Water With A Twist – 5 Beverages With Additional Benefits
In a marathon of the world’s most refreshing drinks, water wins hands down and the reasons are self-evident. With innumerable health benefits, water is the world’s most important drink. It keeps us hydrated and maintains internal functions, such as regulating body temperature, carrying nutrients and oxygen to cells, protecting the organs and tissues, amongst others. The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine recommends that men should consume about 3.7 liters and women should drink about 2.7 liters of water a day. Children are advised to drink about 1.3 – 3.3 liters of water daily. Being the basic necessity of life, water also helps to flush out toxins and waste from the body.
With the hot and humid months here again, it is natural to feel thirstier and crave for an alternative to a simple glass of water. Along with hydration it is also important to keep our immune system up and running, given the ongoing pandemic. So here’s a list of refreshing beverages to keep yourself hydrated:
1. Lemon Juice
For most Indians, lemon juice or lemonade – popularly called nimbu paani in Hindi, Nim'marasaṁ, in Telugu, Elumiccai pāṇam in Tamil and Narangya Vellam in Malayalam – comes right after water. Perhaps the most preferred summer drink, a glass of freshly-squeezed lemon juice with a pinch of rock salt offers sustained hydration. It is also one of the best ways to get your daily dose of Vitamin C.
2. Coconut Water
Given a choice, if one could replace water with another beverage, many would prefer coconut water. Naturally fresh, rich in potassium (vital for maintaining a healthy heartbeat and keeping blood pressure in check), it is one of the best hydrating drinks. Moreover, it contains rich amounts of naturally-energizing elements, making it the perfect energy or sports drink. Coconut water from brands such as Real and Paper Boat are easily available online and offline.
3. Chia Water
When considering the health quotient of a beverage, we cannot ignore the benefits of chia seeds, which provide fiber, protein, calcium, magnesium and other nutrients. The best way of consuming chia seeds is to soak them in water and drink this. Easily absorbing up to 10 times its weight in water, chia seeds swell up in minutes, providing a great hydrating drink for instantly cooling your body on hot days. Chia seeds are easily available retail stores and e-commerce platforms such as Amazon, BigBasket and others
4. Cucumber Juice
Cucumber can be an incredible wellspring of water, containing up to 90% water. Cucumber juice is also one of the most-hydrating vegetable juices and can keep you feeling energized in the humid weather. Indeed, vegetables can be great options for hydration too. Fruit juices high in sugar can hinder hydration. So, pick up that glass of cucumber juice to feel cool and energized within minutes.
5. Fortified Beverage Mix
With hectic lifestyles, beverages that offer more than just hydration can be a boon. MIXME by NuShakti is an ideal combo of taste and refreshment in one sip! It is available in three flavors (Zesty Lemon, Tangy Orange and Tropical Guava), which also contains 17 micronutrients, including immunity-building nutrients such as Vitamins A, B₆, B₁₂, C, D, Folic Acid, Iron, Selenium and Zinc.
While enjoying these beverages, remember we can also keep ourselves hydrated with fruits and vegetables such as watermelon, strawberries, peaches, oranges and cucumbers. There is something to tickle everyone’s taste buds. So, sit back and relish the refreshing flavours of your favourite beverage as you combat the summer heat.
