Do Kids Need to Drink Gatorade and Other Sports Drinks?

Do we really know whats in it? Watch this video to uncover what is really inside sports drinks.

Here's a great recipe for a homemade electrolyte drink without all the added sugar!This homemade electrolyte drink is perfect for those days when your kids play outside all day. Better than the store-bought stuff!

Get the homemade electrolyte recipe: https://feedingmykid.com/recipe/homemade-electrolyte-drink/

Not only do sports drinks have monopotassium phosphate, which is also used as a fungicide and fertilizer, they also have artificial food coloring and are loaded in sugar.

Your kids can drink this after a long soccer practice or just from playing outside. Instead of drinking that sugar laden Gatorade, Powerade, or other sports drinks you can make this right at home! Plus, this is way more cost effective than the store-bought stuff.

Are Organic Sports Drinks Better?

Gatorade is coming out with an organic sports drink. While it's absolutely wonderful to have less artificial flavors, know that organic sugar in excessive amounts is still harmful. A regular bottle of Gatorade has 39 grams of sugar, which is about 10 teaspoons of sugar since every 4 grams of sugar is 1 teaspoon.

According to the American Heart Association Kids Are Taking in 21 teaspoons of added sugar a day, when they should only have 3-4 teaspoons a day or less.

Too much sugar can:

Weaken Immune System
Autoimmune Diseases
Metabolic Syndrome
Stroke
Heart Disease
Alzheimers
Cause certain cancers to flourish
You can add your favorite fruits for even more flavor!

Here Are Additional Electrolytes Rich Foods:

Olives
Rye
Seaweed
Tomatoes
Lettuce
Celery
Chicken soup
Top 10 Potassium Rich Foods:

Pick fresh or dried fruits such as oranges, melons, raisins, prunes, bananas,
Oranges
Melons
Raisins
Prunes
Banana Sweet potatoes
Green leafy vegetables such as spinach and kale, peas, beans, and avocado
Coconut water
Kefir or yogurt (without added sugar)
White beans

Gatorade has done an amazing job marketing to us! Should we give our kids Gatorade? Ive seen children at baseball games, at high schools in class, and at parks drinking sports drinks.

Here are some additional resources to check out for additional information.

Sugar consumption and children:

http://newsroom.heart.org/news/children-should-eat-less-than-25-grams-of-added-sugars-daily

How to replenish electrolytes naturally?
http://foodbabe.com/2012/07/10/the-secret-behind-gatorade-how-to-replenish-electrolytes-naturally/
Make homemade Gatorade without the preservatives
http://food-hacks.wonderhowto.com/how-to/make-gatorade-home-with-no-artificial-ingredients-0165904/
Phosphate Additives in Food

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3278747/