Electrolytes: Realign Your Post Workout Recovery

The thermometer has been in the triple digits recently, and unfortunately for us, it doesn’t seem like the heat is going to give up anytime soon. Working out in this weather does burn more calories, but we’re also sweating out crucial water and electrolytes. You probably think of the sidelines sports cliche. Football coach being doused with a thermos of Gatorade after the big game, when you think of electrolytes. There is a reason though, why this drink is a must for a athletes.

As the body loses electrolytes through sweat, the imbalance can result in symptoms like muscle cramps, fatigue, nausea, and mental confusion. If the electrolyte supply stays low, muscles may not fully recover, and could explain why the next day is a little painful to walk. It’s all about keeping your body in balance. Losing electrolytes means your body needs more sodium, potassium, magnesium, calcium, and bicarbonates to help retain fluids, and maintain proper fluid balance. 

Why are these guys so important to replenish?

Sodium

If you loose too much sodium while sweating, it can lead to muscle cramps, and in some cases hyponatremia (low blood sodium) – both can lead to a decrease in performance, and can cause major health complications. Sodium is critical for maintaining fluid balance, nerve function, muscle contractions, and acid-base balance.

Potassium

Potassium together with sodium helps alleviate and prevent muscle cramps.

Calcium

We know calcium is crucial for healthy bones, but did you you know it also know it has a major impact on the metabolism of essential nutrients, and proper physiological functions. It regulates muscle contractions and heart rhythm during periods of intense working out.

Magnesium

Similar to how sodium and potassium function together, magnesium and calcium do the same. Calcium is essential for muscle contractions; magnesium aids in helping muscles relax.

Bicarbonates

Sodium bicarbonate buffers lactic acid in the blood. During exercise, lactic acid builds up which stresses the anaerobic glycolysis energy system. When this energy system becomes disrupted, the acid accumulations inhibit muscle contractions, which leads to fatigue. Replenish your sodium bicarbonates and good bye fatigue. You’ll also be enhancing your endurance capacity.

You start losing electrolytes about an hour into working out, making those studios classes a sweet spot. You might not be on the field like a football player, but taking an intense spx pilates class, followed by a day in the heat makes workout recovery necessary. Nobody wants those sore muscles the next day.

Don’t think a sugary sports drink is the only way to give your body some post workout love. You can eat your way to electrolyte recovery with these five foods to increase electrolytes naturally. 

Most fruits and vegetables

Apples, corn, beets, carrots and green beans, are all rich in electrolytes. Other electrolyte-laden fruits and veggies include limes, lemons, oranges, sweet potatoes, artichokes, and all types of squash and tomatoes.

Nuts and seeds

Most nuts and seeds are very high in electrolytes. Add some almonds, cashews, walnuts, sesame seeds, sunflower seeds, peanuts, hazelnuts, pumpkin seeds or pistachios to workout bag, and your muscles will thank you.

Beans

Lima, red, mung, white and pinto beans are the highest in mineral-rich electrolytes.

Dark Leafy Greens

Most greens are a great source of the major required electrolytes. Spinach, in particular, is high in minerals. You can choose from kale, beet greens, mustard greens, bok choy and chard, to name a few. Each of these greens holds sodium, calcium, potassium, magnesium, as well as “prebiotics” that foster good gut flora and digestion.

Bananas

A great source of electrolytes. Potassium is a key form of electrolytes, and this sweet fruit it one of the richest sources of potassium on the planet.

If you want to drink your electrolytes without adding unnecessary calories try one of this DIY recipes.  

Cucumber Lime Electrolyte Refresher

½ cucumber

2 limes, peeled

1½ cups coconut water

Juice the cucumber and lime in a juicer. Mix the juice with coconut water. Enjoy chilled or over ice.

Homemade Gatorade Recipe

3 cups water

1 cup orange juice

1/2 cup lemon juice

3 Tbsp honey

1/2 tsp salt

Toss all ingredients in a blender and mix well. Enjoy chilled or over ice.

Watermelon Electrolyte Booster

1 quarter of a watermelon, seeded

2 large glasses of coconut water

A pinch of Himalayan sea salt

Blend all ingredients in a high-speed blender. Enjoy!

Herbal Cooler

4 cups herbal tea (something citrus preferably)

2-4 Tbsp raw honey or maple syrup

1/4 tsp. sea salt

A few drops of trace mineral drops, such as Concentrace (optional)

Mix all ingredients thoroughly, and store in the fridge. Drink chilled or over ice.

