Water "enhancers"... thoughts?!

AlohaKeAkua
AlohaKeAkua Posts: 92
in Food and Nutrition
Hey guys! I don' know if this topic has been beaten to death or not yet, but I was wondering what the general public thought about water enhancers like Crystal Light/Mio etc... Do you think your water is the same when you use it? As in, if I drink a few bottles of water with sugar free Mio, is it the same as drinking my needed cups of water? Or, do you think your water needs to be completely chemical free in order to benefit you the way it should be?
I only drink sugar/calorie free enhancers...
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Replies

  • BarackMeLikeAHurricane
    BarackMeLikeAHurricane Posts: 3,400 Member
    It's fine
  • MG_Fit
    MG_Fit Posts: 1,143 Member
    Is there a reason why you add the enhancers to the water?

    I add supplements to my after for pre and post training (Scivation Xtend), but I do not count this towards my water intake. I'm usually around 120 - 200 oz of water / day though.
  • AlohaKeAkua
    AlohaKeAkua Posts: 92
    Just for flavor.
  • dayone987
    dayone987 Posts: 645 Member
    Your body is capable of extracting the H20 from anything that contains water, so yes it will still count as water.
  • Astacia74
    Astacia74 Posts: 166 Member
    Try using natural flavor enhancers such as berries, lemon juice or cucumbers.
  • Colliex3
    Colliex3 Posts: 328 Member
    I think using them for alittle taste is no big deal. I like fresh lemon in my water.
  • TotalTory
    TotalTory Posts: 59
    Just an FYI - I would not use any of the liquid water flavors - the little packets are fine - but the MIO and others have propylene glycol in them and that is basically antifreeze. Just thought I would pass it along. Lots of other products have the same thing but I know for sure the liquid flavors do.
  • laurageist
    laurageist Posts: 4
    You may want to True Lime, if you can find it. They are powdered, calorie free, and contain stevia, so no scary chemicals. I don't use them myself, but my husband loves them. :)
  • thisismeraw
    thisismeraw Posts: 1,264 Member
    Just an FYI - I would not use any of the liquid water flavors - the little packets are fine - but the MIO and others have propylene glycol in them and that is basically antifreeze. Just thought I would pass it along. Lots of other products have the same thing but I know for sure the liquid flavors do.

    In Canada Mio doesn't contain propylene glycol.

    Propylene glycol is in a lot of foods as a preservative and it is used to keep things from freezing. It is also used in a lot of cosmetic products (deodorants, face creams, lotions, lipsticks) and it is also used in vaccines as well as things like cough syrup.

    There is not nearly enough in Mio to be toxic and propylene glycol is broken down by the body into harmless substances. If you wanted to avoid chemicals in your body you would have to avoid most cosmetic and beauty products, pharmacy products, and a lot of foods on the market.

    For the OP, use the mio if you like it and if it helps you get your water in. Nothing wrong with it!
  • MrsGriffin67
    MrsGriffin67 Posts: 485 Member
    Just an FYI - I would not use any of the liquid water flavors - the little packets are fine - but the MIO and others have propylene glycol in them and that is basically antifreeze. Just thought I would pass it along. Lots of other products have the same thing but I know for sure the liquid flavors do.

    Do you realize how much propylene glycol you would have to ingest before it would be toxic. Also many things contain propylene glycol. Ever check out the ingredients on things like vanilla extract.

