A case of the pukes.

Oh no, little Sue has a serious case of the pukes.  Sorry for those of you out there named Sue, it's just the first name that came to mind.  You panic because you don't have anything to give her to re balance those precious electrolytes she is losing at a rapid race.  You decide it's time for a trip to the store to get something. 

Choice #1:

Pedialyte.  It's great, right?  Tastes great and the kids love it. 

Here are the "Nonmedicinal ingredients": water, citric acid, artificial grape flavour, sucralose, acesulfame potassium, FD&C Red No. 40, and FD&C Blue No. 1.

A few of those are a little concerning to me.  Not sure why I would want to put any potential harmful ingredients into my child, especially when their immune system is already seriously compromised.

Choice #2:

Gatorade is a popular one, especially among adults.  I used to buy it whenever I had the pukes.  Among the ingredients in most Gatorade are sucralose, high fructose corn syrup, artificial flavoring and artificial coloring.

To be fair to Pedialyte and Gatorade, they do contain a lot of good essential electrolytes that our bodies need when we are puking our guts out and desperately need to be rebalanced.  But what if I told you there was a better solution?  One that wasn't made in a factory and put together by man.  One that is all goodness all by itself, just the way it was created.  Interested yet?

Introducing coconut water...

Choice #3:

For those of you that have good eyes, you will notice that the label says 100% pure coconut water.  Nothing added, nothing taken away.  You see, coconut water naturally contains all of the beneficial electrolytes needed during a puking spell.  Coconut water contains 16% potassium compared to only 1% contained in Gatorade, which is more potassium than in an entire banana.  It also contains the very important magnesium, phosphorus, sodium and calcium our body needs.  Coconut water contains the very same electrolyte balance you have in your body.  That just amazes me.  Coconut water is also known to reduce vomiting, which can't be a bad thing when you feel like you are about to puke out your intestines.

Coconut water is also a great way for those of you who work out(I have no clue what it's like) to make up for your lost minerals and fluids.  If you have not discovered coconut water, I encourage you to give it a try.

So, perhaps you could consider stocking your fridge with some coconut water instead of that Pedialyte and Gatorade this year.  Just make sure you get the good stuff.  And if you have to start out by mixing it half and half, that's ok, don't beat yourself up about it.