Whether you are new to recognizing the need to stay hydrated or have tried other formulas but weren’t sure whether it was right for you or giving you optimal performance, here is a quick guide to help you navigate the landscape of what’s available in the marketplace:
- Food Based
- Under ordinary circumstances, we receive most of the electrolytes we need from whole foods in our diets as well as preparing foods with salt. While the advent of modern food processing brought great advancements in our ability to preserve food and increase digestibility, at the same time it also led to the depletion of minerals that would otherwise be available for our health. This process has led to the average diet coming well short of providing our daily needs, let alone our ability to perform optimally during exercise. Real food is the foundation of human health because it provides high amounts of electrolyte minerals and so much more. When looking for an electrolyte formula, stick to ones that have REAL, ACTUAL, FOOD from high quality sources like Coconut Water, Celery, Cucumber, and other high electrolyte sources. At Great Naturally, we begin with 2000mg of REAL FOOD in our Real Electrolyte formulas, because we believe this is the best way to improve hydration.
- High Potency
- We’ve come a long way since hydration formulas were limited to the neon colored sports drinks that didn’t actually provide nearly enough electrolytes to actually help our overall health in the long term. These types of beverages, and many powders, only provide a couple 100 milligrams of minerals, whereas our daily requirements for electrolytes are in the 1000’s of milligrams. Our need for Potassium alone outweighs all other electrolyte minerals combined, yet it’s barely present in most electrolyte supplements. Look for electrolytes that deliver at least 1000mg of total electrolytes per serving to actually move the needle in your overall hydration status, as well as those that provide a good diversity of different electrolytes such as Potassium, Magnesium, and even Calcium rather than just giving you another dose of salt. Real Electrolytes delivers over 1500mg of total electrolytes per serving, starting with a whopping 800mg of Potassium, while including all 4 MAJOR electrolyte minerals.
- True Balance
- Nowadays electrolyte drinks and powders are beginning to deliver on higher potencies, but how much of each mineral do we actually need? One easy way companies have found to boost up electrolyte content is to simply MEGA dose Sodium to claim high potency but in effect you are just using a "Salt Bomb" that provides no actual benefit to the overall balance of electrolytes in your body. Electrolytes MUST be in balance to work properly both on their own and together. Coupled with the fact that the average diet is already overloaded with Salt, and depleted in the other minerals, this is no way to approach your everyday health. At Great Naturally we developed Real Electrolytes with True Balance Technology, which not only provides the electrolytes needed to perform right now, but also contributes to overall electrolyte balance over time. We utilized a 4:1 ratio of Potassium to Sodium in order to balance out the skewed 1:2 ratio that the average person is consuming today. Our goal is hydration AND health, and this requires considering not just how you feel right now, but also how you will feel tomorrow and the next day. Look for hydration supplements that at least provide as much Potassium as they do Sodium, while also contributing meaningful amounts of Magnesium and Calcium.
- Good Quality
- Not all supplements are created equal. Some forms of vitamins and minerals do not absorb well at all, and some even have the potential to upset your stomach. This is especially true of electrolyte minerals. When we over consume cheap magnesium, it can initiate a laxative response which actually increases the risk of dehydration. If you are serious about getting more magnesium into your body and not the toilet, stick to forms that are chelated like TRAACs Magnesium Glycinate. When we overconsume minerals with too much Chloride, like Potassium Chloride, it can irritate the lining of our stomach and intestines. Stick to more natural food forms such as Potassium Citrate for not only better performace but also better taste. Lastly, these inferior forms are often used simply because they are cheap and provide more profit at your expense. Real Electrolytes uses minerals that are the highest quality and well tolerated to provide the best overall health effects and experience.
- No Junk!
- The last thing we want out of a supplement is to be forced to take ingredients we don’t want just to get the ones we do. Whether its refined sugars or artificial flavors, colors, and sweeteners, these types of ingredients have invaded most hydration drinks and powders. While it is true that a little bit of extra simple carbohydrates can help increase electrolyte absorption, they are not an excuse to load up on multiple teaspoons of sugar to make it work. At Great Naturally, we use ONLY Natural Food Colors and Flavors, along with Stevia and Monk Fruit to provide a clean and delicious taste WITHOUT ALL THE SUGAR AND JUNK!
All things considered, there are many things to be aware of when looking for an electrolyte hydration product. Great Naturally spent years developing Real Electrolytes to be the perfect solution for those looking to increase their hydration now, as well as bring their overall mineral consumption back into balance for long term health support, all the while staying away from the common pitfalls we see in other products. For more information please visit our product section and see for yourself what makes Real Electrolytes so special.