    Here is an article from naturalnews.com http://www.naturalnews.com/023138_propylene_glycol_products_natural.html
  • ines1961
    ines1961 Posts: 5 Member
    I think that anyway you can get your water in if fine.
  • BerryH
    BerryH Posts: 4,698 Member
    My favourite water enhancers are a kettle, teabag, and just a splash of milk.
  • Hexahedra
    Hexahedra Posts: 894 Member
    I used to add mio into my water because I wasn't used to drinking non-flavored stuff. Now I'm ok with plain water as is.
  • crystalwelshroberts
    crystalwelshroberts Posts: 147 Member
    I am actually sensitive to all those sweeteners even tho they are calorie free I tend to love the sweetness and consume too many! So moderation is my motto!
  • JustJennie1
    JustJennie1 Posts: 3,749 Member
    Why not make a pitcher of water and put cut up lemons, cucumbers or oranges in it for flavor?
  • AlohaKeAkua
    AlohaKeAkua Posts: 92
    I had a feeling someone would tell me I would die from it ;-)
    I don't drink it all the time, but I would not drink any at all if it wouldn't benefit me as regular water would. I'm a teacher and I don't have a place to stack bottles of water (which I like to think of myself as being a little more "green" than that anyway!) I just want to change the taste of the water fountain water at school, so I could continue to get my water in during the day. I can't carry bottles and bottles of fresh cut lemons and such, all around all day. I do that at home all the time though.
    Looks like the majority thinks it's OK, I won't be killed from it, and I'll still get the benefits of water from it!
  • SteveJWatson
    SteveJWatson Posts: 1,225 Member
    Is a teabag a water enhancer then? :drinker:
  • Hornsby
    Hornsby Posts: 10,322 Member
    Yes, it's fine for you. No, it doesn't count towards water intake. If that was the case, everything could count towards your water intake as most drinks start out as water.
  • AlohaKeAkua
    AlohaKeAkua Posts: 92
    Yes, it's fine for you. No, it doesn't count towards water intake. If that was the case, everything could count towards your water intake as most drinks start out as water.

    That is where my confusion comes in and the purpose of this question.
  • SteveJWatson
    SteveJWatson Posts: 1,225 Member
    Yes, it's fine for you. No, it doesn't count towards water intake. If that was the case, everything could count towards your water intake as most drinks start out as water.

    Yeeeees........

    So; all drinks count towards your water intake - just log the calorific stuff you put in them like cordial, milk etc........

    Your body can even use the water in food! Who knew?
  • Hornsby
    Hornsby Posts: 10,322 Member
    Yes, it's fine for you. No, it doesn't count towards water intake. If that was the case, everything could count towards your water intake as most drinks start out as water.

    That is where my confusion comes in and the purpose of this question.

    I know :) And that's the answer I think is true. For what it's worth, I don't think any cats will get murdered if you do log your flavored water as water or anything. The way I look at it is that when a doctor says to drink 8 cups a day of water, he doesn't mean drink 16 cups of diet soda which may have 8 cups worth of water in it. A stretch I know and not the same thing, but you have to figure out where your line is on what you call water. I keep it simple. If it's water, it's water. If it's flavored, it's not. I don't even track my water intake as I drink too much to have to worry about it.
  • dayone987
    dayone987 Posts: 645 Member
    Yes. Pretty much anything that contains water can be used as water.
    Basic anatomy and physiology.
  • momzeeee
    momzeeee Posts: 475 Member
    The only thing I drink is water and sometimes I add the orange flavored Mio to shake things up :)
  • Skrib69
    Skrib69 Posts: 687 Member
    Is a teabag a water enhancer then? :drinker:


    Mmmm, loving this Earl Grey water enhancer!
  • Hornsby
    Hornsby Posts: 10,322 Member
    Yes. Pretty much anything that contains water can be used as water.
    Basic anatomy and physiology.

    So if you drink a diet soda, you count that as water?
  • FredDoyle
    FredDoyle Posts: 2,272 Member
    Yes. Pretty much anything that contains water can be used as water.
    Basic anatomy and physiology.

    So if you drink a diet soda, you count that as water?
    Of course you can. It's mostly water. That's basic chemistry/biology.
  • thisismeraw
    thisismeraw Posts: 1,264 Member
    Yes, it's fine for you. No, it doesn't count towards water intake. If that was the case, everything could count towards your water intake as most drinks start out as water.

    Yes it does count towards water intake. All liquids do... yes, even coffee and it's not dehydrating in normal amounts like people seem to think it is. Sure, don't get all your liquid intake from pop and coffee but adding flavour to water can still be tracked as water.
  • dayone987
    dayone987 Posts: 645 Member
    Yes. Pretty much anything that contains water can be used as water.
    Basic anatomy and physiology.

    So if you drink a diet soda, you count that as water?
    Well, my body does so I figure I should too.
  • RobP1192
    RobP1192 Posts: 310 Member
    I used to use crystal light all the time, just to have a "kool-aid" type of drink ready in the ridge. After a while i think i just got tired of it, i guess the chemical type taste or whatever. Just me i guess. But i drank it because it was sugar free!
  • summersbest
    summersbest Posts: 194 Member
    I was previously involved with two medically supervised weight loss programs and both stated that any decaffeinated drinks can count towards daily water intake. I can't handle the taste of plain water so drink Crystal Light all the time. ~

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