Summer Hydration

We had a couple of weeks in the spring, when we had unusually warm weather, followed by a cold spell that came close to damaging some of the more tender plants in the garden. Now that the weather is turning warm again, we have begun to make some of our favorite healthy summertime drinks. 

We all know the importance of staying well hydrated in the heat, but our family quickly tires of drinking plain water. We never kept soda on hand, even when the kids were young.  We used to buy bottled fruit juice, but so many juices have such an unnaturally high sugar content we quit drinking that as well. These days, we usually only drink fruit juice if we make it ourselves. However, we do like to keep at least one low- or no-sugar healthy drink option in the refrigerator during the summer months to help us stay hydrated. Many, but not all, of our favorite summertime drinks involve some type of citrus. Here are some of our favorites:

Rose Lemonade - I mentioned rose lemonade in a previous post. Since the wild roses have finished blooming in our area, we likely won't make it using the petals again until next year. For the rest of the summer, we will be making it using rose water. I like making lemonade ourselves because we can control the amount and kind of sweetener we use and it has no preservatives.

Directions

Add 1 c. of washed rose petals to your favorite lemonade recipe or find our favorite recipe over at apothecarymary.com.

Lemon Water - This is our go-to drink to have in the refrigerator during the warm summer months.  It has a wonderfully refreshing flavor and is very healthy.  You get some of the benefits of lemons - alkalizing for your body and a boost in vitamin C - without getting a blood sugar spike.  We usually add something else to our lemon water to give us a variety of flavors. The most common add-in we use is mint. You can use any kind.  We have tried sweet mint, peppermint, orange mint, grapefruit mint, chocolate mint, and even lemon balm.  They are all wonderful.  We have also tried lavender, which added a nice flavor as well. 

Directions

Slice one lemon into a 1.5 to 2-quart glass pitcher. Toss in a few sprigs of washed mint (or lavender). Add water to the fill line and place in the refrigerator overnight. 

Cucumber Water - Cucumber water tastes good and is amazingly hydrating.  Mint is a good addition to this drink as well. 

Directions

To make this, thinly slice one washed small cucumber (with or without the peel) into a 1.5 to 2-quart glass pitcher. Add water to the fill line and place in the refrigerator overnight. 

Adrenal Cocktail - Our youngest daughter recently introduced adrenal cocktails to me. It uses coconut water, which provides a lot of electrolytes for your body, citrus fruit, which gives you a boost of vitamin C, and a dash of Himalayan salt for added minerals. This is a simple recipe to make.

Directions

In an 8 - 12 ounce glass, add the juice of one citrus fruit (lemon, grapefruit, or orange), pour in coconut water to taste and finish off with a dash of Himalayan or sea salt. It is ready to drink immediately.