If it contains water, it counts as water. (Except booze)

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  • 1princesswarrior
    1princesswarrior Posts: 1,242 Member
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    First I agree with the OP, he cited reputable scientific sources, which I rarely see on here. Thanks for the post.

    Second, when I was being treating for a spinal tap headache the doctor told me to drink lots of caffeine to constrict blood vessels and any other fluids I could get my hands on ... enough to make sure my pee was clear as water until my headache went away.

    Third, if you ever have to prep for a colonoscopy or other test that requires a clear liquid diet, diet soda and sports drinks are considered clear liquids, except red because it can be mistaken for blood (this is speaking from personal experience).

    When I drink anything with calories I count it as part of a meal or snack to help me keep track of calories and sugars.

    Bottoms up!
    :drinker: :drinker:
  • PepperWorm
    PepperWorm Posts: 1,206
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    I completely agree. I've been counting coffee and my Almond Milk as water.

    :drinker:
  • KristysLosing
    KristysLosing Posts: 683
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    I don't agree but, to each his own! :drinker:

    And I don't agree that the earth is round. That doesn't somehow make it not round though.

    I like you. :smile:
  • Nina1007
    Nina1007 Posts: 150
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    I agree. That's why I don't log my water it's in my diet teas and drinks, coffee, etc. I drink straight up water all the time too. However, there are going to be new people joining everyday asking the same questions. And that's okay too.
  • YogaNikki
    YogaNikki Posts: 284 Member
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    i count my water this way:

    it's 10pm and i'm finishing up logging everything and then see the little water icon and think, "oh crap...i wonder how much water i drank today? probably a lot." then i click the up arrow until it looks like water is splashing out and then click it a few more times for good measure. i'm not dead from dehydration yet, so it must work.

    then again, i drink my water from a 1/2gal mason jar and make sure that my pee is pretty much clear most of the time, so maybe that has something to do with it, too.

    I thought I was the only one who did that (minus the mason jar). Whhhheeeeewwww!!! I feel better ;-)

    did-we-just-become-best-friends-yep.gif
  • KarenJanine
    KarenJanine Posts: 3,497 Member
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    I don't log any water, I guess that must mean I'm dead.

    If it has calories it gets logged. If it doesn't then it doesn't. Ain't nobody got time for that.
  • zyxst
    zyxst Posts: 9,136 Member
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    I only count water as water because I don't know how much water is in the other foods I eat/drink. And yes, I understand what hydration means.
  • jeannemarie333
    jeannemarie333 Posts: 214 Member
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    bump
  • Briargrey
    Briargrey Posts: 498 Member
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    To me, the best way to word it is this:
    To ensure adequate hydration, the recommended amount of water is (insert X - 2-3litres seems to be that now). Sources of water for hydration can include other liquids and foods that have water in them. This comes from several scientific and medical experts such as (insert links). Because it can be difficult to estimate, some people insist on only counting pure water, leaving others confused as to whether or not they are staying adequately hydrated in the face of the "only water = water" crowd who forget that what is being counted is hydration. It is important to remember that if you are getting your water hydration sources from something other than a glass of 'pure' water, there may be other factors to consider, such as calories from sugar, caffeine, and other items that may or may not adversely impact your specific biology.

    In other words -- my opinion -- yes you can get hydrated from other sources than water. However, those other sources may have fewer health benefits for you. Soda, for example, is crap for you, whether it's diet or regular. So while it may HYDRATE it may not help your healthier lifestyle, but it also is one of those 'everything in moderation including moderation' sort of scenarios too.

    I count actual water as my water, and I average 3 litres a day. I also eat a lot of fruit and vegetables and I drink 2-3 cups of tea a day. So yeah, hydration is never an issue for me. I feel better drinking straight water (and I like it), but if I were having hydration issues, I would be looking at the science, not my feelings, and the science that I could get hydration from other non-straight water sources if I needed it.
  • msarro
    msarro Posts: 2,748 Member
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    To me, the best way to word it is this:
    To ensure adequate hydration, the recommended amount of water is (insert X - 2-3litres seems to be that now). Sources of water for hydration can include other liquids and foods that have water in them. This comes from several scientific and medical experts such as (insert links). Because it can be difficult to estimate, some people insist on only counting pure water, leaving others confused as to whether or not they are staying adequately hydrated in the face of the "only water = water" crowd who forget that what is being counted is hydration. It is important to remember that if you are getting your water hydration sources from something other than a glass of 'pure' water, there may be other factors to consider, such as calories from sugar, caffeine, and other items that may or may not adversely impact your specific biology.

