Summer Detox Drinks (Printable Version)
Three hydrating, low-sugar summer beverages: citrus-cucumber, watermelon-basil, and chilled ginger-lemon green tea.
# What You Need:
→ Citrus-Cucumber Detox Water
01 - 4 cups cold water
02 - 1 medium cucumber, thinly sliced
03 - 1 lemon, thinly sliced
04 - 10 fresh mint leaves
→ Watermelon Basil Cooler
05 - 2 cups watermelon, cubed and chilled
06 - Juice of 1 lime
07 - 6 fresh basil leaves
08 - 1 cup cold water
→ Ginger-Lemon Green Tea
09 - 2 green tea bags
10 - 2 cups boiling water
11 - 1 tablespoon fresh ginger, thinly sliced
12 - Juice of 1 lemon
13 - 1 teaspoon honey or agave nectar (optional)
# Directions:
01 - In a large pitcher, combine the cold water with thinly sliced cucumber, lemon rounds, and fresh mint leaves. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes to allow the flavors to infuse. Serve over ice.
02 - Add the chilled watermelon cubes, lime juice, basil leaves, and cold water to a blender. Blend on high until completely smooth. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve if a smoother consistency is desired, then pour into glasses over ice.
03 - Steep the green tea bags in boiling water along with the sliced fresh ginger for 3 to 4 minutes. Remove and discard the tea bags and ginger slices. Stir in the fresh lemon juice and honey or agave nectar if using. Allow to cool, then chill before serving over ice.
# Expert Tips:
01 -
- These three drinks require zero cooking and come together in minutes, which is a lifesaver when turning on the stove feels like a personal attack.
- Each one doubles as a light cleanse without tasting like punishment, so you actually look forward to drinking them all week.
02 -
- If you leave the green tea bags in longer than four minutes the brew turns bitter and astringent, a mistake I made twice before setting a phone timer like a responsible adult.
- Chilling the watermelon before blending makes a noticeable difference in how refreshing the cooler tastes, since warm melon yields a flat, muddy drink.
03 -
- Roll the lemon firmly on the counter before juicing to break down the inner membranes and extract significantly more liquid from every fruit.
- Freeze small watermelon cubes to use instead of ice in the cooler, which keeps the drink cold without diluting the flavor at all.