Does milk count as water?

It does matter. 8 diet cokes do not equal 8 glasses of water. Ever.

Slippery slope...just sayin.

In terms of hydration, diet Coke is fine. I wouldn't want to consume that much artificial sweetener.

Just because it doesn't have calories doesn't make it good for you. Personally... If I don't get 6-10 glasses of water per day I feel like crap... break out... and retain a load of water weight. From a hydration standpoint... I think its best to stick with "natural" sources such as natural fruit juice (not the kind you buy at the store - the kind you squeeze from a fruit).... teas.... and milk. The less artificial ingredients, the better off you'll be.

Plus, the way I took the OP, the question was 'A' glass of milk, not 8 glasses, not a gallon. Just a single glass. Using that as 1 serving, I see no problem.

I was told by Docs in chemotherapy that any liquid is fine towards the 2 litre a day target. Whilst milk is actually food with calories it is still also liquid. I was drinking 2 litres of water and then all my milks, teas etc on top .It washed out my electrolytes as demonstrated in the blood tests that day. I was told in no uncertain terms to stop over hydrating and flushing out those essential electrolytes.

Hope this helps

Best wishes with chemo and recovery!

a) You don't need 8 glasses of water a day,

b) You need to consume enough FLUIDS to keep your body hydrated.

c) If your urine is pale yellow you are hydrated.

d) Any kind of liquid will hydrate your body. Coffee, tea, milk, juice, soda, soups, etc. An apple is 85% water.

e) There is no proof that drinking large amounts of water has any effect on weight loss beyond making you feel full.

This. Pee pale and everythings ok.

i hardly ever pee clear and i've survived 45 years with dying even once. the "pee clear" thing is broscience perpetuated by trainers.

Because clearly being de-hydrated will make you die! and if you don't then all is good! :huh:

Go see a doctor and ask if dark coloured pee is often (not always) a sign of de-hydration!!

a) You don't need 8 glasses of water a day,

b) You need to consume enough FLUIDS to keep your body hydrated.

c) If your urine is pale yellow you are hydrated.

d) Any kind of liquid will hydrate your body. Coffee, tea, milk, juice, soda, soups, etc. An apple is 85% water.

e) There is no proof that drinking large amounts of water has any effect on weight loss beyond making you feel full.

This. Pee pale and everythings ok.

i hardly ever pee clear and i've survived 45 years with dying even once. the "pee clear" thing is broscience perpetuated by trainers.

Because clearly being de-hydrated will make you die! and if you don't then all is good! :huh:

Go see a doctor and ask if dark coloured pee is often (not always) a sign of de-hydration!!

This. I kinda figured on my own, without a trainer telling me, that my clearish pee was a good sign when I was drinking quite a bit of water a day.

My dietician advises me that all liquids count as 'water'..your body will use them as such. She ALSO states that there is a lot of misinformation out there, such as the 'soda doesn't count'...caffeine thing. There isn't enough caffeine in soda/coffee to negate the effects of the water, but that myth persists.

I guess what I'm trying to say is, if you have doubts, ask a dietitian

Oh, and would someone please post the Mayo Clinic caffeine study, please??? The myth that will never die...

a) You don't need 8 glasses of water a day,

b) You need to consume enough FLUIDS to keep your body hydrated.

c) If your urine is pale yellow you are hydrated.

d) Any kind of liquid will hydrate your body. Coffee, tea, milk, juice, soda, soups, etc. An apple is 85% water.

e) There is no proof that drinking large amounts of water has any effect on weight loss beyond making you feel full.

This. Pee pale and everythings ok.

i hardly ever pee clear and i've survived 45 years with dying even once. the "pee clear" thing is broscience perpetuated by trainers.

Because clearly being de-hydrated will make you die! and if you don't then all is good! :huh:

Go see a doctor and ask if dark coloured pee is often (not always) a sign of de-hydration!!

who said anything about dark colored pee?

way to create a false strawman argument to debunk.

i said that drinking until you see clear pee was broscience.

however, thanks for playing. we have a lovely parting gift for you. :flowerforyou:

My dietician advises me that all liquids count as 'water'..your body will use them as such. She ALSO states that there is a lot of misinformation out there, such as the 'soda doesn't count'...caffeine thing. There isn't enough caffeine in soda/coffee to negate the effects of the water, but that myth persists.

I guess what I'm trying to say is, if you have doubts, ask a dietitian

Good post however, on a side note there are things in Soda that are hard on the body and it should not be used as a method of hydration -- actually, it should be avoided by anyone trying to lose weight -- and diet is not better.

a) You don't need 8 glasses of water a day,

b) You need to consume enough FLUIDS to keep your body hydrated.

c) If your urine is pale yellow you are hydrated.

d) Any kind of liquid will hydrate your body. Coffee, tea, milk, juice, soda, soups, etc. An apple is 85% water.

e) There is no proof that drinking large amounts of water has any effect on weight loss beyond making you feel full.

This. Pee pale and everythings ok.

i hardly ever pee clear and i've survived 45 years with dying even once. the "pee clear" thing is broscience perpetuated by trainers.

No it's moscience since it's a mommy idea perpetuated by me to my kids. It seems to be an easy to understand concept that keeps them interested in drinking fluids and checking on their pee's when I'm not around. I'll also note that the pee does turn super dark yellow whenever I don't have enough fluids. I've noticed and my grown kid who I taught this as a kid agrees.

