Blackberry-Lemon-Lime Water

august is quickly approaching…. the month i’ve been anticipating for about 9 months now.

since i entered into trimester 3, i have made good efforts to avoid sugar. (honestly, not as valiant an effort as with baby #1, but i’m trying, man…) simple, refined sugars are simply not your friend during pregnancy. gestational diabetes or not, pregnant women’s bodies don’t tolerate glucose (sugar) as well. and during the third trimester for sure, all that excess sugar is being shunted to the baby. this risks a big baby, possibly requiring c-section or difficult delivery. um, no thanks. i’m doing my best to set aside my sugary sweets (although next week there may be an angel food cake post that i had to taste once or twice) and opt for fresh fruits instead when the cravings hit (ie. every night when after the little guy hits the hay).

trying to stay hydrated during a summer pregnancy is also an important effort. ice water is great. i drink a lot of it. but sometimes i want some flavor that doesn’t involve sugar, sugar substitutes or caffeine. so i gave this a go… and apparently, according to my mother who recently visited a very cool hotel in san antonio, naturally-flavored waters are all the rage.

i like to use organic berries. pesticides are hard to clean off their little seedy bodies. and organic citrus too, if i’m using the rind. this water is not particularly sweet, but it’s very freshly-flavored and was a nice change from the average glass ‘o water. the blackberries add a gorgeous color and a little flavor. the citrus adds the strongest punch. add a couple drops of stevia if sweet is what you’re looking for.

give it a try. and swap out your favorite fruits, if you’d like. go ahead. be kind to your body and hydrate without all those extra sugars and calories!