How to Make Electrolyte Water at Home

GuitarJerry
GuitarJerry Posts: 6,102 Member
in Food and Nutrition
Being kind of a cheapo, or maybe just being poor, I figure out ways to do things without buying into marketing hype. One is making your own "vitamin water". You don't need to buy expensive bottled waters. It's easy enough to make yourself. Here's how:

There are many ways to get fresh natural electrolyte replenishment from foods such as oranges, coconuts and honey, plus, save a few dollars by preparing your own sports drink that your body will embrace.

Water

Water is the main ingredient as it will act as the primary carrier of the electrolytes. Any water will do. But distiller is best for this purpose, but again, any water works. I boil tap water.

Salt

Electrolytes are basically salts. Salts keep your body's electrically conductive to maintain cell voltage for receiving or passing along information. Regular table salt works fine as long as it contains sodium chloride, which almost all salts are made of. Some also have potassium iodide, which is also excellent for your cocktail. If you can locate fine grain salt, it dissolves much faster. Using a mortar and pestle on regular salt work just as well.

Citrus

Oranges, grapefruits, tangerine, lemons and limes--try to always have these on hand as they are the best ingredients for electrolyte replenishment. Oranges are a particularly good choice. This is why you may have seen many athletes gorging themselves on juicy slices. Citrus fruits are great, even alone, for electrolytes. However, adding some other ingredients can enhance the effect.

Containers and Recipes

When you make your electrolyte drink, make sure that you're using a container that you like to travel with. If you like your container it will increase the chances that you will indulge in your drink concoction more often.

The Lip Twister - tart and sweet

1/4 cup of lemon juice
1/4 cup of lime juice
1 teaspoon of salt
1 whole squeezed orange (or one frozen can of orange juice)
1 liter of water

Easy Sweet - not too sugary

2 cups of coconut milk
1 teaspoon of salt
1 teaspoon of Stevia (natural sweetener) or honey
1 liter of water

Mix It Up - use a blender

2 bananas
3 cups of coconut milk or 2 cups of strawberries
1 cup of water and ice
1 teaspoon of salt
Juice of 1/2 of a lemon

Fast and Dirty #1 - bare bones approach

2 lemon halves squeezed into a glass
2 orange halves added
Squirt of honey
Four shakes of salt
Fill the glass with water and gulp down

Fast and Dirty #2

1 bottle or can of V8 vegetable juice (any flavor)
1 cup of water
1 cup of orange juice
Foods

In addition to making your own electrolyte drink there are many foods that will help with replenishment as well. These include: avocados, broccoli, yogurt, tofu and apricots.

Enjoy

Replies

  • Myhaloslipped
    Myhaloslipped Posts: 4,317 Member
    Bump to look at later.
  • UsedToBeHusky
    UsedToBeHusky Posts: 15,228 Member
    Sounds interesting.
  • SuperSexyDork
    SuperSexyDork Posts: 1,669 Member
    I like these ideas for long trail runs/hikes. I'm pretty sure my regular diet is great for replenishing my electrolytes when I'm not doing long endurance training.
  • Phaedra2014
    Phaedra2014 Posts: 1,254 Member
    Awesome! I make my own too.
  • ahamm002
    ahamm002 Posts: 1,690 Member
    No offense, but I don't really see the point in making water with electrolytes. Unless you're sweating all day long then you're better off drinking plain water. And if you are (like say if you're doing landscaping all day in the summer or running a marathon), then powdered gatorade is pretty cheap.
  • michellemybelll
    michellemybelll Posts: 2,228 Member
    very cool. might try later on :smile:
  • SonicDeathMonkey80
    SonicDeathMonkey80 Posts: 4,489 Member
    Needs more Brawndo

    Brawndo_Logo.gif
  • craftywitch_63
    craftywitch_63 Posts: 829 Member
    Needs more Brawndo

    Brawndo_Logo.gif


    Cause Brawndo has 'lectrolytes. Nice reference.

    As to making my own vitamin water, assuming you need it at all - vitamin water is so cheap,


    7FcXwE1.gif
  • QuietBloom
    QuietBloom Posts: 5,413 Member
    I do something similar! Only I also add magnesium and potassium.
  • Unknown
    Unknown
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  • Apple31415
    Apple31415 Posts: 98 Member
    I'm needing alternatives to plain H2O anyway as i'm getting sick of chugging water and MIO, etc. is too danged expensive - I go through one of those sqeeze bottles per DAY. Trying to get at least 12 cups of water per day. I have hyperhydrosis or whatever they call excessive sweating. Not kidding - i lose over a 1 lbs. of water weight after an hour on the elliptical. I know plain old water works fine, but dang it gets old after 4 or 5 cups. So, I'll say Thanks! to Jerry for the tip and save the "great electrolyte debate" for the "experts" Of course it's good to get 'em when you can!
  • SonicDeathMonkey80
    SonicDeathMonkey80 Posts: 4,489 Member
    Jesus Christ. There's pretty much nothing anyone can share on these forums without people pissing on it.

    That's another thread actually

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1251680-all-this-peeing-is-ruining-my-life
  • Strokingdiction
    Strokingdiction Posts: 1,164 Member
    No offense, but I don't really see the point in making water with electrolytes. Unless you're sweating all day long then you're better off drinking plain water. And if you are (like say if you're doing landscaping all day in the summer or running a marathon), then powdered gatorade is pretty cheap.

    NO! Water and electrolyte drinks have no place at that point. This situation and others like it are exactly why beer was created.

    History, look it up.

    Hey OP, glad you want to make your own. Go for it. I'm not that dedicated and I've only required a specific electrolyte drink once in my life (when I was running a lot of long distance).

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