Take your sunscreen and sunglasses, but don’t forget to take refreshing summer drinks along with them! Summer is an incredible time of the year for planning mini trips with friends or hosting a picnic party. Personally, I lounge with a book and a cup of iced matcha latte. (Do not forget to apply SPF, btw.) While this idea of relaxed sunbathing is quite enticing, my work doesn’t permit me to experience this blissful moment every day. I look forward to this calm moment on the weekends. But adjusting to my current situation, I always keep two bottles in my work bag: a water bottle and healthy summer drinks like fruit juices or Chaas.
For me, staying hydrated isn’t just about quenching my thirst; it’s a lifeline for me in the sweltering heat. My one-hour commute becomes more challenging due to relentless heat waves. While I see other passengers use hand fans or other ways to minimize discomfort due to heat, I took a healthier approach to dealing with this problem, opting for quick, refreshing summer drinks. Fortunately, my travel isn’t strenuous, so I can comfortably bring one extra bottle along with water.
Staying hydrated is such an intentional self-care habit, especially during the summer. Such summer self-care habits may look different, but they all arrive at the same intention: to protect your body from the damaging effects of scorching heat. Our bodies suffer from significant dehydration and prolonged exposure to higher temperatures. Lower water levels further cause more health issues: dry skin, brittle hair, irregular blood circulation, and a severe risk of stroke.
Summer-drenched months evoke a sense of nostalgia, often terrific memories than the good ones due to its scorching climate, and its relentless heat over my head causes my mood to be groggier. Some days, even a delicious breakfast isn’t enough to uplift my mood in the morning. That’s why I prefer sipping healthy summer drinks.
The importance of hydration during the summer season
The importance of staying hydrated during the summer cannot be overstated. Every drop of water lost through perspiration depletes your body of its essential electrolytes, leading to many health issues. From extreme fatigue to debilitating dehydration and even the risk of heat stroke, the consequences of neglecting hydration in the summer can be dire. There’s no right or wrong drinking timing, but ignoring hydration can prove unhealthy for your body.
But fear not, for the solution is simple: hydration. By keeping ourselves properly hydrated, we not only quench our thirst but also ensure that our bodies can function optimally, even in the face of sweltering heat. Whether it’s sipping on refreshing summer drinks or simply keeping a water bottle by your side at all times, prioritizing hydration is the key to unlocking a world of benefits.
I would like to share with you some refreshing summer drinks that are good for your health. I also added a few healthy beverages after scouring various informative articles. A health note: Always consume in moderation; over-consumption can lead to toxicity and side effects.
Refreshing summer drinks that are good for you
A summer drink should be tasty, healthy, and refreshing, and the mentioned healthy beverages below tick off the requirements. These refreshing summer drinks are quick and easy to make with the fewest ingredients.
Healthy, natural electrolytes
Electrolyte drinks are healthy beverages to replenish the body’s essential minerals lost through perspiration, especially during hot summers—minerals like sodium, potassium, calcium, and magnesium support hydration. Drinking electrolytes is a healthier way to stay hydrated.
1. Coconut Water: Coconut water deserves a special place, and many will agree with me. This biased favoritism is due to its popularity as a favorite choice of summer drink. This natural electrolyte drink deserves a crown of instant thirst-quenching during the summer due to the rich quantity of calcium, potassium, manganese, and antioxidants in it.
2. Watermelon and Coconut Juice: Another hydrating food that helps increase water body content, watermelon pairs superbly with coconut water. This mouth-watering juice offers all the health benefits to beat heated waves and make you sail undisturbed.
Nutrient-rich coolers
Vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants—these names frequently pop up during health discussions. And they deserve it. We seldom try to understand foods’ underlying qualities that make them healthy and nutritious for our bodies. There’s no better way to say this, but your body survives on these essential nutrients.
Vitamins and minerals, consumed in small amounts, carry out important bodily functions, like fighting infection, making bones stronger, or healing wounds. These micronutrients do not possess energy-generating qualities, but their involvement in metabolic processes generates the required energy for proper function. Antioxidants shield from free radical-induced oxidative processes. This causes premature aging, elevates stress levels in the body, etc.
