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Getting sick is no fun but add in dehydration from fevers, sore throats and all that comes along with stomach bugs and you’re even more miserable. Making a quick and easy homemade electrolyte drink will not only replenish hydration naturally, you’ll feel much better as well! Plus, if you’re lucky enough to be someone who sweats a lot (skin is a very important detox pathway!), replenishing is a must! This homemade drink isn’t limited to just illness, feel free to make it for those hot summer days or strenuous exercise sessions! 
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Any mom out there knows, when your kid is sick, it is a stressful time. As moms (and some dads ;)) we are solely in charge of our child’s welfare! A couple of weeks ago my oldest got a stomach bug. My girls are really pretty healthy-They tend to get fevers for about 12 hours and then they are fine-Fevers are a sign of a healthy immune system and when a little body can heat up a bug and kick it out-you are lucky.
This time it was different. She had a throw up/diarrhea issue for a full 5 days. After 3 days of it, I was getting worried. I knew she was getting dehydrated and I knew Pedialyte was not a good thing. Turns out-there is an easy alternative and making my own electrolyte drink was quick, effective minus added sugar and questionable ingredients!
Signs of Dehydration:
- dry mouth
- few or no tears when crying
- the look of sunken eyes
- soft spot on top of baby’s head looks sunken
- dry diapers for 6 to 8 hours in an baby (or only a small amount of dark yellow urine)
- Very little pee for 12 hours from an older child
- dry, cool skin
- fatigue or irritability
- dizziness in an older child
- muscle contractions
Not to scare you but the health issues that stem from severe and prolonged dehydration are seizures, brain swelling, coma and kidney failure. Of course these are extreme consequences but being dehydrated is simply something we should work at avoiding.
What Are Electrolytes and Why Do We Need Them?
Electrolytes are basically salts. They are essential minerals that our cells use and need to maintain energy.
Copious sweating, vomiting or having diarrhea will dramatically deplete electrolytes.
Electrolytes are responsible for fluid balance. Fluid balance is what keeps your blood flowing, your eyes moist with tears, your sweat glands functional, etc.
Sodium and potassium are the main fluid-balancing electrolytes. Sodium helps balance fluids outside cells and potassium helps balance fluids inside of cells.
The major electrolytes in the body include: sodium, potassium, chloride, calcium, magnesium, bicarbonate, phosphate and sulfate.
Unfortunately, no amount of water will thoroughly restore essential minerals in the body without sodium.
What is the Purpose of Gatorade/Pedialyte?
Both Gatorade and Pedialyte are electrolyte drinks that contain salt to help the body hold on to the liquid, hence easing dehydration. They also contain sugar to help relieve low blood sugar which is most likely also an issue in someone that is not eating or drinking and becoming dehydrated.
They are typically used when someone is doing strenuous activity and sweating a lot or when a purpose is sick. They are meant to be quicker and more efficient than water to rehydrate the body. Many professional athletes rely on traditional sports drinks to restore vital electrolytes quickly.
A few ingredients in Gatorade and Pedialyte are water, sucrose (table sugar), dextrose, citric acid, natural flavor, sodium citrate, monopotassium phosphate, and flavoring/coloring ingredients.
Now, after listing the ingredients do I need to tell you that Gatorade and Pedialyte are not optimal for regular use? None of those artificial ingredients and artificial flavors sound like something I would like to feed myself or my sick child when dehydrated!
How Do You Make an Electrolyte Solution At Home?
Making a DIY electrolyte drink is quite simple and actually has more health benefits then just rehydrating you.
There are actually a couple of options for a homemade electrolyte drink.
You can make one with just sugar, salt and water or you can add citrus, nix the sugar and replace it with raw honey and have a healthy drink that not only rehydrates but also delivers extra vitamins!
Before I get to my recipe, I want to share with you a another very simple recipe that contains ingredients that you probably have. No grocery store run required!
If you’re in a pinch and desperate, I wanted to include it even though it isn’t my own. This recipe came from 100 Days of Real Food blog. This mom talks about how she consulted her pediatrician and got the thumbs up for the effectiveness of this recipe.
More DIY Illness Remedies:
- Building a Natural Medicine Cabinet
- How to Relieve Croup
- Fevers-Your Bodies Defense
- Homemade Neosporin
- Homemade Vapor Rub
- 5 Tips on How to Get Through Cold & Flu Season
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Super Easy Homemade Electrolyte Drink
Yield: 1 qt Prep Time: 2 minutes Total Time: 2 minutes
This simple Pedialyte/Electrolyte drink will help you rehydrate and a hurry. The recipe and ingredients are very likely already in your pantry so no running to the grocery store when you need to rehydrate quick!
