And reelectrolytization. Cause that's a word.
After several days of a stomach bug being passed around our house I am trying desperately to rehydrate and replenish minerals to our whole fam. My options are the traditional choices, Pedialyte or Gatorade. But if I'm trying to make healthy choices for my family shouldn't that extend to sickness times? Heck, shouldn't that be the time when I make the healthiest choices? Okay, okay, I slipped last week and ate spicy ramen while I had a cold, but hey, I'm back on the wagon! So in terms of healthy choices, how do these options stack up?
Pedialyte (in it's flavor varieties) uses the artificial sweeteners sucralose and acesulfame potassium. Sucralose (the base of artificial sweetener Splenda) has been a hot topic amongst healthcare professionals for a while now. Recent research has shown that in animals absorption of sucralose caused up to a 40% decrease in the size of the thymus gland (a critical gland for your body's disease response protocol and the core of your immune system), enlarged liver and kidneys, atrophy of lymph follicles and a reduced growth rate. And acesulfame potassium is a potassium salt containing methylene chloride, a known carcinogen, long term exposure to to methylene chloride can cause nausea, headaches, mood problems, impairment of the liver and kidneys, problems with eyesight and more.
Gatorade, while not as scary sounding because of it's use of real sugar, is a problem for just that reason! The last thing you want to give a child (or adult for that matter) who has been throwing up or experiencing the bathroom blues is a big glass of sugary artificially flavored water. Sugar exacerbates EVERY stomach issue, especially these two. And let's get honest, doesn't it make more sense to follow up a work out with something else good for your body as opposed to something full of sugar and artifical ingredients?
I realize that all sounds super intense. I'm not trying to be scary with the effects of fake sweeteners, and I don't mean to freak anyone out. I'm not a "cancer is everywhere" kind of person but I do think it's important to know what we're putting in our bodies or our kids bodies, and I do think it's important to know the potential impact those things have. In my home, when I can, I go for something natural and free of additives, sweeteners (even sugar) or artificial preservatives.
Which brings me (FINALLY) to a natural alternative: coconut water!
In case you're tired of reading I'm just going to go ahead and tell you what I do, and then we'll talk about the benefits.
For the kids I take one cup of high quality coconut water and add a little POM original and a dash of pineapple juice (real, not from concentrate, no sugar added, pineapple juice) and then fill the rest of the cup with water. For me or the hubs I just make a double dose and add a lime slice or two. That's it! It's actually delicious and probably just going to go in the rotation of THINGS I DRINK ALL THE TIME.
For a comparison on the minerals in each here is a side by side (or rather top on bottom) comparison. The top are the minerals in a serving Pedialyte and the bottom are the minerals in a serving of coconut water. On top is Pedialyte and on the bottom is coconut water. I feel like this speaks for itself!!
As for Gatorade, coconut water does contain less sodium and fewer carbohydrates. One option is to add an eighth of a teaspoon of sea salt to the drink to up the sodium. I don't particularly feel the need to ingest more sodium in life, and am willing to sacrifice some sodium and carbs for the sake of a preservative free, no added sugar option.
Whether as a post stomach bug replenish or a post work out boost, it just just makes more sense to me to do something as natural and real as possible.
One last note? Coconut water must be used within 48 hours of opening the container. If you find it hard to drink it all within that time, an excellent option is to freeze it in cubes and throw it in your post workout shake! Frozen it is good for about two months!
What are your hydration favorites?
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