Does your 8 glasses of water have to be water??!

gwynethabaker

Any reason why your 8 glasses of water a day has to be just water? Can diluteable squash(the no added sugar type) be added to make it more pleasant or does this ruin everything!!

coleen_d_b

I take my water in the form of unsweetened iced tea that I make myself. Cherry Berry flavored. Yum!

Ketomaniac9

It's fine to flavor water within reason.

MrsSamB

Water intake needs to be WATER INTAKE. If this was negotiable, the little ticker thingy would read "liquid consumption" instead of "water consumption." Not to be too blunt, but, suck it up and drink the water. How important is this to you?


blessings,
sam

sapphireblu64

I agree Sammieb:flowerforyou:

Gioooo

Water intake needs to be WATER INTAKE. If this was negotiable, the little ticker thingy would read "liquid consumption" instead of "water consumption." Not to be too blunt, but, suck it up and drink the water. How important is this to you?


blessings,
sam

this^. unsweetened iced tea isnt WATER. water with lemon or those crystal light packets/mio can be put in your water to sweeten it a bit and its still considered your water intake though. water is really important so you should make sure you get 8 or more glasses a day..

cjpg

So long as the 'dilutable squash' is diluted with 8 glasses of water, then yes :P

kamoira23

i've always thought of it more as liquid intake than strictly water. that being said, i wouldn't consider 8 cups of diet coke as being something that's particularly hydrating. i'll often count crystal light or true lemon mixed stuff as my water or i will add a plain lemon/lime. it's more about personal preference, because if i were to drink plain water all the time, i'd go crazy.

Sharmender

I'm someone who drinks 5-7 cups of green tea a day, 1 coffee,1 diet soda and 1 water. Is it better to drink more water? Like, how is green tea worse than water?

saragato

It's fine to flavor water within reason.

Within reason being natural flavoring like a squeeze of lemon, lime, or orange. Or hell they have some contraption that lets you make ice cubes from fruit juice to flavor your water.

Beyond reason is anything with sweeteners like Crystal Light and Mio. That stuff is not water. You can pretend it is all you want but that's like arguing soda's water because there happens to be water in it.

ElizaRoche

no... tea, coffee, even milk and juice... (And thats something the doctor told me, im not making it up)

I also use those flavored powders to give the water a bit of flavor.. hibiscus, lemon, tangerine, and even piña colada. I love it!

saragato

I'm someone who drinks 5-7 cups of green tea a day, 1 coffee,1 diet soda and 1 water. Is it better to drink more water? Like, how is green tea worse than water?

The basic fact it's tea. It's not "water with tea in it", it's tea. Water is water, tea is tea.

jennkain97

Water intake needs to be WATER INTAKE. If this was negotiable, the little ticker thingy would read "liquid consumption" instead of "water consumption." Not to be too blunt, but, suck it up and drink the water. How important is this to you?


blessings,
sam

no. just no. your water intake can be anything that isn't laden w/ sugar, caffeine, salt, or alcohol. the purpose of water is to keep your body hydrated, so any liquid that doesn't DEhydrate or cause unnecessary calorie consumption is fine.

BPayton27

I often flavor my water bottles with to-go powder packets and believe it "counts" just fine, as does my doctor. Some people just don't like the taste of plain water and that is fine. A sliced cucumber also provides a nice flavor.

Sharmender

I'm someone who drinks 5-7 cups of green tea a day, 1 coffee,1 diet soda and 1 water. Is it better to drink more water? Like, how is green tea worse than water?

The basic fact it's tea. It's not "water with tea in it", it's tea. Water is water, tea is tea.

Uhm yeah thanks for clearing that up! But tea is still fluid with added good stuff. So is it good like this, or should I drink more water in stead of tea?

JBott84

I'm someone who drinks 5-7 cups of green tea a day, 1 coffee,1 diet soda and 1 water. Is it better to drink more water? Like, how is green tea worse than water?

The basic fact it's tea. It's not "water with tea in it", it's tea. Water is water, tea is tea.

I agree - Water is good and good for you, how can it taste bad? It tastes like nothing...*SUCK* it up :laugh: pun intended

jennkain97

I'm someone who drinks 5-7 cups of green tea a day, 1 coffee,1 diet soda and 1 water. Is it better to drink more water? Like, how is green tea worse than water?

green tea is great for energy/fat burn, but not for hydration. anything w/ caffeine will dehydrate the body. decaf green tea would count as water, but you wouldn't get the energy affect.

MBSNANA

When I went to Weight Watchers, yes I am a weight watchers drop out they always stressed 8glasses or more of water. They said you could count anything as long as it has -0- calories. Such as coffee black, flavored water [watch and make sure even artifical sweetner is not in it. Even diet coke has calories so I would not count that as water.

mdianne58

I drink lots of unsweetened tea, can't stand plain water. So I look at like tea is better than nothing because if water is the only chance then I am not drinking anything.

KristalDawnO

I only count actual water consumption. I keep a bottle with me at all times when I'm in the office and DRINK, DRINK, DRINK!!! 2 weeks - no soda!!! GO me!!!! lol

Neahpata

From the Mayo clinic- just about any water containing food or beverage counts.

Every day you lose water through your breath, perspiration, urine and bowel movements. For your body to function properly, you must replenish its water supply by consuming beverages and foods that contain water.

