Healthy drinks that keep you hydrated and boost immunity

We all know we’re supposed to hydrate, especially during the summer. Your body can excrete up to ten litres of water in a day. Surely, ten litres is a lot to drink! Here’s the thing though, the daily recommended water intake is about 1.5-2 litres everyday. Our bodies get a lot of their water content during digestion by breaking down the food we eat. While we make sure to cook our food to appeal to our taste buds, there are ways we can make our water intake tasty as well. Dimple Jangda, Ayurvedic Health coach, suggests a few things that can really help your body
The Prana Immunity Booster drink is a must have this summer. Here’s how you can make it:
Heat 1 teaspoon of organic ghee in a small pan. Add in a pinch of cinnamon, a pinch of turmeric, 1 cardamom, 1 clove, freshly grated ginger and a pinch of pepper. Saute this for a minute till the aromatic herbs blend in with the ghee. Add in a glass of water and boil it well. Once ready, enjoy this immunity booster!

This drink protects your body from the damage of free radicals, strengthens your immune response to antigens and can clear up congestion in the nasal and throat area. Ayurveda stresses upon the importance of ghee and for good reason. Consuming ghee not only builds up better gut and immune health, but can also cleanse the lungs. It is highly beneficial for everyone to consume 1 teaspoon of ghee everyday.

Let’s also understand the current covid strain which causes symptoms such as diarrhea, abdominal pain, stomach issues, conjunctivitis, rashes all over the body and
discolouration of the arms and legs. It’s important to consume tender coconut water which helps in reducing these symptoms which are caused due to a pitta imbalance.
Sabja seeds soaked in water overnight is highly beneficial in reducing pitta imbalance and acclimatising to the summer heat.

An alternative drink is The Virgin Toddy created by Dimple. This is a great replacement for the sugary drinks sold in the market, that cause a spike in your blood sugar levels and then a sudden drop, creating waves of tiredness. Here’s what you’ll need:

A few slices of tangerine
1 cinnamon stick
1 clove
Half tsp teaspoon grated ginger
Pinch of ground pepper
Fresh apple juice to taste

Here’s how you’ll make it:
Boil the herbs with 200 ml of water till the water changes colour and the aroma of the herbs fill the air. Let the mixture cool and then strain out the herbs from the water. Add in the apple juice as per your taste and drop in your tangerine slices for a hint of citrus. Once you try this drink, you’ll be sure to love it. Having no added sugar, it keeps your blood sugar level stable yet provides you with a sweet taste to boost your energy levels with. This drink has powerful antiviral and antibacterial properties.
It is high in antioxidants and can fight off infections. These recipes are proof that choosing more healthy options in your day to day life does not mean compromising on taste and experience. By realising the different properties of foods, it is easy to learn how to marry flavours to provide a nutrient dense yet flavourful meal or drink.