After I got really sick a few weeks ago, it was recommended by my midwife to have some Gatorade in order to stay hydrated. I get dehydrated very quickly and she and I both know that when that happens, I have false labor. So I went down to Costco, and got myself a case of Gatorade.
I actually hate the taste of Gatorade. There was a point in my life when I was required to drink three lukewarm glasses of Gatorade at every meal for about a month (that is a really long story which I will never get into). Suffice it to say, this has ruined my appetite for sugary energy drinks forever. BUT, I have a few too many on hand now and every now and then I feel the need to replenish my electrolytes, and I definitely see a huge difference. Yesterday, no Gatorade: managed to help Autumn vacuum, and barely made it through the dishes. Today, a big cupful of ice-cold Gatorade and I made 2 1/2 dozen whole wheat rolls, a loaf of challah, planted the entire garden, organized my books (which entailed moving them from downstairs to upstairs using my pack-mule husband), transported 3 loads of laundry from the first floor to the third floor and folded it all, more dishes, made an actual dinner instead of sandwiches.... and the day isn't done yet.
I'm a person that avoids all caffeine, with the exception of green tea when I'm not pregnant or breastfeeding, and I also tend to avoid sugary foods. I'm not opposed to a little dessert like pie or brownies now and then, but we generally don't eat candy or things with corn syrup. So Gatorade really hits my system with all the force of an energy-packed toddler.
Since the Gatorade was a get-better-quick scheme, I'm not sure I'd ever buy it again, but I did find some great alternatives to make at home for when you are really dehydrated and need something to replace those electrolytes, which is especially important in the summer when you are outside all the time.
Mix this together:
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. baking soda
1/2 cup orange juice
2 tbsp. sugar and mix
1 liter of water
Other foods you can eat:
Coconut water
Bananas
Broccoli
Spinach
Coming Next Year!
This recipe is pretty delicious - it's my midwife's Labourade recipe. I'm not sure how the herbs will affect a pre-term pregnant lady, but you could just make it with raspberry leaf and mint.
A strong infusion of:
3 parts nettle
3 parts raspberry leaf
2 parts alfalfa leaf
1 part mint
Combine 4 cups of the hot infusion to:
2 Cal/Mag tablets, crushed
1/4 tsp sea salt
1/3 cup maple syrup
stir until dissolved, then add:
1/3 cup fresh lemon juice.
you can drink it hot, cold, or freeze it into a slush or ice cubes for labour.