Recipe For Homemade Electrolyte Solution

[lifesaver]

I searched the Internet and found this recipe on several sites--it is the easiest and lowest calorie of all the recipes and closely matches the ingredients in the commercial powder I have. You can adjust the sugar and amount of flavored drink powder to taste or use fake sugar if you prefer. Easy to make the powder and carry with you in a small container.

* 2 quarts water

* 1 teaspoon baking soda

* 1 teaspoon salt

* 7 Tablespoons sugar

* 1 packet Sugar-Free Kool-Aid

* 1/2 teaspoon salt substitute

I would use a 1/4 packet of kool-aid for a subtle taste. You can make it up and refrigerate it a gallon at a time very easily. Can you imagine a slushy using this as the liquid in the summer? mmmm

I am getting the salt substitute tomorrow.

For a laugh, I found one for horses too--lol

[Guest tearose]

I don't feel sure about this yet but a home solution would save money!

It seems it lacks potassium and magnesium and has way too much sodium.

Were you able to get the electrolyte names and values/ levels?

[scarfgirl]

a cheap electrolyte solution would be awesome.

[prettyinpink]

This recipe doesn't make any sense to me. The only electrolyte in it is the salt. The baking soda helps prevent your stomach from being upset from the salt. And if your body needs salt why would you put something in the drink (salt subsitute) that tastes salty but didn't give you any electrolytes. 7 tablespoons is a heck of a lot of sugar. I mean if its hard to get in enough calories then adding sugar makes sense but irregardless I dont see what this recipe provides for you. I feel like drinking diluted V8 splash would be much more beneficial as it has sodium, potassium, vitamins, and fructose.

[Tachy Phlegming]

I see two other electrolytes in that solution.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electrolyte

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salt_substitute

And by the by, if you have IC, bicarbonate of soda (in a higher concentration), can give you some temporary relief although I wouldn't want to rely on that as a long term solution.

I made myself some of this the other day. You may want to experiment with the ingredients a little until you get the taste right.

(And by the by, I for one, can get bad stomach pain and urinary frequency and urgency from V-8 and fruit drinks [even diluted] so I can't have those.)

[prettyinpink]

I did that calculations for you Tearose.

Each recipe of this makes 8 cups. Each cup contains

444.5 mg sodium

199 mg Potassium

30 calories

and potentially a little vitamin C depending on the brand and amount of koolaid you add.

[lifesaver]

The bicarbonate is in the Hydralyte I used to drink---it is used by extreme athletes, olympic athletes, people with MS, mountain climbers, and hikers, among many others. You could do a search and read about it--and the ingredients. Not sure if I can post a link to it here. In 2007 I was hiking 3-8 miles a day and credit this electrolyte product with helping me function in the summer heat without dizziness or my normal heat intolerance--surprised me exceedingly

Here is an article on Medicine Net that explains the role of Bicarbonate in an electrolyte solution. http://www.medicinenet.com/electrolytes/article.htm

I think it all comes down to what works for each person---our needs are very individual even if we have the same illness.

Becky