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Electrolytes: Who Needs Them?

Electrolyte balance and hydration is important for everyone. For those who sweat for extended periods of time, extra support may be needed.

by Mila McManus, MD

Maintaining electrolyte balance and hydration are simple for those who engage in light exercise and normal daily activities. You can achieve this by using high-quality salt[1] in food, enjoying salty nuts, fresh vegetables, and fruits, and drinking plenty of filtered water. These simple steps are likely all you need.

However, extra support may be necessary for those who exercise heavily, work outside, sweat for extended periods of time, and participate in endurance sports such as cycling, golf, or marathons. In these situations, it’s important to be proactive in maintaining your electrolyte balance and hydration.

Let’s explore some simple pantry options that can help everyone maintain their electrolyte balance and hydration.

  • 20 ounces of filtered water with ⅛ teaspoon of quality salt and a twist of lemon and/or lime. For more flavor, add a couple of cucumber slices, a slice of orange, and several mint leaves.
  • Prepare small snack portions with salted nuts. Add just a few pieces of dried fruit and pumpkin seeds. Pack raw vegetables such as celery, cucumber, carrot, and bell pepper strips. Salt them as well!
  • Simple electrolyte replacement recipe:

4 cups of warm water, ¼ cup of fresh lemon or lime juice, 2 teaspoons of raw, unfiltered honey, and ¼ teaspoon of your preferred high-quality salt.  Blend these ingredients together, refrigerate, and pour into a portable stainless steel or glass water bottle.

Alternatively, if you prefer to purchase an electrolyte product, be aware that many have not-so-good ratios of essential minerals.  This can disrupt intracellular balance, meaning balance of minerals inside of your cells. High milligrams are not necessarily better. The proper balanced ratios between them matter more.  It is also important to avoid brands that include food colorings, artificial sweeteners, caramel coloring, poor-quality minerals, gums, modified food starch, or sugar (e.g. Gatorade, Powerade)[2]

We have carefully vetted Biotics Research Electrolyte Forte (available in our office ) for our patients. It is pharmaceutical grade, hypoallergenic, and has a pleasant flavor.  The flavor is so mild that, if you add to enough water, it has almost no flavor, which many people prefer!

[1] Redmond’s Real Salt, Celtic Salt, Himalayan Pink Salt (watch out for knock-offs!)

[2] The Nuun Instant Electrolyte Powder Packets are a satisfactory economy alternative.

 

By |2024-08-22T08:08:54-05:00August 22nd, 2024|Articles, General|

Things to know about Sports Drinks and Hydration

by Mila McManus, MD

Our medical staff strongly urges adults and children to avoid sports drinks. As indicated below, most individuals can adequately hydrate with filtered, clean water! 

  • Most children and adults who exercise regularly do not need a special form of hydration beyond water unless exercising intensely for more than 60-90 minutes.
  • Popular sports drinks, such as Gatorade and Powerade, contain a number of concerning ingredients including sugar, high fructose corn syrup, artificial sweeteners, food dyes, caramel coloring, artificial flavors, and acids.
  • Some research suggests that regular consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages results in a significant increase in body mass index.
  • The sugar in sports drinks causes an immediate blood sugar elevation and destabilization followed by a dump in energy, especially if the exercise is not strenuous enough to utilize the carbohydrates rapidly. Thus, they are draining rather than energizing.
  • Artificial sweeteners have been shown to disturb the gut microbiome, affecting immunity, digestion, satiety cues, and weight.
  • Certain studies associate artificial colors such as Blue 1 and Red 40 with behavior problems in those with ADHD.
  • The acid levels in the sports drinks have been shown to wear down tooth enamel, while the sugar contributes to cavity formation.
  • Acesulfame Potassium, a common artificial sweetener in sports drinks, has been shown to cause cancer and affect the thyroid in lab animals.
  • Sucralose, a.k.a. Splenda, is also linked to cancer, and is made using chlorine. If you want to ‘nerd out’, here’s the formula of sucralose: 1,6-dichloro-1,6-dideoxyfructose and 4-chloro-4-deoxygalactose (Uh, No thanks!)
  • Two of the four caramel colorings used in foods are formed using ammonia, and caramel coloring has been proven to cause leukemia, as well as lung, liver, and thyroid cancer in laboratory animals.
  • High fructose corn syrup consumption is linked to joint and gut inflammation, and may be associated with increased risk for rheumatoid arthritis in women.

