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We鈥檝e all heard the stories of how backcountry endurance wonks concocted the first molar-crushing energy bars in their kitchen or garage, and went on to hit the big time, spawning a sport-snack empire and changing the way we eat on the go. Buh-bye, trail mix.听
Mass-market sports drinks aren鈥檛 so different: They started niche, designed for athletes who needed to replace vital electrolytes before, during, and after training. But as the industry grew, the message became more generic: Anybody who so much as moves his/her body or breaks a sweat must re-hydrate with a special drink in neon hues that don鈥檛 exist in the natural world. Now sports drinks are so ubiquitous, they take up half an aisle at the grocery store.听
But just because the labels say 鈥渟port,鈥 doesn鈥檛 mean these drinks are good for you鈥攁 fact that even health-conscious athletes and parents tend to overlook. (Guilty.) 鈥淢ost bottled sports drinks are full of chemicals and fake coloring like yellow #5 and caramel #1 to make them appealing to consumers,鈥 says , a registered holistic nutritionist in the badass mountain burg of Nelson. B.C., whose clients include skiers, mountain bikers, climbers, and kids. 鈥淪ome even contain vegetable oil鈥攁nd you can be sure it鈥檚 the poorest quality.鈥
Hmmm鈥ou don鈥檛 want your little ripper depleted and dehydrated after tearing it up on the local mountain bike course, but you don鈥檛 want him sucking down 16 ounces of turquoise sugar water, either. So what to do? Make your own!
鈥淚t鈥檚 cheaper and much more healthful,鈥 says Kierstead, whose recipe is so easy it only has 4 ingredients: organic lemon juice to replenish vitamin C, as well as key minerals like calcium, magnesium, and iron; raw honey to act as carbohydrate and supply muscles with quick energy; sea salt to replace lost minerals, and filtered water to replace fluids you鈥檝e sweated out.
Simple, with a few teensy caveats. 鈥淵ou want to use raw or unpasteurized honey,鈥 explains Kierstead. 鈥淭he live enzymes help with digestion and keep your intestinal track healthy.鈥 Sea salt is better than table salt because it鈥檚 unprocessed. Pay attention to where your salt is harvested, too: Kierstead鈥檚 partial to Himalayan, Icelandic, or Atlantic sea salt. 鈥淎fter Fukushima, I worry about the poor Pacific Ocean,鈥 she says. Make a batch and keep a pitcher in the ‘fridge all summer.
Homemade 鈥淓lectrolade鈥
1 quart filtered water
2 tablespoons unpasteurized or raw honey *
big pinch of unrefined sea salt
录 cup juice from fresh, organic lemons
Mix 4 ingredients with a wooden spoon and chill; Kierstead prefers glass pitchers whenever possible, to avoid chemicals leaching from plastic jugs. For an icier yum the little rascals will love, pour into popsicle molds and freeze.听
听* The American Academy of Pediatrics advises against feeding honey to babies younger than 12 months听 to prevent the risk of infant botulism.听