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

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

surfteam1689

I use a Reverse Osmosis unit which then adds minerals and coral calcium to my water. I then add 1/4 cup of pure lemon juice to 2 cups of water. Measure it! Not only does lemon in your water clean your colon like crazy, but it also balances your ph in your stomach. The more alkaline you are on the inside - the cleaner your colon is, then the more efficient your calories are absorbed on the way in. Drink water, at least 8 cups. If you can't do just water, add pure lemon juice.

kelzpop

I think it depends on why you are drinking as well. I drink roughly a gallon of water a day to help flush kidney stones. If I drink anything other than water it doesn't count. Yes it keeps me hydrated, but it isn't counted as water.

I have heard that decaf tea is the only other thing you can count as water intake, but I don't remember where I heard that.

carld256

I swear this has to be the myth that simply will not die. You don't need 8 glasses of water a day. Even if you did, tea, coffee and soda would all count.

steve1686

by some of your logic, if someone drank nothing but soda for a week they would dehydrate. Guess what? Some people do this and survive

Mercenary1914

What If I drink a glass of water with a cafeine pill?

I hate the logic....and I am about to disagree with my boy steve...but If I drink 8 oz of water laced with green tea (35mg caffeine) no sugar how is that different than me drinking a glass of water with a caffeine pill that is 200mg of caffeine?

So I don't log water that I had with a caffeine pill? What if I take a sip with the caffeine pill..wait 5 mins...is that 8 oz now legal to be logged?

AlayshaJ

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

coleen_d_b

Some people find it easier to restrict themselves to hard and fast rules that others make for them, ie. water is water, tea is tea. Whatever. It's all hydrating, which is, actually, the point.

If I'm drinking water, I usually get in two or three cups, since that is what my body tells me it needs. However, if I'm drinking water with decaffeinated, flavored, tea bags dunked in it, I usually get about 8 - 12 cups, since it tastes yummy and helps keep me full.

Hydration needs are different for all individuals. Scientific American puts it well:

"The [Food and Nutrition] Board, [now part of the National Academy of Sciences's Institute of Medicine] revisited the question of water consumption in 2004. Its panel on 'dietary preference intakes for electrolytes and water' noted that women who appear adequately hydrated consume about 91 ounces (2.7 liters) of water a day and men about 125 ounces (3.7 liters). These seemingly large quantities come from a variety of sources—including coffee, tea, milk, soda, juice, fruits, vegetables and other foods. Instead of recommending how much extra water a person should drink to maintain health, the panel simply concluded that "the vast majority of healthy people adequately meet their daily hydration needs by letting thirst be their guide...

"Water requirements depend so much on outside temperature, activity levels and other factors that there isn't one rule that fits everybody... So how much water should you drink? Here's their advice: If you have specific medical concerns, talk to your doctor. But if you are healthy, Rolls recommends that you "have a beverage with meals and drink when you are thirsty.

"In other words, heed your thirst signals, enjoy that watermelon, and stop feeling guilty for not guzzling those extra glasses."

~ Scientific American
http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=eight-glasses-water-per-day

Mercenary1914

Some people find it easier to restrict themselves to hard and fast rules that others make for them, ie. water is water, tea is tea. Whatever. It's all hydrating, which is, actually, the point.

If I'm drinking water, I usually get in two or three cups, since that is what my body tells me it needs. However, if I'm drinking water with decaffeinated, flavored, tea bags dunked in it, I usually get about 8 - 12 cups, since it tastes yummy and helps keep me full.

Hydration needs are different for all individuals. Scientific American puts it well:

"The [Food and Nutrition] Board, [now part of the National Academy of Sciences's Institute of Medicine] revisited the question of water consumption in 2004. Its panel on 'dietary preference intakes for electrolytes and water' noted that women who appear adequately hydrated consume about 91 ounces (2.7 liters) of water a day and men about 125 ounces (3.7 liters). These seemingly large quantities come from a variety of sources—including coffee, tea, milk, soda, juice, fruits, vegetables and other foods. Instead of recommending how much extra water a person should drink to maintain health, the panel simply concluded that "the vast majority of healthy people adequately meet their daily hydration needs by letting thirst be their guide...

"Water requirements depend so much on outside temperature, activity levels and other factors that there isn't one rule that fits everybody... So how much water should you drink? Here's their advice: If you have specific medical concerns, talk to your doctor. But if you are healthy, Rolls recommends that you "have a beverage with meals and drink when you are thirsty.

"In other words, heed your thirst signals, enjoy that watermelon, and stop feeling guilty for not guzzling those extra glasses."

~ Scientific American
http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=eight-glasses-water-per-day

I LOVE IT

JSheehy1965

I love water...but then I also put a couple of slices of lime and a bruised sprig of mint in it sometimes to give it a little flavour. I also prefer it room temperature than ice cold.

paulasue145

lol....If you take a cup of hot Water and put a tea bag in it.... it's still water.

I think it should be reasoned on and up to the individual to decide.