DIY HOMEMADE ELECTROLYTE DRINK IN 5 STEPS

Hydration and electrolyte drinks have a much more important job to do than simply quenching your thirst. There is a science behind what goes into making a hydration drink, and each ingredient plays a role in replacing depleted electrolytes and providing your body with vital hydration.  

Over the counter, sports drinks and electrolyte powder mixes often have artificial colors and ingredients that make them unhealthy to give to your family. Aside from that, the electrolytes and minerals that they contain are over-processed, which leaves you wondering how effective they actually are. 

There are a few other options, though. Making your homemade electrolyte drink is one of them, though not the most convenient if you have a house full of budding athletes or kids. 

Here are the ingredients for making an electrolyte drink at home, and we will take a look at the importance of each ingredient in the hydration process. 

1. ¼ tsp finely ground pink Himalayan salt
2. ¼ cup real fruit juice (citrus, berry, or pomegranate)
3. 1 cup unsweetened pure coconut water
4. A couple drops Stevia or 1 tsp of Raw Honey 
5. Cold spring water to taste

Mix all ingredients well in a water bottle or small pitcher and refrigerate before using. 

ELECTROLYTE MIX INGREDIENTS

SALT

Salt or sodium is a vital ingredient in a hydration drink. The salt in your body causes the osmotic pressure inside and outside of a cell to change. It basically makes the walls of the cell more able to be penetrated by water. Water can get into the cell for hydration and then get out of the cell to carry away waste products. It’s crucial to choose natural salts vs table salt. Any of the worlds good salts contains dozens of trace minerals along with the sodium chloride. Most sports drinks just use table salt. 

When you are exercising or working hard in the heat, you lose salt through your sweat. If you lose too much salt and it is not replaced, your cells can no longer take in water or carry away waste products. As you might imagine, that is not good for your body.

Hydration drinks replace the salt and the water that your body needs to complete this process.

REAL FRUIT JUICE

Real fruit juice provides a hearty boost of flavor and vitamin C. However, it adds a boost of sugar too. So if you have diabetes, you may need to explore other flavoring options to decrease the amount of sugar.*

*It was once believed that sugar was necessary in hydration drinks because sugar or glucose is responsible for transporting sodium to your cells for hydration. Sodium, however, is not the only method of transportation for sodium. For more information on this, see our blog post on No Sugar Hydration Sports Drinks.

COCONUT WATER

Coconut water is nature's purest form of hydration. In its original state, coconut water provides one of the purest forms of potassium. Potassium is a crucial mineral in the hydration process.

Fluid balance is primarily regulated by sodium and potassium.

STEVIA AND RAW HONEY

Both Stevia and Agave Nectar are natural sugar alternatives that are derived from plants. Unlike other sugar alternatives that are created in a laboratory using chemicals, these two sweeteners are provided by nature. Unless you have an allergy to Stevia or honey, they are highly unlikely to cause any adverse side effects.

Both are extremely sweet, much sweeter than sugar so use caution when adding these to your hydration drink as you don’t want it to be too sweet. 

WATER

Water provides natural hydration and is sufficient to rehydrate under most normal circumstances. Our bodies comprise about 60% water, so we must drink plenty of water each day for our bodies to function correctly.

Yet, if you are rapidly losing electrolytes due to vomiting and diarrhea or heavy exertion, then water alone won’t do the trick.

So there you have it—a recipe for a hydration electrolyte drink. I was so frustrated as an athlete with the drinks they gave us, I created the most natural, best tasting Electrolyte + Mineral drink in the universe. So when you do not have time to make one, or want an easily solution for on the go, we are here for you.