Diet plays a crucial role in keeping an individual fit and healthy. Every individual has their own unique needs which is why not all diet plans may work for everybody. The months of summer are especially taxing on our bodies. Special attention should be given to what we are consuming during summer to stay fit. 

Summer calls for light and refreshing recipes as it may be difficult to digest oily and spicy food. Spicy food may end up interfering with the friendly bacteria present in the gut which aid the process of digestion. 

The ingredients chosen for a particular recipe can make a lot of difference in terms of whether consuming it would yield high energy or make you drowsy. Several food and beverage items involving a fermentation process help keep the body cool and hydrated and are also known to promote an uninterrupted snooze time of excellent quality.

Importance of fluid intake during summer

With the intensity of the heat of the sun increasing every day, we must take note of the amount of hydration our body is getting. We lose a lot of sweat during the summer months through perspiration. Sweating is our body’s natural process of staying cool. Losing water and vital salts through sweat can make an individual severely dehydrated and exhausted. 

Drinking plenty of water and other healthy beverages is a must during summer to replenish this lost water. Drinking plenty of water helps keep the skin hydrated and maintains an even complexion. Fluid consumption also helps regulate a healthy body temperature and helps flush out the toxins from the kidney through urine.

10 Non-alcoholic drinks to have this summer

Drinking water is essential during summer even when we do not feel thirsty. A minimum of 8 to 10 glasses of water must be consumed each day to stay fit and keep heat-induced diseases such as heat strokes, heat rashes and heat cramps at bay. Drinking water may become boring for our taste buds after a certain amount has been already consumed. Below is a list of 10 delicious and refreshing non-alcoholic summer-friendly drink recipes to jazz up your fluid intake and ensure adequate hydration.

1. Lemonade- Take ripe lemons and squeeze them to get the juice. Make a simple syrup with stevia/ jaggery or even coconut sugar and water in a 1:1 ratio. Mix the lemon juice and simple syrup with chilled water. Add a pinch of rock salt, some roasted cumin powder and a few ice cubes to get this body electrolyte balancing beverage ready in minutes. People with diabetes must avoid sugar. It can be replaced with stevia if needed.
2. Watermelon and basil mocktail- Take half of a watermelon, plain unsweetened soda, one teaspoon of honey or stevia and a few leaves of basil and ice cubes to a blending jar. Blend till you get a smooth mixture. Pour all of it into a glass and garnish with a few basil leaves. 
3. Pineapple lemonade- Chop the pineapple into small pieces. Add the pieces of pineapple, a pinch of salt, one teaspoon of lemon juice and a few leaves of basil (optional)and blend. Serve it with tiny umbrellas for beachy vibes.
4. Coconut chia seeds cucumber cooler: This is another super easy drink to prepare in just a few minutes. You will need coconut water, cucumber and pudina. Toss these into a blender and run it until you get a smooth blend. Now pour the mixture into a glass and add 1 tbsp of overnight soaked chia seeds. Store the mixture and you can either refrigerate it to serve it cold or drink it right away while it is at room temperature. 
5. Ice apple drink: For this cooling drink, you just need a few ‘tadgola or ice apples. Peel them carefully and toss them into your blender. Once you have a smooth and thick puree, get your shaker ready. Pour the puree into the shaker and add lime juice, soda, crushed mint leaves and stevia and shake all the ingredients well. Pour the drink into glasses and garnish them with more mint leaves.
6. Dragon fruit and mango mocktail- Take half a cup of frozen dragon fruit (can also use kiwi instead of dragon fruit), half a cup of frozen mango pieces, some chilled sweet tender coconut water and blend. Top it off with small pieces of fresh dragon fruit and mango and serve with ice cubes
7. Lassi- Take some plain unsweetened yoghourt, add a few pinches of rock salt, two tablespoons of sugar or stevia and beat until the yoghourt has no lumps. Add chilled water and ice cubes to this mixture and beat until you get a frothy beverage. 
8. Wood apple (Bel) sherbet- Scrape out the fruit from the wood apple shell and put it in a blender. Add some deseeded tamarind segments, one tablespoon of honey and cold water. Blend till the mixture has no lumps. Serve chilled. 
9. Melon Cucumber cooler- Add melon and cucumbers chopped into small pieces, a few leaves of mint, honey or stevia according to taste and blend. Garnish with mint leaves and serve in martini glasses to make it look fancier.
10. Tender coconut and cream smoothie- Blend tender coconut meat, honey and whole cream to get a creamy mixture. Pour chilled tender coconut water into a glass and top it off with generous amounts of the creamy mixture.

With the temperature soaring higher and higher every day it becomes extremely important to keep ourselves hydrated. There are several non-alcoholic drinks which can be consumed along with water to remain cool and hydrated during the months of summer.

Also Read: Why Does Alcohol Make You Pee? Unraveling The Science Behind It

Disclaimer: The information included on this site is for educational purposes only and is not intended to be a substitute for medical treatment by a healthcare professional. Because of unique individual needs, the reader should consult their physician to determine the appropriateness of the information for the reader’s situation.