DIY Electrolyte Sports Drink

1/2 liter of ginger water (recipe below)

1 liter of water

Juice of 3 small lemons

1/2 tsp. sea salt (you can add a bit more if you’d like)

Stevia to taste

Ginger Water:

1 medium-sized ginger root

1 liter of water

Liquid Stevia, to taste

Cut ginger into large coins and place into a large pot. Add water. Bring water to a boil, then simmer for 15 minutes. Turn off heat and let steep until cool. Add liquid stevia to taste and store in airtight container in the fridge.

Whether you’re running outdoors or inside an air conditioned studio, making sure you’re hydrated and electrolyte balanced will make for happy muscles, and a happy you. We can’t control the weather, but at least we can control how well we treat ourselves. 

Kind Bars: More Than About The Nuts?

 

Random adventures always seem to lead to those gas station, convenience store purchases. Not ideal, but when starvation hits, fuel is necessary. You walk down the aisle and power bars, protein bars, snacks bars galore. After you heard about Kind bars coming under fire, from the FDA this week, would you pick one up?

If you’re not completely caught up on the controversy, the Food and Drug Administration let the makers of Kind know, their bars "do not meet the requirements for use of the nutrient content claim 'healthy’ on a food label" under the law.

    "Your website states, 'There’s healthy. There’s tasty. Then there’s healthy and tasty' and 'all of our snacks are pretty much the nirvana of healthful tastiness.' In addition, your webpage for the Kind Peanut Butter Dark Chocolate + Protein product states 'KIND Peanut Butter Dark Chocolate + Protein is a healthy and satisfying blend of peanuts and antioxidant-rich dark chocolate.' However, none of your products listed above meet the requirements for use of the nutrient content claim 'healthy' that are set forth in 21 CFR 101.65(d)(2).”

The FDA is questioning the labeling on four of their bars — Fruit & Nut Almond & Apricot, Fruit & Nut Almond & Coconut, Kind Plus Peanut Butter Dark Chocolate + Protein, and Kind Plus Dark Chocolate Cherry Cashew + Antioxidants. The reason the FDA says Kind bars aren't healthy enough for the label? Fat content. In order to label a food as healthy, the FDA says the food must contain 1 gram or less saturated fat and no more than 3 grams total fat. The four Kind bars listed contain between 2.5 and 5 grams of saturated fat and between 9 and 13 grams of total fat. 

Kind addressed the FDA concerns on their blog by saying,

“Nuts, key ingredients in many of our snacks and one of the things that make fans love our bars, contain nutritious fats that exceed the amount allowed under the FDA’s standard. This is similar to other foods that do not meet the standard for use of the term healthy, but are generally considered to be good for you like avocados, salmon and eggs.”

People are calling the FDA guidelines outdated. It currently doesn’t include nuts in a healthful diet. Even though research shows increased nut consumption has been associated with a reduced risk of major chronic diseases, including cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes.

If you’ve been reading the comment boards, about the Kind bar controversy, the discussions are getting heated. When you  compare a Snickers bar and a Kind Peanut Butter Dark Chocolate+Protein bar. A 2oz (60g) Snickers bar has 4.2g of saturated fat, while the Kind Peanut Butter Dark Chocolate+Protein bar has 40g with 3.5g saturated fat. So, normalized it makes the Snickers bar ~7g/100 and the Kind bar ~9g/100 of saturated fat. Pretty interesting, right? Where the Snickers bar doesn’t win is when it comes to carbohydrates. The Snickers bar has 60g/100 compared to KIND's 40g/100. 

The binding of ingredients is where the danger of food products is. Bars sit on shelves, and their expiration date isn’t exactly a couple of days. We know fresh, raw ingredients are the best, and preservatives are the dangers to avoid when it comes to grocery shopping. 

Nutritionist Marion Nestle says the FDA isn’t questioning the nuts in Kind bars. What the problem comes is, “A honey smoked almond bar, for instance, doesn't have chocolate, as some of their bars do, but does contain honey and molasses. Honey is added sugar. These are candy bars," said Nestle. 

The FDA’s questioning of Kind’s “Healthy” label is definitely a game changer. With so many breakfast bars, energy bars, and etc. out there it’ll have an impact. It’ll definitely be interesting to see what the exact breakdown of ingredients is in these Kind bars. Is it more than just about the nuts? We’ll find out. 

In the meantime, maybe it wouldn’t be such a bad idea to leave the house every am with some fresh fruit, and maybe a ziplock baggie of some raw almonds. You’ll thank your lucky stars when you and your girlfriend decide to run some errands, and L.A. traffic just isn’t your friend.