So how much fluid does the average, healthy adult living in a temperate climate need? The Institute of Medicine determined that an adequate intake (AI) for men is roughly 3 liters (about 13 cups) of total beverages a day. The AI for women is 2.2 liters (about 9 cups) of total beverages a day.

Everyone has heard the advice, "Drink eight 8-ounce glasses of water a day." That's about 1.9 liters, which isn't that different from the Institute of Medicine recommendations. Although the "8 by 8" rule isn't supported by hard evidence, it remains popular because it's easy to remember. Just keep in mind that the rule should be reframed as: "Drink at least eight 8-ounce glasses of fluid a day," because all fluids count toward the daily total.

Although it's a great idea to keep water within reach at all times, you don't need to rely only on what you drink to meet your fluid needs. What you eat also provides a significant portion of your fluid needs. On average, food provides about 20 percent of total water intake. For example, many fruits and vegetables, such as watermelon and tomatoes, are 90 percent or more water by weight.

In addition, beverages such as milk and juice are composed mostly of water. Even beer, wine and caffeinated beverages — such as coffee, tea or soda — can contribute, but these should not be a major portion of your daily total fluid intake. Water is still your best bet because it's calorie-free, inexpensive and readily available.

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/water/NU00283

AndreaDaPrincess

What can beat pure, fresh, fat free, sugarfree youth juice (water) ? :happy:

kristi5224

There's nothing wrong with drinking tea or juice or soda or wine for that matter but this usually means you are not drinking water when you could be.
I think of MFP as a game. One of the rules is drink 64 oz of water. Its your game, bend the rules and no one but you cares, but in this game water=water.

led6777

Here's the rule I go by. Caffeine dehydrates you, so any caffeinated beverage (tea, coffee, cola) does NOT count as water intake; in fact, it sets you back! If you drink a caffeinated beverage, you have to drink at least 1 cup of water to make sure you aren't dehydrating yourself. Beverages that don't contain caffeine, such as herbal teas, crystal light, etc. count as water but it's better to drink the real thing.

Here's an awesome trick to flavor your water naturally without adding too many calories. Add fruit ice cubes! Put water in your ice cube tray, add a piece of fruit to each section (lemon, strawberry, lime, mint, etc) or a few drops of crushed fruit (raspberry, etc) and freeze. Add to your water and enjoy!

Sharmender

I'm someone who drinks 5-7 cups of green tea a day, 1 coffee,1 diet soda and 1 water. Is it better to drink more water? Like, how is green tea worse than water?

green tea is great for energy/fat burn, but not for hydration. anything w/ caffeine will dehydrate the body. decaf green tea would count as water, but you wouldn't get the energy affect.

Thanks! I wasnt aware green tea was high in cafeine! Also, what do you mean with the energy affect..?

steve1686

Water intake needs to be WATER INTAKE. If this was negotiable, the little ticker thingy would read "liquid consumption" instead of "water consumption." Not to be too blunt, but, suck it up and drink the water. How important is this to you?


blessings,
sam

no. just no. your water intake can be anything that isn't laden w/ sugar, caffeine, salt, or alcohol. the purpose of water is to keep your body hydrated, so any liquid that doesn't DEhydrate or cause unnecessary calorie consumption is fine.

this.

jarrettd

From WebMD:
There's no evidence for the oft-repeated assertion that people need at least eight glasses of water per day. The Institute of Medicine recommends that men consume the equivalent of about 125 ounces of water daily and that women consume about 91 ounces -- but that includes water intake from all foods and beverages. Most people get adequate hydration without "purposeful drinking" of fluids for hydration. According to the U.S. government's "Dietary Guidelines for Americans," "purposeful drinking" is only necessary for people "who are exposed to heat stress or who perform sustained vigorous activity."

missashley884

i would stick to strictly water. other beverages can dehydrate you, making it even more important for u to drink MORE water (ie coffee)

led6777

I'm someone who drinks 5-7 cups of green tea a day, 1 coffee,1 diet soda and 1 water. Is it better to drink more water? Like, how is green tea worse than water?

green tea is great for energy/fat burn, but not for hydration. anything w/ caffeine will dehydrate the body. decaf green tea would count as water, but you wouldn't get the energy affect.

Thanks! I wasnt aware green tea was high in cafeine! Also, what do you mean with the energy affect..?

This person is just saying decaffeinated green tea won't give you the caffeine high.

missashley884

Water intake needs to be WATER INTAKE. If this was negotiable, the little ticker thingy would read "liquid consumption" instead of "water consumption." Not to be too blunt, but, suck it up and drink the water. How important is this to you?


blessings,
sam

no. just no. your water intake can be anything that isn't laden w/ sugar, caffeine, salt, or alcohol. the purpose of water is to keep your body hydrated, so any liquid that doesn't DEhydrate or cause unnecessary calorie consumption is fine.

this.

tea has caffeine and dehydrates u more.

cjpg

I'm someone who drinks 5-7 cups of green tea a day, 1 coffee,1 diet soda and 1 water. Is it better to drink more water? Like, how is green tea worse than water?

The basic fact it's tea. It's not "water with tea in it", it's tea. Water is water, tea is tea.

By that logic, how can watermelons exist? Water would be water and melons would be melons.

Is it a melon with water in it or is it water inside a melon?

EDIT: I LOVE SEMANTICS!!! :P