It’s been crazy hot this summer in Australia and we’re only half way through. All my life I’ve been one who perspires, a lot, and I just can’t keep the fluids up no matter how much water I drink. I lose a lot of electrolytes through perspiration so I drink a lot of coconut water but I want to share with you how to make your own electrolyte icy poles, even the kids will enjoy.
I learnt a while ago, when I was exercising excessively in the full heat of summer, that if you do perspire a lot, you’re losing valuable electrolytes and no amount of water is going to replace that. There are quite a few big brand ready-made drinks on the market just for this purpose but, to be honest, I’ve never tried one. I can’t stand the taste of them.
Even when my children have been ill from vomiting too much the doctor has prescribed electrolyte drinks or the icy poles available from the pharmacy and they’re way too expensive. So I set about making my own. The kids love them.
What are electrolytes?
Electrolytes are minerals found naturally in your body fluids, such as plasma. They’re free ions that carry an electric charge. Electrolytes maintain proper muscle and nerve function as well as fluid balance in your body. You lose electrolytes when you sweat or lose fluid from your body such as when you have diarrhoea or vomit. If you’re lacking electrolytes you might feel dizzy, weak, fatigued, confused, or experience muscle spasms, numbness, twitching or blood pressure changes. It’s important to replace the fluid and electrolytes you lose to prevent side effects. (Source) I also suffered debilitating headaches.
Coconut Water Good Source of Electrolytes
Coconut water contains the electrolytes calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium and sodium. These minerals, suspended in water, occur naturally in the fluid of the coconuts. Each of the minerals plays a different role in your body in addition to functioning as an electrolyte. Calcium, which is the most abundant mineral in the body, and magnesium, both help keep your bones and teeth strong. In addition to being electrolytes, phosphorus and potassium aid in energy metabolism and maintaining body proteins.
Even though coconut water may be a little more expensive to buy, it’s definitely way cheaper than the ready-made sports drinks and better for you. Frozen with freshly made juice and they’re just perfect for young and old to enjoy.
Buying these ready-made icy poles can be expensive as well and even though some brands say they contain 100% juice, they’re still 90% plastic and who else hates finding that ‘snipped off’ end of the plastic tube all over the house?
How to Make Them
Coconut water is readily available in the drinks aisle of the supermarket.
I just mixed 100% pineapple juice with the coconut water, about half and half. To be honest, it was very refreshing and tasted very much like a Pina Colada (without the rum and coconut cream of course).
Fill the Icy Pole Molds to just below the rim, like above.
Then pop in the freezer. Within a couple of hours, you’ll have a delicious icy treat that will quench your thirst and replenish any lost electrolytes.
You can make whatever flavour you like. We’ve also tried the following combinations:
- watermelon & pineapple
- mango and cream
- watermelon and lemonade
- orange and pineapple
- and the list goes on.
For a more grown up version, you could add a dash of alcohol but you wouldn’t want to get them mixed up with the kid’s icy poles, would you?
You can buy a pack of 6 Silicone Icy Pole Molds here.
