Does this count for water??

You can count anything as water intake as long as the main ingredient in it is water. Crystal Light just adds flavor to it. You could even count Diet Snapple or even coffee, arguably.

I had that same question about hot tea. I seem to be drinking a lot of that lately -- trying to stay warm without turning the heat way up.

You can count anything as water intake as long as the main ingredient in it is water. Crystal Light just adds flavor to it. You could even count Diet Snapple or even coffee, arguably.

that would be counter effective though considering the properties of coffee on your body. I drink my 2 cups per day - and drink 4 cups of water to replace that.

I count anything liquid as water... except alcohol, which I rarely drink. If I drank more than a cup of coffee or glass of soda then I would drink more water to make up for it... but most of my "water" intake comes from water, nonfat milk and unsweet tea! If it is not actualy water, I log on my food diary even if it is 0 calories like the tea.

I count coffee and tea. They are plants brewed in water just because some flavor and antioxidents are added from the plants does not change the fact that it's still water. While caffeine is a mild diuretic, the effects are minimal. Plus, I eat fruit and other foods with water in them, so whatever the caffeine takes away, I get back from the foods. The only beverages I don't count are alcohols.

I don't know if my mid-afternoon Green Tea has caffeine or not, but my mid-morning ginger tea and my evening chai tea (which I make with water & 1/2 cup of almond milk) do not have caffeine.

According to this: http://www.eatbetteramerica.com/askexpert/cooking-techniques/130.aspx

David Di Paolo, MD, a radiologist at the University of Texas Health Center at Tyler and a health and fitness instructor, responds: It may come as some surprise, but caffeinated beverages (in moderation) do count toward daily fluid requirements. That's according to the 2004 Dietary Reference Intakes for Water, Potassium, Sodium, Chloride, and Sulfate. For years, consumers were cautioned that caffeinated drinks, such as coffee, tea, and cola, had a dehydrating effect on the body by causing more frequent urination. As it turns out, caffeine's diuretic effect tends to be temporary.

There's more to his answer, but ^that^ was the most relevant part.

Another flavored water that I love is Propel fitness water. It has about 30 calories/bottle (24 oz) for the kind without artificial sweeteners. It is a nice treat and break from drinking tap water! I always refill the bottle with tap water for the rest of the day and it is a really good way to get in water for the day.