Our electrolyte needs can be met by Pink Himalayan Salt, Redmond’s Sea Salt used on food and in water, as well as by eating salted nuts and seeds. A wide variety of vegetables and fruits in the diet are also great sources of potassium, magnesium, sodium, chloride, phosphate, and calcium, the primary electrolytes the body needs. Athletes who will participate in strenuous exercise for 60 minutes or more should hydrate well on a daily basis, prior to and on the day of exercise. Moreover, eat salty nuts and seeds, and consume plenty of protein.  Foods such as berries, celery, watermelon, kiwi, and cucumber, as well as salty nuts and chicken, and water will suffice well to sustain energy and focus during exercise.  Other possible alternatives to common sports drinks are NUUN Hydration Effervescent Electrolyte tablets, LMNT Elemental Labs -Recharge, Hi-Lyte™, or Lyteline™ electrolyte products.

Resources:

https://www.verywellfit.com/is-gatorade-good-or-bad-for-you-4177592

Gatorade.com

Powerade.com

https://cspinet.org/eating-healthy/chemical-cuisine#acesulfamek

https://cspinet.org/new/201102161.html

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/labs/pmc/articles/PMC4817078/

By |2022-02-09T11:26:59-05:00February 10th, 2022|General|

Replacing Electrolytes: Better Options

By Nancy Mehlert, MS.

These beverages... the zero sugar options and even the organic, have a number of concerning ingredients. Sugar content is the first concern.

There are a couple of well known electrolyte and hydration drinks popular in the marketplace today. Everyone has seen commercials and ads for them. Common to the sports scene in our schools, colleges, and professional sports, these sweet, fruity flavored hydrators are sold by some of the largest beverage retailers in the world. In addition, many companies make cheaper knock-offs.  That makes them very affordable and easily obtained, but what about the ingredients? Should we be concerned? ABSOLUTELY!

These beverages, whether you have chosen the zero sugar options, the regular, or even the organic, have a number of concerning ingredients. Sugar content is the first concern.  Remember, the intended goal of these beverages is to return water to the body and to bring electrolytes (sodium, calcium, potassium, chloride, phosphate and magnesium) back into the body.  The need is not sugar, yet the most popular versions contribute more than 45-50 grams of sugar in each bottle. Considering our optimal blood sugar at any given moment should be about 4 grams, these drinks elevate blood sugar immediately by more than 10 times. This creates a very dysregulated blood sugar problem for the body.  Another concerning ingredient is the sweetener most commonly used in lieu of sugar.  While sucralose removes the sugar, this artificial sweetener is known for destroying the favorable bacteria in the GI tract, contributing to yeast overgrowth and leaky gut syndromes. Two additional concerning ingredients include food dyes and caramel coloring. There are a number of health concerns from these man-made chemicals, ranging from cancers to allergic reactions.  All of these concerning ingredients can be avoided with a little effort.

Perfection is difficult to find.  The recommendations below would be a significant improvement over most options offered by our largest retailers.  I’ve listed them in descending order from satisfactory to the most ideal. The  more sugar it contains, the better it is to use before and during very demanding and high activity exercise. Everyone needs less sugar, more water, and good electrolytes.

  • Nuun Rapid Instant Hydration portable packets
  • Harmless Harvest coconut water (pure coconut water, 23g naturally occurring sugar) ok for very active people
  • Ultimareplenisher.com – Hydration Powder stick packs
  • Liquid IV (11 g of sugar) ok for very active people
  • Keynutrients.com – Electrolyte Recovery Plus, Keto approved, Lemonade flavor
  • 8 ounces of water with 2 tablespoons of lemon juice and a pinch of Redmond’s Sea Salt, along with eating your vegetables (an excellent source of electrolytes and water)!

Support your health and that of your family.  Small changes add up to greater health and wellness.

Standard Gatorade, ½ a bottle is 22g or whole bottle 51 g of sugar:  

WATERSUGARDEXTROSECITRIC ACIDSALTSODIUM CITRATEMONOPOTASSIUM PHOSPHATEMODIFIED FOOD STARCHNATURAL FLAVORGLYCEROL ESTER OF ROSINRED 40CARAMEL COLOR

Organic Thirst Quencher, Berry Flavor by Gatorade – 30 g of sugar:

WATERORGANIC SUGARCITRIC ACIDORGANIC NATURAL FLAVORSEA SALTSODIUM CITRATEPOTASSIUM CHLORIDE

Gatorade Zero:

WATERCITRIC ACIDSODIUM CITRATE, SALT, MONOPOTASSIUM PHOSPHATE, GUM ARABIC, NATURAL FLAVOR, SUCRALOSEACESULFAME POTASSIUM, SUCROSE ACETATE ISOBUTYRATE, GLYCEROL ESTER OF ROSIN, YELLOW 6.

