tea belly

littlelol
littlelol Posts: 539
edited September 22 in Introduce Yourself
I really really love drinking tea. I find water boooring. Is drinking tea equivalent to water intake?

Replies

  • cmriverside
    cmriverside Posts: 34,455 Member
    Pretty much.

    Hey did you know there are other categories to post in besides "Introduce Yourself"?

    Seven new topics at once in Introduce!! You're excited! Welcome.:flowerforyou:
  • lordofultima
    lordofultima Posts: 293
    Nope, you gotta drink water.
  • NoAdditives
    NoAdditives Posts: 4,251 Member
    Many varieties of tea have caffeine which will dehydrate you and should not be counted as water.

    My rule of thumb is that if it has anything added to it, it isn't water. Only plain water counts.

    If you're having trouble drinking water try using a sports water bottle or bigger reusable cup of some kind. I use one that holds 24oz, the equivalent of three glasses. It's easy for me to drink three of them or more in a day because I don't have to think about how much I'm drinking, it's just there. My cup has a lid on it so I don't have to worry about dust or other things falling into it. I keep it next to me wherever I am and I sip on it all day long.
  • mrskern06
    mrskern06 Posts: 24 Member
    If it's a black tea you MUST to drink water also. Herbal teas you can get by without drinking extra water. The caffeine in black tea and coffee actually zaps your body of much needed water.
  • Alyssa215
    Alyssa215 Posts: 8 Member
    Herbal teas are delicious and caffeine free, and therefore should not dehydrate you. Green tea is lower in caffeine, and black tea can be nearly equal to drinking coffee. A couple cups of tea a day should be fine, I think, but I'd stick to herbal and decaf if you are worried about dehydrating yourself!

    NoAdditives is right, though. One way to help is to get a big water bottle and carry it around with you. Another thing I like to do (though it's not super fun, it helps) is to force myself to drink one big glass of water before every meal (16 oz, which is two servings) and one small glass of water every time I'm tempted to snack (even if I end up snacking, at least I'm hydrated and slightly fuller.)
  • tawny7
    tawny7 Posts: 276 Member
    I have a hard time drinking plain water as it hurts my stomach. I use crystal light; I try not to drink much of them with caffiene. I drink decaf coffee as well. I count these as part of my water intake. Just watch the caffiene.
  • TrainingWithTonya
    TrainingWithTonya Posts: 1,741 Member
    Studies have shown that caffeine only dehydrates you if your body isn't accustomed to consuming it. So, if you have been drinking your tea (or soda or coffee) regularly, then the caffeine in it won't dehydrate you. All of my nutrition professors say that you can count any liquid you consume (including the broth from your soup) as your water intake. One even says that if you can get all the water your body needs through the right foods (lots of fresh fruits and veggies). Personally, I only count water, water with flavor added, or 100% juice. But it is a personal preference.
  • nilisabel
    nilisabel Posts: 338
    whatever works! I like crystal light, water, tea, coffee, diet soda. For me, I tend be kinda liberal with the diet soft drinks and such because otherwise I feel totally deprived and it makes it hard for me to stick to a diet. but ideally, I'd like to live cleaner. I think health is best maintained with clean living, but for me the goal right now is to lose weight so I'm in the short-range goal. Long range I'd like to clean my diet up and eliminate "fake" foods. I have like this vague theory that they gum up my immune system.
  • taletreader
    taletreader Posts: 377 Member
    As far as I'm aware, the entire "tea dehydrates you" idea is considered to be highly shaky. It is true that caffeine dehydrates... at high daily doses (300mg for people unused to drinking coffee or tea, 600 mg after habituation). If you only drink 3 mugs or so, nothing wrong with tea for hydration. And herbal teas and infusions are, of course, fine.

    See:
    http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/5281046.stm
    http://www.pponline.co.uk/encyc/0973.htm
    http://www.supanet.com/lifestyle/tea-as-good-as-water-for-hydration-a-new-study-finds-27811p1.html
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