Gatorade, PowerAde, Red Bull, electrolyte pumped-up sports drinks…they’re good for you, right? You see athletes chugging down gatoradebottles of the neon-colored liquid in every ad and real life, surely they do something, and they do. They help you maintain your body’s balance of electrolytes during or after periods of heavier exercise. But when you look closer, you’re really just paying an outrageous price for glorified, brightly colored, sugar water.

The power of marketing is often amazing. We’ve been led to believe by certain companies that we need an extra-special drink to recover. However your body is smarter than you think. For the average person, staying hydrated and eating real food is enough to keep the body’s electrolyte levels balanced…

…But guess what. You are above average.

…And since you are a hard charging athlete that performs “constantly varied, high intensity, functional movement” (i.e. CrossFit), you need to refuel the tank effectively if you want to make awesome the standard.

For the days you come in for a WOD, or go for a run, or even simply spend the day out in the hot summer sun (which is around the corner), making a home-made electrolyte drink from scratch (with real ingredients) is overwhelmingly quick and easy.

fruitwater

3 Simple Recipes

1. Coconut Lime Water

  • coconut water
  • juice of 1/2-1 lime
  • 1 teaspoon of sea salt or pink salt

….you can even add tequila to it on Friday night (but we didn’t tell you that)

2. Apple Cinnamon Water

  • Apple Soaked Water (soak 1-2 apples in a tall pitcher for about 1-2 hours…the longer the stronger)
  • A tablespoon of Raw Honey
  • A teaspoon of cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon of sea salt or pink salt

3. Citrus Mint Water

  • grapefruit, lime, lemon, or orange
  • handful of mint leaves
  • 1 teaspoon of sea salt or pink salt