homemade-erade

I've always been a bit of a runner. I ran in high school because of various sports and then on and off throughout my adult life. It keeps me fit, gets me outside, and helps take my mind off of the many (many) tasks of my life as a student. And I am currently training for a half marathon! Woo-hoo! About four years ago I ran the Maui Oceanfront half marathon and now I'm at it again. My next 13 mile task to tackle is about a month away and will be here on Oahu. That means the training runs are getting longer and the need to stay hydrated in the Honolulu heat is essential.

I have never been a big fan of sports drinks but with these long runs comes some severe dehydration. I find that any run over 5 miles puts me at risk of a hankering headache either later that day or even sometimes the next day. I'm almost positive that these headaches are due to do my fluid and electrolyte loss and their inadequate replenishment. Hence the sports drink.

A general rule of thumb for a sports drink is 6% carbs for fast glucose replacement and 80-100 mg of sodium per serving due to the loss in sweat. While a sports drink like Gatorade can supply hydration, sugar, and electrolytes, along with them comes preservatives and artificial colors and flavors. Not exactly ingredients we want to be fueling our bodies with, right? I'm more into the real thing, real colors, real flavors, and naturally occurring electrolytes in real food.

So here it is...

homemade-erade:

in a 1 quart mason jar add

• 1/2 cup black cherry juice, cranberry juice, or other 100% juice of your choice
• 1/8 tsp salt
• 1 Tbsp maple syrup
• 1 orange (half juiced, half sliced)
• top up with filtered water

And refrigerate.

Nutrition Facts:

This includes the whole quart, orange slices and all

• 197 calories
• 47 g total carbohydrates
• 37 g sugar
• 296 mg sodium
• 507 mg potassium 

This comes to about 5% carbs by weight and makes four 8 oz servings. These were calculated using the USDA Food database and nutrition panels on the juice and the maple syrup. Numbers will vary depending on what type and brand of juice you choose to use, the size and type of orange you use, and your salt measuring skills (because most measuring spoon sets only go down to 1/4 tsp) so don't get caught up in the numbers. I made this on the lighter side so if you are working out at a super high intensity there is room to vamp up the glucose (by adding more juice or maple syrup) and/or the sodium content (though you probably won't want more than 1/4 tsp per quart). As long as you are using real fruit juice and real fruit you are getting plenty of potassium. But play around with it and find what works for you!

Now get up and start moving and sweating so you can put your new sports drink to the test!