It’s a boy!!! Our second child has finally arrived, and we couldn’t be happier. Isaiah was born Tuesday Feb 9th in the comfort of our own home. It was awesome to be able to birth him at home where we will hunker down together for the next two weeks or so.
Today I want to share with you the homemade electrolyte beverage that kept me going during labour and delivery, otherwise known as homemade Pedialyte. Because I experienced bouts of vomiting and couldn’t even keep water down during one phase of labour, it was important for me to keep my hydration and electrolytes up in order to continue the marathon that is labour. My midwife recommended that I make up a quick homemade version to maintain the right amounts of fluids and minerals in my body, made with simple ingredients you already have at home.
For those of you obstacle course racers, this will also be a great drink for you to have on hand instead of those fancy store bought ones like Gatorade and the like.
Here’s why you’ll likely need more than just water during labour and delivery and obstacle course racing. Of course you won’t be doing both at the same time, I hope!
What are electrolytes, and why water isn’t enough
Electrolytes such as sodium, potassium, and calcium ions are important to our overall body homeostasis: it regulates our nerve and muscle function, the body’s hydration, the pH balance of the blood, and blood pressure. Improper electrolyte levels can lead to weak muscles, or muscles that contract too severely. Good old H20 isn’t sufficient as water isn’t absorbed into our bloodstream quick enough. With a balanced ratio of electrolytes and sugar, the rate that water is absorbed into the bloodstream is absorbed faster than it would be if it were just plain water.
Electrolytes in food
When we are healthy and our bodies are functioning optimally, we get our electrolytes from fresh fruits and vegetables, and our kidneys filter out any excess electrolytes. However, when we have the potential to become dehydrated due to vomiting, diarrhea or other illness we need a quick way to re-hydrate and maintain our electrolytes.
Why you want to stay away from store-bought electrolyte drinks or Pedialyte drinks for kids: the ingredients are less than desirable and contain the following, many of which are not even allowed for use in food and beverages in Europe.
- Artificial flavor – which have been linked to autoimmune disorders, depression and birth defects and are also a carcinogen.
- Artificial sugars sucralose and acesulfame – Acesulfame has produced cancer tumors in rodent studies. Sucralose has caused leukemia and other related blood cancers in studies done on mice. Other research shows that sucralose negatively impacts the microbiome which can have serious effects on the immune system and lead to a range of inflammatory diseases.
- Artificial food dyes- red #40 and Blue 1 are contained in the blue coloured Pedialyte. – artificial food colours have been linked to asthma, allergies, hyperactivity, skin issues, and have caused cancer when tested on mice.
So if you’re looking to stay hydrated, and don’t want to put these nasty ingredients into your body, and want something fast, easy and healthy – here’s the hydrating recipe you can use for adults and children.
Ingredients:
1 litre filtered water
1-2 oranges squeezed
1/2 tsp Himalayan or grey sea salt
2 Tbsp Canadian maple syrup or honey
Directions:
Squeeze oranges, mix all ingredients together and enjoy.
In Fitness & Nutrition