By |2022-11-01T15:39:41-05:00April 7th, 2021|General, NANCY’S NUTRITIONAL NUGGET|

Coconut Water is all the rage. But is it good for you?????

by Nancy Mehlert, MScoconut water

Coconut waters have hit the grocery store aisles in the last year or two.  Every time I walk by them, there are more brands, more flavors.  So are they a good choice?  Certainly relative to a soft drink filled with phosphoric acid, caramel colors and sugar or artificial sweeteners I would have to say they are an improvement.  And most certainly in terms of hydration a coconut water is an improvement over the ever popular sports drinks laden with sugars, artificial sweeteners and food coloring.  But is it really all it is marketed to be?  Let’s take a look….

Coconut water is found in nature, inside of a green, young coconut usually harvested when it is 5-7 months old when it contains the most water.  These coconuts are about the size of a basketball! As the coconut matures on the tree, the coconut meats increase and the water decreases.

The coconut water from a young coconut is truly nutritious and has been consumed for centuries in tropical countries.  The elixir is so rich in electrolyte content that it has been used in emergency situations for IV hydration. Directly from the coconut, these waters are about 46 calories per cup and 10 grams of natural sugar. Potassium rich, it is in fact an excellent electrolyte beverage and offers about 600mg per 8 ounce serving.  It also has a little bit of sodium, calcium and magnesium too as well as a small amount of many other minerals, vitamins and phytonutrients.

Coconut water, because of these nutrient values, can help to lower blood pressure, support weight loss, increase athletic performance, boost energy, lower cholesterol, and relax muscle tension.  For those with kidney disease, it should be limited because of the high potassium content.

Knowing what comes out of the young coconut right out of the tree vs what lands in the store in a container becomes the main concern.  What happens in “man”ufacturing?  What should you be looking for when you buy coconut water in the store?

  •  Ideally, buy a fresh, young coconut and extract the water from it.  This is the real thing that nature created. Because the fresh coconut water is very perishable, you may find raw, fresh coconut water in a refrigerated section of a health store.
  • Second best choice if fresh is not available is to look for “cold pressured” coconut water which is very lightly processed with high pressure rather than heat, which helps to eliminate bacteria while maintaining a greater level of the vitamins and minerals.
  • If coconut water does not need refrigeration, you will likely discover that it has been pasteurized, meaning that a high temperature has been used to kill bacteria but it also destroys most of the natural vitamins and minerals in the product.
  • Coconut water made from concentrate should be avoided as it is the most processed form with little, if any, nutrition left in it short of sugar.
  • Because coconut water has a unique taste, many companies are now enhancing the taste with flavors or to cover up the fact that they are not using young coconuts but older more bitter coconut waters.  Avoid coconut waters with added sugars and flavors. The primary ingredient should be 100% coconut water.

While hydration is important as the summer months approach, by taking a few simple steps, you can stay hydrated and electrolyte-balanced.

  • Eat whole real food with plentiful vegetables and fruits which are a good source of water, fiber, minerals, vitamins and phytonutrients.
  • Eat foods that provide optimal levels of potassium, such as leafy greens, broccoli and cabbage, sweet potatoes, squash, bananas and avocados. Coconut water counts here IF the criteria above are met.
  • Eat hydrating foods just prior to and during activities in the heat such as celery, watermelon, cucumber, kiwi, bell pepper, citrus fruits, carrots and pineapple.
  • Drink enough water to result in urination every 3-4 hours at a minimum. Be sure to replenish the body with water following vigorous exercise especially in very warm or hot weather when increased sweating tends to occur.

My favorite alternative to real food as a hydration product with electrolytes is Vega Sport Hydrator.

Sources: http://draxe.com/electrolyte-imbalance/

http://draxe.com/is-coconut-water-good-for-you/

 

By |2016-05-24T18:27:41-05:00May 24th, 2016|Articles, General, NANCY’S NUTRITIONAL NUGGET|