All-Natural Cannabis Recovery Drink

This refreshing and rehydrating all-natural cannabis recovery drink is a homemade version of an electrolyte replacement sports drink made with no artificial ingredients or sugars. This drink is perfect for after a workout and compliments a clean-eating lifestyle.

These companies are always advertising their recovery drink products with athletes, promising you the best recovery because of their electrolyte content. 

Don’t get me wrong, most of these recovery drinks do contain trace amounts of electrolytes like sodium, potassium, and chloride.

However, they also contain highly processed sugars and artificial food coloring, honestly doing more harm than good. 

With all of these factors considered, I wanted to develop an all-natural recovery drink beneficial for my Well With Cannabis Community members who are always asking me for more healthy cannabis recipes.

I hope you enjoy this drink that tastes great and also will help to replenish your body with vitamins and electrolytes.

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Electrolyte Replacement Drink

Before we get into detail about each ingredient, I think we should start with the first question, that is…. 

What is an electrolyte, and why do we need it, especially after we exercise? 

In the world of nutrition, the word “electrolyte” is more specifically used to refer to minerals dissolved in the body's fluids, creating electrically charged ions.

The electrolytes that are the most important in nutrition are sodium, potassium, calcium, magnesium, and phosphate. 

When we exercise, we sweat, and when we sweat, we excrete water from our body that also contains electrolytes.

Replenishing our bodies with electrolytes through our diet in the form of food and drinks is critical to prevent dehydration. 

Getting electrolytes from an all-natural source like fruits, vegetables, and minerals is the best way to nourish our bodies. 

Why Add Cannabis to An Recovery Drink? 

Exercise creates catabolic stress on the body, which can later turn into muscle soreness and inflammation.

Coincidently, one of the most common reasons community members anecdotally report using cannabis for its anti-inflammatory benefits, making them the perfect match (1).   

Adding cannabis to your recovery drink will not only speed up recovery time, but it will also give you that body high that we all enjoy, relaxing you after that amazing workout.

Use Raw Cannabis Leaves

Fresh cannabis leaves do not produce CBD and THC quite like the mature flower buds do, which is why so many people simply discard them. 

They do, according to a research article published in The Journal of Phytopharmacology contain essential nutrients, antioxidants, and cannabinoid acids like THCA and CBDA, meaning they are not useless, and in fact, quite valuable (1). 

Large fan leaves or small sugar leaves are the most common parts of the cannabis plant eaten raw or used in recipes, although the raw cannabis flower buds can be juiced as well. 

One of the best ways to harness these essential nutrients is to consume cannabis leaves in raw form, in a salad, or to be juiced as we use in this recipe.

Make This Drink With A Cannabis Tincture

Alternatively, if you do not have access to fresh cannabis leaves, you could make this drink with a cannabis tincture.

Tinctures are extracts made by soaking the leaves, bark, or roots of herbs in a solvent like alcohol.

The liquid pulls out the active compound in the plants, dissolving them and concentrating them.

When it comes to cannabis tinctures, the alcohol is used to extract the active ingredients, including cannabinoids like CBD and THC and terpenes from the plant material.

Interested in making a homemade cannabis tincture? I got you covered with a few different options:

• Traditional Green Dragon Tincture
• QWET Freezer Tincture
• CBDA Cannabidolic Acid Tincture

Recovery Drink Ingredients

I am so excited to share with you every ingredient in my all-natural cannabis recovery drink and the purpose of each one specifically: 

Cucumbers

Cucumber is made up of 95% water, making it one of the most hydrating vegetables.

Adding cucumber can help soothe your skin from the inside out, and staying hydrated helps your body to flush out toxins and maintain homeostasis.

Cucumbers also contain high amounts of potassium.

Potassium is an electrolyte that helps regulate the amount of sodium retained by our kidneys.

Oranges

Oranges are a great source of vitamin C and contain electrolytes such as potassium and calcium.

They also have the beneficial terpene limonene.

According to a report in Bioscience Reports, limonene is an immunostimulant with anti-cancer, anti-microbial, anti-depressant, anti-anxiolytic, and antioxidant properties (2). 

Additionally, our muscles and ligaments are made from collagen, and vitamin C from oranges promotes collagen production, essentially aiding even more in muscle recovery. 

Lemons

Lemons contain potassium, calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, vitamins C, and A.

These are just a few of the nutrients that help our digestive system function properly.

Lemons are also hydrating.

Even though lemon juice is acidic, it helps eliminate excess acids from your body, such as lactic acid formed due to over-exercising.

Also, lemons are known to be cardiotonic, meaning that they facilitate circulation by acting on the cardiovascular, helping you recover quicker. 

Spinach

Along with being extremely high in natural plant iron, spinach has a very high potassium and magnesium content, which are key electrolytes that the body needs to recover.

Keeping your potassium levels at a healthy level will help to prevent muscle cramps.

Ginger

This spicy, tasty root is one of the best plants to eat after a workout to prevent delayed onset muscle soreness.

Ginger has anti-inflammatory properties.

According to a comprehensive systematic review of 109 randomized controlled trials published in Nutrients, people have been using fresh and prepared ginger root for centuries to treat all kinds of issues, including nausea, appetite loss, dizziness, and muscle soreness (3).

Salt

Salt helps to regulate the concentration of our bodily fluids, which constantly hang in a delicate balance.

It helps our cells to absorb all the vital nutrients they need, and it is also required for healthy muscle and nerve activity. 

Sugar

Sugar promotes an increase in insulin levels.

Consuming a large amount can cause a sudden spike in insulin levels, which will help you promote post-exercise recovery in your muscles.

Ground Cayenne Pepper

Cayenne contains a range of flavonoids and carotenoids – antioxidants that scavenge free radicals to protect against cellular damage.

Coconut Water

Coconut water is Mother Nature’s ultimate hydration drink.

Like Gatorade and other popular sports drinks, coconut water contains high levels of electrolytes such as potassium and magnesium.

Runners also use coconut water as a recovery drink and a natural way to replenish electrolytes after a hard run or workout.

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