Drinking enough pure clean water<\/a> is one of the most important things we can do for overall health. In most cases, water alone is wonderful. When there\u2019s hot weather or we\u2019re exercising and sweating though we lose minerals through our sweat. A homemade electrolyte drink can help replenish minerals and remedy electrolyte imbalances.<\/p>\n You may have heard that our bodies are 80% water, but they\u2019re actually 80% salt water.<\/p>\n Plain water doesn\u2019t have high levels of electrolytes. And our body loses a lot of minerals during exercise and hot weather. Adding electrolytes and minerals helps with rehydration after times of high-intensity exercise or lots of sweating. They\u2019re also useful during times of illness if someone has vomiting or diarrhea to maintain fluid balance.<\/p>\n We need electrolytes to maintain healthy blood pressure, for our nervous system, and to prevent muscle cramps. They help move waste through the body and are overall necessary for every function! In a perfect world, we wouldn\u2019t need supplements but electrolyte water and drinks can be very helpful for some.<\/p>\n This post could also be titled \u201cHow to avoid a big hospital charge for IV fluids while on vacation.\u201d Hopefully, you can learn from my mistake on this one.<\/p>\n Years ago I went on vacation and spent days on the beach snorkeling, sailing, and scuba diving.<\/p>\n Normally, if I\u2019m out in the sun<\/a> I have my own homemade electrolyte drink with me, but this time I\u2019d forgotten some of the ingredients. I figured I would just drink enough water, which worked fine until I had wine for dinner that night, coffee the next morning, and not enough water.<\/p>\n At that point, I noticed I was getting a headache. I started drinking water but the headache got worse and I also started having a rapid pulse, dizziness, and nausea. Even after drinking lots of water I still had dehydration and heat exhaustion symptoms.<\/p>\n This resulted in a trip to the international hospital to get fluids. After the most painful IV of my life with a 12-gauge needle, the fluids were in and I started to feel better!<\/p>\n After several hours of sitting in a hospital getting hydrated with IVs, I couldn\u2019t help but think how much easier, cheaper, and less painful things would have been if I\u2019d remembered my DIY electrolyte drink.<\/p>\n So why not just drink one of the many store-bought electrolyte drinks available (Gatorade, Powerade, etc.) these days?<\/p>\n Regular sports drinks contain lots of glucose, artificial flavors and colors, and not much nourishment.<\/p>\n I\u2019m all for rehydrating, but are the preservatives, mystery flavors, and artificial dyes<\/a> really necessary? I know from experience that these ingredients typically make me feel terrible and just aren\u2019t worth it. Now when I need something more than water to hydrate I make my own version.<\/p>\n Coconut water is one of the simplest sports drink alternatives and can be used as is. It\u2019s similar in structure to the fluid used in IV rehydration. For this reason, there are rumors it was used during the Pacific War as an IV electrolyte replacement. It makes a pretty good natural electrolyte drink on its own or with a splash of lime juice.<\/p>\n Coconut water is a great source of potassium and sodium and I even used it during labor. The only downside to coconut water is the price. If you want an inexpensive (yet still healthy and tasty) alternative, this recipe is the next best thing.<\/p>\n You can make this recipe in a variety of ways, but the ratios are the most important part. The base is any healthy liquid of choice and some good options are:<\/p>\n To turn the basic liquid into a sports drink, add some or all of these ingredients:<\/p>\n This recipe is naturally gluten-free and can easily be made low-carb by omitting the added juice.<\/p>\n Looking for a quick way to have electrolytes on hand, especially during travel? These are my favorite no-junk electrolyte powder drinks.<\/p>\n \tDo We Really Need Electrolytes?<\/h2>\n
My Cautionary Tale<\/h3>\n
Why Not Regular Sports Electrolyte Drinks?<\/h2>\n
Natural Sports Electrolyte Drink Recipe<\/h2>\n
Homemade Electrolyte Drink Recipe<\/h2>\n
\n
Want to Buy it?<\/h3>\n
\n
![\"homemade](\"https:\/\/wellnessmama.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/Natural_Electrolyte_Drink_Recipe_3-200x200.jpg)
Homemade Electrolyte Drink Recipe<\/h2>\n