Life is a sport. Drink it up.
It’s not uncommon to see athletes of all ages drinking sports drinks, and with marketing messages focused on sports and fitness, they can seem like a healthier alternative to soda. But, at about 300 calories a bottle (as much sugar as a candy bar) and including potentially unsafe ingredients that have been banned in other countries, they could do more harm than good.Sports drinks were developed to refresh athletes who are undergoing long periods of intense exercise. For our everyday purposes, water and fruit do a great job of replacing the sodium and potassium that we lose when we sweat. Foods like oranges, bananas, raisins, pretzels, and iron-fortified cereal are naturally high in sodium and potassium. They also make great post-exercise snacks.While kids may not be practicing sports, they are probably still playing outside and are ravenous just like after sports practice, so be prepared with snacks that replenish their energy without dangerous chemicals. Hand them a banana and a granola bar, a bottle of water and a sandwich or some grapes and low-fat cheese. They’ll get more satisfaction from eating foods that contain fiber, fat, and protein than by guzzling sports drinks and then looking for something to eat. It does take a little more time to prepare these snacks, so engage helping hands to prep post-practice snacks on the weekend!
The family that plays together stays together, and the family that adopts healthy eating habits wins the game of health. Get in the game with healthy, natural snacks that energize and fuel your family with some of these DIY sports drinks here.
Cucumber Lime Electrolyte Refresher
- ½ cucumber
- 2 limes, peeled
- 1 ½ cups coconut water
- Juice the cucumber and lime in a juicer.
- Mix the juice with coconut water.
- Enjoy chilled or over ice.
Homemade Gatorade Recipe
- 3 cups water
- 1 cup orange juice
- 1/2 cup lemon juice
- 3 Tbsp honey
- 1/2 tsp salt
- Toss all ingredients in a blender and mix well.
- Enjoy chilled or over ice.
Watermelon Electrolyte Booster
- 1 quarter of a watermelon, seeded
- 2 large glasses of coconut water
- A pinch of Himalayan sea salt
- Blend all ingredients in a high-speed blender.
- Enjoy!
Herbal Cooler
- 4 cups herbal tea (something citrus preferably)
- 2-4 Tbsp raw honey or maple syrup
- 1/4 tsp. sea salt
- A few drops of trace mineral drops, such as Concentrace (optional)
- Mix all ingredients thoroughly, and store in the fridge.
- Drink chilled or over ice.
- DIY Electrolyte Sports Drink
- 1/2 liter of ginger water (recipe below)
- 1 liter of water
- Juice of 3 small lemons
- 1/2 tsp. sea salt (you can add a bit more if you’d like)
- Stevia to taste
Ginger Water
- 1 medium-sized ginger root
- 1 liter of water
- Liquid Stevia, to taste
- Cut ginger into large coins and place into a large pot.
- Add water.
- Bring water to a boil, then simmer for 15 minutes.
- Turn off heat and let steep until cool.
- Add liquid Stevia to taste and store in an airtight container in the fridge.
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– HEATHER FUSELIER, CHWC, CFP, TTS
Health Advisor | Email Heather
