This year's summer is surely taking a toll on all of us. The heat wave is not only drenching us but also making us feel too tired and dehydrated. Our dailylife gets impacted hugely,it gets very difficult to stay active. But, make sure the heat cannot stop you rather you need to beat the heat. In order to maintain a healthy lifestyle, we need to carry on with our daily routines along with physical exercises and maintain proper hydration.
Drinking water is the first and foremost thing to stay hydrated throughout the day. As per the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, an average daily fluid intake of 11.5 cups (2.7 liters) for women and 15.5 cups (3.7 liters) for men is necessary for proper hydration. Usually, food accounts for around 20% of this fluid, with clean drinking water and other beverages making up the remaining 80%.
Apart from water, summer brings us the opportunity to experiment with different summer cooler drinks. Though most of the summer drinks are high in calories, you need to be mindful enough to enjoy your summer drinks without sacrificing on your health.
In this blog, we will help you to find out some of the healthy, tasty, and refreshing summer drinks to deal with the heat outside and also heal you from the inside.
First, Let's Find Out The Drinks You Need To Avoid
Due to the scorching heat wave, the first and easiest option we go for is the packaged drinks. It is easily available and quick to fix the summer thirst.
Soda Drink
A single can of soda contains around 40 grams of sugar, which is way above the daily sugar allowance limit. These caffeinated soda drinks are very dangerous as they contain artificial acids, liquid sugar, and stimulants for the central nervous system. This combination sets off a series of detrimental reactions in our body systems.
Packaged Juices
We also tend to drink packaged fruit juices available in the markets readily, which also contain a lot of artificial sugar and preservatives that are equally harmful to our health.
Sport Drinks
A lot of popular sports drinks have almost as much sugar as a Coke. If you drink them while sitting in the shade, your body may be overloaded with sodium, which can aggravate thirst and raise blood pressure.
Tea, Coffee & Other Caffeinated Drinks
Tea or Coffee intake should be reduced as much as possible. Bring it down to 1 cup a day if possible without sugar. Both sugar and caffeine, when consumed in excess, can cause severe health issues.
Alcohol
Alcohol is extremely harmful at all times and in all seasons. But, during the summer time the hazard is more. Alcohol has the power to suppress Vasopressin, an anti-diuretic hormone that instructs your kidneys to retain water, which can cause harm to your body. Alcohol causes your central nervous system to become dulled, which reduces your awareness of the early signs of heatstroke. Alcohol drinking also causes excessive perspiration and rapidly depletes essential potassium and sodium from your body.
Top 5 Summer Cooler Drinks To Be Unhesitant About
Ideally, your summer drink should be high in nutrients and low in sugar, which can give you maximum hydration along with health benefits.
Mint Lemonade
Apart from being refreshing and delicious, this drink is very healthy. The lemon or lime in the drink makes it rich in Vitamin C and flavonoids.
Vitamin C acts as an antioxidant and protects the body cells from any damage that is caused by free radicals. Additionally, it strengthens the immune system, facilitates the absorption of iron from plant-based diets, and aids in the formation of collagen.
And the flavonoids have antiviral, anti-inflammatory, and antibacterial properties to boost your immune system.
To add sweetness to the drink, go for natural organic honey instead of sugar, which has anti-diabetic, anticancer, and antioxidant properties.
Recipe:
Take half a cup of honey, one cup of lemon juice, one cup of fresh mint leaves, and mix well with six glasses of chilled water. You may also add a slice of lemon and extra mint for garnishing.
Water Infused with Watermelon, Basil, and Strawberries
Watermelon contains two non-essential amino acids: L-arginine and L-citrulline. These acids boost your cardiovascular health and blood pressure.
Whether you use normal sweet basil or Ayurvedic holy basil (Tulsi), drinking this infusion provides numerous biochemical benefits to your body.
This herbal infusion, created by steeping fresh basil leaves in water, provides a high-bioavailability dose of antioxidants, essential oils, and adaptogenic chemicals.
Strawberry-infused water contains a high concentration of vitamin C, manganese, and water-soluble anthocyanins without disrupting blood sugar levels. As the berries steep, their micronutrients seep directly into the water, and they offer many systemic advantages.
Recipe:
Take two cups of cubed watermelon with 2/3 cup of strawberries, sliced and 8-10 torn basil leaves and mix it with chilled water.
Agua Fresca
Agua Fresca is considered a nutritious alternative to highly processed sodas and store-bought juices. This traditional Mexican beverage combines fresh fruit, grains, or seeds with water and a hint of citrus.
Because it uses the whole blended fruit rather than just the strained juice, Agua fresca offers a remarkable mix of deep hydration, complete dietary fiber, and readily available vitamins.
Agua fresca contains water that is structurally bound within fruit cells. This natural fluid mixture contains vital electrolytes such as potassium and magnesium, which help your cells absorb moisture more effectively during hot conditions. And the fibre in juice helps to control your blood sugar level and aids digestion.
Recipe:
You may take any summer fruits of your choice, more preferably like cucumber, melons, oranges, pineapple, mix them with half a lemon, add honey as a sweetener, pour in chilled water, and blend them well. Do not strain the juice drink to get the full nutritional benefits.
Buttermilk
This popular Indian drink is considered to be the most powerful and effective summer drink to soothe and heal your body from the heat. It acts as a natural coolant and helps to drop the body temperature. Buttermilk is rich in potassium, calcium, and magnesium, and helps to replenish the same which gets quickly depleted when you sweat in the summer heat. It also aids in water retention as the natural salt concentration allows your body to retain fluids for longer, minimizing dehydration during a long sunny day. Buttermilk contains lactic acid bacteria (probiotics), which help restore balance to your gut microbiota. The natural lactic acid coats the stomach lining immediately, relieving the burning sensation caused by acidity and spicy summer foods.
Recipe:
Take one cup of curd or yoghurt, mix it with chilled water, add half a teaspoon of cumin powder, and a pinch of black salt. You may also add finely chopped mint and coriander leaves for additional flavour and refreshment.
Roasted Chickpea Drink or Sattu Sarbat
Sattu Sarbat functions as an instant natural body coolant during the best for hot sunny days. It provides a large amount of plant-based protein that helps to restore lasting energy all throughout the day. This drink is considered to be a natural protein shake that delivers stable energy without any artificial additives or sugar crashes. Apart from being a natural coolant, this drink helps to protect your organs from heat stroke, regulates blood sugar level safely, provides adequate energy to carry on for the long day, and the fibre in it helps to maintain good gut health.
Recipe:
Take 2 tablespoons of Chickpea or Sattu powder, add a small amount of jaggery, a pinch of black salt, 1 teaspoon of lime juice, and mix it with chilled water.
Time To Wrap Up
A good summer drink should supply ample hydration. It must efficiently replace the lost electrolytes. It should naturally lower your internal body temperature while simultaneously providing your body with the nutrients it requires. As the temperature is rising high day by day, it is very important to protect our bodies from within. The basic principle is always to maintain proper hydration. Along with drinking an adequate amount of water be wise to choose the healthy summer drink options. Instead of being lazy and buying cans of soda and energy drinks, try preparing this easy and quick summer drink from the above-mentioned list that is not just hydrating but super healthy.
Let us know your favourite summer drink recipe.