This drink helps to change the chemistry of your body tissue to help you absorb fluids and hydrate better. So many patients we’re seeing lately are thirsty, drinking a lot and not hydrating..
What’s in Typical Electrolyte Drinks?
The strawberry-flavored Pedialyte one-liter container has the following ingredients: Water, Dextrose, Citric Acid, Potassium Citrate, Sodium Chloride, Sodium Citrate, Natural Flavor, Sucralose, Acesulfame Potassium, Zinc Gluconate, Red 40 and Blue 1.
And sports drinks like Gatorade contain other harmful ingredients such as brominated vegetable oils along with refined sugars and artificial colours.
What Are Electrolytes and Why Do We Need Them?
In a nutshell, electrolytes are basically salts – specifically the ions in salt. According to Discovery Health, “electrolytes are important because they are what your cells (especially nerve, heart, muscle) use to maintain voltages across their cell membranes and to carry electrical impulses (nerve impulses, muscle contractions) across themselves and to other cells.”
Furthermore, when kids get the stomach flu or have diarrhea or vomiting, they lose electrolytes and need to replenish them. The same goes for kids (and adults) who exercise a lot – they lose electrolytes (specifically sodium and potassium) through sweat.1
The major electrolytes in the body include: sodium, potassium, chloride, calcium, magnesium, bicarbonate, phosphate and sulfate.2
Homemade Electrolyte Drink Recipe
From dontmesswithmama.com
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Total Time: 5 minutes
Yield: 1-2 servings
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup fresh orange juice
- 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
- 2 cups of water (filtered or purified) or raw coconut water
- 2 tbsp organic raw honey or organic maple syrup
- 1/8 tsp Himalayan Pink salt or Celtic sea salt (I like Himalayan better – it has 84 trace minerals)
Instructions
- Put all ingredients in a blender and blend well.
- Store in Mason jars or reusable glass cap bottles.
Enjoy!
Footnotes: 1, 2, “What Are Electrolytes?”, Discovery Health.
