What the Fork?! Gatorade
This artificially colored sugar water may as well be called Haterade because your body sure doesn't like it! I can't stand that Gatorade is the go to drink for pre/post workouts or when people get sick. You don't need a sugary artificial drink connocotion to replenish electrolytes! There are much better, healthier alternatives that I will show you after I break down the crap that is in this so called health drink.
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Sugar
is the second ingredient on the list meaning its the majority of whats in there. This single bottle of Gatorade contains enough sugar to send you well on your way to Diabetes town. 52.5g! To put it into perspective, thats 13 packets of sugar! Sugar causes a release of insulin therefore prompting the body to store a lot of those calories as fat.
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Dextrose
- Another form of sugar. According to
this is an ingredient that should be limited. Contributes to unecessary, empty calories and does nothing to help replenish those electrolytes which is why you're drinking Gatorade in the first place, right?
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Citric Acid-
Derived from corn which is most likely GMO. You can read
why I avoid GMOs
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Natural Flavor
- I pulled this quote from
because she said it perfect! "The natural and artificial chemicals that flavor manufactures engineer are contributing to what David Kessler (former head of the FDA) calls a “food carnival” in your mouth. The inability to stop eating because the flavors they have synthesized trick your mind into wanting more and more. They don’t want you to have the full essence of the strawberry – they want you to only experience the best 1 millionth part of the taste – so you get “addicted” and keep having to go back for more and more, searching continuously for gratification – eating more of that product which in turns fills Big Food Companies pockets. The Big Food Companies are “hijacking” your taste buds one by one." Not to mention, there is no way to tell what is really in that natural flavor and chances are theres probably nothing natural about it at all!
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Sodium Citrate
- A preservative and used to enhance flavor. Preservatives make food last for unnaturally long periods of time. Imagine what thats doing to your body!
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Monopotassium Phosphate
- this soluble salt is a food additive that is also used as fertilizer and fungicide. Appetizing huh?
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Gum Arabic-
a thickener and emulsifier that keeps all the ingredients from seperating.
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Sucrose Acetate Isobutyrate-
An additive that is used to keep the oils in citrus flavored drinks in suspension.
It also replaced the Brominated Vegetable Oil (BVO) they were using in Gatorade before which was thankfully removed recently (Powerade still contains it however) because it is a flame retardant (!) that was causing skin lesions, memory loss, tremors, fatigue, loss of muscle coordination, and headaches in people consuming it. It is also banned in Europe. Considering the effects of BVO alone, I am not too keen on trusting a new additive used to replace it.
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Glycerol ester of rosin
- This additive is used in citrus flavored foods and drinks to enhance flavor and act as en emulsifier to keep oil and water from seperating. It was recently banned in Europe because there was not enough evidence of safety of this additive.
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Yellow 6-
According to the
this dye should absolutely be avoided. It is known to cause tumors of the adrenal gland and kidneys. It also contains small traces of known carcinogens (cancer causing agents).
Still want to down that Gatorade after a workout? Now don't get too worked up, there is a delicious alternative that will replenish your electrolytes after a workout (or long night of drinking...) and isn't full of refined sugars, empty calories and carcinogenic ingredients!
Coconut Water
contains a naturally occuring balance of the minerals potassium, sodium, magnesium and chloride that are better known as electrolytes. Coconut water is so incredibly hydrating that in some countries it is used as an IV in severly dehydrated patients. The plasma and electrolyte balance of coconut water has been found to be identical to that of human blood! The best part is you can replenish your electrolytes naturally without the addition of refined sugars, carcinogenic dyes and flavorings and a pretty low amount of calories.
Harmless Harvest's raw coconut water (pictured below) is hands down the best one because it hasn't been heated so it retains all of the vital nutrients and electrolytes. But if you can't get your hands on this one I also recommend O.N.E as a good alternative!
For those of you who are not fans of Coconut Water (I am learning there are more than I thought!)
You may want to give raw coconut water a try! I am not a huge fan of the Zicos and other types of coconut water but I found that this raw coconut water tastes a lot different than the rest! Or you can also buy an actual coconut from the grocery store and try that. Also a very different taste. If you are still not a fan there are some alternatives to replenish electrolytes!
Vega Sport Electrolyte Hyrator
Celery + Apple + Lemon juice:
Celery is naturally full of sodium, potassium, magnesium, chloride, and phosphorus, apples provide magnesium and lemon has the highest amount of electrolytes of all the citrus fruits.
Banana + Almond milk + Kale smoothie:
Bananas are high in potassium and magnesium that regulate your fluid balance. Almond milk contains magnesium and potassium and kale is a great source of magnesium and calcium!
Chia seeds + coconut water (or water if you don't like coconut water)
: This combination helps hydrate you even further because chia seeds hold 9x their weight in water. Just combine 1-2 Tbsp of chia seeds with coconut water or water and let sit for about 5 mins. The chia seeds will form a gel around them that help with hydration!
(from my Whats In That series on Buzznet!)