# what's a good substitute for gatorade?



## elizaMM (Nov 10, 2007)

Anti-commercialism me just can't accept a bottle of Gatorade in my birth experience, despite the fact that everyone is recommending it. I know it provides electrolytes, can't recall exactly which ones, potassium and sodium? I know pedialyte is similar, but probably tastes nasty and still involves consuming a plastic bottle, even if I find generic.







:

Surely I could brew a batch from my regular kitchen supplies?

Or perhaps there's a crunchy brand more consistent with my(our) worldview?

Thanks!!


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## sevenkids (Dec 16, 2002)

Recharge is good, but only the grape, the other flavours make women in labour throw up, IME.
If you have a store nearby that sells West Indian or UK products, Lucazade (the British sport drink) comes in glass bottles.

Emergen-C will replace electrolytes, but lacks carbohydrates, so if you find you can eat a bit through out it's fine.

You can make home-made using 2 quarts of water, 2 tbs lemon juice or a 1/2 cup fruit juice, 10 tbs sugar, and 3/4 Morton's Lite salt (contains more potassium than regular salt). It tastes like crap, but if you freeze it and crush the cubes and suck the ice chips it's tolerable.

Honestly, IME, Gatorade is the most well-tolerated as a labour drink, but only the clear flavours. The coloured ones tend to make people puke.


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## Mommy2Austin (Oct 10, 2006)

I googled "Laborade" and found a good number of recipes. Here are a few!

http://www.preciouspassage.com/laborade.htm


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## Ironica (Sep 11, 2005)

Glaceau makes a line of electrolyte drinks that are at least a lot less icky than Gatorade. Smart Water is unflavored, and just has the electrolytes; FruitWater has natural fruit flavors and a small amount of actual sugar to sweeten it, so it tastes like Gatorade but without all the chemical colors and stuff. It's still plastic, but at least the text on the bottles tends to be amusing. ;-)


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## A&A (Apr 5, 2004)

It may help you to know that Gatorade started out "crunchy" --it was made for the Florida Gators football team to combat dehydration. There was no thought of marketing it at first.

Unlike all the other "sports drinks" which were specifically made to be marketed.


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## Serenity Now (Mar 29, 2004)

There was a study recently about different hydrating drinks and what works the best. They had athletes exert themselves until they were exhausted and then gave them various things to drink, like water, gatorade, soda, milk, chocolate milk, etc. They found (oddly enough) that the most hydrating drink was actually chocolate milk, and that Gatorade had a dehydrating effect. It actually makes perfect sense because in order to sustain hydration you need liquid, sugar, sodium, and protein, and chocolate milk has all of that.

And here's just a small little factoid for you. My dh has done humanitarian work in developing countries, and what they use to orally hydrate for cholera may surprise you (yes, it is possible to keep hydrated without an IV!). It's one tablespoon of rice and one gallon of water boiled until the rice is soft. Strain out the rice, and drink it. I doubt any of us are willing to go that far for a hydrating drink, though.


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## Kitten (Jan 10, 2005)

Emergen-c makes an electrolyte drink powder. DH loves it, I think it's


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## wednesday (Apr 26, 2004)

I love the orange-flavor Recharge, drank that during my labor.


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## Couz (Dec 28, 2006)

I bought the Gatorade powder and mixed the Gatorade in my Nalgene bottle. I drank it throughout labour, and didn't consume any disposable plastic bottles and didn't have the branding looking over me.

Plus, I could make it more diluted. I find it too sweet otherwise.


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## CluckyInAZ (May 4, 2004)

during my labor I wanted something warm to drink, so I drank warm water with unpasteurized apple cider vinegar and raw honey out of a thermos. To make more of a laborade out of it you could add sea salt and lemon juice. It is yummy out of the fridge too. Warm it is great on your throat if you are vocalizing a lot. It felt so great on my throat in between pushing contractions when I was making a lot of noise. I have a thermos that has a drinking spout out the top that I used.


