Are you a fan of energy and sports drinks? You can bet most of our Olympic athletes are. For them and other very physically active people, sports drinks can be a useful tool to re-hydrate the body and replace lost nutrients. For the rest of us mere mortals, they can be a refreshing way to counteract summer’s heat. And while some of these drinks are relatively healthy and some of them aren’t, there’s one thing they all are: expensive.<\/p>\n
Whether you’re an athlete or a weekend warrior taking on all those home improvement projects this summer, working hard causes your body to sweat out nutrients called electrolytes along with water. Electrolytes are essential minerals that affect the amount of water in your body, the acidity (or pH level) of your blood, your muscle function, and other important bodily processes.<\/p>\n
If you rehydrate your body without replacing these minerals, you risk getting hyponatremia, an electrolyte imbalance that causes vomiting, headaches, lethargy, muscle weakness, cramps, or, in more serious cases, seizures or coma. In the heat of summer, it is much easier to deplete your body’s reserves more quickly, especially if you are trying to start an exercise program and not yet used to regular physical activity. It is also important for children, older adults, and anyone who is immuno-compromised to stay well-hydrated in the heat.<\/p>\n
But you don’t have to rely on bottled sports drinks full of artificial colors, flavors, and sweeteners. It’s easy to make your own homemade sports drink to replenish sodium, potassium, magnesium, calcium, and other nutrients. Here’s a quick, easy, and inexpensive recipe:<\/p>\n
Healthy Electrolyte Drink<\/b>
\n(Recipe courtesy of The Institute for Integrative Nutrition)
\nPrep time: 2 minutes
\nYields: 1 serving
\nIngredients:<\/u>
\n4 cups warm water
\nJuice of 1 lemon
\n2 tsp honey
\n1\/4 tsp salt
\nDirections:<\/u>
\nMix well, chill and serve. You can double or triple the recipe to make larger quantities, and store in a glass or BPA-free plastic bottle. Enjoy!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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