The One Drink I’m Drinking Every Day and Why

For the most part, if I’m not drinking water, I’m usually sipping on teas (mostly herbal ones), coconut water, and the occasional decaf coffee (I gave up caffeine years ago after being a total coffee addict — I can write a post on this experience if anyone is interested).

To say this limited rotation of non-alcoholic drinks gets boring is an understatement.

And sure, I’ve tried adding fruit to my water and even made the occasional “spa” water where you add fresh cucumber slices or orange slices.

But these just don’t cut it for me.

I hate the fruit particles that start to float in the water and, if I’m being truthful, it doesn’t add that much flavor to me.

I’ve also tried adding a splash of organic juice to water but I always find that even that little bit of sweetness makes me crave more sugary things.

Before I found what I’m about to share, my go-to’s when I needed a flavor boost were tea and eventually coconut water which, don’t get me wrong, the latter was a nice change of pace, but I didn’t find it was as effective as what I’m using now.

I did find that the coconut water mixes really well with seltzer (my favorite was a watermelon lime flavor) and some fresh berries. This even makes for a refreshing mocktail too.

Now, if I don’t feel like sipping tea or coconut water I drink these little packets called Liquid I.V., which is exactly what I’m sharing in this guide.

These packets have truly been a nice change of pace when I need a little more than water but I’ve also found them to be the exact boost I need at times, which I’ll share more about shortly.

Before I do, I want to share that I’m not paid to share this post or sponsored by them. The links I share in this guide are also not ones I make a commission off of. I’m simply sharing a product that I love with you.

Speaking of that, let’s talk about:

What are Liquid I.V.s?

The name should give it away a bit but, if not, these are portable packets — similar to a Crystal light or other powdery mix — that act as a liquid IV.

So imagine you get sick, go to the hospital, they give you an IV to replenish your fluids, and they send you on your way.

Now imagine if, instead of going to the doctor and needing an IV, you had a portable version at your fingertips.

Anytime you need some extra hydration, you could pour one packet of Liquid I.V.s into your water, shake it up, and be on your way.

It’s literally that simple.

This is the basic idea of what these packets are, but there’s actually more to the story.

The company behind these drink packets claims to have created a Cellular Transport Technology, as they call it, which means the nutrients inside are absorbed straight into your bloodstream, according to their website.

They also mention that, when you consume other fluids, they go through your entire digestive system and, along the way, nutrients and water are often lost in the process.

But with Liquid I.V.s, this isn’t the case.

They claim to use a perfectly balanced mix of sodium, glucose, potassium and other essentials, which allows the water and nutrients to go right into your bloodstream even sooner than reaching your digestive system.

Another reason I was drawn to this product is that they call it a hydration multiplier.

This means that one Liquid I.V. stick, when poured into 16 oz of water, is the equivalent of drinking 2-3 bottles of water worth.

So on top of getting those nutrients — which happens to be 11 essential vitamins and minerals —  into your system faster, you’ll also hydrate more than you would with just water alone.

Now that you know the “what” behind these magical packets, let’s talk about why I use them and why you may want to consider doing so too.

Why I Drink Liquid I.V.s

What first got me drawn to Liquid I.V.s is that I was having stomach issues and IBS flare ups that left me depleted.

I would be physically sick and couldn’t hold down any food for a few days.

Sometimes even water would come back up.

After a few days, my body would swing back in the other direction and would let me know it needed some more substance. But I also knew I needed to get a dose of nutrients back in too.

In doing some research I came across these Liquid I.V.s and really found them to be a gamechanger.

I also realized that there was no point in waiting for me to get sick to use them.

According to their package, they’re great for hydrating during exercise, if you’re out in the sun all day, when you travel, and just to get ahead of being sick — getting enough fluids can help you flush out bacteria and viruses (which we all need in this Covid time).

So, since being in this pandemic, I’ve been drinking them more and now I use them anytime I do a workout or long walk outside in the south Florida sun, among other times.

I also use them when I want to change up just drinking water.

Their package also says they’re perfect for combating signs of dehydration such as:

1. Fatigue
2. Dizziness
3. Headaches
4. Confusion
5. Muscle cramps
6. Increased heart rate
7. Dry mouth
8. Thirst
9. Muscle fatigue
10. Bad breath
11. Dark urine
12. Brain fog
13. Dry skin
14. Infrequent urination

I don’t know about you but I’ve definitely experienced those symptoms at one point or another.

So anytime I get to that point, these I.V.s are the first thing I reach for.

I also try to get ahead of these unwanted symptoms by being proactive and taking them long before those things surface.

Personally, I’m using them on an everyday or every other day basis because I really feel like they’ve made a big difference.

