ELECTROLYTES KEEP IT RIGHT
Originally published: JULY 18, 2019
Electrolytes (Sodium, calcium, potassium, and magnesium) are minerals in your body that have an electric charge, found in our blood, urine and body fluids. Maintaining the right balance of electrolytes helps your body's blood chemistry, muscle action and other processes. They regulate everything: nerve + muscle function, hydration, blood PH, determining blood pressure, etc. When we are sick, or drink too much, or have a super heavy workout we severely reduce our supply. And if we don’t put these little babies back in our bodies, the situation just gets worse. Electrolytes are simply minerals. And Minerals are part of every living cell of the body and they work together to build and regulate a multitude of bodily functions. They are basically the spark plugs that keep our engines running, and our skin hydrated and glowing!
What should we drink to maintain balance and hydration throughout our workouts and afterwards? Here are a few diddies to think about.
- If you want to stay healthy and hydrated, stay away from Gatorade. Regular Gatorade contains: Water, sucrose syrup, glucose-fructose syrup, citric acid, natural grape flavor with other natural flavors, salt, sodium citrate, monopotassium phosphate, red 40, Blue 1.
- Nature's Gatorade? Coconut water! Such an amazing dosage of minerals and electrolytes in one tasty beverage. Add a TBSP of lime juice (calcium + potassium) to make this drink even more bio-available. Coconut water has more potassium than sports drinks, and more natural sources of sodium.
- Calcium: It plays a major role in providing firmness and elasticity for the skin as well as all tissues and cells of the body. Calcium rich foods can also deter acne. A calcium deficiency will result in fragile and thin skin, loss of hair, weak bones and brittle nails.
- Potassium: along with sodium, helps regulate the amount of water in your body’s cells, so a lack of potassium in the diet can lead to dry skin and other skin disorders.
DIY: Blend and 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
- pinch of sea salt
-2 tablespoons coconut sugar or raw honey, to taste