coconut water-the natural gaterade?

So I have had 3 bottles of coconut water in my cabinet left over from my detox this past January that I sort of forgot about.  I have also jumped off of the smoothie bandwagon; when it's all you can have for most of your meals (like I did when I had the joy of wisdom teeth removal a few months back) you sort of lose interest in them.  But today after a particularly hard speed workout with my Running class, followed by an impromptu "easy" run to "pick up a little extra" (I went a total of 8 miles. Eeesh!), I came home needing something.  And in celebration of the sunshine today, I bused out the coconut water and whipped this little number up:

1/2 bottle coconut water (they sell it in regular grocery stores. check in your juice section)
1/2 cup frozen blueberries
1/2 cup frozen mangos

Ah.  The tropics. If only I had some rum.  I digress...

So I got to thinking about this coconut water thing and did a little research I wanted to share with you.  Coconut water is natural and perfect for runners; you can drink it while running to hydrate (as you would a sports drink) or you can use it as a recovery beverage.  It has 5 essential electrolytes (including sodium) and rehydrates quicker than water.  It has more potassium than a banana to prevent cramping.  It has no calories, no fat, no added sugars (most sports drinks even have high fructose corn syrup-EW) and low acid.  Not to sound like a commercial, it is nature's little sports drink.

I think it would even be pretty tasty mixed in a little cocktail too...