Water

mcsweetly
mcsweetly Posts: 133 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Would you count slightly watered down Crystal Light in your water? What about other drinks and why? I have seen various opinions on this and am curious what ya'll think.

Replies

  • Pearsquared
    Pearsquared Posts: 1,656 Member
    Think of it this way - does it help turn your urine clear? Hydrating yourself is really all that matters, and who cares if it's "pure" water or not? Heck, I can turn my urine clear by eating jell-o! A prepared package of it has 16 oz. of water in it. The eight glasses of water is just a guideline. If you're getting your hydration from other sources that suit your fancy, go for it.
  • dd2collin
    dd2collin Posts: 1 Member
    What a good point, I never thought of it that way...Water comes from other places than
    just water!
    What a concept...Thanks!
  • ElliottTN
    ElliottTN Posts: 1,614 Member
    Sure, it's water. Well It's water with crap added to it but H2O nonetheless.
  • Cae_Troi
    Cae_Troi Posts: 66 Member
    Crystal Light, Mio, etc. I count as water as it is water that's being flavored. Just like if I were to get a vitamin water 0 or any of the already flavored waters as water. I just make sure I count the calories of the additive, etc. But I don't count coffee, soda, etc. as it may have water in it, but it isn't hydrating me. Does that make sense?
  • JesterMFP
    JesterMFP Posts: 3,596 Member
    Of course. The body doesn't stop recognising water when other stuff is added to it. I get my fluid intake from plain water, as well as tea, coffee, protein shakes, soup, even food. I don't have juice or sodas very often, but when I do, I count them in my water intake (as well as logging them for calorie intake obviously).
  • JesterMFP
    JesterMFP Posts: 3,596 Member
    Crystal Light, Mio, etc. I count as water as it is water that's being flavored. Just like if I were to get a vitamin water 0 or any of the already flavored waters as water. I just make sure I count the calories of the additive, etc. But I don't count coffee, soda, etc. as it may have water in it, but it isn't hydrating me. Does that make sense?
    They certainly are hydrating you.
  • Cae_Troi
    Cae_Troi Posts: 66 Member
    Jester - For my personally coffee will dehydrate me, same as soda.
  • MinnieInMaine
    MinnieInMaine Posts: 6,400 Member
    I do! Our tap water and home is a bit icky so I have to flavor it with something. I'm not real fond of those Mio things so I make a pitcher of Crystal LIght of the like and pour just enough to color/flavor my water.

    While I wouldn't count coffee as water (some do but I don't find it hydrating) I do count hot tea as long as there's no added sugar, etc.
  • SueInAz
    SueInAz Posts: 6,592 Member
    I posted a response to a similar question nearly two years ago:

    Here's one way to look at it.... if you drank the glass of water and then squirted the flavoring into your mouth a few moments later, wouldn't you count the glass of water? Of course you would. Same goes for coffee because people certainly can, and do, eat coffee beans.

    Humans need about 64 ounces of water each day but a lot of that water comes in our food and every beverage has some amount of water in it. You don't really need to drink 64 ounces of pure water every day for healthy body function.

    That said, most of us can really do with drinking more water each day and if what helps you is to add a little Mio to it, then go for it. Don't let the "you can only drink plain water for it to count" nazis deter you.
  • Smashley1947
    Smashley1947 Posts: 129
    Coffee is a diuretic, but if you drink it daily it does not have the same effect.

    But yes, the water in foods does count towards the 8 glasses a day rule of thumb.

    A very good tip to see if you are hydrated is if your urine is clear. Vitamins tend to yellow the urine though.

    Dehydration migraines suck.
  • hesn92
    hesn92 Posts: 5,966 Member
    Well it is water. With a bunch of crap added to it.
  • ChancyW
    ChancyW Posts: 437 Member
    I usually only count non-caffeinated liquids in my total. So an energy drink wouldn't count to me but a protein shake would. It's personal preference.
  • sullus
    sullus Posts: 2,839 Member
    Crystal Light, Mio, etc. I count as water as it is water that's being flavored. Just like if I were to get a vitamin water 0 or any of the already flavored waters as water. I just make sure I count the calories of the additive, etc. But I don't count coffee, soda, etc. as it may have water in it, but it isn't hydrating me. Does that make sense?

    No. It doesn't make sense. Coffee hydrates just as well as water.

    http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11022872
    http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23724879
    http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21450118
    http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15467100

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