kick from the ginger that will make you want to keep sipping your way slim.
Psst…. In search of more of our bloat-flushing bevvies? Please feel free to search this site! And here are a few to try:
Minty Lime Iced Green “Flat Belly” Tea
Apple Cider Vinegar & Lime “Detox” Drink
Cucumber Blueberry Water Flush
Drinks like these have become so important in the success of our clients that we’ve even included them as an important part in our 21-Day Body RebootTM, our life-altering program that helps you to lose your last 10 pounds or more—while going wild on the weekend!
They immediately help to get your mind and body back on the healthy track. We call them Clean-ToxTM drinks because they work especially well in helping the body in its’ natural detox process as you eat, wholesome, “clean” (aka, unprocessed) food. And although your body is equipped to detox and cleanse itself naturally, certain health-promoting foods and drinks, like this one, can be monumental when it comes to assisting in its process.)
Here’s why this drink is a lifesaver for bikini season (holiday season—or any season! ):
It flushes bloat
When you’re dehydrated, your body hangs onto sodium, making you feel bloated and puffy. It’s easy to get dehydrated in the summer if you’re out in the sun all day, or especially if you indulge too much in salty foods or boozy drinks! Drinking plenty of water helps flush excess sodium and waste out of your body so you feel light and bloat-free. The ginger and mint in this drink also help flush bloat with their anti-inflammatory and stomach-soothing properties! They both help ease indigestion and eliminate gas to help you reset from a day of heavy foods or just show up to the beach with a flat belly, rather than with tummy troubles.
It reduces inflammation
We made sure that just about everything in this drink is anti-inflammatory! Grapefruit is packed with vitamin C, an immune-boosting antioxidant that mops up free radicals and toxins, preventing them from causing inflammation. Mint and ginger pack in antioxidant properties, too! Ginger owes its anti-inflammatory benefits to a polyphenol called gingerol, which is a potent anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer agent. Mint’s behind-the-scenes savior is rosmarinic acid, which calms everything down and chases out free radicals that damage and age the body.
Why do we care so much about inflammation? Well, in a healthy body, inflammation occurs when there’s some sort of damage as a signal that your body needs to work to heal the spot where the damage occurred (like if you get a cut, the pain that happens is your body’s inflammatory system yelling “Hey, help us out over here! There’s an injury – send all your healing cells!”) That’s totally normal (and necessary) – but the trouble happens when your body is faced with constant inflammation from toxins like alcohol, chemicals in processed foods, and more. Then, your body essentially goes into damage-control mode and works in overdrive to keep up with all the little bits of damage spread all over your body, wearing down your immune system and leading to lots of chronic health issues.
Eating – and drinking – foods with anti-inflammatory properties (like this hot number!) help fight that chronic inflammation so that your body can stay healthy and use energy for stuff like exercise and normal bodily processes, rather than trying to chase down the inflammation.
It crushes sweet cravings
One thing we love about these detox drinks is that they are so great for keeping sweet cravings at bay! For one, they fill your tummy, keeping you from getting overly hunger – or dare we say hangry? We all know that when you’re hangry, it’s hard to make reasonable food decisions, and we tend to end up reaching for the sweets rather than something filling and nourishing. Plus, the slight sweetness from the juicy grapefruit and fresh mint is just enough to give your sweet tooth something to hang onto, without having to dive into chocolate cake to feel satisfied!
It keeps your skin healthy
We’ve all fallen victim to sunburns during the summer, (we’re talkin’ to you– blistery burn from our Barbados soccer team trip in high school!) and it’s definitely not fun. But sunburns also wreak havoc on your skin health! Thankfully, grapefruit is loaded with “nature’s sunblock,” lycopene. Lycopene helps prevent sun damage before it’s done, helping you avoid the premature wrinkles and skin cancer that damage from UV rays can cause.
The vitamin C from the grapefruit and mint in this drink is also a skin-saver! Vitamin C plays an important role in collagen formation, a process that keeps skin vibrant, healthy, and youthful.
The best part about this drink? It’s totally flexible! If you’re absolutely in love with ginger (like Lyssie), add in another slice! If adding more mint makes you feel like you’re drinking a mojito, go for it! There’s no wrong way to do it!
Grapefruit Ginger Mint Detox Drink
Servings: 2
Serving size: 1 cup
16 ounces (2 cups) water
1/2 a ruby red grapefruit, sliced
1 teaspoon chopped or sliced ginger
5-6 mint leaves
Directions:
- Combine the water, grapefruit slices, ginger, and mint in a pitcher or quart-sized jar. Let sit for at least 2 hours, or refrigerate overnight (If you’re letting it sit overnight, removing the peel (the white skin, a.k.a. the pith) from the grapefruit beforehand can keep it from getting too bitter). Feel free to muddle the ingredients with the end of a wooden spoon to get the most flavor out!
- Strain the mixture if you’d like, and enjoy! Strained, the drink will be virtually calorie free, but the nutrients will remain!
Nutrition info per serving (if you eat the fruit):
22 calories, 0 grams fat, 0 grams sodium, 82 mg potassium, 5 grams carbs, 1 gram fiber, 4 grams sugar, 0.4 grams protein
- 16 ounces (2 cups) water
- ½ a ruby red grapefruit, sliced
- 1 teaspoon chopped or sliced ginger
- 5-6 mint leaves
- Combine the water, grapefruit slices, ginger, and mint in a pitcher or quart-sized jar. Let sit for at least 2 hours, or refrigerate overnight (If you’re letting it sit overnight, removing the peel (the white skin, a.k.a. the pith) from the grapefruit beforehand can keep it from getting too bitter). Feel free to muddle the ingredients with the end of a wooden spoon to get the most flavor out!
- Strain the mixture if you’d like, and enjoy! Strained, the drink will be virtually calorie free, but the nutrients will remain!
- Nutrition info per serving (if you eat the fruit):
- calories, 0 grams fat, 0 grams sodium, 82 mg potassium, 5 grams carbs, 1 gram fiber, 4 grams sugar, 0.4 grams protein
Hi, I enjoyed reading about the benefits of the grapefruit ginger mint detox water. I’ve only been drinking cucumber water to detox and it works wonders for clearing up my skin. I think I will the grapefruit water as well.