Electrolytes without the sugar
At a glance:
Dehydration means the body has lost more water than it should.
Sweating, illness, or drinking too much alcohol will dehydrate you.
High Vitamin C, omega-3, and antioxidant foods are anti-inflammatory and help with aging skin.
Fall is here and with that has come the typical heatwave we get here in California along with higher humidity so some serious sweats happening over here.
Keeping the kiddos hydrated with something healthy and not loaded with sugar and artificial colors and flavorings can be a challenge but I’ve got a few options for you that I think will help you to get them happily replenishing what they’re losing.
Dehydration
First, let’s talk about dehydration and just what’s happening with the body…
Dehydration simply means that your body has lost more water and electrolytes than it should and that they need to be replaced.
Electrolytes are minerals (sodium, chloride, potassium, magnesium, and calcium are all types of electrolytes). If you don’t have enough, your body has trouble doing the things it’s supposed to do like…
regulate nerve and muscle function (think muscle contractions)
keep cells hydrated and push waste out
balance blood acidity (pH) and blood pressure
Normally we get plenty of electrolytes from our food but when we sweat either from heat or sports for long periods (typically anything over two hours) electrolytes should be replaced. The same applies to an illness like the flu, where you’re not only sweating, but you’re not eating as you normally would. Consuming alcohol also dehydrates you.
Even mild dehydration can cause:
Headaches
Irritability
Poor physical performance
Poor focus or lack of attention
This last point is one to keep in mind if you have school-aged kids.
Have you ever gone through most of your day and realized that you hadn’t drank nearly enough water or maybe none at all? You know that feeling, right? Focus is not even an option. You realize it, drink a glass of water, and the lights come back on.
Since kids aren’t always the best at paying attention to those signals you can imagine your child sitting in class on a hot afternoon after recess struggling to stay focused and on task, and possibly even getting into trouble only because they’re dehydrated.
Is this always the problem? Of course not but it is something to keep your kids mindful of.
So, why not just buy Gatorade or other sports drinks?
Well, Gatorade does have electrolytes, but it also has a crapload of sugar - like 34 grams plus dextrose, which raises blood sugar really fast along with artificial food coloring among other less-than-ideal ingredients. So, just say Nah, take a pass and make your own or see my recommendations below for better store-bought options.
Basic Electrolyte Drink
4 cups coconut water, plain water, or herbal tea
a squeeze of orange, lemon, or lime juice
1/4 tsp Celtic Sea Salt
Raw honey (local is. best) or maple syrup to taste
Option: 1 tsp Calm Magnesium Powder
Mix and keep in the fridge for 4-5 days
Watermelon Crush
This is the favorite in our home
1 ½ cups watermelon juice
1 cup unsweetened coconut water
A squeeze of lime juice
¼ tsp Celtic sea salt
Blend and keep in the fridge.
Note: Both of these can be made into freezer pops!
Store-bought
If homemade is not your jam, these are a few commercial options that we keep on hand:
Quinton Isotonic™ supports homeostasis and natural rehydration.* It supports the biological terrain, supplying total iono-minerals to the extracellular fluid.* My son is at an outdoor school and is very active so on really hot days I give him an isotonic before he goes to school. I use them before grueling workouts (YSculpt or cycling).
My newest favorite grab-n-go is Recharge Electrolyte packs from LMNT which has a nice punch of electrolytes with zero added sugars or other added crap. These are where you really get your salt on. These are delicious added to sparkling water for a tasty mocktail – the mango chili and lemon habanero are favorites in our house.