It amazes me how many people - even those that live a healthy lifestyle - still drink Gatorade (and similar electrolyte drinks) despite all the chemicals and sugar they contain. So it dawned on me that most people don’t realize the amount of sugar and chemicals in these drinks, and the fact that it may be doing your body more harm than good. Hence, this blog and my suggestion of a healthier alternative.
Before we dive into the BAD stuff about Gatorade and Powerade (and even Vitamin Water that contains crystalline fructose and GMO ingredients), let’s discuss the positives, or better said, why we can benefit from healthy electrolyte-rich sports drinks.
When you’re exercising over a long period of time and sweat a lot, the body loses minerals which we need to replenish to avoid dehydration (which leads to craving, cramping, dry skin and more). Similarly, this applies when we’re sick with a stomach bug, have diarrhea, when severely hungover, and/or when we’re in a very hot and dry climate.
In all these cases, it can be helpful to add electrolytes and minerals to help rehydrate. If doing a race or doing long periods of high intensity exercise, hydrating with extra electrolytes can also help prevent cramping.
However, I’d like to point out that in many cases, pure water is enough to hydrate you. Those extra electrolytes are really only needed when you’re doing a LOT of exercise over a long period of time - and sweating a ton. But after just one hour of sports/workout, you’re usually fine with water.
That being said, you do need to make sure you’re drinking enough water throughout your day to avoid dehydration, which is probably more than you think!
I tell my clients to divide their body weight (in lbs) by 2, and you need to drink at least that amount of water (in oz) , and more if you’re exercising/in a hot climate. For example, if you weigh 120 lbs, you should drink at least 60 oz water (so if you carry a 16oz water bottle, you should be filling it up 4 times in your day).
Why are the traditional Sports Drinks (Gatorade, Powerade, etc) NOT supportive of your health?
These fortified beverages contain a ton of unhealthy (and unnecessary) ingredients such as:
sucrose syrup
glucose-fructose syrup and/or crystalline fructose
citric acid
“natural flavors”
sodium citrate
monopotassium phosphate
chemical coloring such as red 40 and blue 1
Many of these ingredients are linked to higher chances of illness/disease and inflammation in the body. Over the long run, these ingredients can cause more harm than good.
Plus,… doesn’t it make you stop and wonder when you drink something that has a fruit-like flavor, but the label says “contain no fruit.”
So what is a better alternative?
The easiest (and super delicious in my view) is pure COCONUT WATER. Coconut water is one of the simplest sports drink alternatives (which apparently is similar in structure to the fluid used in IV rehydration). It’s packed with minerals like potassium and sodium that help to rehydrate you just as well as sports drinks (or arguably better) – without all the artificial ingredients and sugars.
Apart from coconut water, you can make your own Electrolyte Sports Drink at home in a minute (which may be cheaper than buying coconut water).
My Electrolyte Water Essence (aka Homemade Sports Drink):
16 ounces filtered or spring water (or half water, half coconut water)
¼ teaspoon pink Himalayan sea salt
2-3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon or lime juice
1 tablespoon honey (ideally raw organic honey)
1/8 teaspoon baking soda
Optional: pinch of stevia (ideally pure organic stevia extract) to taste (or a bit more honey)
Optional add-ins:
¼ cup freshly squeezed orange juice for a sweeter orangey version
1 tsp of powdered magnesium and calcium for extra minerals (I use a tsp of Natural Calm, ideally the Magnesium + Calcium version; if not, just the magnesium helps, too!)
some fresh fruit, such as berries (and you can blend it)
fresh peeled ginger (about 1 inch piece, chopped)
fresh slices of lemon/lime/orange/grapefruit (for little bit of added flavor and vitamins)
It’s super easy and can be made with things you already have in your kitchen.
So next time you’re about to grab a store-bought sugar-filled sports drink, please remember this and instead, consider making your own at home – which is cheaper, way healthier and just as effective!