Make Your Own Sugar-free Electrolyte Drink

If you exercise a lot, regularly visit a gym, and take a low-carb diet, you will often be asked to take sports drinks by your acquaintances. These drinks contain electrolytes, which help your body maintain a proper fluid balance. Although consuming electrolytes is good for your body, is it essential? The constant marketing of sports drinks everywhere may make you feel you’re missing out if you don’t consume these drinks. But it doesn’t make it mandatory for you to do so.

But if you’ve experienced some fluid imbalance in your body after a strict exercise routine or days of a low-carb diet, you can consider having a sugar-free electrolyte drink to feel refreshed. If you don’t want to settle with the pre-packaged options, you can easily make one home. To help you better learn whether or not you should take sugar-free electrolyte drinks for diabetics, we’ve created this resourceful guide for you. It also mentions the easiest recipe to make one for yourself at home.  Also know how to get freedom from diabetes?

Why are Electrolytes Needed For Diabetics?

Your insulin levels fall when you exercise or start having a low-carb diet. And whenever it happens, the kidney begins retaining less sodium. Since the human body releases minerals like sodium, potassium, magnesium, chloride, etc., during water excretion, you can expect to face adverse impacts due to the lack of necessary minerals in your body. It is why it becomes essential to replenish the mineral levels to a desirable level to maintain a decent healthy level. You can do it by taking any sports drink.

But if you have diabetes, we suggest preparing your own electrolyte drink at home because the packaged options are full of sugar. When you take a shot of sugar, it automatically provides quick glucose to help replenish energy stores. But it isn’t desirable for people diagnosed with diabetes since consuming sugary drinks can spike their blood sugar levels to harmful levels. Else you can look for sugar-free options in the market. Read more to know about what level of blood sugar is dangerous?

Sports Drink Ingredients

Making sports drinks is easy and takes a few steps. All you need is three ingredients, and you’re done. 

Water

The most obvious ingredient is water. After all, you want to keep yourself hydrated. 

Sugar

Sports drinks have a bad reputation for containing too much sugar, but the composition is still less than the sugar contained in other commercial beverages. For example, if a 20-ounce sports drink like Gatorade has approximately 34 grams of sugar, you can find around 69 grams in the same-sized can of a commercial drink. The reason manufacturers maintain low sugar content in sports drinks is to prevent the occurrence of gastrointestinal cramping during exercise. But the lower sugar content doesn’t make it a good option for people, especially athletes. 

Studies are still going on to learn more about the nutritional needs of people who restrict carbohydrates during exercise. Still, it is believed that during such cases, the body shifts from using carbohydrates to fat to generate the required energy. But the body can take approximately two to three weeks to complete this change. But if you try to cut your carbs suddenly, you may encounter health issues. Hence, before deciding to alter your sugar intake, always consult a professional and certified dietician.  

Also read about the best health drink for diabetes.

Electrolytes

They can be best described as molecules of essential minerals like sodium, calcium, potassium, etc. They also possess an electrical charge. The electricity generated by manipulating these molecules powers the entire nervous system. So whether it is thinking, muscle movement, or any other nervous system activity, it will require electrolytes for better functioning. You can find sugar free electrolyte powder easily in the market and use it to make your sugar-free electrolyte drink.  

Once you have all these three ingredients ready, you must mix them well in a glass. You can have this electrolyte drink once a day as a pre-workout or post-workout drink. 

Sugar-free Sports Drink Recipe For Diabetes

If You Thinking of how to make an electrolyte drink? Although you can simply mix the three ingredients mentioned above for making your own electrolyte drink without sugar for diabetics, there is a better and more delicious alternative. You can follow the recipe to make an electrolyte drink that is free from sugar and very delicious.

Ingredients Needed:

• 1 glass of non-carbonated water
• A small teaspoon of salt
• Stevia (natural sweetener)
• 2 small teaspoons of lime juice
• Electrolyte powder

Once these items are ready in your kitchen, simply mix them together to get a perfectly nutritious and delicious electrolyte drink.

FAQs

Can Diabetics Drink Pedialyte?

Keeping the body hydrated with fluids is essential, especially during hot summer days. But people with diabetes have to be careful about the drinks they consume. Since Pedialyte is a popular drink known to replenish the lost vitamin and mineral levels lost during vomiting diarrhea, it is often recommended as the perfect drink. Although it does contain some carbohydrates, the composition is not dangerous for people with diabetes. 

Can a Diabetic Drink Gatorade?

Gatorade is a drink with a significantly high glycemic index. It has a GI of 89, implying the drink can get digested, absorbed, and metabolized pretty fast. When these three processes are rapid, blood sugar levels are guaranteed to fluctuate. People with diabetes should not take the task of consuming such drinks, which can result in potential blood sugar level changes. 

What Can Diabetics Drink for Dehydration?

If you’ve been quite recently diagnosed with diabetes, there are plenty of options to keep you hydrated without affecting your blood glucose levels. You can choose to drink coconut water, sugar-free energy drinks, water mixed with lemon and salt, nut milk, fresh fruit juice, etc. You should avoid consuming packaged beverages, and even if you have to pick them, side with the sugar-free options.

Can Diabetics Drink Electrolyte Drinks?

Many brands are now selling electrolyte drinks with promising claims. But are they actually safe for people with diabetes? Well, we don’t think so. Most electrolyte drinks or powders use stevia or artificial sweeteners, which are not organic. And some electrolyte drinks even disclose that their drinks have high levels of added sugar, which can make your blood sugar levels soar. Hence, if you’re someone with diabetes, try avoiding such drinks and resort to natural options.

Bottomline

Don’t Let Exercises or Low-Carb Diet Replenish You When you exercise, you excrete water from your body in the form of sweat. It can lead you to lose some essential minerals, especially if you’re not taking the right diet. During such events, you need something to restore your energy levels and crucial minerals within your body. You can do it by taking a sugar-free electrolyte drink once a day. You can buy a sugar-free electrolyte drink from the market or make one yourself using the recipe shared above.