DIY Electrolyte Punch
Making homemade electrolyte drinks puts you in charge!
Have you ever experienced muscle cramping after exercise, when sick, or after strenuous tasks? If you have, it might be because you need to boost your body chemistry and replenish your electrolytes. But, if you’re not an athlete, you might wonder what this hubbub is about. And isn’t staying hydrated good enough for my body?
The simple answer is maybe, but maybe not.
In a nutshell, electrolytes are the crucial salts that form the electrically charged particles (ions) in our body fluids (think calcium, potassium, magnesium, and salt). They dissolve into positive and negative charges in our bodies. These charges have two main functions: regulating water flow in and out of our cells and sparking nerve impulses. In this video by the American Chemical Society, the science behind all this is explained in more detail in a fun way that we can easily understand.
The narrator explains that without electrolytes, “our cells would shrivel up and die, or burst from being too full.” And the nerve impulses that electrolytes control keep our bodies functioning correctly – “our hearts beating, our lungs breathing, and our brains learning.”
Drinking electrolyte drinks can help replace what your body loses during longer duration workouts, boosting your body chemistry, especially in the heat. Common to the ingredients used in popular well-established sports drinks, electrolytes help athletes to refuel and rehydrate to provide energy.
One major lesson I’ve learned over time since being diagnosed with celiac disease is that with an already compromised intestinal system, it’s more important than ever to be aware of hydration and keeping my body’s electrolytes balanced. My entire life, I’ve had horrible problems with leg cramping. When I was growing up, my parents always called it “growing pains.” But it wasn’t until I was in my late forties and after being diagnosed with celiac disease (many years after I was pretty much done “physically” growing) that it hit me that there might be another cause for my unbearable leg cramping.
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After many visits and lengthy talks with my gastroenterologist and physical therapist, I learned that by paying attention to staying hydrated and balancing my body’s electrolytes, I could avoid many of my leg cramping problems.
So, here’s the scoop.
Our bodies require a certain balance of water and electrolytes to survive. Too much or too little of either, our body’s chemistry gets wonky. So, when you’re exercising, sweating, throwing up, or having diarrhea, you lose precious mineral-balancing fluids from your body.
Drinking too much water when dehydrated can cause you to over-water your system and dilute your naturally occurring electrolyte levels. Many people, including athletes, neglect consistent electrolyte replenishment, and their muscles start cramping.
By providing your body with a constant and adequate supply of water and electrolytes, you can maintain these natural bodily functions at optimal levels to carry you through exercise, physical activities, and sickness.
So when cramping happens, it’s your body’s way of letting you know it’s running on empty relative to electrolytes and hydration.
But before you head out to stock your shelves with a well-established brand of store-bought electrolyte juices, you might find it interesting also to learn that unless you’re a pro-athlete, most people can get enough daily electrolytes through a balanced diet – no neon-colored beverages are necessary.
About health conditions…
On the other hand, what if your body is compromised due to a medical condition and does not properly absorb nutrients from your diet? What if you believe you’re eating right and are still experiencing problems? Maybe you do regular energy-burning workouts. Or what if you know you’ll be more active than usual during your daily routine?
Then, homemade electrolyte drinks may be an excellent choice to boost your body’s chemistry.
Benefits of making homemade electrolyte drinks…
The best benefits of making homemade electrolyte drinks are that you can control the added sugar and eliminate the artificial colors, flavorings, and other less healthy ingredients. You also can get creative – mixing and matching citrus, teas, herbal flavors and sweetening your beverage to taste.
To make homemade electrolyte drinks, you’ll want to concentrate on the health-promoting ingredients.
Citrus Fruits – are rich in natural electrolytes, with lemons at the top of the list! The naturally occurring sugars in citrus fruits help to maintain energy during your workouts and help speed up your recovery afterward. Rich in vitamin C, citrus fruit, and juices from them in your diet help to boost and maintain the immune system, and they work as an excellent remedy to help alleviate many cold and flu symptoms.
Coconut Water – Natural coconut water contains five key electrolytes (sodium, potassium, calcium, magnesium, and phosphorus). Not to be confused with coconut milk (the white liquid squeezed from the coconut’s outer layer). Coconut water is the clear liquid found inside a young, green coconut. Many swear that drinking it works excellently as a hangover cure for people recovering from stomach-related illnesses. Because of its high potassium content (one of the known electrolytes that your body needs to prevent cramping), drinking coconut water was specifically recommended to me as an alternative to eating bananas because of my allergy to them (bananas are also known to be high in potassium).
Maple Syrup and Raw Honey – The two most important qualities to note are that the maple syrup is real, and the honey is raw (unprocessed). Real maple syrup and raw honey contain natural enzymes and minerals. The naturally occurring sugars in them are easily digestible, and they keep your energy level high during exercise. Honey is also a known natural antibiotic, and it works wonderfully for calming coughs and soothing sore throats.
Sea Salt – Unlike table salt, which does not contain the same minerals because of how it is processed, sea salt is a great natural source of dozens of trace minerals that our bodies need to survive (among them sodium, calcium, magnesium, and potassium). It’s known to help in avoiding electrolyte imbalances. Salt, used in moderation, enables cell hydration and plays a vital role in balancing stress hormones during exercise. Salt reduces adrenaline levels and supports overall metabolic health.
Refreshing Raspberry Green Tea Electrolyte Punch
EQUIPMENT
- Large Pitcher
INGREDIENTS
Refreshing Raspberry Green Tea Electrolyte Punch
- 3 cups Raspberry Green Tea see recipe below
- 1 cup Coconut Water
- ¼ cup Orange Juice fresh squeezed
- 2 tablespoons Raw Honey +/- to taste
- ¼ teaspoon Pink Himalayan Sea Salt
- ½ teaspoon *Optional: Liquid Trace Minerals
INSTRUCTIONS
- Mix ingredients, stirring until the honey and salt fully dissolve. Store in the refrigerator until ready to enjoy!
Nutrition
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(Nutritional values are an approximation. Actual nutritional values may vary due to preparation techniques, variations related to suppliers, regional and seasonal differences, or rounding.)
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