3. Homemade Lemonade: Many people mused over this classic lemon-sugar-water summer drink. This easy-to-make refreshing drink captivates people of all ages, and rightfully so! Who doesn’t love the balanced flavor of sweet and tangy, in addition to the many hydration benefits? This classic and one of the most loved refreshing summer drinks offers a boost of vitamin C to the body, which swats away even a speck of tiredness from your body.
4. Chaas or Masala Chaas: Chaas, or elevated-flavored Masala Chaas, perfectly accounts for its responsibility to cool down the body’s temperature. Its soothing effects instantly provide relief from the tormenting side effects of heat. Its natural cooling ability prevents dehydration due to the presence of high amounts of water and spices such as mint or coriander.
5. Aam Panna: Aam Panna is a staple Indian summer drink prepared using raw mangoes. Mangoes, especially in their raw form, possess natural cooling properties that help relieve summer discomfort. Its high fiber content increases the quality of absorption of vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants.
6. Basil Lemonade: Another lemonade addition to the list of healthy summer drinks, basil lemonade will not disappoint your body’s cooling needs. Tulsi leaves (or basil) are the queen of medicinal herbs. Combine it with lemons, and you get a medicinally optimized summer drink, instantly rewarding your body with many nutrients like vitamins (A, C, and K) and benefits like hydration. Customize this drink to your liking by adding ginger, mint, or honey to balance its tangy taste.
7. Berry and Guava Lemonade: Berry and guava, this beautiful pair boasting rich colors and essential nutrients, make a perfect invigorating healthy drink you can sip on. The tartness of berries and sweetness of guava add an exotic twist to the traditional lemonade drink, making it a delightful summer drink.
Delicious smoothies
I humorously call smoothies a liquid breakfast. But jokes apart, their inherent power of instantly filling your stomach and satisfying morning hunger pangs are the reasons why I included them in the refreshing summer drinks list. Healthy smoothies are a perfectly balanced breakfast idea—a healthy combination of vegetables, fruits, milk, etc. So, can smoothies be your new favorite summer drink option? Definitely, they can!
8. Strawberry Banana Smoothie: A summer drink recipe or a tasty breakfast—call it whatever you want, but the strawberry banana smoothie performs its role of providing relief perfectly. This quintessential summer drink combines the sweetness of ripe strawberries with the creamy texture of bananas, taking its overall taste to the next level.
9. Healthy Greens Smoothie: This smoothie refuels your body from the expected exhaustion, thanks to the healthy nutrients and antioxidants in green vegetables. This snowball effect, from summer weariness to instant mood recharge, is what makes this drink super healthy.
Herbal infusions and iced teas
Craving an invigorating burst in the morning? Find it satisfying with herb-infused or iced teas. Are you wondering if these healthy beverages are an unconventional choice for summer? Every sip is a perfect brew, packed with nutrients, antioxidants, and medicine to fight heat fatigue. Add these drinks to your morning ritual for a revitalizing start.
10. Chamomile Mint Tea: Have you ever relished a tea for its soothing effects? Experience it with chamomile green tea! Drinking this antioxidant-rich beverage itself invites a feeling of refreshment, which is a much-needed summer feeling.
11. Guava Green Tea: The benefits of green tea are numerous. Add it to guava, and you get a power-packed drink rich in antioxidants and nutrients that boost your body’s health. Both provide soothing effects upon consumption, providing much-needed internal cooling during the summer season.
12. Apple Iced Tea: A refreshing summer drink with such good nutritional content, apple iced tea just fits the need to stay hydrated during the summer. This tasty drink increases water levels in the body, and the star of the drink, apples, keeps the doctor at bay (just joking!).
Last but not the least,
Escaping from office workload is no longer optional. Finding some respite out of the work has become a challenge. However, do not let it become a daily excuse for ignoring your health, especially during the summer. Staying hydrated is a gentle reminder of self-love—that you prioritize your well-being over the temporary workload. And with these refreshing summer drinks, you add uniqueness to this healthy habit of hydration.
Nothing can beat plain water for hydration, but to spruce up your taste buds, add some flavors to it. So this summer, don’t just reach for a cold beverage when you’re thirsty; make health a priority and let your body thank you for it. After all, when it comes to staying healthy and thriving in the summer heat, there’s no substitute for it.