Now that the new year is in full swing, so are many new (are they really new tho?) resolutions. The list-topper seems to always be cutting calories and getting into shape. After seeing Shakira and Jlo slay the halftime show that’s got everyone talking about their out-of-this-world booty-shaking, I’d say my own resolutions have taken on a more intense spin, quite literally. Judging by the packed conditions in my usually easy-to-find-a-spot yoga class, I can see many people are in the same fitness frame of mind. Zumba anyone?

So as we twist ourselves into pretzels, run with no end in sight, lift too much, stretch too little and catapult ourselves and our bodies into a healthier and shapelier year, it’s important to remember one very important key ingredient to our success: Hydration.

Water is important. Every living thing needs it to survive. It not only covers 70% of the earth, but also 60% of our bodies, 90% of our lungs and 70% of our brains. About 83% of our blood is water which helps digest food, transport waste and control body temperature. Each day, we humans need to replace 2.4 liters of water via drinking and eating…mostly drinking.

For some, drinking the required 8 glasses of water a day is no sweat. For others it’s worse than setting the treadmill on its highest incline and running backwards. Without any real taste, you either do water, or you just don’t. Which is why, sports drinks and flavored waters have become so popular. They have taste. The taste propels people, not just athletes, to consume more, with the idea they are doing a good thing for their bodies.

Unfortunately, sometimes this is not exactly true. For as long as I can remember, Gatorade has been the “hydrant” of choice for a lot of athletes and in recent years has almost become its own apothecary as the cure-all for stomach bugs and even heart conditions. And while it’s true, Gatorade is high in sodium and potassium – both of which you lose in your sweat or as a result of dehydration from sickness – it is NOT a health-driven product. It’s the potato sack of other “stuff” you’re ingesting in Gatorade that has tossed it straight to the top of my list of “do nots” for 2020.

Let’s study what’s actually IN Gatorade:

- Water: Good.

- Sucrose syrup and glucose-fructose syrup: Straight up sugar = bad (unless you are a hardcore athlete and in that case the carbs provided by these sugars may (key word is MAY) help to sustain you and help prevent dehydration. But remember, sugar in any form is not “good” for you and can produce as big a crash as it does a boost.

- Natural and artificial flavors: ?

- Salt, sodium citrate: Provides sodium, electrolytes = not bad, but not good in the amount provided in one single serving of this drink.

- Monopotassium phosphate: Provides potassium, another electrolyte. Better to get this bad boy from whole foods like bananas.

- Ester gum: An emulsifier derived from wood (unless you’re into eating furniture you may want to avoid this additive) = no health benefit

- Sucrose acetate isobutyrate: An emulsifier and used for flavor = artificial = no health benefit.

- Yellow 5: coloring that causes problems in asthmatics and some homeopaths believe it to be one of the root causes of ADHD and ADD symptoms. Being phased out in some countries (yikes) = no health benefit, unless you’re into drinking markers, then knock yourself out.

If you consume an entire bottle of Gatorade you are actually taking in 56 grams of sugar. Suffice it to say, if you are leading a sedentary lifestyle, this is not the drink for you. If you’re on the go and active and sweating at least once per day, is this really the best drink for overall health and wellness, not to mention hydration? Probably not. It would take hours of profuse sweating to lose enough to warrant this type of “rescue” from a drink. Except for instances where diarrhea and vomiting are involved, water is perfectly adequate.

Tell that to the $5.4 billion dollars a year Americans spend on sports/energy drinks alone. Big profits for a not-so-big health gain.

So if you’re sedentary, don’t drink it. And unless you’re Carl Lewis you probably shouldn’t drink it after a workout either. And because I am an avid Jlo insta follower, I can promise you, that 50 something powerhouse does not put these products into that fierce body of hers and, as we all witnessed, her sports performance is ticking along just fine.

Oh, and if you like your teeth…don’t drink it.

You heard me. The most shocking revelation to me on my hunt to uncover the truth behind the bottle was this: The pH levels in Gatorade are incredibly low. Normal pH is 7. Gatorade is 2.9. A pH that low is considered highly acidic and can break down tissue as well as bone and teeth. Teeth exposed to a pH of 2.9 undergo “acid shock”. I will spare you all the huge technical terms here but, in essence, the low pH acids can dissolve tooth enamel and once it’s gone – it’s gone baby. There’s no bringing it back.

