This homemade electrolyte drink recipe is filled with natural ingredients that are a healthy and delicious way to rehydrate during menopause.
Hot flashes, night sweats, and increased body temperature contribute to electrolyte imbalances.
Sports drinks, synthetic electrolyte powders, and even some coconut water can be filled with added sugar, harmful ingredients, and artificial food dye.
Amount of Water In Our Bodies
Water makes up 60-70% of a healthy female's body weight in her younger years. Whereas, in a lean and healthy post-menopausal woman, only 55% of her body is made up of water.
Most of this water is found inside the cells. However, only 5% is found circulating in the bloodstream. As we age, the volume of fluid in our blood decreases.
The water found in our blood stream is responsible for some big things:
- regulating fluids (think swollen ankles here)
- how thirsty we get (or no thirst at all)...we actually lose our thirst sensation as we age!!!!
- our blood pressure
Low Estrogen and Dehydration
Both hormones estrogen and progesterone, are essential in body fluid regulation, heart function, and how our blood pressure responds to sodium.
As women transition through menopause, the ovaries produce less and less estrogen.
The decline of these hormones impacts many functions of the body including fluid regulation and electrolyte levels.
What Are Electrolytes
Electrolytes are essential minerals and necessary for many functions in the body.
Muscle contractions, overall hydration, and even your immune system rely on electrolytes.
They carry electrical charges and balance the body's voltage, like little spark plugs.
Ultimately, electrolytes' primary role is fluid regulation since they only work when they come in contact with a fluid (e.g., water).
If you are dehydrated and do not take in enough fluids, you can become deficient in electrolytes.
If this happens, you might experience:
- muscle cramps
- high blood pressure
- muscle weakness
- irregular heartbeat
The 5 Important Electrolytes and their Function
Each of the electrolytes in our bodies have a very special function. They contribute to a woman's body during pre-menopause, menopause, and post-menopause.
Sodium
When sodium levels get too high, the kidneys get stimulated, making you urinate.
When it is too low, the kidneys stimulate the adrenal glands to produce a hormone that triggers more potassium excretion which lessens the urge to urinate.
When you have trouble regulating your sodium levels, you can become dehydrated.
If you drink too much water, you can become "water intoxicated."
Sodium sensitivity rises during the menopausal transition, leading to fluid retention of the legs, hands, and under the eyes.
However, adding a pinch of sea salt to plain water first thing in the morning can be a fantastic reboot to start your day!
Potassium
Potassium is more like a mineral. It is considered an electrolyte because it has a slight electrical charge. It has a strong relationship with sodium in helping to regulate fluids.
As a woman ages, she loses the ability to break down carbohydrates. Therefore, potassium is an essential mineral to help metabolize carbohydrates, especially those considered simple carbs (white flour, refined sugars, etc.)
A potassium deficiency can lead to:
- an increase in blood pressure
- risk of developing kidney stones
- loss of bone density
- urinating calcium
- salt sensitivity
One other major issue is that stress can deplete potassium. Anxiety and stress increase adrenal hormones, which have a negative effect on potassium. Practices such as stress management can be a healthy way to stop the potassium decline in the system.
Phosphorous
Your teeth and bones are made up of about 85% of all the phosphorous in your body. Phosphorous helps calcium to produce bone. As women go through menopause, they can lose up to 1/3 of their entire bone mass, making this an essential electrolyte for bone health as we age.
One excellent effect of this mineral is that it helps to decrease post-exercise soreness. When you have a deficiency of phosphorous, you can experience:
- fatigue
- difficulty recovering from a workout
- exercise intolerance
Unfortunately, many mass-produced packaged goods contain high amounts of phosphorous. This is because monopotassium phosphate is commonly used as a preservative. Large amounts of phosphorous can contribute to kidney disease.
Large amounts of phosphorous can contribute to:
- kidney disease
- mouth numbness
- itchy skin
- weak bones
Magnesium
All hail to this electrolyte! Did you know there are over 11 forms of magnesium!? All of which can be taken as a dietary supplement but finding the right one for you takes some time and research.
70% of the magnesium consumed will be excreted within 24 hours. The fast rate of its elimination contributes to why many people are considered magnesium deficient.
Three-quarters of Americans do not take the recommended daily intake of magnesium. As a result, it is known as the "forgotten electrolyte."
Bone tissue is the largest store of magnesium that we consume. Therefore, magnesium can be a great daily addition to slow the rate of bone loss during menopause.
