The Dehydrated Hydrator: Coco Hydro

My long awaited vacation is on the horizon! (Oh, yeah baby!) So for the last few weeks I have increased my cardio workouts to prepare my legs for the hill towns of Tuscany and my waistline for the numerous gastronomic delights that lie ahead.
I love water and usually down enough to make a camel jealous, but those extra sessions took their toll and I began to suffer nighttime leg cramps. My self-diagnosis told me my electrolytes were out of balance.
Late last summer I gave up my favorite sport drink to cut back on my sugar and blue dye intake and hadn’t bothered to find a replacement, but now the need was dire.
A trip down the aisles of my local organic grocers net me Coco Hydro, a dehydrated coconut water/electrolyte/just-add water cocktail. Kinda like Kool-Aid for adults.
Each serving of Coco Hydro contains dehydrated coconut water from — count ‘em — two whole coconuts! And unlike those funky colored sports drinks, Coco Hydro contains only natural occurring plant-based electrolytes; meaning you get the benefits from zinc, magnesium, potassium, manganese and calcium with none of the added sugar, modified food starch, glycerol ester of rosin (whatever the hell that is) or colored dye.

But the best part is the flavor; smooth and easily drinkable, the only thing missing is the actual coconut! Coco Hydro comes in three flavors — pineapple, lemon-lime and regular. It’s less expensive than those counterparts in bottles or aluminum cans, and it’s environmentally friendly, too.
The single-serving packets make it downright handy to toss in your purse or gym bag; if you can get your hands on a bottle of water you can have a healthy sports recovery drink at the ready. It dissolves quickly.  Just shake and go.
In a country famous for its espresso and wine, I foresee a lot of imbibing in my near future. Luckily, the TSA can’t say a thing about my dehydrated travel partner, so I’ll just stow a handful in my carry on luggage and stay naturally hydrated as I enjoy the Old Country.
What’s your go-to instant hydrator? —-Karen