Ditch the Gatorade, too. Up until recently Gatorade drinks included brominated vegetable oil, a synthetic chemical that has been patented in Europe as a flame retardent. It was used as a flavor emulsifier and helped to distribute that beautifully synthetic-looking color throughout the bottle. So sure, hydrate with Gatorade after a sinful night of drinking or after a beastmode workout at the gym if you're still not turned off by it entirely. Research shows that BVO may be stored in human tissue and can contribute to behavioral and reproductive issues linked to large doses of this synthetic chemical (Hsu, Los Angeles Times). While Gatorade has ditched BVO, it's safe to say there's nothing natural about what's in those bottles. If you're looking to get those electrolytes and hydrate safely, coconut water is your go-to.
Coconut water benefits:
* Hydration
* Helps with digestion and metabolism
* Anti-aging, anti-carcinogenic, anti-thrombotic effects, anti-bacterial, anti-fungal
* Great source of B-complex vitamins such as riboflavin, niacin, thiamin, pyridoxine, and folates (Coconut Water Nutrition Facts)
* Breaks up kidney stones/is a kidney-cleanser (my favorite!)
Doctors will sometimes tell me to "stay ahead of the pain" by taking a dose of medication before the pain becomes unbearable again. By sedating my kidneys, I buy myself time and I don't have to take as many drugs. Even after a few days of taking pain killers (yes, the passing process may take days) I begin to get awful headaches, cold sweats, shakes, and experience dizziness, nausea, and ringing in my ears if I no longer *need* the medication. It's truly scary how little time it takes and how easy it is for our bodies to become used to something so harmful.
Check out some of the additional links I've provided below for more information on these topics. I could go on forever but hopefully what I've provided here will encourage you to do some research for yourself!
Kidney stones melt away with coconut water
CNN- worse than childbirth
6 Ways to prevent stones
Energy Medicine- what is it and how does it work?
"Coconut Water Nutrition Facts." nutrition-and-you.com . N.p., n.d. Web. 28 May 2013. <http://www.nutrition-and-you.com/coconut-water.html>.
Hsu, Tiffany. "Gatorade pulls ingredient linked to flame retardant." Los Angeles Times. N.p., 25 Jan. 2013. Web. 28 May 2013. <http://articles.latimes.com/2013/jan/25/business/la-fi-mo-gatorade-flame-retardant-20130125>.