The scorching sun rays seem to extract every molecule of water from your body during these summer days. Taking in water throughout the day is definitely a good way to keep away from the devastating effects of dehydration such as fatigue, muscle cramps, black outs. But if you can actually infuse the water with a couple of other ingredients you can achieve two things – stay hydrated throughout the day and cheer up your mood with the refreshing taste of the drinks. Dehydration also has severe derogatory effects on the skin and hair leading to dullness and damaged skin. Homemade summer drinks can be equally good in catering such problems.

So, let us have a look at the 5 easy home-made drinks that you can prepare during these summer days and consume them to make your summer days less fatiguing.

1. Lemon water – This is the easiest of the lot. No fancy ingredients, no extra effort. Only a few simple steps and you are done with the best ever refreshing drink for the summers. Take a glass of water and add one teaspoon of salt to it. Let the salt dissolve. Now add two large tablespoons of castor sugar to it. Mix well and add the juice of one full lemon to it. Let all the ingredients dissolve well. Give a good stir and add as many ice cubes as you want. This is the traditionally authentic summer drink that is one of the best drinks for the summer days

2. Raw mango drink – Mangoes are the heartthrob of summer and it cannot be that we are prepping something for the summers yet keeping mangoes away. Raw mangoes are an excellent edible to combat the extreme heat of the summer. To start with, take one or two raw mangoes and put it over the naked flame of the stove. Take a tong and let the mangoes char. Instead of grilling the mangoes, you can also choose to boil the mangoes in water till they become soft, but the charred flavor is anyways more refreshing. Once this step is done, peel the mango and take out all the pulp from it. Put the pulp in the blender along with a teaspoon of black salt, one tablespoon of sugar, one tablespoon of roasted cumin powder. Add one cup of cold water to it and give a good go. Take out the mix in a bowl and add ice cubes to it. Serve it in your favorite glasses with a few sprigs of mint leaves on the top as garnish

3. Fruit smoothie – There can be nothing more refreshing than fruits in any season. So, it is for the summers. Get along with some seasonal fruits to prepare the perfect cup of fruit smoothie for yourself. The summer fruits are mangoes, pineapples, bananas, litchis, jackfruits, watermelons and a lot more. Cut slices of your favorite fruits and add them to the blender with a tablespoon of yoghurt and some salt and sugar. Blend all of these well and add a few flavoring agents like mint leaves to it. You can also add honey instead of sugar if you want to cut down on calories. You can also add some syrups like chocolate syrup or maple syrup to flavor the drinks. To this smoothie you can also add some roasted cumin and coriander powder or a pinch of black salt to add a different tinge to the drinks. You can also prepare fruit smoothies without adding yoghurt to it. Simply blend the fruits of your choice and pour the juices in a glass and add some chilled milk to it. Stir the contents of the glass well. Add a few cubes of ice to it if possible. Your fruit smoothie is ready to go **Carl makes smoothies every morning, it’s how he starts his day and loves it!

4. Cucumber lemonade – Summers are best complimented by refreshing flavors and freshness of seasonal edibles. Cucumber is one of the most pacifying and cooling ingredients of summer and our list would have remained incomplete without this summer star. Cucumber has a major percentage of water in it and is extremely good as a mother ingredient for summer drinks. Take one cucumber and peel it. Put it in a blender and strain the blended pulp to get the juice from it. To the juice add two tablespoons of lemon juice. Mix both of them well. Now add cold water to this juice mix and stir well. Add some black salt, chaat masala and a few cubes of ice to this drink. You can also add some castor sugar to the drink if you like it sweet. But this drink is better complimented by the spicy taste. **my favorite thing to do is ask for a lemonade at a restaurant then ask if they can grab mint and cucumbers from the bartender 🙂

5. Watermelon mint cooler: Watermelon is another summer fruit that is extremely well suited for keeping your body hydrated. There is a simple drink that you can prepare which will let you keep away the tiredness of the day and it is truly easy to prepare. Just take some chunks of peeled watermelon and put them in a blender. Make a puree of the watermelon. You can use this whole squash in your drink or you may strain this pulp to get only the juice out of it. The next step is to add some freshly chopped mint leaves to this juice. If you want to avoid the texture then you can add some mint leaves paste to it as well. Give the ingredients a good mix and add chilled water. It is time to add the spices now. Add a bit of black salt, some freshly ground black pepper powder to give a good kick of flavors. You can also choose to create a sweet variation by adding some icing sugar or honey to the drink. But do not skip the mint as it is the main ingredient that will give the drink its characteristic freshness. You might add one two drops of lime juice for an added tanginess. Finish off by adding a few cubes of ice. **This is incredible- a must try!

There are many drinks to manage the hydration level of the body but the most important one is water. This universal solvent is what your body needs maximally to keep on operating properly all throughout. It is a mandate to drink plenty of water during the summer months especially. If you want to create a quick detox water then you can just add some slices of citrus fruits to it.