Can anyone suggest any good source to replenish electrolytes?
The reason I am asking - I saw my naturopath today (who is doing acupuncture to treat my plantar fasciitis) and of course, she is looking at the bod as a whole and not just the affected foot. So among other stuff, she did my body analysis and the machine that she uses spits out a lot more than just the usual info re BMR, BF%, amount of fat, amount of lean muscle mass, etc.
Turns out while I seem to be well hydrated, I lack water on the intracellular level and I have way too much water on the extracellular level, which, she says, is a way the body fights with toxins (by trying to dilute them). To make a long story short .... she suggested this supplement to replenish my electrolytes (as it is one way to increase the intracellular water) and sold me a container of Endura. Later, when I looked at it, I decided right away that I am taking it back because one scoop contains 29 grams of carbs and has 120 calories. (It turns out that in addition to the electrolytes is also contains an unhealthy dose of FRUCTOSE).
I am starting to feel that she treats me like a cash cow. The container cost $44 and it is good for 19 servings only. But it is the carbs & calories that really irritate me. Especially when she told me that I wouldn't want to get my electrolytes from Gatorade because it is full of SUGAR and other crap. Hah!!!
In general, I am not opposed to doing something about my electrolytes because I do sweat like a pig with even a slight amount of exercise.
Hi there!
If you want to replenish your electrolytes, you can go to your drugstore to the stomach section and get something called GASTROLYTE. It is a sugar-free powder that you mix with plain water. It is used when people become dehydrated from vomiting and/or GI distress and is specifically an electrolyte replacement powder.
It is cheap, and I use it every so often because of my hot yoga (massive sweating). It costs around $10 for 10 "servings", which comes down to a dollar a dose
It doesn't taste so good but it is cheap and calorie-free and is available over the counter. I've mixed it with sugar-free Kool Aide, too. But I usually just mix it according to the package directions and chug it down. They also have a citrus flavor that is sweetened with aspartame. But even that doesn't taste so good
I personally don't think you need to replace electrolytes unless you are doing more than an hour of serious, intense exercise. Anything less than that can be handled by diet. However, if you are on the 'borderline" and are doing this type of exercise 5 or 6 days a week, I would be using it once every week or so. Anything more, and you may be overdoing it, and in the world of electrolytes, too many can be as problematic as too few...
This may sound silly, but a good kosher dill pickle seems to solve my problem. At 5 calories, it's very cheap. I think what I'm missing is the sodium, and it provides plenty. I have one (with half a banana....sugar) before cross fit and haven't had cramping problems or passing out problems since I started.
Thanks ladies! All answers muchly appreciated.
I will check if Gastrolyte is available here at a drugstore and I will google up Ultima. It was recommended to me to on a mailing list where I asked as well. Unfortunately, the Coconut Water is not available in Canada but if I spot it somewhere, I would sure love to try it. I drooled just when checking out their website.
Mel, I didn't realize until very recently that dill pickles are so loaded with salt.
For a while, I tried to stay away from bananas but I am slowly returning them to my diet. The hard part is to have only a half.
Tomato - Coconut water is $$ but I try to scout sales and find deals where I can. Still it is pretty pricey. It is more of a treat for me Any of our health food stores around here have them, not sure what your equivalents are to our health food stores though.
I would also agree with Mel about the banana. I eat pickles occasionally as I love them and I don't worry about sodium too much but I never thought about eating them with bananas.
Ms Tomato:
I am in Ontario (small town) and purchase my Gastrolyte at the Shoppers Drug Mart, for what it is worth. It is in the stomach remedies section near the Pepto Bismol...
Kira
Whole Foods or any general super market (not sure about Canada) have Electrolyte enhanced water in the drinks section. I recently bought couple of bottles to try from Giant Foods (previously, I've bought few from Whole Foods). I got unsweetened, citrus flavored, 0 calorie water which was electrolyte enhanced. Personally, I didn't notice any difference after I consumed it. Don't know if it did any good or not
Your kidneys (presuming you have no kidney disease) keep your electrolytes in balance and the only real way to know is to have your blood drawn for sodium, potassium and chloride.
I think she's just trying to sell you something.
Good luck
If you are a super heavy sweater AND drink a lot of water, it is possible to unbalance your electrolytes, although only a blood test can diagnosis it and only repeated testing can show if it is a chronic condition
Drink to thirst. If you are drinking water to "fill you up" or to super hydrate you CAN overhydrate. It is not all that uncommon in women who drink water and avoid sodium to be slightly unbalanced, although the body will fight hard to rebalance itself so I would say the naturopath is full of crap.
On the other hand I do personally know a long distance runner who in an effort to clean up her diet ditched potato chips - one of her few indulgences- and ended up in the cardiac ward for a week because her blood sodium slowly and steadily dropped too low and she wasnt eating enough sodium for the body to recover.
If you are exercising and are sweating a lot dont go on a low sodium diet.
Endurance athletes take things like salt tabs and electrolyte tabs that are basically pills of electrolytes and you take them with water. Running or biking stores will have them.
Question re electrolytes
but it is cheap and calorie-free and is available over the counter. I've mixed it with sugar-free Kool Aide, too. But I usually just mix it according to the package directions and chug it down. They also have a citrus flavor that is sweetened with aspartame. But even that doesn't taste so good 
