How to Make Your Own Sports Drinks

I am very active. I've tried the typical sports drinks but I don't like them. To me, they taste like artificial juice drinks with too much salt. I know this can't be good for me. And I know that there is research out there that suggests that the ingredients contained in them are actually beneficial. But I don't care. I just don't agree. Refined sugar is refined sugar and it will always not be a very good choice.

So, I've started making my own sports drinks out of my favorite herbs. I find these to be energizing and refreshing and they make me feel healthy. Here's how you make them.

Things You'll Need

• Tea bags (or loose herb) of choice. Herbs to try include stinging nettle, dandelion leaves, peppermint, green tea, mate and ginger
• Raw honey or local honey (of different flavors if you want)
• Natural fruit juice at health food stores and even in the supermarket.
• A pinch of sea salt You can leave this out if you already consume a lot of high sodium foods.
• Water

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Instructions

Instructions

• 1

  Choose one tea from the list. Each of the herbs listed are beneficial in some way so choose one that suits your needs.

  * Stinging Nettle - helps strengthen and heal connective tissue
  * Dandelion leaves - are a good source of potassium which are needed while doing strenuous activity
  * Peppermint - the scent of the peppermint leaves is stimulating and can enhance workout performance
  * Green tea and mate - both are energizing. Green tea has caffeine and some antioxidants, too
  * Ginger - is a good thing to add if you are working out in the winter because it helps keep you warm. It's also energizing.

• 2

  After you decide on the herb, place one tea bag or 2 teaspoons of loose herb in a 2 cup glass measuring cup. Bring 2 cups of water to a boil and pour into the glass measuring cup. Let stand for 10 minutes.

• 3

  Remove tea bag or strain out the herb and pour into a glass jar. Add one teaspoon honey and one pinch of salt and stir until dissolved.

• 4

  Pour 2 cups of the natural fruit juice into glass jar and shake to distribute the flavors. Let the contents cool slightly and then refrigerate until chilled.

• 5

  Drink 8 to 16 ounces of this sports drink during your workout. Some of the herbs are a diuretic like dandelion and stinging nettle. So don't include them in your sports drink unless you stay near a bathroom.