Gatorade makes you fat. Here’s what you should drink instead…

Imagine you just triumphantly returned from a jog through the scorched streets under the 100+ degree summer sun. The rubber on your shoes is so hot it’s sticking to your linoleum tiles, sweat is flying everywhere, and you’re parched. You hobble to the fridge, swing open the door, and reach for an ice cold… Coconut Water?

Coconut water as a sports drink? That sounds ridiculous! Well, let me ask you this: how is drinking juice from a coconut any more ridiculous than a glow-in-the-dark-neon-yellow, sicky-sweet Gatorade that from a bpa-laced plastic bottle? Barely processed, containing only natural sugars, and made of one singular ingredient, coconut water is the “original Gatorade” and has quenched many a throat over thousands of years of human existence.

Coconut water is a natural isotonic beverage, and it actually has about the same level of electrolytes as in our blood. Some refer to coconut water as the “fluid of life.” Get this: coconut water has been actually sucked straight from the nut into human bodies to give war-time emergency plasma transfusions! How awesome is that? I’ve never heard of Gatorade saving the lives of wounded soldiers.

Want a few more reasons why coconut water kicks serious Gatorade butt?

• It contains more potassium than A BANANA, so kiss your runner’s cramps goodbye.
• Unlike commercial sports drinks, coconut water is low in sugar, calories, and sodium and high in nutrients.
• It naturally contains the same compounds and electrolytes that Gatorade and other sports drinks advertise to hydrate as well as increase endurance and stamina.
• Studies have found coconut water to lower blood pressure and improve blood circulation.
• It contains lauric acid which boosts metabolism.
• Packed with essential minerals, vitamins, antioxidants, and amino acids, coconut water is a SUPERFOOD!
• Contrary to popular belief, coconut water is not the same thing as coconut milk (which is squeezed from the meat of a mature coconut), and actually contains little to no fat (as opposed to coconut milk). A young coconut between holds approximately 750 ml of water, which, left untouched, eventually becomes the flesh of the mature coconut. But if you stick a straw in a young coconut, the water can slip quite deliciously down into your belly instead.
• I find coconut water to be super tasty and refreshing, especially after vigorous exercise or a night of one-too-many beers. It’s chock-full of the salts, natural sugars and nutrients that the bodies of sweaty urban joggers, rock stars, and hippies who don’t believe in A/C beg for on a hot summer day.

So which bottle should I pick up?
For the most health benefits, make sure you’re looking at 100% pure coconut water, without added sugar or additives. Your best option is to get a fresh coconut, poke a hole in it, and dip a straw in. If you don’t have that option, here are some of the brands I recommend:

• ZICO: Natural, passion fruit, and mango flavors
• Vita Coco: Natural, açaí-pomegranate, passion fruit, peach-mango, pineapple, and tangerine flavors
• O.N.E. (One Natural Experience)

So leave Gatorade for being dumped over the heads of football coaches and go grab yourself a coconut.

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