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## Auntie_Aya (May 14, 2006)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Kitten* 
Emergen-c makes an electrolyte drink powder. DH loves it, I think it's









I like to put it in juice or flavored water instead of plain water. If you match the flavors (put a citrus-flavored packet in a citrus drink) it tastes pretty good!









Emergen-C keeps me alive during the winter!







:


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## hipmummy (May 25, 2007)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *sevenkids* 
Recharge is good, but only the grape, the other flavours make women in labour throw up, IME.
If you have a store nearby that sells West Indian or UK products, Lucazade (the British sport drink) comes in glass bottles.

Emergen-C will replace electrolytes, but lacks carbohydrates, so if you find you can eat a bit through out it's fine.

You can make home-made using 2 quarts of water, 2 tbs lemon juice or a 1/2 cup fruit juice, 10 tbs sugar, and 3/4 Morton's Lite salt (contains more potassium than regular salt). It tastes like crap, but if you freeze it and crush the cubes and suck the ice chips it's tolerable.

Honestly, IME, Gatorade is the most well-tolerated as a labour drink, but only the clear flavours. The coloured ones tend to make people puke.


I had the same experience in Labor. I could not hold down anything after that. I may stick with ginrale the next time and skip the Recharge.


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## hipmummy (May 25, 2007)

A&A;10123868 said:


> It may help you to know that Gatorade started out "crunchy" --it was made for the Florida Gators football team to combat dehydration. There was no thought of marketing it at first.
> 
> Unlike all the other "sports drinks" which were specifically made to be marketed.
> The head of my Bio department was one of the reserachers involved with Gatorade. She used to sample the sweat from the Gators bodies. It was never ment to be this overmarketed product.


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## Eben'sMama (Jun 29, 2006)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *sevenkids* 
Recharge is good, but only the grape, the other flavours make women in labour throw up, IME.

I drank Lemon Recharge throughout my labor and didn't throw up once














.


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## ~adorkable~ (Nov 7, 2007)

oh please please look into drinking nartual coconut water, with no suger added. it is one of the most amazing electrolight drinks in the world. really really amazing. (there are some coconut drinks that have lots of crap i n them)
http://www.vitacoco.com/ is a brand i have loved. it is just sooo sooo yummy. there are a few other great brands just look around


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## Mommy2Austin (Oct 10, 2006)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Rivka * 
oh please please look into drinking nartual coconut water, with no suger added. it is one of the most amazing electrolight drinks in the world. really really amazing. (there are some coconut drinks that have lots of crap i n them)
http://www.vitacoco.com/ is a brand i have loved. it is just sooo sooo yummy. there are a few other great brands just look around

I tried the coconut water (it was a brand I could get locally, but while it did have a little sugar added that was it) and it made me sick to my stomach. I felt like it is too heavy of a drink if you know what I mean.


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## sevenkids (Dec 16, 2002)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Rivka * 
oh please please look into drinking nartual coconut water, with no suger added. it is one of the most amazing electrolight drinks in the world. really really amazing. (there are some coconut drinks that have lots of crap i n them)
http://www.vitacoco.com/ is a brand i have loved. it is just sooo sooo yummy. there are a few other great brands just look around


I wouldn't have even thought about it for US mamas, but we used it in Jamaica a lot, straight from the coconut. Even babies with diarrhea tolerate it well.
I've heard that the water can be used in an IV, even, but I wouldn't try it!


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## elizaMM (Nov 10, 2007)

wow, so many answers and things to learn!

Thanks, y'all!


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## accountclosed3 (Jun 13, 2006)

i like coconut water (unsweetened, without coconut milk/meat in it). it tastes good and is very healthy for ya!


