Potent Electrolyte Drinks

Sick? “Oh, you NEED to replace your electrolytes!”

Just finished a workout? “Oh, you NEED to replace your electrolytes!”

I hate being told what to do, especially when it sounds like a word born in a marketing department.

Just sneezed? “WHAT? Electrolyte drinks NOW!”

The truth is, you don’t need electrolyte drinks. But it does help, a lot.

Electrolytes

Electrolytes are salt and minerals which conduct electrical impulses in the body. They control your body’s fluid balance, and are important in muscle contraction, energy generation, and almost every major biochemical reaction in the body.^[1]

You sweat them out during intense exercise, and purge them out when you’re sick.

So the marketers are right in their diagnosis, but not in their prescription - the solution isn’t in sports drinks, it’s in fruits and vegetables.

Not only are sports drinks expensive, they’re also very bad for you. They’re sugary drinks, pumped full of additives, preservatives, colorants and even artificial sweeteners.

Electrolyte Rich Sources

Coconut water is full of electrolytes, and makes a great natural recovery drink. If you’re on the go and need to buy it from a shop, make sure it’s unflavored and unsweetened.

Other fruits and vegetables rich in electrolytes are:

Sodium: Celery, Beets, Radish, Carrots, Broccoli

(By the way, if you don’t have a juicer, our guide will help you find the right one for you.)

Potassium: Carrots, Sweet Potato, Cantaloupe Melon, Honeydew Melon, Banana

Magnesium: Kale, Spinach, Swiss Chard, Beet Greens, Avacado

Calcium: Kale, Spinach, Swiss Chard, Broccoli, Collard Greens

Do you juice lots of leafy greens? The best juicers for leafy greens will save you money daily by yielding twice as much green juice. Stop throwing money away as wet pulp!

Natural Electrolyte Drinks

Electrolyte Rich Recovery Juice

• 1 Beet
• 3 Carrots
• 3 Sticks Celery
• 1 Handful Spinach
• 1 Handful Kale
• Optional: 1 Orange, 1/2 Lemon (for flavor, some additional Potassium, Vitamin C for muscles, and anti-bacterial qualities)

Quick Electrolyte Juice

Crack open a coconut and drink the water.

These electrolyte drinks are just suggestions. Experiment with the guide above, and enjoy the nutritious, rich flavors!

Read Next: Juicing to get the most out of your workout.

—

Sources

[1] http://medical-dictionary.thefreedictionary.com/Electrolytes