Ingredients
- 1 quart water
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Heat 2 cups of filtered water. This helps the salt dissolve quicker but is not 100% necessary because the salt will eventually dissolve on its own.
- Add sugar and salt to the water and add remaining water
- Stir until dissolved and server over ice
Notes
Pour into a cup with ice or use flip-top bottles similar to mine HERE. Mine came from Ikea. Glass flip-top bottles are great if you want to store your drink for a couple of days. I use 1 quart flip-top bottles daily to make sure I drink enough water.
Recommended Products
As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases.
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Otis Swing Top Glass Bottles with Ceramic Caps – 1 Liter, 4 Pack – Clear Glass Bottle for Kombucha Fermenting, Beer Brewing, Juicing, Wine, Milk or Eggnog
Continue to Content
Homemade Electrolyte Drink w/ Citrus + Honey
Yield: 24 oz Prep Time: 5 minutes Total Time: 5 minutes
There are actually a couple of options for a homemade electrolyte drink. You can make one with just sugar, salt, and water or you can add citrus, nix the sugar and replace it with raw honey and have a healthy drink that not only rehydrates but also delivers extra vitamins!
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup fresh orange juice
- 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice (lime juice works too)
- 2 cups filtered water
- 1 tbsp raw honey
- 1/8 tsp Himalayan pink salt
Instructions
- Heat 2 cups of filtered water. This helps the salt dissolve quicker but is not 100% necessary because the salt will eventually dissolve on it’s own.
- I used my manual orange juicer to juice the lemon and orange. I just use all the juice I get from 1 orange and lemon. I find that warming up the water first helps the raw honey and salt dissolve, then I serve it with ice.
- Add citrus juice, salt and honey to the filtered water.
- Pour into a cup with ice or use flip top glass bottles. Mine came from Ikea. Glass flip top bottles are great if you want to store your drink for a couple days. I use 1 quart flip top bottles daily to make sure I drink enough water.
Notes
This drink is tart, not too sweet and actually refreshing, in my opinion. If your child won’t drink it, you could always add a bit more fruit juice for extra flavor or make popsicles! My kids have eaten quite a few weird popsicles just because they think they’re getting a treat!
Recommended Products
As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases.
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Drizom Citrus Lemon Orange Juicer Manual Hand Squeezer with Built-in Measuring Cup and Grater, 12OZ, Green -
Sherpa Pink Himalayan Salt – 2 lbs. Extra-Fine Grain -
Nature Nate's 100% Pure Organic, Raw & Unfiltered. Squeeze Bottle; Allnatural Sweetener, USDA Certified Organic, No Additives, Honey, 32 Oz - Otis Swing Top Glass Bottles with Ceramic Caps – 1 Liter, 4 Pack – Clear Glass Bottle for Kombucha Fermenting, Beer Brewing, Juicing, Wine, Milk or Eggnog
Did you make this recipe?
Salt in incredibly important despite what we are told. Without salt our cells can not function properly. However, table salt is not the best option when it comes to ingesting salt.
Read more HERE about the amazing benefits of Pink Himalayan Sea Salt.
As a related topic, have you ever heard of Himalayan Sole? It’s a daily method of replenishing minerals that is easy, cheap and effective!
The Function of Salt in our Bodies:
- Improves digestion
- Improves sleep
- Nervous system support
- Lowers blood pressure
- Regulates water content in the body
- Improves blood sugar levels
- Helps to balance the bodies pH
- Helps bone strength
- Balances electrolytes
- Helps intestines absorb nutrients
- Improves circulation
- Dissolves toxins
There are loads of health benefits from ingesting raw honey. Adding it into this homemade drink not only sweetens it up, it also adds a health boost.
Benefits of Raw Honey
- Contains natural antibioitics
- Helps with allergies (especially if it’s local)
- Anti Inflammatory
- Anti fungal
- Anti bacterial
- Balances blood sugar
- Lowers blood pressure
- Aids digestion
- Strengthens immune system
When you add citrus juice like lemon, lime or orange you are also getting a boost of Vitamin C. Taking extra vitamin C can possibly help boost your immune system and shorten the duration of an illness.
And if you’re like me and love citrus, check out my recipe for my Sunshine Kale Smoothie! It’s one of my favorites but still is full of nutrition!
Also, did you know that coconut water is fantastic at restoring hydration? If you’re not up for making your own homemade electrolyte drink, grabbing some coconut water will help greatly and go much further than drinking plain water.
>>>These homemade electrolyte recipes aren’t recommended for children under 1.
Hopefully this natural electrolyte drink will come in handy next time you or your loved ones get sick. You don’t mess with dehydration!
Cheers to good health!
PIN IT!!!