Magnesium contributes to:
- enhancing the bodies absorption of Vitamin C
- reduction in bloating and water retention
- assists in bone health
- detoxification of the brain when we sleep
- calm and relaxing sleep
- decrease muscle pain
Calcium
Once again, estrogen is an important hormone that helps us hold calcium in our bones. When estrogen begins to decline, the amount of calcium in our bones also decreases.
This is the primary reason why many post-menopausal women have osteoporosis, and older women have higher incidences of fractures.
Calcium is best absorbed when there is a good presence of Vitamin D in the system. Vit D helps the body absorb calcium. Think of it as a helper!
Skip the Grocery Stores and Make Your Own Homemade Gatorade
Making this DIY recipe is easier than you can imagine!
It is the best way to completely control eliminating artificial flavors, food dyes, and sugars that can damper your reproductive health.
This is good for rehydrating you on a hot summer day and can also quench your thirst as a homemade sports drink!
Nature's Gatorade goes great if you are following a training plan like HOW TO RUN A 5K IN MENOPAUSE for weight loss!
Base Ingredients: Rehydrate or Use As A Natural Sports Drink
- peeled lemons
- raw honey
- Himalayan salt
- coconut butter
- Granny smith apple
- filtered water
Optional Ingredients for Hormone Balancing
The base ingredients can be added to help with hormone balancing by using a superfood blend (which gives this drink its pink color).
Blackstrap Molasses
Even though blackstrap molasses is comprised mainly of sugar, it is unrefined. As a result, its taste isn't sweet but slightly bitter.
It is dark black in color and thick like syrup.
Molasses has a glycemic index of 55, raising blood sugar, so it should be used in moderation. However, I add this for its nutritious value, and because of its taste, I err on the side that less is more.
It is a nutritious powerhouse packed with iron, calcium, magnesium, phosphorous, potassium, and B6.
Your Super: Moon Balance Blend
Superfoods are considered to be foods that are high in nutritional value and low in calories. Using a combination of superfood powders (dried herbals) can help to improve your overall health.
Moon Balance is a blend of superfoods that are known to be adaptogens.
Adaptogens are types of plants, herbs, mushrooms that can help us "adapt" to stress. Aging and the loss of hormones in menopause is considered a stressful event.
Why not use a little support from the plant world to help us deal with the decline of hormones at this stage in life?
Electrolyte Drink Recipe: Natural Rehydration for Menopause
- Total Time: 8
- Yield: 6 1x
Description
Move over, Gatorade! Hydrating yourself shouldn’t be with artificial dyes and fake sugars or ingredients you can’t pronounce! Here is your DIY electrolyte rehydration drink with a twist for menopausal women.
Ingredients
Base Hydration Blend:
- 3 lemons – Lemon Without Peel/seeds
- 1 tbsp (21g) – Raw honey
- 1/2 tsp Salt
- 2 tsp Coconut Butter
- 1 medium Granny smith apple
- 67 ounces, Filtered Water
Optional Ingredients for Hormone Balancing:
- 1/4 tsp Molasses – Organic Blackstrap molasses
- 3 tsp – Moon Balance (Your Super)
Instructions
- Peel the rind and pith from the lemon and place in the blender
- Core and cut up the apple and place it in the blender
- Add the honey, salt, and coconut butter
- Fill the blender 3/4 full with the filtered water
Place all of these ingredients into the blender on high for 3 minutes.
Use a strainer to pour the mixture into a container and place it in the refrigerator.
Straining will help to remove any of the fibrous remains of the apple skin and pieces of the rind left over on the lemons.
You can make this drink even more potent for menopause by adding the ingredients for the blackstrap molasses and the Moon Balance superfood blend (which makes it pink in color).
Notes
Optional: Add in the blackstrap molasses (to taste). The flavor of molasses is slightly bitter and the consistency is thick. Motto: less is more in the beginning with this flavor.
Blackstrap molasses is higher in iron than eggs and has more calcium than milk. Which makes this a double win for women going through and past menopause!
Moon Balance (by Your Super) is a superfood mixture of Baobab, Maca, Hibiscus, Amla Berry, Beetroot and Shatavari. A phenomenal blend of hormone balancing adaptogens.
- Prep Time: 5
- Cook Time: 3
- Category: Drinks
- Method: Blender
- Cuisine: Drinks
Keywords: rehydration drink, electrolyte drink recipe, menopause diet
Products I Use
Moon Balance
Santevia Pitcher
Vitamin Blender
Electrolyte Drink Recipe: Natural Rehydration for Menopause
by DR. BIANCA BELDINI
July 30, 2022
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