Homemade Electrolyte Drink Recipes for Natural Rehydration

Whether you’ve been ill or had an exhausting workout, it’s important to replenish your body with the minerals and hydration it needs to function properly. Here’s how to make a homemade electrolyte drink with all-natural ingredients to refuel your body.


When your body experiences stressors like illness or hitting it hard at the gym, it’s quickly depleted of vital electrolytes like potassium, magnesium, sodium, chloride, calcium, bicarbonate, and phosphorus. It can also become dehydrated. Sweating, vomiting, and experiencing diarrhea are some of the top ways we lose electrolytes and hydration, which is why there are many electrolyte-refilling drinks advertised for when you have a cold or flu, and why sports drinks are encouraged post-workout.

The problem with a lot of the drinks on store shelves that claim to replenish electrolytes is that, while they do contain some ingredients that can help your body refuel, many of them also contain high amounts of sugar, preservatives, and other not-so-healthy ingredients. When your body is already feeling depleted, ingredients that are inflammatory, hard to digest, or send your blood sugar on a rollercoaster are the last thing it needs. Instead, there are many all-natural, homemade electrolyte drink recipes you can make right in your kitchen. Not only are they more affordable and convenient, but you’ll know exactly what’s going in your drink and in your body.

What Are Electrolytes, and Why Do We Need Them?

First, let’s talk about what electrolytes even are. According to the National Library of Medicine, electrolytes are necessary for basic life functioning. They’re essentially salts (more specifically, the ions in salts) that keep your cells, nerves, and muscles healthy. We typically lose electrolytes through fluids or waste matter our body outputs, and we fill back up on them through what we eat and drink.

When our electrolytes are imbalanced, we can become fatigued, weak, dizzy, cloudy, moody, and generally unwell. Being too depleted of electrolytes can also lead to life-threatening consequences. Thankfully, it’s pretty easy to get a daily dose of sodium, magnesium, potassium, and other primary electrolytes at mealtime, but when we’re sick or experiencing higher-than-normal bodily output, it’s important to supplement with electrolyte-rich foods and drinks.

The Wrong Way to Rehydrate

When we get sick or exert ourselves into a heavy sweat, we’re often told to drink plenty of water. And you do want to rehydrate with water. The issue with only gulping water, however, is that it doesn’t contain electrolytes, and it dilutes blood sodium levels, lowering your body’s sodium even further. This condition is called hyponatremia. It’s a problem you may have heard of professional athletes facing. When your blood sodium level drops too low, you can experience muscle cramps, confusion, fatigue, seizures, brain damage, and even death.

That said, don’t just rely on water to refuel. Prioritize hydration that includes electrolytes.

Natural Electrolyte Drink Recipes

Now let’s go over how to make a homemade electrolyte drink that will deliver what your body really needs when you’re sick or training for that marathon. Here are some of our favorite natural electrolyte drink recipes designed to help you hydrate while replenishing sodium and other minerals.

Lemon Limeade

This one is seriously refreshing on a hot day. Here’s what you’ll need:

• 1/4 cup lime juice
• 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
• 2 cups filtered water (or raw coconut water)
• 2 tbsp raw honey
• 1/8 tsp Himalayan pink salt

Pulse all the ingredients in your blender for around 30 seconds and serve cold.

Strawberry Lemonade

Also refreshing, if you’ve been lying on the couch with a cold or hugging your toilet bowl during a stomach bug, this drink will at least help you feel a bit fancy. To make, gather:

• 1/2 cup fresh or frozen strawberries
• 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
• 4 drops lemon essential oil (optional)
• 2 cups water (filtered or raw coconut water)
• 2 tbsp raw honey
• 1/8 tsp Himalayan pink salt

Pulse the ingredients in a blender for 30 seconds, or until the strawberries are fully pureed.

Sweet Citrus

The Vitamin C in this recipe is great for when you’re sick. Combine:

• ¼ cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
• ½ cup freshly squeezed orange juice
• 2 cups of cold water
• 1/8 tsp of salt
• 2 tablespoons of honey

Blend the ingredients together until the honey dissolves.

Tropical Treat

This one will have you feeling like you’re on vacation.

• ¼ tsp salt
• ¼ cup pomegranate juice
• ¼ cup cranberry juice
• 1 ½ cups unsweetened coconut water
• 2 cups cold, filtered water

Blend or whisk the ingredients together. Drink umbrella optional.

Minty Fresh

This is a super refreshing natural electrolyte drink option to take on the go. You’ll need:

• 2 cups mint tea
• 1 cup filtered water
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
• ¼ tsp salt

Blend ingredients together until the honey dissolves.

Conclusion

Any of these homemade electrolyte drink recipes should help you feel better, and thankfully, you likely have many of these simple ingredients around your home already. If you need to stock your kitchen, though, Public Goods has covered, with common grocery items and vitamins and supplements. As always, our products are made with quality, healthy ingredients and none of the chemicals or synthetics you often run into on store shelves. We care about health and sustainability, so we make our products with helping you live better our priority.

Want more recipes from Public Goods? Check out our full list of healthy recipes full of tasty meals and health hacks.