Switchel – The Natural Homemade Sports Drink!
Switchel – The Natural Homemade Sports Drink!
Switchel aka the Haymaker’s Punch from over 100 years ago to help farmers stay hydrated and maintain their electrolytes. It’s delicious too! The first four ingredients – apple cider vinegar, maple syrup, sea salt, and a 1-inch piece of ginger root (or powder) is part of the original switchel recipe. Optional – adding Organic 100% grape juice to it tastes like grape Gatorade!
Fueling our body with clean ingredients will help our human engines in the most optimal way. Most common commercialized sports drinks contain processed sugars, artificial flavors, and ingredients in which we should try to avoid as they can hinder our overall health.
Below is a recipe from the No Meat Athlete Cookbook with my added commentary!
Grape Switchel Recipe
Nutrition Information Serving size:
5 cups Calories: 251 Fat: 0 g Carbohydrates: 66 g Sodium: 609 mg Fiber: 0 g Protein: 1 g
Ingredients:
• 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar (helps with stomach upset and nausea)
• 2 tablespoons maple syrup (contains magnesium and potassium)
• 4 cups (960 ml) filtered water
• ¼ teaspoon of sea salt
• 1 cup grape juice (use organic if possible)
Side notes from AJ: Even though this recipe does not include ginger, I highly recommend keeping the ginger in this recipe. Ginger has a powerful natural anti-inflammatory component along with carrying antioxidants. Ginger encompasses the presence of oil called gingerol which is excellent for digestion, nausea, and boosting immunity. Ginger can also assist with muscle recovery! More on that at another time!
Instructions:
• Shake. Refrigerate overnight to allow the flavors to join.
• Store in a Glass Container, never plastic (large mason jars are an easy option).
• From the cookbook- Another option is to mix everything but the water together and freeze in ice-cube trays, then portion them out into your hydration pack or bottles.
Enjoy! Note: It is important to rinse your teeth after. Also using a straw can help keep the acidity off the teeth.
You can slice and mince the ginger for this recipe (or even dried ginger 1/4-1/2 tsp). For hot tea 
here is a recipe with the how to’s- https://cookieandkate.com/fresh-ginger-tea-recipe/