Hydrate NATURALLY with these homemade electrolyte drinks!

It’s hot out! It’s August, our warmest month of the year. You’ve been golfing, gardening, exercising, landscaping, biking, rollerblading,  at sports events – all of your favourite things to do in the summer. To rehydrate don’t grab those sports drinks that are full of sugars and artificial dyes – instead try these simple natural electrolyte boosting drinks you can make yourself!

Drinking enough clean, pure water is important (if not one of the number one things I always recommend to clients) but in times of exercise, heavy exertion and heat waves it may not be enough.

Why?

When you start to exercise your body produces extra heat. About 75% of the energy you put into exercise is converted into heat, and then lost. This is why we feel warm when we exercise. Extra heat has to dissipate to keep your inner body temperature within safe limits. This is 37-38 degrees C. If your body temperature rises too high, normal body functions are upset and eventually heat stroke can result. The major method of heat dispersal during exercise is sweating. For every liter of sweat that evaporates you will lose around 600kcal of heat energy

Fluid loss depends on:

• Exercise intensity
• Duration
• Temperature
• Humidity
• Individual body chemistry

A few reminders…

During 1 hour of moderate intensity exercise, an average person will lose approx. 1 L

More strenuous activity (long distance running) can lead to 2L loss

Monitor urine colour, as this will help indicate hydration levels

Not an indicator of being out of shape

Pale yellow = where you need to be

In general….men will sweat more than women

How to measure fluid loss:

• weigh yourself before/ after activity
• 1kg of body weight loss is equal to 1L of lost fluid

How is this detrimental to performance?

Negative effects; cramping, cant exercise as hard for as long

• A loss of 2% in your weight will affect your ability to exercise (150 lbs person losing about 3lbs) and your maximum aerobic performance will deteriorate by 10-20%
• If you lose 4% you may experience nausea, vomiting and diarrhea, at 5% your aerobic capacity will decrease by 30%
• An 8% drop will cause dizziness, labored breathing, weakness and confusion
• Greater drops have very serious consequences

Signs of dehydration

Early:

• headache
• fatigue
• cravings for food
• stressed
• anxiety
• irritable
• depressed

late signs:

• disoriented
• thirst
• migraines
• loss of concentration
• constipation
• heartburn
• joint-back pain
• Fibromyalgia
• Colitis (irritated colon)

Recipes:

1. Juice of 1/2 lemon. 2tsp honey (raw organic). 1/8tsp sea salt, 2 cups water

2. 2 cups filtered water, 2 tbsp grade B maple syrup, 1/4 tsp sea salt

3. Blend watermelon pieces, filtered water, maple syrup, 1/8 tsp sea salt

4. Get creative and use an herbal tea or green tea as the base, 1/8 – 1/4 of sea salt, adding a high quality calcium magnesium, natural flavours such as honey, maple syrup, herbs (basil, mint, Rosemary) lemons, limes, pineapple

Will last about 4 days in the fridge

5. Plain coconut water – coconut water is very quenching with its natural electrolytes and no sugar added. If you absolutely do not have time and are in a pinch, I would suggest picking up a bottle of coconut water over any sports drink!

watch this quick youtube video for a tutorial