HEALTHIER SUMMER DRINKS

Healthier Summer Drinks

Temperatures are rising, and that means shorts weather, beach vacations, and barbequing, plus a few refreshing drinks. After all they go hand in hand.

However we have a tendency in the UK and Ireland when it comes to summer beverages to reach for the sugary sodas, fruit juices, glasses of wine, beers or boozy cocktails once the sun shines. These drinks on occasion can be relatively harmless but an over consumption of any of the above can lead to weight gain, dental carries and an excessive alcohol intake can result in serious harm to multiple organs in our body.

While we all realise that one of the easiest ways to stay comfortable in the summer is to cool your body from the inside out, and generally that means lots of cold glasses of water, which can eventually become boring. The good news is that there are alternatives which are equally as tasty when it comes to summer drinks.

Try some of these healthy, cooling, summer ‘mocktails’ instead!

 

·         Cucumber Mint Water – You can mix this right in your glass or in a pitcher. To make a single serving, put a few slices of cucumber and a mint sprig into your glass, add a handful of ice, top off with water, sparkling or plain, stir, and sip!

·         Homemade Raspberry Soda – In a juice glass, crush a small handful of raspberries, top with ice and soda water. Stir well to combine before you drink!

·         Basil Lemonade – Lemonade is a sugary treat, and cutting it with soda water helps cut the sugar without sacrificing taste. Combine 1 part lemonade with 1 part soda water in a pitcher. In each glass, crush a few leaves of basil. Add a handful of ice and fill the glasses with the sparkling lemonade.

·         Citrus Soda – You can do this in a pitcher or in individual glasses. Over a handful of ice, combine 1 part orange or lemon/lime juice, 1 part grapefruit juice, and 1 part soda water. Mix and serve.

·         Herbaceous Cooler - Crush a few sprigs of mint and coriander and a couple of basil leaves in the bottom of a glass with a squeeze of lemon juice. Add a handful of ice and top off with soda water for a refreshing herbal treat.

Summer drinks don’t have to be all about fruit. You can use teas and herbs as the base for all kinds of delicious ‘mocktails’ to keep you cool in the summer heat.

 

·         Iced Ginger Tea with Lemon – Boil 4 cups of water and pour over large bowl with 4 bags of ginger tea. Steep for 15-20 minutes, then remove the bags and transfer to a pitcher. Pour the tea into glasses full of ice and add a squeeze of lemon.

·         Iced Orange Chamomile Tea – Bring 3 1/2 cups of water to a boil, then turn off the burner and submerge 4 bags of chamomile tea. Steep for 5-7 minutes, then transfer to a pitcher and let it cool completely. Add 1/2 cup of orange juice to the pitcher and pour it into glasses full of ice to serve.