Hydration Drinks
Choosing Better than Toxic
In this edition: why hydration drinks are needed, why some are bad, homemade alternatives and cleaner store bought suggestions.
When we lived in Arizona, we knew a guy who worked for the utilities company — mostly burying wires, occasionally up on poles. As a refresher, temps can reach 120* in Phoenix, where it’s not unusual to have 100 days of over 100*. The guys who work for the utilities wear a crazy amount of protective clothing (not exactly beach wear.) I don’t remember the specifics now but I was astounded at the volume of liquid he consumed everyday and never peed until after dinner. Even then he said it was dark. Daily he drank on the order of a couple gallons. His body needed that much hydration.
Simply drinking ice water won’t do when sweating that much. That’s when a hydration drink is in order.
Why Hydration Drinks
If you’ve ever tasted sweat, you know it tastes salty. When loosing significant amount of hydration the body is also loosing electrolytes.
Sodium and chloride (salt) are the most abundant electrolytes in sweat with potassium, magnesium, and calcium present in lower amounts. Example: A runner who loses 3 quarts of fluid in an hour is losing 1,380-5,520mg of salt (that’s 1/2 to 2.5 teaspoons of straight salt).
So simply replacing water isn’t going to cut it.
My husband enjoys cycling and sweats like crazy on long rides. He needs a hydration drink. Long distance athletes sometimes swallow salt tablets.
People with compromised adrenals also need more minerals, like salt.
So Much Sugar
Sugar in these drinks may have several pseudonymns like: dextrose, glucose, fructose, sucralose, or aspartame. In fact here’s a list of fifty-six names for sugar!
Artificial sweeteners like aspartame, sucralose and saccarine are classified as neurotoxins and linked to behavior and cognitive problems. Source.
Food Dyes
Not only do most sports drinks contain too much sugar, many are laced with artificial food dyes which are linked to hyperactivity in kids who struggle with ADD/ADHD. Studies have shown that removing food dyes can significantly alter mood and behavior. I know kids (and moms) who are walking testimonies of this.
In Europe foods containing certain dyes have a warning label that says "may have an adverse effect on activity and attention in children."
Unpopular opinion: children don’t need sports drinks. It pains me to see a child walking around with a giant bottle of brightly colored drink - whether it’s a soda or sports drink. Just give them water.
Some are saying, “C’mon Julie. It’s just a little bit. It can’t hurt me that much.”
It all adds up.
Just start to notice where food dyes sneak into your food: cereals, Doritos, some yogurts!, (some goldfish) crackers, drinks/sodas, candy — really anything in a package. Read the ingredient labels. Dyes are usually near the end: blue 1, red 40, yellow 5 are most frequent culprits.
If I’m gonna drink Gatorade, I try to choose the blandest color (Frost) and if possible, add water to it.
Class Action Lawsuit?
Did you know Prime Hydration was recently discovered to contain per-and polyfluoroalkyl substances (“PFAS” or forever chemicals that accrue in the body over time) and excessive caffeine. Bring on the class action lawsuit.
Made with ingredients like coconut water, branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs), B-vitamins, electrolytes, and antioxidants, Prime Hydration’s label describes it as a healthy sports drink that is the “perfect boost for every endeavor.” The drink gained huge marketing buzz due to celebrity founders - ask your kids if they know about this drink.
Independent third-party testing found PFAS chemicals in Prime Hydration grape flavor. The EPA even notes studies showing PFAS exposure can lead to:
Reproductive harm
Developmental delays in children
Increased cancer risk
Reduced immune system response
Interference with the body’s hormones
Higher cholesterol levels and obesity risk
Exposure to PFAS
PFAS are found in
product packaging (best to store food in glass, not plastic)
drinking water (from the tap as well as plastic bottles; I have this under sink filter)
foods (esp. in plastic packages!)
contaminated air, dust, and soil.
There are no current treatments to remove PFAS from the body. Avoiding plastic where you can is one of the best ways to prevent exposure.
Homemade Hydration
You don’t have to depend on fancy drinks in plastic bottles or salt tablets to renew electrolytes. Here’s a list of homemade ideas:
Some types of tea, like herbal teas like hibiscus and certain varieties of green and black tea, contain electrolytes like potassium, sodium, and magnesium. Source.
We enjoy kombucha especially on hot days.
Shrubs: pioneers used to drink these long before Florida statehood and the creation of Gatorade. The next time you read the Little House on the Prairie books, look for it. Try a splash of raw apple cider vinegar in a glass of water with a pinch of sea salt and spoonful of honey or sugar.
Watermelon! Bonus if you eat with a salt shaker of sea salt for extra minerals.
Squeeze a lemon in a glass of water and add a pinch of salt.
Coconut water (not to be confused with coconut milk). Read ingredient labels because some coconut waters have added sugar.
Find an adrenal cocktail recipe you like with coconut water, orange juice, water and high mineral salt
High Mineral Sea Salts
Redmond Real Salt can be found at most health food stores or Amazon. Natural Grocers carries it cheaper under their store label. I carry a small vial in my purse.
Baja Gold is my very fav for taste & minerals (from their website or Amazon). Check out this comparison of minerals in salt.
Celtic or Maldon can be found via Amazon or Whole Paycheck (I mean WholeFoods).
Himalayan salt is a better choice than regular table salt, like Morton.
Notice that table salt is primarily sodium chloride, whereas the mineral salts have other…minerals. The minerals are not just good for bodily functions they taste much better too. When I taught cooking classes, I started with tasting tap and filtered water along with a variation of salts. There is a difference!
Cleaner Electrolyte Drinks
I get it. Sometimes you don’t have the hutzpah to make an electrolyte drink. Or you need one on the go. Here’s what I feel good about giving my family in no particular order:
Body Armor - readily sold in gas stations and grocery stores alike, made with (some) coconut water, no artificial dyes, corn syrup, or artificial sweeteners.
LMNT - sold on-line mostly, and can be quite salty. Low in sugar.
Arbonne - has the best tasting combo of salty/sweet but not bitter stevia. I’m not opposed to stevia (or cane sugar) per se but most stevia has a weird aftertaste and this one actually tastes good to me. Reply to this email with your address and I’m happy to mail a sample (I have a limited quantity).
Unpopular opinion: I don’t recommend Pedialyte because of the addition of artificial colors and synthetic/artificial sweeteners.
Remember perfection isn’t the goal. My heart is to help you make safer swaps and live a bit cleaner. Stay hydrated my friends.
Julie