If you’re sitting there reading this article and sipping on your cherry flavored Gatorade all the while, make heed: You can combat the low acid level of Gatorade by drinking twice the amount of water with it. Drinking the water would “buffer” the acid and sugar deposited by this dastardly drink onto your teeth. Also, chewing sugarless gum would stimulate saliva production and “clear the liquids” from the teeth, according to Dr. Studen-Pavlovich, a pediatric dentist in Pittsburgh.

A recent study found that Americans get nearly 25% of their calories from liquids. Most of those calories are in the form of sugar and carbs derived from sugar. That’s a high percentage from something we don’t really think too much about before ingesting.

I started this article with the intent to promote a healthier alternative to Gatorade in the form of a sports drink already on the market. Vitamin Water Zero by Glaceau. However, after donning my journalist fedora and doing the appropriate research, I would be remiss to recommend it to you. While it is loaded – loaded people – with vitamins like 100% of the daily supply of vitamin C and contains all the good sugar alternatives like Stevia and Erythirtol – both non-caloric, natural sweeteners, it also contains pesky additives like “natural flavors” (no one really knows what those are exactly) and Gum Acacia (in that yucky emulsifier family). On the plus side, it does NOT contain dangerous food colorings, but rather colorings from natural sources like blueberry, apple, acai and pomegranate. Vitamin Water Zero has almost no sugar or additives, but I cannot, in good conscience promote it as the BEST alternative. And I blame Gatorade. Vitamin Water is here because of Gatorade and so let’s just put it on them. The same companies did not form the two drinks, but the basic premise of promoting a “healthy” drink to the sports minded and water-loathing people of the world, was a joint and now fiercely competitive mission between the two. And not just the two, there are dozens and dozens of drinks on the market, promising high energy and renewed health, stamina, hydration and pretty hair and nails in the process. Don’t.believe.the.hype. Plain old water is perfect for all of this, and more specifically those last two there.

One thing I can in good faith recommend to all you sports drink-minded, water flavor-adders out there, is this: Emergen-C by Alacer. Let’s talk health here. This stuff is jam-packed with it and it’s got a little fizzy thing going on with it to boot.

Emergen-C is a dissolvable vitamin supplement with 1,000mg of vitamin C. It has 25 calories and 6g of carbs, 5 of those grams from natural fruit sugars. Other vitamins in Emergen-C include all the B vitamins, folic acid, calcium and magnesium and a bunch more electrolytes with lots of letters in them that I’m too rushed to type. It’s most often taken as an immune booster, mainly to combat the common cold for the win. It contains a plethora of antioxidants and its caffeine free. The rush from all the vitamins it contains, give it the “energy drink” stamp of approval. The only side effect known to this product involve the problems that may arise with too much vitamin C build up in the body. Most vitamin C is flushed away with sweat and urine and you’d actually have to ingest 25,000mg for this to happen, but I thought I’d just give it a mention, so as to help you avoid an Emergen-C – OD. And the bonus of it is this: you ADD it to plain water. Plain.water.

Another very safe and pleasant alternative is Smart Water also by Glaceau. This is water, brimming with electrolytes, but low (as in zero) on taste. A great way to maintain those very important molecules in your system – the ones we never hear from unless something goes terribly wrong. This product is like water on steroids – think Jenifer Anniston in a slinky red dress. That could be you my friend.

Another product that has come to market that I luuuurrrve is called Nooma. It’s an organic, electrolyte drink, also flavored with Stevia, that uses coconut water (more hydrating than plain water but steep in calories) as well as a bevy of all natural (and did I say organic?) fruit ingredients. It’s not fizzy like Emergen-C, but it’s got beaucoup flavors to chose from and is just as good and effective at conquering your hydration needs as some of it’s syrupy competitors.

At the end of the day, the choice is ultimately yours, I’m just sayin’, make the right one. Happy new year peeps! #dontstaythirsty

The Talk

The Gumption of Gatorade