Homemade Sports Drink

My faithful running companions

After I had all my kids I thought I would never run again. In junior high and high school I had been very active. Even through all my years of having and raising babies I tried to keep fit with aerobics. Once my youngest was weaned and not attached to my hip anymore I started walking. But running? Nope—out of the question! Until one day…. My oldest son was home from college, my next oldest was on the cross-country team and they both encouraged me to run with them. I told them they were nuts, but they prevailed at last. I went running! I went about a mile without stopping! Eight years later, I'm still going strong and am just four weeks away from running my first half-marathon! I never thought it would come to this.

We all know how important it is to stay hydrated and replenished while in such intense training. I was not comfortable drinking your typical sports drinks, you find everywhere. So a friend of mine told me about the wonders of coconut water, (not to be confused with coconut milk), it is the clear liquid inside immature coconuts. The benefits of this liquid are many; all natural, only 43 calories per cup, more potassium than a banana, and a preventative for dehydration (to name just a few).

I have also added some cherry juice to this drink. When I went to purchase the juice at the health food store there was a great article on the benefits of cherry juice after a work out. The article stated that it was great for replenishing the body after work outs and it also keeps muscle pain to a minimum!

Coconut water is pricey, and works out to be a little more than the sports drink you see in the photo above. I typically make this drink after one of my longer runs.

I have found this drink to be a huge help in my post work out time. If I'm not careful, my energy level will really dive if I don't have the proper hydration, potassium, minerals, and salts after my runs.

Homemade Sports Drink

Ingredients

• 1 cup coconut water
• 4 teaspoons black cherry concentrate or to taste* (see note at bottom)
• splash of lime concentrate
• 1/2 teaspoon sugar (more or less to taste)
• pinch of sea salt
• 2/3 cup purified water

Directions

Stir all ingredients together until salt and sugar has dissolved. Refrigerate until cold.

Yield: 1 serving (about 14 ounces)

*Note: Feel free to substitute any juice for the cherry. If using juice that is not a concentrate, you needn't add water.