    In other words -- my opinion -- yes you can get hydrated from other sources than water. However, those other sources may have fewer health benefits for you. Soda, for example, is crap for you, whether it's diet or regular. So while it may HYDRATE it may not help your healthier lifestyle, but it also is one of those 'everything in moderation including moderation' sort of scenarios too.

    I count actual water as my water, and I average 3 litres a day. I also eat a lot of fruit and vegetables and I drink 2-3 cups of tea a day. So yeah, hydration is never an issue for me. I feel better drinking straight water (and I like it), but if I were having hydration issues, I would be looking at the science, not my feelings, and the science that I could get hydration from other non-straight water sources if I needed it.

    I love how you worded that first paragraph, I wish I could steal it for the first post but the editing window has closed :(
  • pwnderosa
    pwnderosa Posts: 280 Member
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    I think this I a very valuable post for those that ask or are worried about water, I think there are quite a few people who let themselves get overly concerned with it....

    Personally I don't track water, only pay attention to the color of my pee to make sure things look right. Then again, I love water, tea, and seltzer so I am generally pretty well hydrated unless I really tied one on the day before!
  • SrJoben
    SrJoben Posts: 484 Member
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    I vote for the OP to be stickied.
    I don't agree but, to each his own! :drinker:

    As the old expression goes: "You can lead a horse to water, but you can't make it drink"

    I'm sorry for your inability to accept that facts backed by research trump folklore based on nothing.
  • breeshabebe
    breeshabebe Posts: 580
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    I like it when I pee clear so I drink plain old water. It's really easy. Probably the easiest, most natural thing I do every day.
  • MistyEE
    MistyEE Posts: 67
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    ehhh...over simplified and really does nothing to encourage healthy habits, with the most widespread choices available.

    Care to clarify? Because the body of scientific research in the medical community disagrees with you.
    Drinking water purely to make a counter go up every day is not necessarily a healthy habit, that is largely subject to context.

    Consuming a soda, is not the same as drinking water and the associated sugar. The difference with a soda and the other? ...17 teaspoons of sugar became much more palatable. In fact, it was much easier to drink 6 - 8 12 oz sodas, than it would be to choke down 136 teaspoons of sugar.

    It is much easier for the general population to focus on a simple goal, like 8 - 8 oz, than for them to calculate and account for all other ingredients or chemical processes taking place, either before or while it was consumed. Does food contribute to your hydration? Sure. Can the general population accurately measure it....not so much.

    So cause people are dumb and need things made simple/the truth clouded for their consumption so they'll make good choices?



    And I thought my faith in humanity was low

    My faith in overall humanity isn't low. I am just a huge fan of keeping things simple.


    I also believe there is not a cardiologist in the world, that would say to go ahead and drink the soda. Then again, maybe some would.


    My advice for people that get tired of seeing new people ask the same question - is ignore it. If it doesn't bother you, and you like sharing knowledge, then have at it.
  • barbaratrollman
    barbaratrollman Posts: 317 Member
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    If it is not water, record it in your food diary. If it is water, drink it when you're thirsty. Not sure why people get all worked up over this.

    This ^

    I preferred water *before* I started keeping a food/water/exercise diary here. Most of my liquid intake is actually just water anyway. I don't count my coffee, smoothies, or shakes as water, but I do count any herbal tea I drink.

