Healthy Homemade Energy Drink

If you want a healthier and more natural energy drink, you can always depend on the best manufacturer in the world for the best ingredients- Nature. 

And you can also rely on the best owner and maker of that amazing sports drink- Yourself.

You don't need to buy commercial energy sports drink anymore for your kids or yourself that has too many ingredients that you don't want (i.e. artificial sweeteners, colors, and preservatives). 

You don't need to because you can make one, and turn it into any flavor you desire. 

Excited much? I sure am! Just hearing (actually reading) about natural homemade energy drinks pumped up my energy!

One of the Best Natural Sports Drinks--- Coconut Water! 

Coconut water has fewer calories, less sodium, and more potassium than a sports drink.

I did some research on natural sports drinks and several websites confirmed the effectiveness of plain coconut water plus a tablespoon of lime or lemon juice. 

Coconut water is considered better than commercial sports drinks because it has "fewer calories, less sodium, and more potassium than a sports drink."  

The best coconut water would be one that just came right out of the coconut, not commercially-packaged coconut water.

Also, coconut water is different from coconut milk which is squeezed from the inside pulp and used as a common ingredient in coconut-milk based recipes. 

Coconut water is from young, green coconuts. Coconut water is "low in calories and a natural source of electrolytes including sodium and potassium." The electrolyte content of coconut water is more than double that of traditional sports drinks with only half of the carbohydrates. 

Jennifer Koslo, a full-time faculty member with Kaplan University’s School of Health Sciences and a teacher of courses on Vitamins, Herbs, and Nutritional Supplements, Sports Nutrition, and Contemporary Diet and Nutrition, reviewed two studies on the use of coconut water as a fluid replacement drink. 

One study compared rehydration after exercise using young coconut water, a carbohydrate electrolyte beverage, and plain water. Results showed that drinking coconut water post-workout resulted to the same recovery level as the carbohydrate electrolyte beverage. 

The second study confirmed the results with some variation: "the sodium enriched coconut water was as effective as the sports drink in whole body rehydration."

Clearly, fresh coconut water with added sodium is a great energy drink, and I've tested it as an effective pre-, during, and post-workout drink.

In my country, the Philippines, coconut water is affordable and it is fairly accessible too. If coconut water is not available or too expensive in your area, you can whip up an alternative healthy sports energy substitute with the extra sodium needed for intense workout sessions.

Nutritious Homemade Natural Energy Drink

Here's an example of a nutritious, natural sports drink recipe without artificial flavors or ingredients from Wellness Mama.

Ingredients

• 1 quart of liquid (options: green tea, herbal teas, or plain water)
• ⅛-1/4 tsp Himalayan Sea Salt (regular table salt will be alright, but it will not have the same trace minerals as Himalayan Sea Salt)
• ¼ to ½ tsp crushed Calcium magnesium tablets or powder (optional)
• ¼ cup or more of juice (optional. Some examples are: grape, apple, lemon, lime, pineapple, etc)
• 1-2 tablespoon sweetener (optional, such as honey and stevia)

Instructions

1. Brew tea if you chose that option or prepare a slightly warm base liquid (aka water).
2. Add sea salt and calcium magnesium (if you want that in your drink).
3. Add juice and mix well.
4. Cool in the fridge until ready to use.

Example

My recipe is 1 quart of green tea, 1 fourth teaspoon of sea salt, 1 tablespoon of honey, and one fourth cup of apple juice. A practical combination for practical exercisers!

Homemade Honey Lemon Energy Drink

Another Thrifty Energy Drink 

For the most frugal energy drink, you can do away with the fruit juices. I made it with just salt, honey and water and it tasted fine. Not sweet like commercial energy drinks, but healthy-goodness fine for me. 

Simple, Healthy Energy Drinks 
It's that simple because healthy options should be simple! 

Plus, you'll love the taste of your natural sports drink too. Why? Because you'll be choosing the right mix for your specific taste! 

Sweat it out and drink natural goodness afterwards with your healthy homemade energy drink! 

What homemade energy drinks have you tried? Any natural homemade energy drink recipes you can share?