The 411 on Sports Drinks

Have you tried coconut water instead of sports drinks? Sports drinks serve up a big helping of calories and sugar. In fact, there’s more than a day’s worth of sugar in a 32-ounce Sports Drink bottle.

To get the electrolytes you want – you can skip the Sports Drink and try natural coconut water which contains five key electrolytes: sodium, potassium, calcium, magnesium, and phosphorus.  It should not be confused with coconut milk, which is made by adding water to grated coconut meat. Coconut milk is only 50% water and is very high in coconut fat. Coconut water forms naturally in the fruit and contains 94% water and very little fat.

Coconut water is the juice found in the center of a young, green coconut that helps to nourish the fruit.  This message for Healthy Living is brought to you by the Warm Springs Diabetes Program.