Gatorade, PowerAde, electrolyte pumped-up sports drinks…they’re good for you, right? You see athletes all over the place chugging down bottles of the neon-colored liquid in advertising and in real life. So surely they do something, and they do.

They do help you maintain your body’s balance of electrolytes during or after periods of heavier exercise. But when you look closer, you’re really just paying an outrageous price for glorified, brightly colored, sugar water.

An overload of processed and refined sweetener (in the case of sports drinks, high-fructose corn syrup) is never a good thing. And don’t overlook the artificial flavors and colors—who needs that junk?

Really, though, it’s all about marketing and financial gain for food processors. We’ve been led to believe by certain companies that we need an extra-special drink to recover from some sweat. It’s bologna. It’s true that athletes that work out hardcore for hours do need to replace lost electrolytes. (But they’d still be better off guzzling a healthier drink than Gatorade and Powerade.) But the majority of fitness buffs today—those dedicated to thirty minute morning workout routines—don’t necessarily need this kind of drink.

Basically, staying well hydrated and eating healthy is usually enough to maintain a balance of electrolytes. However, for those times when you do have a heavier workout, why not make your own sports drink? It’s easy, quick, and naturally refreshing. All you need are lemons, limes, oranges, salt, honey, water, coconut water, sugar, strawberries. These ingredients all fall under the blanket statement of being a good source of electrolytes, tasty, or both.

Before we look at how to make your own electrolyte-loaded energy drinks, let’s talk about what they really are. And also, why do they matter? Claire, a food researcher and proponent of natural living (in Minnesota), shared this information: In a nutshell, there are tons of electrolytes out there, but in our bodies they are basically calcium, sodium, potassium, magnesium chloride, hydrogen phosphate (a mineral) and hydrogen carbonate (a salt.) These electrolytes are vital for survival-not only could we not function if we didn’t have them, if we dilute them too much, it can lead to death by “water poisoning.”

Electrolytes regulate our nerve and muscle function, our hydration base line, and the pH of our blood. They rebuild damaged tissue and determine blood pressure. One example of electrolytes doing their job would? In order for a muscle to contract (from the heart to the tiniest toe muscle), it needs the electrolytes calcium, sodium, and potassium. Too few electrolytes and the muscles become weak; too many electrolytes and the muscles over contract.

You’ll notice that these electrolytes can easily be provided by eating a balanced die, but we sometimes push our bodies, and during strenuous exercise we sweat, and when we sweat we’re losing electrolytes. There are also times that diet won’t suffice; many pregnant women find they need extra means of getting electrolytes. Illness is another time that extra electrolytes are needed. Regardless of why you’re drinking one though, try making your own first. It may not come with a fancy marketing scheme, but your body will thank you. So with that said, take a look at three recipes Claire developed and shared on her website, Everyday Roots (www.everydayroots.com):

CLAIRE’S LAY-LOW ENERGY DRINK

1/4 cup of freshly squeezed lime juice
1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 ½ to 2 cups fresh water, depending on how strong you want the flavor
1/8 teaspoon of sea salt
2 tablespoons natural sugar or RAW honey, to taste

Toss everything into a food blender and blend until the honey is dissolved, or just use some elbow grease and blend it by hand. Pour yourself a tall glass, drop in a few ice cubes, and enjoy.

CLAIRE’S BRIGHT & EARLY ENERGY DRINK

1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/2 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
1 ½ to 2 cups of fresh water (depending on how strong you want the flavor)
1/8 teaspoon of sea salt
2 tablespoons natural sugar or RAW honey, to taste

Toss everything into a food blender and blend until the honey is dissolved, or just use some elbow grease and blend it by hand. Pour yourself a tall glass, drop in a few ice cubes, and enjoy. You can halve or double the recipe as you need, and feel free to experiment with flavors. Keep in mind citrus fruits, especially orange, are a good source of electrolytes.

CLAIRE’S SWEET ‘N SMOOTHIE ENERGY DRINK

3 cups of coconut water
1 cup of strawberries
1 cup of fresh water
1 cup of ice
1/8 teaspoon of sea salt
2 tablespoons natural sugar or honey, to taste

Place all ingredients in a blender; blend thoroughly until drink is smooth.

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