We’ve been trying to find something to get more electrolytes into my daughter who has POTS/dysautonomia. She didn’t like the Gatorade/Powerade classics when we first started learning about/suspecting the condition (too sweet). We’ve tried others like Liquid IV and Drip Drop but she didn’t like those because of the sugar alternatives they use (weird aftertaste). We were going to try LMNT as another recommended option but saw they use stevia and that’s also a no-go. I did notice their website lists a DIY recipe, and I suspect that might be the least expensive way to go. Annoyingly, the recipe is listed using both mass and volume measurements, but I suppose that can be dealt with/converted. If we don’t find a better option for her soon I’m starting to think we’ll just try to make our own from this recipe.
Hydro Homies
Water is great
I have tried a few DIYs even juices from fruit and honestly my go to is always body armour and I hate it simply for the plastic bottle and the cost but also drinking them as often as I need the taste gets old. Nothing else hydrates as good for me. Its horrible having to go through many powders and types to find something that works. The only sweetener that isn't artificial comes form a plant is Stevia leaf extract its the lesser evil you might say. Its easiest on the GI tract without any lingering aftertaste that I notice. I'm looking to go full DIY with supplements and water if I have to. Anything to maintain hydration at this point product, drink, powders, IV attached at the arm on a pole lol. I have never heard of that brand. I'm going to search a bit on them. I hope you and your daughter do well. Chronic health issues are so very depleting.
Pickle juice. Also, pickles.
Sauerkraut
I work outside doing physical labor, I maintain a giant jar of pickles at work and home. There is no better relief when I am feeling crampy after a hot hot day than a giant swig from the pickle jar.
I still do pickle juice. Not just for thirst but taste of that giant swig is refreshing for sure. Not often as digestive issues get to me. It does work though.
Cheapest I've been using is LoSalt: 33% table salt and 66% potassium salt - 4 grams of the stuff per 2 liters of water.
What about missing out on all the other vitamins, minerals, to have it completely balanced as far as the list of what gets depleted when your severely dehydrated over time. Have you had an issues using your formula longterm?
Not sure why there are downvotes here. Vitamins, minerals, and salts get washed out overtime especially flooding with water in the system can throw things off quick. Something balanced is ideal to keep up on all needed electrolytes. This is for a serious health condition. Not a run through the park.
For serios health issues you should consult your doctor. I've been having salty water like that while fasting for a maximum of 3 consecutive days in order to avoid feeling lightheaded, so that's not nearly long enough to deplete my body's vitamin reserves.
I see multiple specialist and am in the hospital for testing regularly. Most of them recommend pedialyte or to keep drinking the body armours I drink.
Is this the sort of thing you're looking for?
https://www.drkarafitzgerald.com/recipe/super-hydrating-electrolyte-formula/
I'm not looking for anything in particular. Just the cheapest route to severe electrolyte loss preferably something that balanced for vitamin, mineral, salt. I'm OK with formulas and DIYs or off the shelf products. Healthiest, then cost. As I require intense daily electrolytes for medical reasons.
I can't speak to it being cheap or expensive relative to other options but I buy Tailwind to mix with water when I'm going on long hikes.
I'll check them out. Thanks. After review their not positive their gluten free. Which for me won't work. Or I'd have to trial and error each one and take the chance of getting sick to know. I should ammend my post.
As a fellow GF human because of a colitis condition, the LMNT works well for me. I usually mix it with 2-3x the water recommendation to chill out the taste a bit, but it works wonders. My whole family has a genetic issue that leaves us super vulnerable to dehydration, but I can’t stand chugging so much sugar all the time from other “sports” drinks. LMNT and just DIY electrolyte drinks (water, salt, lemon) have helped a lot.
I checked them out. Think I might give them a shot. I have a genetic issue as well. Its the root of all my issues which has led to cascade failure.
The various lite salts, low sodium, sold in most grocery stores. You get about a 50/50 potassium and sodium mixture. Put it in hot water. Bam energy drink
What do you mean lite salts? Specifically.
I often use molasses with a little bit of salt, that's about as cheap as you can get.
I will look into molasses. I've tried fruit squeezes like lemon, limes, grapefruit, watermelon juice, cucumbers, and others. Doesn't cut it for my needs. I deal with like super dehydration. It can onset rapidly with my health conditions.
Fruit juice has vitamins and other micronutrients, but it doesn't necessarily have that elemental salt profile.
Blackstrap is the good stuff, it's got potassium, calcium, magnesium, sodium, iron. Because of how it is produced, it has lots of the impurities of the sugar concentrated in it. Sorghum molasses is okay but not as good for this as blackstrap is. Take a look at the nutrition facts, and you'll see a bunch of quantities for stuff that's on the periodic table. I suspect various other concentrates might have similar properties.
Typically I add maybe 20g molasses per liter of water, with another 10g of iodized salt or baking soda or cream of tartar (potassium hydrogen tartrate).
I had a health condition for a while that had me carrying salt water on my person for a year, just as a precaution.