Some Things are Better Left Behind

If you are like us, somewhere in your old photo albums, a shoebox, or a drawer you possess photos of things you'd rather not revisit: tangerine leg warmers, hot pink scrunchies, hypercolor sweatshirts, one-piece blue ski suits… You know the ones we're talking about? The pictures that only come out for throwback Thursday? That age of neon fashion (and scrunchies), we can probably all agree, is better left behind. Those choices aren't ones you'd want to replicate in the light of day of 2015. We wouldn't either. Know what else is better left behind? Neon in your sports drinks: those bottles of electrolyte replacement that almost seem to glow thanks to the artificial colors that give them their rainbow hues. We've put electric blue eye shadow behind us so isn't it time we put electric blue drinks there too? Why not neon? Because neon colors come with chemicals. Turn your sports drink bottle around and take a look at the ingredients. Chances are you'll see artificial colors like Red 40 and Blue 1. You'll probably also see modified corn starch, artificial flavors, and sucrose acetate isobutyrate. Sounds delicious, right? Neon sports drinks also come with lots and lots of sugar. That's another thing we should leave behind. One 20oz. bottle of the leading sports drink has a whopping 8.5 teaspoons (34g) of sugar in it! Real hydration does not have to come with a sugar bowl attached to it. If, like us, you're ready to ditch neon sports drinks in favor of natural hydration, you have options. The most obvious choice is good old water. Experts say most of us don't get enough of it (at least eight 8-oz. glasses per day for the average adult is a common rule of thumb), and we need more than ever when working out and during the hot summer months. Coconut water is another good option. It's low in carbohydrates and rich in potassium. If you choose the unsweetened variety, it's also much lower in sugar and calories than typical sports drinks. But be careful: lots of the coconut waters on the market today contain added sugar that can quickly add up! If you're looking to replace precious electrolytes lost to sweat (or a stomach bug, or even too much fun the night before), Orgain Hydration Powder is a great choice. It's made from organic coconut water and has zero artificial ingredients. One serving of Orgain hydration powder has only 5g of sugar (about 1/3 of the leading sports drinks). So, you can restore electrolytes, refuel for the next five miles (or whatever else lays ahead), and enjoy a light, refreshing taste without the excess sugar or chemical crud. It's 2015, people. You can stop hiding your old photos. This is a new era and a new you. You don't ever have to wear anything neon again, we promise. And you don't ever have to drink a sugary, neon sports drink again either. You can choose delicious, natural hydration without heaps of sweetener and artificial colors. So, seize the day and #Nixneon!

 (While we don't like neon in our drinks, we do like it in our Instagram feed. Show us your neon of days past (or the day past yesterday) and tag them #NixNeon.