I also use them as an afternoon pick-me-up (instead of caffeine) and find them helpful for those times when water just doesn’t seem to cut it.

To be clear though, I still drink water. It’s just that I supplement with these to add some flavor and a bit more hydration in.

With the “what” and the “why” out of the way, let’s dive into:

What’s in a Liquid I.V.?

The flavor I have right now, which happens to be my favorite so far, is their Acai Berry which I’ll share what’s inside:

One stick of this flavor is 45 calories and contains:

1. 500 mg of sodium (22% of the daily value)
2. 380 mg of potassium (8% DV)
3. 73 mg of vitamin C (80% DV)
4. 22.8 mg of niacin (140% DV)
5. 2.3 mg of vitamin B6 (140% DV)
6. 6.8 mcg of vitamin B12 (280% DV)
7. 11.4 mg of pantothenic acid (230% DV)

These are the important vitamins and minerals that give you the nutritional boost that water alone can’t deliver.

On top of those, there’s 12g of carbs and 11g of cane sugar.

These last two figures definitely had me hesitant in the beginning but now I don’t think twice.

A true IV contains sugar and these numbers are much lower than what you’d find in a sports drink like Gatorade or Powerade.

There’s also more nutrients than coconut water — which has a tiny amount of potassium — and about the same sugar, if not more (in the coconut water).

I also love that these packets are non-gmo, gluten-free, dairy-free, soy-free, and they don’t contain any preservatives, artificial flavors, colors, or sweeteners.

So they’re as clean as it gets — and tasty too. 

I’ve tried their Lemon Lime, Passion Fruit, and Acai Berry flavors and I have to say my favorites are in that reverse order (Acai being my absolute fave and LL being one I’m not a huge fan of).

They also came out with a new flavor, Guava Hibiscus, which sounds amazing too.

I heard they had a Strawberry Shortcake flavor that was a limited edition and I’m bummed I didn’t get to try it in time. 

In writing this article, I also found that they created an Energy Multiplier and Sleep Multiplier version which gives you a different combination of nutrients than the original I.V.s. I did a quick scan of the sleep one and the active ingredients (melatonin and l-theanine) looked great.

So now you may be wondering:

Where Can You Get Liquid I.V.s?

The first time I purchased my Liquid I.V.s, I caught a BOGO at Walgreens. I would say this is the priciest way to try them but it gives you a small amount to try so it’s also a low commitment.

The BOGO made it worth it because a box of just six sticks was $12.99 so I was able to snag two for that price.

At $12.99 for six, they were about $2.16/a piece, according to Walgreens’ website.

So the BOGO made them $1.08/per piece and somewhat more affordable.

I recently purchased a larger bag on Amazon that gave me 16 sticks for $23.98 (~$1.50/each) which worked out less than the original Walgreens price but not cheaper than the BOGO.

I’ve also seen them at Costco but have yet to find them again there. I saw them there before I started taking them but I would assume this is probably a cheap route to take so I’m keeping my eye out for them.

You can also buy them directly from Liquid I.V.s website where they’re giving 20% off. I also saw an Instagram influencer has a 25% off code that also gives you free shipping when you buy directly from their company’s website (if you want this discount drop a comment below. But, heads up, that person will make a commission off your sale, not me).

So there are a few places you can find them and the prices definitely vary.

I would recommend paying a little extra for the smaller packs to start just so you can test out the flavors and see how you feel.

For example, I would never buy a big bag of Lemon Lime again but you may find they’re your favorite.

Another thing to consider is that these prices definitely shocked me at first. To combat this, I now compare them to something like a Gatorade.

You would pay about the same if not more for an electrolyte drink like this so you’re really not that far off.

Plus, depending on the flavor you pick, you’d find way more sugar in the Gatorade than the I.V. packets.

Yes, you could get sugar-free versions, but now you may be introducing artificial sweeteners, which I’m not always fond of personally.

The other plus side is that I.V. packets are huge compared to something like a Crystal Light, which helps.

I’ve also found them to be sweet so sometimes I split them in two and stretch them out a bit more.

Final Thoughts on Liquid I.V.

As mentioned earlier, I’m not paid for this post or sponsored by Liquid I.V.. I personally found them helpful and have been using them more often than not which is why I wanted to share them with you.

I’m actually about to crack one open (my new fav Acai Berry) now because I enjoy them so much.

I think they’re great to keep on hand when you’re feeling run down, exercising or outdoors in the sun, traveling, or you just need a boost. They work well when you need some hydration too and water just isn’t cutting it.

So while I can’t say if they’d help you, I know they’ve helped me enough that I wanted to share my experience with you.

I’d love to hear if you’ll be trying them anytime soon.

Let me know in the comments below.

And I’ll “see” you next time!

To staying hydrated and happy,

Devan