    I pretty much just drink when I am thirsty or need to take vitamins or something like that.
  • lollipop4401
    lollipop4401 Posts: 9
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    I agree and disagree with this. When you drink plain water before eating anything else, it goes strait to your intestines. When you put anything other than water into your mouth, your mouth tells your brain, then your brain tells your stomach to get ready to digest something. So juice, for example would be considered food even though it is a liquid, it needs to be digested. But that's getting technical. I agree that lots of foods have water in them. The difference is that your body has to take the time to absorb the water out. With water, it's ready to be used as soon as you drink it. So you can count whatever you want as water. Just make sure you get the accurate amount of water you actually drink. I don't know about you, but milk doesn't taste like water to me, so I wouldn't count all of the milk I drink as water, it isn't. I don't drink tea, but I would count more of that as water, if it is just adding essential oils to the water, as said above. Same with lemon/orange/cucumber water. More of that is water than anything.

    The amount of water you need a day is roughly your weight in ounces. For example if I were 90 pounds, I would drink 90 ounces of water. 170 pounds, 170 ounces of water that you need to drink. :) but this may or may not be realistic for all people.

    Also, one last thing, don't drink plain water right after you eat something. It will mix with the food you are digesting, drink it around an hour after so it can be used as fast as possible (:. Don't listen to what I said if you don't like it. It's your body, your life, do what you want. :)
  • lollipop4401
    lollipop4401 Posts: 9
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    The amount of water you need a day is roughly your weight in ounces. For example if I were 90 pounds, I would drink 90 ounces of water. 170 pounds, 170 ounces of water that you need to drink. :) but this may or may not be realistic for all people.

    Also, one last thing, don't drink plain water right after you eat something. It will mix with the food you are digesting, drink it around an hour after so it can be used as fast as possible (:. Don't listen to what I said if you don't like it. It's your body, your life, do what you want. :)
    Sorry, it's your weight in ounces divided by 2. 120 lbs is 60 ounces......
  • xinit0
    xinit0 Posts: 310 Member
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    http://www.jacn.org/content/22/2/165.short - flavored plain water counts

    "Inclusion of plain drinking water compared to exclusion of plain drinking water in the diet did not affect the markers of hydration used in this study."

    http://www.jacn.org/content/19/5/591.short - any beverage counts

    "This preliminary study found no significant differences in the effect of various combinations of beverages on hydration status of healthy adult males. Advising people to disregard caffeinated beverages as part of the daily fluid intake is not substantiated by the results of this study."

    http://bjsportmed.com/content/40/5/406.abstract - sports drinks can hydrate more than plain water in some situations

    "Ad libitum consumption of a CHO-E drink may be more effective than water in minimising fluid deficits and mean core temperature responses during tennis and other similar training in adolescent athletes."

    http://www.jacn.org/content/26/suppl_5/592S.short - food counts

    "Various reports indicate that humans receive 20–25% of their daily water intake from food. Fruits, vegetables and other high-moisture foods, therefore, make an important contribution to total fluid intake."

    http://europepmc.org/abstract/MED/12834577 - the diuretic effect of caffeine is minimal

    "...nor does it cause significant dehydration or electrolyte imbalance during exercise."

    http://europepmc.org/abstract/MED/12187618 - the diuretic effect of caffeine is minimal

    "The literature indicates that caffeine consumption stimulates a mild diuresis similar to water, but there is no evidence of a fluid-electrolyte imbalance that is detrimental to exercise performance or health"

    "Investigations comparing caffeine (100-680 mg) to water or placebo seldom found a statistical difference in urine volume."

    http://jap.physiology.org/content/83/4/1152.abstract? - interesting one about alcohol post exercise and recovery

    “There appears to be no difference in recovery from dehydration whether the rehydration beverage is alcohol free or contains up to 2% alcohol, but drinks containing 4% alcohol tend to delay the recovery process.”

    You and your science can't trump what I just KNOW!

    Seriously, some fantastic links. Especially the caffeine one. I've long suspected the diuretic effect was largely imagined.
  • xinit0
    xinit0 Posts: 310 Member
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    I don't log any water, I guess that must mean I'm dead.

    If it has calories it gets logged. If it doesn't then it doesn't. Ain't nobody got time for that.

    Truth.
  • Nina1007
    Nina1007 Posts: 150
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    I don't log any water, I guess that must mean I'm dead.

    If it has calories it gets logged. If it doesn't then it doesn't. Ain't nobody got time for that.

    Truth.

    Also my logic

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