At this time of year everyone seems to be coming down with colds, stomach bugs and general illness. The lack of warmth and natural sunlight plays a huge factor in catching germs.
I have always been a little sceptical about taking loads of pills or medicine and even more so when my children have to take medicine. The fact that we are pumping our children (who are prone to catching colds more often than us bigger people) with unknown ingredients is a little unnerving.
I came across this all natural remedy which aids a multitude of ailments, as well as helping with rehydration after sports. The magic lies in the understanding of electrolytes in our body and the important role they play.
Electrolytes are basically salts – specifically the ions in salt. You can Google what electrolytes are and how they effect our bodies, but in general they are what our cells use to maintain voltages across cell membranes and to carry electrical impulses across our body (e.g heart muscles pumping, body muscles moving etc).
In a nutshell, the more salt we lose in our body the less effectively our body functions. This applies to when we are ill as well as when we lose sweat through exercise. These lost salts need replenishing.
HOW TO MAKE YOUR OWN ELECTROLYTE DRINK
This is an ideal natural cold or stomach flu remedy and natural sports drink, especially good for children and post exercising.
Ingredients
- 4oz freshly squeezed orange juice
- 2oz freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 16oz of water (filtered or purified) or natural coconut water
- 2 tbsp organic raw honey or organic maple syrup
- 1/8 tsp Himalayan Pink salt or Celtic sea salt
Put all ingredients in a blender and...well blend! That's it.
Take a glass of this every few hours if you have been exercising or been ill. Keep it in the fridge, should last about a week.
Disclaimer: this is not medical advice. Please seek medical advice if you are allergic to certain ingredients.