The key to maintaining good health during hot summer months is to drink plenty of liquids, but plain water can get boring pretty quickly. The good news is that the season’s exciting array of water-rich berries and stone fruit can be turned into deliciously refreshing non-alcoholic drinks with barely any effort, using simple summer drink ideas.
Here are 7 simple, light, and super hydrating summer drink recipes, one for each day of the week. You can also use these as inspiration to come up with your own healthy drink combinations!
Note: Some fruits and vegetables can have toxic effects when combined with certain medications. Grapefruit, for example, is notorious for reacting badly with statins prescribed to lower cholesterol, so do check your medications for possible reactions with this useful tool.
Monday: Blackberry Mint Lemonade
One cup of blackberries has almost half the daily recommended value of manganese, a trace mineral essential for good thyroid health.
Ingredients
Blackberries – 1 cup
Mint leaves – ½ cup
Lemon juice – ¼ cup
Water – 2 cups
Method
Mash blackberries and mint leaves until the mint is well bruised. Stir in lemon juice, water, and serve over ice. You may not need any additional sweetener if the berries are well-ripened, otherwise add a drop of honey or maple syrup.
Tuesday: Ginger Peach Fizz
Fresh ginger helps relieve nausea, improves digestion, and gets rid of gas and bloating.
Ingredients
Peaches – 1 cup, chopped
Fresh ginger – 1 tbsp, grated
Sparkling water – 1 cup
Salt – to sprinkle
Method
In a blender, pulse peaches and ginger into a velvety slurry. Pour into glasses 2/3 of the way. Top with sparkling water. Shake on a sprinkle of salt to enhance the sweetness of the peaches. Serve with a swizzle stick.
Wednesday: Cucumber Honeydew Slush
Members of the same family, cucumbers and honeydew melon may help ease constipation as both are loaded with water and are a good source of dietary fiber.
Ingredients
Honeydew melon – 2 cups, cubed
Cucumber – 1 cup, chopped
Lime juice – 3 tbsp
Sugar – ¼ cup
Hot water – ½ cup
Method
Dissolve sugar in the hot water. Blend melon, cucumber, and lime juice. Mix in the sugar water and freeze for 2 hours, stirring every 30 minutes to ensure evenly sized ice crystals. Serve with a straw and a spoon.
Thursday: Cherry Basil Iced Tea
Cherries are anti-inflammatory and may reduce uric acid levels in your blood to relieve gout pain.
Ingredients
Cherries – 1/2 cup, pitted
Basil leaves – 4
Black tea – 2 teabags
Boiling water – 2 cups
Sweetener of choice – to taste
Method
Mash cherries and basil leaves together, either in a blender or with a mortar and pestle. Put into a heatproof container, add tea bags and boiling water. Cover and leave until cool. Strain, sweeten, and serve over ice.
Friday: Cranberry Prune Mocktail
Cranberries have long been consumed to prevent urinary tract infections and the sorbitol in prunes has a laxative effect on constipated bowels.
Ingredients
Ripe cranberries – ¼ cup
Dried prunes, pitted – ¼ cup
Fresh apple juice – 1 cup
Cold water – 1 cup
Method
Simmer cranberries and prunes in a small saucepan with just enough water to cover, for 8-10 minutes. Remove from heat, let cool, and pour into a blender with apple juice and cold water. Strain before serving.
Saturday: Watermelon Carrot Sipper
As well as super hydrating, watermelon is packed with the powerful compound citrulline that may help lower blood pressure.
Ingredients
Watermelon – 3 cups, chunked
Carrots – 1 cup, chopped
Peaches – Peeled, cut into wedges and frozen
Method
Blend together watermelon and carrots. Serve in tall glasses with frozen peach wedges instead of ice.
Sunday: Mixed Berry Mixer
This is for lazy days and works great hot or cold. For a cooling refresher, drop a spoonful or two into chilled water. For a relaxing bedtime tea, stir into a mug of hot water.
Ingredients
Raspberries – ½ cup
Blueberries – ½ cup
Blackberries – ½ cup
Lime juice – ½ cup
Honey or maple syrup – 2 tbsp
Method
Mash berries into the lime juice with a fork. Stir in the honey or maple syrup and let the mixture mellow on the kitchen counter for an hour. Store covered in the fridge and use within a week.
A word of caution
Most fruits are naturally high in sugar, and because drinking mashed or blended fruit is so much easier than eating, it is possible to consume large quantities that can send your blood sugar to dangerously high levels.
Your doctor wants you to keep your blood sugar under control, so always dilute fruit mashes and blends with still water, sparkling water, or lots of ice. This way you can enjoy the flavor, hydration, and nutritional benefits of the best summer drinks while still staying healthy.