Sports drink companies would have made you think that their products are the only option to stay cool and hydrated this summer, but that couldn’t be more untrue! Not only are most sports drinks loaded with artificial colors and flavors, they’re often sweetened with high fructose corn syrup and come in a plastic bottle. You can cool your body in a more healthy way and reduce your impact by whipping up your own summer drinks at home!

2. Cucumber Mint Water

It might sound like a strange combination, but cold water with a couple of slices of cucumber and a sprig of mint is a delicious, cooling summer drink. You can serve this up one glass at a time or put together a whole pitcher to keep in the fridge. Here’s how to make an eight-serving batch of cucumber mint water: Combine a half of a sliced cucumber and 1/2 cup of coarsely chopped mint in a four quart pitcher.Top the pitcher off with 16 cups of water and chill until you’re ready to serve. Bonus points if you grow your own mint or cucumbers to whip up this beverage!

3. Ginger Cooler

A spicy drink might seem counter-intuitive when temperatures heat up, but spicy foods actually help your body regulate its temperature. This ginger cooler will do the trick nicely! 1/4 chopped ginger 1/2 chopped mint leaves ,juice of one lime ,6 cups sparking water, sweetener of your choice to taste. Combine all of the ingredients in a blender and serve chilled. You can strain this drink, if you don’t like the texture of the ginger and mint bits but I prefer mine whole.

4. Iced green tea with mint and lemon

Avoid heating up the house with the stove and brew your tea in the sun instead! This takes a bit of planning, but there’s not a lot of actual work involved. 15 bags of organic green tea ,1 gallon of water ,1/2c whole fresh mint leaves , juice of 2 lemons sweetener of your choice to taste. Combine the tea bags, water, and mint in a clean, gallon-sized container and set it out in the sun for 3-4 hours, depending on how dark you like your tea. Remove the tea bags and add the lemon juice and sweeten, if you like.