Liquid Assets Everybody knows that healthy eating is a metaphor for feeling great and living longer but the adage "you are what you drink" hasn't caught on with the same fervour. The daily prescription for two litres of water somehow never makes the leap from our minds to our gullets. But it is in fact drinking good quality fluids regularly that has the most important impact on our general health. And it doesn't just have to be water - spring, filtered or distilled. Here are some other options:

Herbal teas and freshly squeezed juices inject us with just as much vitality as health-giving foods. Such fluids flush out unwanted toxins and help re-hydrate the bodys organs, increasing blood flow and moving oxygen more efficiently around the body. In this respect they are ideal for topping off the benefits of a body treatment or massage. Natural juices and smoothies, containing yoghurt or milk with purged fresh fruit, have become part of the healthy eating lexicon because they are excellent meal substitutes and that much more easy to digest than solid foods.They are perfect spa food because they satisfy our mild hunger pangs after treatments without overloading the system, Fruit, in particular, is easily digestible and cleansing while containing fructose, which gives energy, It also has a cooling, calming action on the body and has that all-important high water content. Both fruit and vegetables are important sources of anti-oxidant vitamins and minerals which zap free radicals, those harmful molecules that damage cells and cause premature ageing and such conditions as cancer, heart disease, arthritis and diabetes.The most important vitamins found naturally in fruits are vitamins A, C and E. But besides all its health giving properties, fruit, whizzed into a thick, tangy pulp, with or without milk and yoghurt, is so deliciously refreshing that it's usually gone in a gulp.

Herbal Infusions
Herbal teas started with the Greeks and Romans and were drunk all over the world until the 1940s when Western medicine became overrun with science and frowned upon any alternative approach. By contrast, infusions of herbs and spices have always had a role in oriental diet for the mild effect they can have on stimulating the kidneys, calming digestion, aiding circulation and, of course, putting water back into our bodies (this we apparently lose at a rate of 1.8 litres per day). Discard the dusty tea bags that start off bland and become stale in favour of loose-leaf herbs and spices in their natural state.You can concoct a variety of teas to suit your mood and your taste buds.Try some camomile for stress, nettle for skin problems, garlic or peppermint for bronchitis, ginger for tummy trouble and raspberry leaf in preparation for labour. Some popular infusions from The Serai in east Bali are pictured left: Ginger and lemon grass - a stomach settler and tonic for pregnant women; it also helps with motion sickness. Cinnamon, ginger and lime leaf-for warming the body in cool weather, with mild astringent properties. Vanilla, cinnamon, lime fruit, turmeric and ginger - ginger and turmeric are blood cleansers and stomach settlers; the vanilla adds flavour and the lime has acidic and cleansing properties.

Thirst-Quenchers
From the Spa at Jimbaran, Four Seasons Resort, Bali
Tropical Passion - passion fruit, orange, banana and lime juice
Coconilla - cool coconut water and milk with vanilla beans
Blushing Beat - beetroot, cucumber and fresh lime
Guava Gulp - mango, guava nectar, banana and lime juice
Jamu Wanita - Javanese herbal drink believed to clean the blood, improve vitality and act as an aphrodisiac!

Just Juices
From The Datai, Langkawi
Watermelon juice, Orange juice, Guava juice and Melon juice.