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## ~adorkable~ (Nov 7, 2007)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Mommy2Austin* 
I tried the coconut water (it was a brand I could get locally, but while it did have a little sugar added that was it) and it made me sick to my stomach. I felt like it is too heavy of a drink if you know what I mean.


i have found that the diference of the comercial mainstream versions with suger (even the slightest bits) are a huge diference from the pure natrual versions. also coconut milk is very diferent to coconut water, seems like just semantics, but in real terms it seems not to be. i think of the comercail stuff as heavy and sticky so i really know what you meen.
Though i have never given birth, i do have a really really sensitive stomach and get motion sickness and the mere sight of a passenger seat. I have one job that puts me in high stress, high temp and low humidity. Drinking this like gatorade or coconut water is a life saver and also a stomach turner. Coconut water is the winner for me ever time (when i get get really bad it is best to dilute it or anything with body temp water)
good luck


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## bluejaunte (Dec 1, 2007)

Another vote for coconut water (WATER, not MILK .. huge difference!): my lovely husband ran out to get me some the day after I gave birth and I felt exponentially better for it.

The best coconut water is what you get straight out of a young Thai coconut. The electrolyte balance is what the sports drinks are trying to emulate. It's even been used in blood transfusions!


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## ~adorkable~ (Nov 7, 2007)

another use i would add to the list, is it just helped my BFF and her 2 year old survive a stomach bug and the resulting threat of dehydration.
Since it can come in small juice boxes and does not need to be refrigerated, it is a good back up item to have in the pantry


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## pixie-n-hertwoboys (Aug 17, 2003)

my mom just had the stomach flu and did found a recipe for electrolyte drink - 5 cups water, 8 tsp sugar, 1 tsp salt and a squeeze of lemon - in a pinch it works!


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## stretch358 (Nov 5, 2007)

I have yet to have a baby but have done some extreme sports activites and cannot tolerate gadorade (too sweet). i love coconut water, but it is a bit expensive. I have found that gookinaid is really good, it is sold in powdered for at many camping stores. I work for a camping store and that is where I cam across it.


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## kerikadi (Nov 22, 2001)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *sevenkids* 
Emergen-C will replace electrolytes, but lacks carbohydrates, so if you find you can eat a bit through out it's fine.

Mix it with OJ and you're good to go


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## KarenEMT (Aug 10, 2002)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Eben'sMama* 
I drank Lemon Recharge throughout my labor and didn't throw up once














.

Me too - I drank Lemon and Orange both and had no issues.


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## applejuice (Oct 8, 2002)

OJ and brewers' yeast.


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## balancedmama (Feb 16, 2007)

I can't even tolerate coconut water when I'm not pregnant. I also notice that OJ often makes laboring women barf. There is no way I could have done it in labor, that's for sure. Yuck. Too acidic.

What worked the best for me was Recharge and RRL tea cut with water, tons of ice. I think I had both orange and grape. I drank a ton of it in labor. In fact I continued w/ the Recharge but with nettles and oatstraw after birth, w/ lactation tea in it too, for months. It was a good nursing drink for me.


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## littlelentils (Feb 15, 2007)

I am making this for my hubby post workout. I found the recipe online:

Gatorade on a Dime:

2 quarts water

1-teaspoon baking soda

1-2 teaspoon salt ( I use Sea Salt)

7 Tablespoons sugar

1 packet Sugar-Free Kool-Aid

I think I am going to leave out the sugar and kool aid.


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## delfin (Jul 11, 2007)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Rivka * 
oh please please look into drinking nartual coconut water, with no suger added. it is one of the most amazing electrolight drinks in the world. really really amazing. (there are some coconut drinks that have lots of crap i n them)
http://www.vitacoco.com/ is a brand i have loved. it is just sooo sooo yummy. there are a few other great brands just look around

yes yes yes
cures everything
i had it during my labor, straight from the coconut, but i live in mexico, and where i live its still hot


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## elizaMM (Nov 10, 2007)

Can I expect to find coconut water in a regular grocery store, or only specialty sports/natural foods? (I live in a pretty non-progressive area.)

and another thing:

Dr. Sears' http://www.askdrsears.com/html/1/T010900.asp recipe calls for calcium tablets. I have some tums with calcium, but I think I remember something about pregnant women shouldn't take those b/c they are a type of calcium that is not absorbed well or something? What kind of calcium IS good? Does that rule apply to a woman who is pregnant but not for long (i.e. in labor)?

Thanks!!!


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