Which Is Best Drink Other Than Water To Keep You Hydrated

[blobbydodger]

I live in the UK and am fortunate that there is a stockist of gatorade just around the corner from me, but what drink do you guys recommend to keep someone with POTS hydrated.

[griffism]

I usually try to buy either the low calorie Gatorade or the zero calorie PowerAde because of their salt content. However, I also buy pure salt tablets from Amazon and let them dissolve in them so that I can further raise the salt content. It works really well to keep me hydrated and tastes really good!! Hope this helps

[LastUnicornLady]

I drink Gatorade to keep me hydrated, and actually appreciate the calorie content, because I have trouble with loss of appetite and unwanted weight loss.Of course, your good-ole' water is always good, and although it tends to be more expensive, I LOVE Smartwater. It tastes better to me, which encourages me to drink more of it.

[Bigskyfam]

Powerade zero/ broth

[Chaos]

My doc recommended NUUN tablets which you can buy online and at some stores. They come in lots of flavors and have less sugar than gatorade. They are portable, so are easy to take along and dissolve in a bottle of water when you need it.

While I prefer to drink plain water, my doc has stressed that at least half of my fluid intake should have electrolytes in it.

[srb]

I also prefer Gatorade (only the 'Frost' kind) and appreciate the calories that come with it. Water is very tough for me... just don't care for it much.

Stefanie - are those Thermotabs? I'm trying those, but never thought of dissolving them! They're pretty hard to swallow.

Chaos - the NUUN tablets sound interesting, thanks. I've never heard of them.

[Becia]

I'm a Gatorade gal, although I have issues with the flavor. I struggle with being allergic to artificial sweeteners, so very few things out there I can have. Broths, V8 juice are also good, if you can tolerate it. I can do chicken broth, but V8 I struggle with the flavor. I like to cook with it more... I use it as the base of my stew/veggie soup, as well as some in my chilli.

[imre]

I use Nuun tablets, they are sugar free. Probably better for your teeth. Full of electrolytes.

[MomtoGiuliana]

I found that coconut water works best for me. Sometimes I will add a little salt. Coconut water is much higher in potassium than gatorade. You can buy it dried and reconstitute although it doesn't taste as good that way. It is more expensive than gatorade. I don't drink it every day, but I keep it on hand for days I am not doing as well. Personally I also prefer it I think b/c it does not contain artificial color or flavor or sweeteners.

Here's an interesting piece about the use of coconut water for rehydration. Seems there is a bit of hype involved in the marketing, not surprisingly. But it still does have valuable properties.

http://www.npr.org/blogs/health/2011/08/15/139638930/saved-by-the-coconut-water-parsing-coconut-waters-medical-claims

[artluvr09]

Gatorade and non caffeinated chrystal light but get the sugar ones the sugar free have bad fake sugar in them.

[Lethargic Smiles]

I drink broth or (pre-packaged) tomato juice if I am in need of sodium. They both tend to have more sodium than sports drinks and less junk in them. If I don't need a hit of sodium, I stick to water. I drink one glass of unsweetened almond milk a day as a change of pace from all of the water.

I keep my refined sugar consumption minimal because it is hard on the body. The sports drinks have so much of it! I used to rely on sugar to keep my weight up, but I've found other ways and my stomach is more cooperative lately. I also dislike putting zero calorie sweeteners into my body even natural ones, but everyone is different.

Pay attention to your other electrolytes too. Potassium can be found in potatoes, avocados, and bananas. I supplement with magnesium, but black beans, some nuts and seeds, quinoa and spinach are all good sources. Calcium I supplement and also get from foods such as spinach and fortified almond milk since I don't do dairy.

[gjensen]

I enjoy the coconut water, and it was a big help to me early on. It is not cheap, so I have cut back on it. It is still part of my day. Generally one 11oz can.

[BeforeTheMorning]

I've lately been trying GU Brew Electrolyte Tablets, which are a lot like the NUUN tabs that others have mentioned. They don't have quite as much sodium as a NUUN tabs but they are only sweetened with natural sweetener which I find better for me.

[*Merlin*]

Has anyone tried Viridian Sports Electrolyte Fix Liquid (100ml). It contains sodium, magnesium and potassium. Use by adding 2.5-10ml to one litre of water. I'm thinking of giving it a go but it would be nice to hear from someone who's used it. If not, I don't mind being the guinea pig, I guess :-)!

[yogini]

Organic chicken broth for me

[griffism]

srb- I use the Sodium Chloride 1 Gm 100 tablets by Consolidated Midland Corp because the extras in Thermotabs make me sick. So, the plain sodium chloride works better for me and dissolves easily in Gatorade with or without calories depending on how my diet is going that day. Hope this helps

Stefanie

[blobbydodger]

Thankyou so much for all your answers, You have all given me plenty to be thinking about and in the mean time i have started to use the powerade zero and gatorade brands which seems cheap locally. I appreciate the time you all took to answer my question.....this site is awesome!!