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Pedialyte …. eeeek!

hy·per·em·e·sis – Excessive vomiting

It is no fun dealing with the flu and possible dehydration, which can be a very serious condition.  

Do you reach for Pedialyte or Gatorade to replace electrolytes and rehydrate?   

Do you call the doctor (who will tell you, “Give Pedialyte.”)? Pedialyte has become the go-to drink for sick babies and children since being introduced in 1966 by Abbott as the first ready-to-feed oral electrolyte solution.  

Abbott also manufactures Similac, Pediasure, Ensure and other similar beverages.   These products contain many sugars, artificial sweeteners, preservatives, dyes, GMO ingredients and chemicals.

 
 

 

Are You Man Enough for Pedialyte?

Since the 1980s Pedialyte’s off-label use in the sports arena has grown. It is now fashionable to pay twice as much for a bottle of Pedialyte than to drink Gatorade, which has similar ingredients.

 

Oh my word! What did parents and athletes do before Abbott saved the day by inventing Pedialyte?

Somehow a highly processed drink with dye and artificial ingredients has been raised to the status of Holy Health Water. I observed a recent Facebook row with an impassioned volley of comments about . . . . Pedialyte.

Really.

Maybe it won’t hurt you too bad if you have it once a year when the flu comes calling  (but why introduce toxins into an already compromised body?)

 Read the following with shock and awe:

“My daughter started giving my grandson Pedialyte at 6 months due to a stomach virus per the doctor. Well he is almost 8 months and she is still giving him 3 to 4 cups of Pedialyte daily and I am concerned that it is not good for the baby.”

Google the phrase “addicted to Pedialyte” and you’ll find some strange things happening in the world.

…she is “addicted to Pedialyte (we mix her meds in, and she LOVES it)” … “On a lighter note, I think I am officially addicted to Pedialyte.”

Why are doctors prescribing Pedialtye for children when several of the ingredients in Pedialyte are health-damaging?

Problematic Pedialyte Ingredients 

  • Dextrose
  • Artificial Flavor
  • Sucralose (Splenda)
  • Acesulfame
  • FD&C Red #40, Blue#1

Sweetener: Dextrose (a simple sugar, glucose) made from genetically modified corn (unless organic dextrose is used).

Artificial Flavor Russell Blaylock, MD and neurosurgeon has written extensively about the damage that artificial ingredients and flavor do to the brain, impacting memory, mood and behavior.

Artificial sweetener: Sucralose (Splenda)

Sucralose is an artificial sweetener made from chlorine, a known carcinogen.

Dr Janet Starr Hull said this about Splenda:

  • Sucralose (Splenda®) is a chlorocarbon and is more accurately compared to ingesting tiny amounts of chlorinated pesticides.
  • The chlorocarbons have long been known for causing organ, genetic, and reproductive damage. It should be no surprise then, that the testing of sucralose reveals
  • it causes up to 40% shrinkage of the thymus: a gland that is the very foundation of our immune system.
  • Sucralose also causes swelling of the liver and kidneys, calcification of the kidney, fertility issues in male rats, and gastrointestinal problems in pregnant rats.

 

Mercola.com and the Splenda Toxicity Information Center collect reports of adverse reactions after consuming Splenda (Sucralose):

  • Gastrointestinal problems (Isn’t this why parents give their kids Pedialyte?)
  • Seizures, dizziness and migraines
  • Blurred vision
  • Allergic reactions
  • Blood sugar increases
  • Weight gain
  • Water retention
  • Swelling in legs and hands, bloating
  • Rash
  • Blood pressure increases

 

Artificial sweetener: Acesulfame.

Regular consumption of Acesulfame means regular exposure to the chemical methylene chloride, known to cause

headaches, depression, nausea, mental confusion, liver and kidney problems, visual disturbances, and cancer in humans.

 

 

Dyes:

FD&C Red #40, Blue#1

  • Linked to cancer, asthma, allergies, hives
  • May lead to temper tantrums, aggressive behavior, fidgeting, anxiety, and inability to concentrate.
  • Nausea and headaches are also common

 Real Food HELP!

 

 

Natural Electrolyte Replacement Beverages

Coconut Water

I prefer plain Real Coconut Water from Taste Nirvana – delish!

Coconut water is the water from young coconuts (not hairy brown coconuts). It will hydrate the body and replenish electrolytes. 

Coconut water is natural, yes children can drink it!

 

Homemade Electrolyte Drink

  • Quart of filtered water
  • Juice of 1 – 2 lemons
  • 1 – 3 tsp raw honey (for children under age 1 substitute coconut sugar or palm sugar)
  • 1 dropperful of SweetLeaf Stevia
  • ¼ – ½ tsp Redmond’s Real Salt* (Not table salt which has had the minerals removed). 1/4 tsp = 530 mg sodium

Warm the water, stir in honey to dissolve.

Add lemon juice and Real Salt (do not use table salt or pure white “sea salt” as these are missing the natural minerals).

 

Real Salt’s unique pinkish appearance and flecks of color come from more than 60 naturally occurring trace minerals.

Yes, you need the right salt! 

 

1/4 tsp Redmond’s Real Salt provides 530 mg sodium.

 

 

Real Coconut Water, 9.5 oz bottle

  • potassium – 600 mg
  • sodium – 42 mg
  • total carb – 10 g

 

Pedialyte, 8 oz

  • potassium – 187 mg
  • sodium – 247 mg
  • total carb – 6 g

 

Athletes

If you are exercising moderately, or for half hour or less, you can easily hydrate with plain water.

For a more strenuous workout here’s a tip from RealSalt.com:

If you’re on a long run, hike, or bike ride and your legs begin cramping, rip open a Real Salt sample packet, dump it on your tongue, and chase it down with a little water.

Your cramping will stop in mere seconds!

(Scientists have observed similarly impressive cramping control with pickle juice, but we think it’s easier to keep a few 1.4 gram packets of Real Salt in your jersey.)

  

Get Better Wellness, Inc.

 


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