Try This Refreshing Homemade Sports Drink Recipe!
For Colds, Stomach, Flu and Rehydrating after Sports and Outdoor Fun
Gatorade, PowerAde, electrolyte pumped-up sports drinks
… they’re good for you, right? You see athletes everywhere chugging down bottles of the neon-colored liquid all around you, and your kids love the flavors. It’s better than Koolaid right? Everyone knows they help you maintain your body’s balance of electrolytes during or after periods of heavier exercise. But when you look closer, you’re really just paying an outrageous price for glorified, brightly colored, sugar water. An overload of processed and refined sweetener (in the case of sports drinks, high-fructose corn syrup) is never a good thing.
What are electrolytes, and why do we need them?
Here we are making a big fuss over electrolytes, but what are they really? And why do they matter? There are tons of electrolytes out there, but in our bodies they are basically calcium, sodium, potassium, magnesium chloride, hydrogen phosphate (a mineral) and hydrogen carbonate (a salt.) These electrolytes are vital for survival-they regulate our nerve and muscle function, our hydration, the pH of our blood, rebuilding damaged tissue, and determining blood pressure. One example of their job would be in order for a muscle to contract-from your heart to the tiniest toe muscle- it needs the electrolytes calcium, sodium, and potassium. Too little and muscles become weak, too much and they over contract.
You’ll notice that these electrolytes can easily be provided by eating a balanced diet but humans will push their bodies, and during strenuous exercise you sweat, and when you sweat you’re losing electrolytes. When you are sick and throwing up, you lose valuable nutrients. Proper hydration is absolutely vital to good health. In fact, you may just be amazed at the difference in your physical and mental health once you start drinking the proper amount of water. Water makes up 55-60% of our body bodies and is responsible for a number of processes from flushing toxins to transporting nutrients within cells and maintaining normal electrical properties of cells. It’s also essential for digestion and the body’s natural healing processes.
Also when kids (or adults) get the stomach flu or have diarrhea or vomiting, they lose electrolytes and need to replenish them. The same goes for anyone who exercise a lot or endures a high level of activity such as hiking – they lose electrolytes (specifically sodium and potassium) through sweat. BTW, the major electrolytes in the body include: sodium, potassium, chloride, calcium, magnesium, bicarbonate, phosphate and sulfate.
Following is a homemade and healthy electrolyte drink recipe – a tasty way to ensure you stay hydrated and nourish your body back to health. It’s easy, quick, and naturally refreshing. Filled with just a few all-natural ingredients, making it a far better option than those nasty, neon, store-bought electrolyte sports drinks which are a just full of unhealthy ingredients like sugar, high fructose corn syrup, brominated vegetable oil (which has actually been banned in some countries), and artificial colors (some of which have also been banned in other countries).
How to Make Your Own Homemade Electrolyte Drink
Ingredients:
4 oz freshly-squeezed citrus juice (try orange juice, pineapple juice, lime, grapefruit, lemon). You may add any berries or fruit for flavor (such as blueberries, strawberries, kiwi, or watermelon)
2 teaspoons raw honey
1/8 teaspoon pink Himalayan sea salt or Kosher salt
16 oz filtered water or coconut water (coconut water contains all the amino acids our human bodies require – it is far more quenching than water and has a great taste!)
Directions:
Simply combine all ingredients in a jar, shake, and enjoy!
Store in Mason jars or reusable glass cap bottles and place in the fridge until ready to use.
This homemade and healthy hydrating electrolyte drink is also great for the flu and stomach bugs.
(Or a hangover.)
Alternate Sweet and Smoothie recipe:
You will need…
-3 cups of coconut water -1 cup of strawberries -1 cup of fresh water -1 cup of ice -1/8 teaspoon of sea salt -2 tablespoons natural sugar or honey, to taste
Directions: Throw into you blender and let it run until everything is thoroughly mixed together and the mixture is smooth. Pour into a glass or travel container and enjoy! A wonderful icy treat that is so calming to sore throats and snuffly sinuses.
About these ingredients
Mineral-rich sea salt: I know this one’s always a head-scratcher since many people believe salt dehydrates, which it does in excess. But in moderation salt enables cell hydration as salts = electrolytes and electrolytes help maintain the balance of fluids between the intracellular (inside the cell) and extracellular (outside the cell) environments. This balance is necessary for hydration as well as nerve impluses, muscle function, and pH balance. You will want to use a high-quality, mineral-rich sea salt such as pink Himalayan sea salt, Celtic or Kosher sea salt rather than typical table salt, which is highly refined and stripped of its mineral content.
Citrus juice: Citrus fruits contain calcium and potassium, which, when combined with salt, provide a balance of pH and fluid levels in the body. Pineapple juice contains the most vitamins and minerals so if you can’t keep anything down try a spoonful of pineapple juice at a time since small amounts are less likely to be vomited and you will get the most vitamins possible.
Raw honey: Raw honey is filled with minerals and antioxidants, making it a healthy alternative to cane sugar. The natural sugars found in raw honey are quickly converted to energy, making it an especially great addition if you’re going to be using this drink during sports or exercise.
Filtered water: This one’s a little more obvious!
Coconut water: contains all the amino acids our human bodies require – it is far more quenching than water in that it nourishes and fills you up with essential nutrients including precious amino acids. Plus it has a refreshingly tropical taste!
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