As the weather starts warming up we start getting outside more. Some of these outside activities includes sports for us and our children. This is a wonderful way to get our daily exercise. But, we often wonder, what should I or my kids be drinking to stay hydrated?
The short answer is: your go to drink should always be water. If you can remember to drink water before, during, and after any type of exercise then this is the best way to stay hydrated. Sports drinks should only be used if you have been sweating a lot (like a football or basketball player after a long game). Even then, most of your hydration should come from water, just use the sports drinks to replenish lost electrolytes in the sweat.
For young kids, they seldom sweat enough to warrant sports drinks. And energy drinks are never appropriate for young children – even teens shouldn’t be drinking energy drinks. The caffeine and other ingredients in the energy drinks can be harmful to children and teens.
If you or your children do not like the taste of plain water, you can try to mix it up with this Water with a Twist recipe:
Ingredients:
- Your choice of the following fruits or vegetables:
- Orange
- Lemon
- Lime
- Strawberries
- Pineapple
- Cucumber
- Chilled Water
Instructions:
- Cut fruit of vegetable into slices
- Put 1-3 slices into your cup of chilled water. Squeezing the slices will help release more flavor
- Enjoy!
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