And the only thing I'd change about the above post is that coffee is like anti-water because it actually dehydrates you so that and alcohol are the only ones where now you actually have to consume an extra glass of water per serving of caffeine drink or alcoholic beverage to offset any dehydration those may cause. This I heard from a neurologist cleaning me off caffeine so unsure what the "broscience" term would be for this....neuroscience? Noscience?

personal trainers almost universally tell their clients that they MUST drink enough water every day until they see clear pee. that's broscience and overkill. when your pee is clear, it's actually a sign that you are over-hydrated. of course that won't hurt you, your body just clears the extra water out of your body as quickly as it can.

OH! Now I see. Well, I didn't have trainers back in the day so I didn't hear it from them but I heard it from someplace back in the day and it appears from your reply that it has been extremified since I heard it. I was never under the impression the pee should be "clear" like water but just that it should be lighter yellow and that dark, dark yellow pee pee was a sign of heading toward dehydration and a cue that drinking more would be good. I'm glad you clarifiied that because NO I would not advise anyone to drink until pee pee is CLEAR just see thru yellow. Not clear like water. Anyways I think a person might naturally stop from just sheer bloating or potty visits before that point but who knows I remember that story of the lady who died from too much water from some competition or something.

Oh, and would someone please post the Mayo Clinic caffeine study, please??? The myth that will never die...

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/caffeinated-drinks/AN01661

As long as you don't over consume (more than 500 - 600mg of caffeine) you can also count your sodas, coffees and teas.

Bolded for emphasis since it is possible with certain high caffeine content coffees in large quantities.

a) You don't need 8 glasses of water a day,

b) You need to consume enough FLUIDS to keep your body hydrated.

c) If your urine is pale yellow you are hydrated.

d) Any kind of liquid will hydrate your body. Coffee, tea, milk, juice, soda, soups, etc. An apple is 85% water.

e) There is no proof that drinking large amounts of water has any effect on weight loss beyond making you feel full.

THIS. Holy S, people.

http://www.nhs.uk/Livewell/Goodfood/Pages/water-drinks.aspx

"All drinks count, but water, milk and fruit juices are the healthiest. It is best to avoid alcoholic drinks."

My dietician advises me that all liquids count as 'water'..your body will use them as such. She ALSO states that there is a lot of misinformation out there, such as the 'soda doesn't count'...caffeine thing. There isn't enough caffeine in soda/coffee to negate the effects of the water, but that myth persists.

I guess what I'm trying to say is, if you have doubts, ask a dietitian

Good post however, on a side note there are things in Soda that are hard on the body and it should not be used as a method of hydration -- actually, it should be avoided by anyone trying to lose weight -- and diet is not better.

But then why do I feel like such crap if I have too much caffeine and why does water or another non caffeinated liquid make me feel better?

Same goes for alcohol, what about hangovers?

You feel like crap because you have too much caffeine, not because of anything to do with hydration. Alcohol *doesn't* count because it is dehydrating, but caffeine is not.

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/caffeinated-drinks/AN01661

I was told by Docs in chemotherapy that any liquid is fine towards the 2 litre a day target. Whilst milk is actually food with calories it is still also liquid. I was drinking 2 litres of water and then all my milks, teas etc on top .It washed out my electrolytes as demonstrated in the blood tests that day. I was told in no uncertain terms to stop over hydrating and flushing out those essential electrolytes.

Hope this helps

I imagine this was specifically to do with your chemo though. It's very dangerous to go round telling people "any liquid is fine". It quite clearly isn't. Should I drink two litres of Strawberry Yazoo a day instead of water? Vodka? Kerosene?

The fact is that water is way better for you than any other liquid because

a] It gives you more energy. Milk is not as effective as this. Alcohol certainly is not.
b] It hydrates you skin and improves your appearance
c] It hydrates your organs, helping to optimise them and improve your metabolism, therefore aiding weight loss
d] It regulates your body temperature
e] It allow nutrients to reach the cells in your body more effectively
f] Helps remove waste matter more effectively

So no, any liquid is not fine. For YOU yes, in your current situation, but everyone else cannot cheat and drink whatever they like and pretend it's as good as water.

milk is actually food with calories

What does this even mean?

It does matter. 8 diet cokes do not equal 8 glasses of water. Ever.

Slippery slope...just sayin.

True, since a can of diet coke is 12 oz... 8 cans would be more like 12 glasses of water

I don't believe I specified 8 cans of diet coke...did I? :P

This thread has devolved into nonsense. Juice? Instead of water? Please. And regarding lemons, limes, cucumbers in your water. Acidity is good for your gut and your ph. Lemons have a cleansing effect and are good for your liver. They ENHANCE the water - not detract from it. And if they don't enhance it, they certainly are "neutral" in terms of nutrition.

By all means, drink pop, juice, milk instead of water. And get back to me on how much weight you are losing.

I think it strange that proponents of "pure" water say it is ok to flavor water with fruit such as lemon , limes, etc. and some advocate ice tea, but yet coffee and other liquids don't count. I get coffee has caffeine , but so does ice tea and water flavored with fruit also has citrus or some other additive. I think hydration is the main thing, if you can do it with just water, do so, it is the healthiest means. If not, just be sure to get plenty of fluids, preferably without calories.

there's more caffeine in 2 Excedrin than a cup of coffee. so if you have a headache and swallow 2 Excedrin and use a glass of water to wash them down, then that glass of water must not count either... assuming these people want to be logically consistent. it doesn't make sense to me.

this is what I do all the time. so i guess, you're saying that glass does not have to be a wash (which is exactly how I count it) but can be counted toward my daily water total?